SINGAPORE, Feb. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Social media can be a love-hate relationship. It likes you, shares with you, and engages you in conversations. But like all relationships, you need interesting content to keep the spark going.
One of the key challenges that PR practitioners are facing is "cutting through the clutter and engaging people's attention for more than the few seconds it takes to scroll, swipe or click through to the next thing," according to John Bailey, Managing Director of Ketchum Singapore.
For Beth Boswell, Head of Communications, Asia & Russia of Alcon, "the challenges don't come one after another but all at once and are linked... creating content that interests, creating enough content, adapting to the trend of the moment and responding before losing the momentum, sorting out which agencies do it well (PR, digital, marketing, ad), sorting out the medium (video, voice, text) and approvals. The list could go on."
"Many PR departments are fundamentally set up to create text -- but social media is highly graphical: video, images, photos, and infographics are key. Simultaneously, the smaller screens of mobile devices provide less space for photos, text, or content of any kind," shares Genevieve Hilton, Head of External Communications, Asia Pacific at BASF.
What are the strategies that PR professionals can adopt to tackle these challenges?
"Creating all content from a user-centric point of view is of vital importance. Before creating content, the professional must consider how -- when, in what format, and on what platform -- the content is expected to be consumed. By taking this approach, new habits can be formed," Hilton explains.
Bailey agrees, "Develop compelling content that is easily digestible and shareable. Ideally it should be visual and formatted for small screens."
For Boswell, "Some of the strategies are back to basics such as really knowing which audience you want to reach and ensure your content and channel choices will resonate with them. Don't get sucked into the social media app of the moment but truly evaluate if it will work for you or is it a distraction."
Shushu Zhang, Director of Marketing and Communications, APAC at Cargotec Asia shares similar thoughts, "It's impossible to be everywhere at the same time for everyone. We need to find the right place to talk to the right people, and make it stick." She points out, "Be yourself. Be original."
Bailey, Boswell, Hilton and Zhang are among other communications experts who will be speaking at the upcoming Social Media & PR 2017 Conference, to be held in Singapore from 6-7 March 2017 and Hong Kong from 13-14 March 2017.
The conference will feature actionable insights from DHL, Sony, Visa, Diageo, HSBC, Nestle, BASF, Electrolux, Alcon, Cargotec, Hong Kong Airlines, Langham Hospitality Group, SMRT, PSB Academy and more on how to tackle pressing issues including social media strategy, integrated communications, content strategy, content creation, visual storytelling, influencer engagement, media relations, mitigating online risks and crisis communications.
Conference Details
About Pacific Conferences
Pacific Conferences specialises in organising business conferences aimed at providing interactive, insightful information and analysis about issues facing businesses in Asia-Pacific. Catered to middle and upper level executives, its events are usually case studies driven with emphasis on providing in-depth and unbiased practical knowledge. www.conferences.com.sg
Contact:
Ms. Soh Jing Wen
(65) 6592 7367
jingwen@conferences.com.sg
