Will Social Media Kill Traditional Public Relations?

Social media will replace traditional media as the main tool for public relations practioners within two years, according to a new survey by StevensGouldPincus, merger and management consultants to the communications industry.

Today, communications consulting firms devote 30 percent of their total percentage of work to social media as opposed to traditional media. Next year, the percentage will increase to an average of 42 percent. 

“If this trend persists, within the next two years, social media will replace traditional media as PR/PA’s [public relations/public affairs] primary tool for reaching client audiences with news and information,” said Art Stevens, managing partner of StevensGouldPincus. “When you consider that traditional media have been the bedrock of professional PR/PA practice for more than 100 years, the implications are profound.” 

According to the survey, social media are being used across the board, with media relations the dominant function, averaging 36 percent, followed by product marketing (25 percent), and issues advocacy (20 percent).

“Online or off, working with the press remains the top priority for most firms,” Stevens noted.

The also survey indicates that the amount of time spent on social media each month varies slightly by firm, but the most attention goes to Facebook (31 percent), Twitter (29 percent), LinkedIn (18 percent), MySpace (17 percent), and YouTube (14 percent).

For more on the survey, read the press release. For a copy of the complete survey, which includes results by geographical region, write to Art Stevens.

Do you think social media will kill traditional public relations? Please share your ideas in the comments section below.

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