The 2009 Digital Readiness Report is a survey conducted by ipressroom.com with support by the US PR association PRSA has found that public relations leads in social networking.
While marketing is responsible for email marketing and natural search engine optimization at most organisations, PR leads in social networking, micro-blogging, blogging, podcasting, social bookmarking and even web content management.
Insight: Social media is more important that updating web content
There are very high levels of adoption in online communications, demonstrating that new media and social media are now a core part of the web-based communications mix. They have become integral to organisational communications. Social networking adoption out ranks natural search engine optimisation, with 70% utilizing them compared to 66% for SEO and social media is prioritized and utilized more than managing the company’s website content (70% vs 50%)
Insight: Ease of Use Drives Adoption
Not surprisingly, micro-blogging has grown slightly bigger than blogging, 62% versus 59%, demonstrating that lowering the barrier to entry — the “140-character news cycle” as Shel Holtz puts it — drives social media adoption by making it easier for people to participate.
Insight: Small to medium-sized enterprises lead the way in social networking and Twitter
Small to medium-sized enterprises are significantly ahead of larger organisations when it comes to adopting Twitter (64% versus 47%) and social networking (74% adoption versus 38%) but not in blogging which is now squarely in the large organisation’s repertoire. But larger organizations are managing the content on their web sites more actively than small to medium-sized enterprises.
Insight: Public Relations is leading the social media revolution inside organizations of all types and sizes
• PR leads marketing in the management of all social media communications channels. Marketing leads PR in managing only email marketing and SEO.
• In 51% of organisations, PR lead digital communications compared to 40.5% where marketing leads
• PR is responsible for blogging at 49% of all organisations. Marketing is responsible for blogging at 22% of all organisations. PR is responsible for social networking at 48% of all organizations. Marketing is responsible for social networking at 27% of all organizations.
• PR is responsible for micro-blogging at 52% of all organisations. Marketing is responsible for microbloggingat 22% of all organizations.
Insight: When searching for prospective candidates, knowledge of social media is almost as important as traditional media relations skills
• Among those responsible for hiring PR and marketing employees, 82% of respondents said mainstream media relations expertise was either important or very important. But over 80% said knowledge of social networks is either important or very important. Nearly 77% said knowledge of blogging, podcasting and RSS is either important or very important. And almost 72% said an understanding of micro-blogging services like Twitter are either important or very important.
• Other new media communications skills that hiring decision makers found important or very important are search engine optimization (62%), email outreach (56%), web content management (52%) and social bookmarking (51%).
• Hiring decision makers recognize the importance of social media in organizational communications. To meet the needs of internal and external communications today’s organizations, public relations or marketing job seekers need to develop a comprehensive portfolio of digital communications skills.
• 18% of hiring decision makers have no interest at all in traditional public relations skills, signalling a shift from a mainstream media relations-focused approach.
Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au.
