Sunday, January 31, 2010

Blogging

Emily Wilkins
1/31/09
Current Topics
Fisher

Blogging

Another emerging trend in the field of public relations is blogging. Blogging can be important to public relations practitioners as far as delivery of news coverage and information sharing is concerned. The growing technique helps prove how influential the internet has become as a communication medium.
        Blogs are short for weblogs. These are online personal commentary links according to www.educause.edu. They can be viewed as online journals to which people can respond to, such as an e-mail. They are simple to create and easy to access that lead to open discussions. Evaluating blogs’ strengths and weaknesses, guidelines are being set for the workplace. Blogs have become an accepted instructional technology tool and is continuing to be used for various tasks for practitioners.
        Public relations practitioners use blogging as a way of delivering news coverage and information sharing. This way, they can not only reach out to bloggers, but to bloggers in question. This makes communication easier for faculty to express opinions, promote dialogue and support teaching and learning. Many companies in both technical fields such as eBay and Microsoft and nontechnical fields such as General Motors and Wells Fargo Bank now have in-house blogs that report on developments in the company. Some of those developments might include new items posted to the web pages, new cars on the lot, and different banking tools that are being introduced to the company. These blogs can also inform its readers on why these items, cars, programs, and accounts are all going to be beneficial to the customers. For any questions or concerns on behalf of these blogs or postings, customers are given the opportunity to reply to the blogs and ask questions directly.
        Some of the benefits involved with blocks for public relation practitioners include gaining visibility as a thought leader, engaging customers in dialogue, developing your brand, and using each one as an opportunity. By publicizing their news through internet, discussion is opened up to various audiences. With the variety of people exposed to the blogs, it leaves room for people to communicate new ideas and an abundance of feedback. Allowing customers to engage in the dialogue, makes for a better outcome for the company. Using feedback and applying it towards ideas and new techniques. This is an excellent alternative for good customer service. Each blog can be used as an opportunity to reach out to these customers for an idea of what they are looking for in the company. It is a quick and easy-to-use tool to have that provides interaction with potential customers and accommodate to those needs.
        Before creating a blog, practitioners need to remember a few things about what they are going to include in it. First of all, know who the audience is going to be. Plan the material according to the people that are going to be reading along. Secondly, choose what the blog is going to be about. The structure of the blog and the topic chosen is going to determine whether or not the message will get across to its readers. The topic chosen needs to be open-ended and have opportunity for feedback and conversation. Engaging in conversation is crucial in public relations to meet the needs of potential and current customers. Then, find what will be needed to do to exceed those expectations and accommodate accordingly. The public are what make public relations so it is most appropriate to find these new techniques that will help run a better system.
These aspects all contribute to the emerging trends in public relations. Practitioners are used to the consistent changes in the workforce, especially with technology. Technology faces regular changes and it is up to fields, such as public relations, to be prepared and learn new ways.


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