Collaborative post by Kasey Skala and Laura Fernandex. You can find them on Twitter at @kmskala and @CubanaLAF.
A blog post went up today on the PRSA ComPRhension blog that was titled Status Updates: Millennial Staffers Can Update Your Social Media Plans. Kasey Skala and Laura Fernandex are both PRSA members (Minnesota and Ft. Worth, respectively) and found that the article, if followed, might lead to social media disaster. They were both offended as PR pros – but what can you do to ensure that you take a positive approach to social media in the PR world? As a Millennial or senior staffer?
We found three things that really stuck out to us (there is more, but let’s leave that to the comments conversation.)
1. Tapping on these new professionals may seem like a gamble. You don’t want them speaking to clients, let alone producing messaging.
The biggest issue with this thinking is the rationale behind the hiring. As an agency or corporation, especially in today’s economy, the ball is definitely in your court in regards to acquiring the right talent. It’s always a “gamble” bringing a new person into your organization. You want to be sure they’re a right fit with your current staff, your organization’s mission and the clients you represent. However, if you base your hiring on someone’s age instead of his or her talent – especially when it comes to social media – then your organization has a lot bigger issues it needs to straighten out. If you don’t have enough faith and trust in their ability and talent, then why did you hire them?
2. However, to increase your organization’s toolbox and capture the attention of younger staffers eager to get ahead, the social media space is an ideal testing ground.
Social Media is an enhancement of your communications strategy already in place. It should never be an ideal testing ground. It represents your brand, just as much as a Web site, press release or marketing campaigns. Just because someone grew up online, that doesn’t automatically give them credibility in the social space. The biggest reason brands struggle with social media is because they treat as an experiment. The space may be new, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have an effective strategy in place. You can change or alter your store layout, you can modify your cute promotion. Your online footprint is permanent.
3. A good starting point is to task new professionals with building up senior staffers’ profiles and networks on the organization’s social networking accounts.
Social Media is about your personality, your brand, your authenticity. Having a millennial build up your profile and network doesn’t show you. What if they state something wrong? Are they going to engage for you as well? Social media is about engaging and putting yourself out there. You lost total authenticity when you are speaking for someone else.A new professional brings the technology platform knowledge to the table, while senior staffers know branding strategy. Work together to meet a common goal.
So, what do you think? What approaches do you utilize in social media? How can millennials and senior staffers work together on campaigns and strategy?
