In the past ten years, the internet has totally
revolutionised the practice of every aspect of public relations, and sports PR
is no exception to this. The technological revolution has not only changed the
way PR agencies communicate but has changed the very nature of communication.
Readership of printed
newspapers and magazines has plummeted as the vast majority of us now hear
about events and incidents through online and social media news sources. Many
traditional media outlets have experienced declining circulation, though some
have capitalised on new trends by offering free and subscription-based online
tablet-friendly versions of their publications to their readers. The majority
of journalists and PR professionals now believe that the "death" of traditional
newspapers is inevitable and most will no longer exist in 10-15 years’ time.
As readership shifts from traditional to online media, so has
the focus of many tech savvy sports public relations
professionals. To get their clients’ message across to sports fans and the
media, sports PR
agencies these days must explore the use of new
technologies. These could include social media sites (such as Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, Instagram and Flickr), social bookmarking, virtual communities, blogs and
information sharing sites.
Online vs. Traditional PR
Online PR is the process of making sure your sport or event
gets mentioned on as many other websites as possible in just the same way as
offline PR ensures your sport is mentioned in as many newspapers as possible.
Online
PR is one of the most cost-effective
marketing communications methods for all types of sports. It allows athletes and sports organizations
to communicate directly with sports enthusiasts and the general public so they
can get their message across without having to rely solely on traditional
publications and broadcast media.
New Ways of
Communication
Widespread use of social media has made the environment in
which sports PR agencies now have to operate far more transparent. Increasingly,
sport PR agencies and sports organisations are responding by
utilising live transmissions and social media channels, such as blogs, podcasts
and video-blogging, to reach out to sports fans.
Online PR involves reaching out to bloggers and the public
in a totally different way. Bloggers are not professional journalists. They are
not used to dealing with press releases so it is unlikely that they will even
read them, let alone cover your story. PR agencies need to build and nurture
relationships to get results from social media and blogs.
Finally, PR practitioners must be conscious of implementing
a crisis management strategy. Social media has greatly increased the speed at
which news breaks, with major events and stories being spoken about online
seconds after they occur. This makes it vital to have a quick response crisis
management strategy to handle negative press stories or social media comments
about individuals, events or sports federations.
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