Technology and Public Relations: Improving the Industry
Posted on April 18, 2016, at 6:50 p.m.
by Kenzie Winn.
Technology. What associations come to mind when reading the word?
The word “technology” is jam-packed with connotations. My thoughts are flooded with the days that I actually wanted to receive emails and would anxiously await the voice of a strange man informing me, “You’ve got mail.” Also, there was a lot of slamming the “CTRL-ALT-DEL” keys into my frozen computer. Yeah, a lot of that.
Today, technology is everywhere and in everything that we do. As public relations practitioners, it is fundamental that we take advantage of the opportunities that technology offers and use it to make not only our lives but also our careers easier.
Shonali Burke, president and CEO of Shonali Burke Consulting Inc., helps put things in perspective. Burke’s company is a micro-agency that provides strategic communication planning, implementation and training to and for organizations that understand 21st century communication means going from “corporate codswallop to community cool.”
“Not just video technology, but technology in general has had a huge impact on the PR industry. Look at what we’re able to do with little-to-no tech training,” said Burke. “As far as video goes, it’s an incredibly powerful medium via which we can connect to our audiences and communities, and smart PR pros are doing just that. Whether it’s taking advantage of live-streaming apps such as Periscope, using Blab for video ‘interviews’ along with audience interaction, or Skype for media training — we can do so much more when we harness the power of video.”
Moreover, technological advancements have caused public relations practitioners to acquire innovative tactics involving video that will more effectively capture the attention of their target audiences.
Among the latest tools that have received positive attention throughout the technology sphere is the webinar. According to www.dictionary.com, a webinar is “a seminar or other presentation that takes place on the Internet, allowing participants in different locations to see and hear the presenter, ask questions, and sometimes answer polls.”
Brittany Klontz, a digital marketer with expertise in account management at Distilled, shared what she considers a few strengths and weaknesses of conducting a webinar.
“A webinar is a great way to distribute knowledge to hundreds of people who are located all over the world,” said Klontz. “However, a webinar can sometimes be less effective than an in-person conversation or presentation because of a) the limited amount of time and b) it welcomes distractions. While watching a webinar, people have the tendency to multi-task.”
Although consumers typically have a very low attention span, there is no denying that webinars are a great way to share information with a large number of people at once.
Burke provided a few tips for those interested in conducting their own webinar session.
“What is key is structuring your presentations so that a) attendees actually have to pay attention, because they’re probably trying to do 20 things at once, and b) keeping them engaged so that as few as possible drop off until the end,” said Burke.
Overall, technology and advancements alike can offer new and exciting ways to connect influencers and consumers. The innate ability it provides to conduct two-way communication is indispensable.
“Beyond how it has impacted our storytelling and content distribution methods, the introduction of video technology, specifically in the form of live streaming and webinars, has also enhanced our ability to better share our knowledge,” said Klontz.
