Putting the "Public" in "Public Relations"

There seems to be a great deal of gray area concerning businesses and social media. The amount of social networking sites and blogs are abundantly increasing daily.

Now, we see social media seeping into the workforce. No longer is internal communications disseminated at the water cooler, now companies have set up social networking sites for their employees. Even further, social media and blogs are becoming a medium for a company to communicate externally - that is, through its public relations.

According to a recent study, "two-thirds pf public relations practitioners believe blogs and social media have enhanced what happens in public relations and that social media and traditional mainstream media complement each other" (18). Furthermore, "61% believe the emergence of blogs and social media have changed the way their organizations (or client organizations) communicate" (18). Blogs and social media have changed the way we do business, certainly, but now, ironically, it is changing the way we communicate - outside the web.

At The Marion Group, we realize that each company communicates with their internal and external publics differently. Therefore, we stay up-to-date on trends and provide services that compliment each company and their specific need.

"Social media [has] 'provided an opportunity to truly put the public back in public relations'" (19).

For more information on The Marion Group or its services, please email us at marion@marion.com.