PR exec pushes social media - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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“I think many are doing a disservice totheidr companies,” said Michael Cherenson, the chair and CEO of the . “Nowa is not the time to To be understood, you have to Cherenson is in Jacksonvillw to kick offthe PRSA’s Sunshinee District annual conference PRVille 2009 from June which will focus on the growth of sociall media and how it should be used by area businesses. “There’a no doubt media has changed,” Cherenso n said. “It’s gone from a passive form of news to butI don’t think traditional media is gone. This is just anothed tool.
” According to a Conference Boarr reportthis month, 43 percent of the online community uses social networking sites, which is up from 27 percent a year ago. In addition, a quarter of thoser users are logging in fromtheir workplace, and 22 percent of Twitter users cite work-related reasons for being on the Web The Conference Board reported. “Social media is here to stay,” said Lynn the director of The Conference Boar ConsumerResearch Center, in a press “Online social networking is more than just a fad among the younged generation.
They’ve become an integral part of our personal and professional Although the majority of Internet users still use thesse Web sites forpersonaol reasons, Cherenson said businesses need to use sociakl networking to energize and interact with their publics. “Peoplw are embracing this stuffbecause it’sa cool,” he said. “But they need to be doinyg it forstrategic reasons. I encourage people to become a nativew of all the sociaonetworking sites.
” Cherenson said each sociaol Web site is different, and they each have theirr own benefits depending on the userxs and who they are trying to connect with For example, passive peopls who don’t want to do a lot of communicatinf prefer YouTube, active members of the online community work well with Facebooko and Twitter is for those interested in micro-blogging and shorty pieces of information, he No matter which Web sites businesses participate in Cherenson said they need to be comfortable with transparencyh because there are some challenges and negative side effectsx to social networking. “It’s like singing in the car with the windowaswide open.
You have to assume everyone has a he said. “And you have to understanfd thepublic you’re trying to serve. If you don’t they will either turn you off or shut you Businesses have to have compelling content, and they need to be Cherenson said. It would be easy for someonw to create a fake name and profil todiscredit someone, which is why a code of ethics is more importanty now than it has ever been, he “Social media is nothing more than trust,” said Peteer Shankman, one of the keynotse speakers during PRVille 2009 on Friday. “People take your revieq at face value.
” Social media outletz do open doorsfor dishonesty, and they provide anothed way for a company to make mistakes beford a large audience very quickly, Shankman said. But sociao media also provides businesses many opportunitieds to reach an audience and listen to what theyare “Trust in our institutions is Cherenson said. “The businesws community needs to be schooledc in communication and technology by those whounderstand it, so they can effectively use it.
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