Social networking - here's how it works

If we’re honest, most of us working in PR are still feeling our way through social networking, trying to get a handle on how to get the most from it. Most people seem to be diving into this just because everyone else is and they don’t want to miss the bandwagon, but I’m always on the look-out for practical examples of how it is actually benefitting people and delivering real results to businesses.
I thought I’d share with you the experience I had this month when we launched the new Breen Media website. I’m a big fan of LinkedIn, which I think is the best social networking site for business by miles. I’ve gleaned tons of valuable information from the discussions on the groups I’ve joined and decided to tap into this vast pool of free expert knowledge.
No matter how much work you put into a website there is always room for improvement, so when our site went live earlier this month I posted an appeal on various group sites such as Network of PR Professionals, ThoseinMedia, Public Relations and Communications Professionals, Innovative Marketing, University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Entrepreneurs, asking for feedback - good and bad.
Thankfully, the response was overwhelmingly positive and most people really liked the site. However, and this was where the real value lies, there were many highly constructive comments and insights to make the site even better, which I’ve passed to our web designers, Silkstream, who also did the site for our niche insurance and reinsurance pr company rein4ce. As we speak, the site is being tweaked based on some of the terrific very thoughtful feedback I received from LinkedIn.
This simple exercise delivered so much value to Breen Media. Firstly, a large number of extremely talented professionals worldwide read the website, raising the profile of the business. Secondly, they were kind enough to offer for the free the kind of professional assessment that I would have had to pay a fortune for had I hired a consultant. Thirdly, I’ve connected with many of these people. Finally, and most importantly, I received a number of extremely promising leads from people who looked at the site.
Social networking, when used properly, can be an extremely powerful weapon for PR professionals. From a simple post, I’ve gained invaluable contacts, business leads, driven a huge surge in traffic to our website, and the website is the better for it.
That’s the beauty of social networking.

Tags: Breen Media, rein4ce, Silkstream, Linkedin