The term public relations has been redefined by many scholars as it evolves . In the past years ,it was seen as a form of propaganda in a way of influencing public opinion. Organizations didn't understand what role PR could play to promote it's brand. This misinterpretation caused the delayed growth of the industry in the world and pushed PR professionals to think beyond . Public relations bodies then emerged in the early 1970s to bring together practitioners from across the globe inorder to strategize on how they could position the industry in the society . Until then ,the model of communication exercised was one way , through the use of broadcast media and press releases to promote client's services .
Technology reshaped public relations and associated PR agencies with publicity for development projects and mass education campaigns . This drastic change in technology changed the world's perception of PR and some brands gained trust in hiring PR professionals to promote their products and reach their target audience. However,others declined and didn't feel the need of involving agencies for brand promotion . Deeply rooted misconceptions might be the reason behind this .
Posed a question to students of communication on what exactly PR is.One student classified it as an art defining it as a relationship between an organization and it's publics. I went ahead and asked them what duties public relations practitioners play and explain the need of PR agencies for brands . It's unfortunate how the student went silent for a while and ended up posing the question to another. The other student didn't have an idea of what Public relations is and how it operates .
Public relations is simply the mutual relationship between an organization and it's publics . The term publics in PR means your target audience. This means a PR pro is a conduit between brands and consumers . To deliver powerful PR ,the PR pro must keep their fingers on the pulse of the industry.
This industry is evolving at a fast pace hence demanding employment of pro- active plans to keep up . Some of the skills trainees and PROs need to develop include;
•Staying updated on industry trends -You need to set Google alerts and connect with firms that deal with corporate communication.
•Create full social media management services - This involves planning,crafting ,publishing content on social media platforms. Stay organized and consistent to connect with your target audience.
•Content marketing - content creation will boost your SEO .NB- Your content must be captivating and should fullfill your target audience needs and preferences.
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