Earlier this year, the Council of Public Relations firms published a white paper on the evolving role of public relations in the age of social media. It’s an interesting and often frank report on the state of public relations. The report’s authors describe the “current communication landscape” as the “wild west, as the advertising agencies and other marketing providers deliver services that, in the past, have been the domain of the public relations industry,”

After reading through the report, I spoke with Matt Shaw, Vice President of the Council of Public Relations Firms, to get his take on the white paper and to ask a few questions about the changing landscape of public relations.

Here’s a snapshot of our recent conversation:

John: The report predicts that “[h]ybrid compensation models are likely to develop that are more closely tied to audience engagement than hourly revenue. This new model would be based partly on an hourly basis, on project deliverables, and measurable outcomes. Clients often are measured and compensated this way in their own businesses, so metrics will become increasingly important and sophisticated within public relations.”

If this is the case, it seems that tools like Google Analytics and Technorati’s authority rankings will become increasingly vital to PR professionals. If this prediction holds true, then will these tracking tools surpass the more traditional PR Trak in terms of how we justify ROI and ultimately develop business?

Matt: It’s difficult to predict how and when PR firm business models may change, but I would agree with the author’s findings that clients are looking at new ways to work w/their firms in this area (PR and ad agency alike). I’m sure there are many PR firms that are talking with their clients today about how to best measure newer social media programs. Measuring the many new forms of “engagement” should only grow in importance, and the good news is that these things are indeed measurable.

Another thing to keep in mind: An under-appreciated element in the overall measurement conversation is the fact that when PR has been measured, in mix marketing models or communications optimization models for example, it performs quite well, and generally comes out on top of other marketing disciplines. The P&G study of ’05 is the best-known case, but it is happening consistently, in all types of industries.

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There is a whole lot of buzz in the PR blogosphere about the social media news release, Second Life and a whole host of other topics that warrant discussion. I certainly plan to commit future postings on these new social media topics.

However, in an effort to help the new class of public relations students scheduled to graduate this year, I’d like to dedicate one of my first posts to something I wish I knew my first day on the job: The Corporate Lexicon.

In my two years in corporate firms I’ve cataloged several words and phrases that are guaranteed to baffle any PR neophyte. Some of these terms are more obscure than others, some certainly apply to more than just the public relations corporate world, but if you’re headed to a big agency or corporate communications department, you’ll encounter at least one of these gems within the first month and be glad you’re a reader of Forward. In no particular order….

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I recently sat down with Richard Toth, APR, Fellow PRSA, and lecturer at the University of Maryland-College Park. For my first post, I thought I’d share some of the thoughts from one of my former public relations professors. Let’s jump right with some young pr pro questions…

What’s your advice for recent public relations graduates in terms of the some of the skills you find that young PR pros lack?

New PR pros and students need to demonstrate and follow through on basic curiosity about tactical and strategic communications — the classic five w’s and h on a broad and flexible range of topics. They need to absorb and sort lots of information, going beyond the superficial to ponder and position the “what if?” of situations. Beyond that philosophical big picture, I suggest students and new pros should:

• Read, listen, observe, ask, write, edit, practice more. In a variety of media — traditional, mainstream and otherwise.
• Take every opportunity for feedback and to explore and propose options.
• Take what I call positive risks. Dare to be different, positively.
• Network, collaborate, participate, mentor and be mentored. Getting started early in organizations — such as PRSSA, PRSA, IABC, their local chapters and members. Such activity can help with all of the recommendations above and below. Don’t forget personal, face-to-face interaction. Follow up with personal thank-you notes and updates. Add value to a contact and relationship as a deposit in the bank of goodwill — for both the giver and receiver.
• Keep a file of and leverage ideas, examples, stories, contacts, quotes, testimonials, results, successes, experiences, Web sites, blogs, etc. Then connect them to each new situation, challenge or opportunity.

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