Mobile devices have helped the public relations industry evolve

Public relations professionals must use multiple mobile
devices to always stay connected to clients, the media
and their audience. (Photo by Katie Goldberg)

Ten years ago, public relations was about talking to the media and the biggest instrument in a PR persons toolkit was the press release. How things have changed in ten short years. Today, public relations is about talking directly to the consumers. And the tools being used are mobile devices.

Robin Lane, Public Relations Manager at GXS, says “The entire industry has shifted away from a media and PR role and has morphed into more of a communicator role. When you are talking to people, you are talking straight to your audience, not necessarily the media, and there’s no need for any kind of gatekeeper anymore.”

According to Lane, the essence of PR hasn’t changed, but the way the actual relationships work has.

Public relations professionals stay connected 24/7

Mobile devices have taken an industry that was already a round the clock job, and made it a whole lot easier. Most people find being connected all the time to be a burden or a distraction from everyday life, but not Lane.

“Public relations has always been 24/7, just without the connectivity,” says Lane. “Before you had to stay at your desk all the time and were always on call, so it’s definitely been a positive change for us.”

Particularly because of the social media explosion, there’s never a time when a public relations professional can be away from their mobile device or some sort of communication tool. More than ever, they need to make sure they have a way of responding to client-related business, such as Facebook posts and Tweets from fans or key influencers, which are constant and immediately out there for the world to see, good or bad. 

Mobile devices are useful even while in the office

Day to day, public relations professionals are constantly running from events or meetings or putting out the latest fire. Mobile devices are can be especially useful when trying to balance it all.

Lane says she even has multiple mobile phones at work. “We hold weekly webinars and one of the things that I’m responsible for as a PR person is to Tweet while they are going on. I can use my mobile phone for social media and then I have my laptop or iPad in there as well to take notes on the actual webinar.”

Keeping up with technology helps PR professionals stay relevant

The Pew Research Center recently released their State of theNews Media 2012 report and the findings were rather interesting, but not so surprising. About a quarter of U.S. adults get news on multiple devices. 

This is extremely important for public relations professionals to be aware of. In this digital age, PR people need to set themselves apart in one way or another, or disappear like so many others have.

“The mobile audience is the norm now,” says Lane. “This audience is just a little more technology friendly than what we’re used to, so PR people need to stay in touch with that, getting ahead of the trends whenever possible.”

Industry outsiders often say that PR is dead, but it’s not dead; it’s evolving and ever-changing. And many will agree with Lane who says it’s more important than ever before.