Social Media versus Traditional Media: Let's Call it A Truce

Social media represents a paradigm shift for viewing current affairs, seeming to challenge the established dominance of traditional media. Indeed, social media introduces an aspect of public involvement, whereby people with access to the Internet are able to contribute to the dissemination of information. Unlike its traditional counterpart, social media represents a digitised platform which allows for prompt two-way communication, breaking the one-to-many barrier prevalent in traditional media. However, both forms of media should not be seen as opposites but rather as cooperating factors in administering strategies or plans. Instead of examining the situation as social versus traditional, focus should instead be on the integration of both media as a cohesive tool.

In an organisational context, both social and traditional forms of media can be effective tools for engaging with the public. Traditional media is an effective way in directing information at a targeted audience, whereas social media allows for maximum distribution of information, and can potentially bypass physical or artificial restrictions. Organisations can utilise traditional media to connect with audiences in regions without established online access, whereas the urban public can be reached through social media. Both forms of media can be utilised in varying degrees, depending on the message intended by the organisation.

Organisational feedback is an important aspect to the reputation and development of an organisation. Hence, engaging with both forms of media allows organisations to minimise the weaknesses of a specific media, and take advantage of the strengths of both. For instance, social media allows for near-immediate feedback for public opinions, a downside of traditional media, which is generally delayed in nature. On the flipside, organisations also have the option of issuing official, formal responses through traditional press mediums, which can be interpreted as more legitimate and credible than statements made through social media. Both social and traditional media can be used as effective platforms for providing feedback, depending on the response required of the organisation.

Instead of focusing on the type of media used, organisations should alternatively look towards the appropriate strategies in dealing with customer relations, and decide which media is most effective in implement their strategies. Organisations should merge both social and traditional media as cooperative tools, and revise the way in which they communicate with their audience. Excerpts from two articles below echo this notion, and provide detailed examples which dismiss the notion of social media versus traditional media. 

__________________________________________ 

“When we rely on social media to replace traditional media in scenarios where budgets are tighter or turnaround is shorter, it seems like an unjustified decision. There are places where social media cannot replace traditional — such as developing strategy for regions without strong online presences, or when self-reported demographic data will not suffice.

Therefore, thinking about both as steps within finding, converting and keeping customers seems like a mentality shift we all need to make. This has already proven true.

Take Casper, for example. A mattress company at its core, it can also be used as a model for disruptive businesses understanding this closed-loop mentality. Casper plans to do this by hiring journalists in-house to launch an editorial site focused on the science of sleep, while simultaneously creating word-of-mouth marketing across traditional advertising and social media platforms. Casper’s creation of an in-house content engine is exciting for the storytelling age — which brings the smartest tactics from advertising, public relations, marketing and editorial together, regardless of the type of media. In essence, they are merging social and traditional rather than thinking of them separately.

According to Nielsen, 92 percent of consumers trust earned media such as word-of-mouth. In many brands’ eyes today, a perfect closed loop of mixed media efforts would mean that the content first went viral, and then changed consumer sentiment toward a buying decision. Looking at strategies focusing on the changing consumer rather than the type of media may help us become better content strategists.”

(Bailey Roy, Senior Project Manager of the Digital Research and Analytics Group at Ketchum Global Research Analytics)

__________________________________________ 

“Traditional media still has an important role to play. You'll continue to see those Times Square billboards flashing day and night. But with social media as a growing medium, marketing and PR should consider the different ways to blend the online and offline space. Can billboards work with Facebook? How do television and Twitter work together?

  

Here are […] simple ways to integrate social media into your traditional media efforts.

Converse in the traditional space. Could a customer's pleasant comment on Facebook be your next headline? Use these positive mentions and comments as testimonials on your website, headlines, body copy, etc. It will excite the customers that wrote the message (ensure you get their permission) and demonstrate your great brand in a peer-to-peer format.

Be open to feedback. With social media, communication is two-way. Your audience can provide thoughts and opinions about your campaigns. Welcome them! Let traditional media spread your message while social media captures the feedback. Make sure to take those opinions into consideration as you modify your campaign efforts.

Respond with traditional media. If you're listening on the social web and you're discovering some repeating complaints, engaging in social media is a great way to learn more and dispel any rumors. However, you can make your message louder by using traditional media. For instance, if you're getting negative feedback on your customer service, use traditional media to talk about it. How are you solving the problem? This approach shows that you're taking these complaints seriously.”

(Amanda Nelson, marketingcloud.com)

Image Source: 5wpr.net

Benjamin Lee Cheng Han | Benjamin is a student of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, currently exploring unchartered realms in the Public Relations field. Writing is clearly his interest – a decisive contributor to his foray into the public relations industry. To date, he boasts the proud record of having tamed one of the office cats, and drinking expired tea from the pantry.