By Chris Lee

Social media continued its rapid advancement during 2010, continuing to alter the media landscape forever. This has divided the PR community between those who have actively engaged social media as part of their clients’ strategies and those that, while understanding the value of social media, have struggled to keep up.

In the words of Stephen Waddington, managing director of London-based PR firm Speed Communications, a distinction can no longer be made between social and traditional media, which means PR professionals must be able to work across all forms of media.

“We’re as likely to get our news from the BBC as we are Facebook and Twitter,” he told NMK. “It’s no longer appropriate to bolt-on social media activities to existing communications efforts. In fact, I’d argue that it never has been appropriate.”

Roger Warner from online PR specialists Content and Motion believes that 2011 could see a continued defection of good social PRs to specialist digital agencies.

“All PR's 'get it' [social media], but not many really 'do it'.  Broadly, they don't have the experience, although some do - in very good ways. The issue isn't the PRs, it's their agencies,” Warner said.  “Long term clients with long terms agency rosters don't buy social media from agencies that are clearly not geared to deliver it.  Hence they seek specialists.  While this situation won't last forever - PR agencies will skill up and social agencies will broaden their offerings - I don't see it happening in 2011.  PRs who want to do it will continue to migrate to specialist digital agencies.”

For Paul Allen, managing director of Portsmouth-based tech PR agency Rise PR, there remains a disparity between the social media savviness of companies in London and other major cities and those in smaller towns, but highlighted that “influencers” are changing and that PRs needed to keep on top of that change.

“PRs need to diversify their efforts. It’s not just about approaching the press or bloggers any more, it’s about reaching influencers, whoever – or whatever – they are,” he said. “At times that will of course still be journalists and bloggers but it could also mean influential Facebook groups, Twitter users or LinkedIn communities. In 2011 PRs will need to make sure they know how to identify, approach and build relationships with this ever-widening set of influencers.”

But does social media really deliver value for money to paying clients? According to Rob Blackie, head of digital at PR specialists Blue Rubicon, businesses are increasingly demanding that communications shows its return for the business, something he argues that it’s been traditional quite poor at. Luckily, Blackie says, digital can demonstrate impact on the business, whether it’s the hard evidence of sales, or softer brand building.

“This means that it will become more and more obvious that media shops that just deliver traditional coverage are unsustainable – media coverage only matters if it actually drive results, and a lot of it doesn’t,” he told NMK. “The good news is that the relationship skills that traditional PR firms have are well suited to building strong online relationships, whether it’s with a tight group of stakeholders or a wide group of customers, so they are in a far better position to grab budgets than most other marketers. The most ambitious firms have based their entire business strategy on social media, so need communications agencies who match that ambition.”