The greatness of social media!

I LOVE social media! It has been known as something that can serve as a venue for casual networking and interaction. But recently, its role in PR has increased drastically over the past few years. One trend that really sticks out with me is twitter and the immediacy it provides to the business-customer relationship. Here mashable notes that some of the biggest brands have constant twitter content flowing out to its followers. Personally, I can attest this through the job that our social media team does at the Brewers. The Bernie Brewer twitter account, ran by someone in our consumer marketing department, clearly illustrates this through direct dialogue with its followers. This not only helps to promote all of the Brewers promotions but also the Brewers brand. I have tried to similarly achieve this through the Brewers spanish twitter handle through re-tweeting positive comments send to us by fans.

Social media cannot only help build brands but also give them humor. When Walgreens tweeted out a pair of humorous posts during the Super Bowl blackout, they gained followers and positive publicity that didn't come from a high-priced TV ad. Social media is underrated in its ability to motivate and captivate followers. That is why we, as future PR professionals, must gain understanding of it professional power.

-Rickey