How Facebook shrinks the necessity of traditional PR

Talk to any PR professional and they’ll admit that the advent of digital marketing and social media has changed their industry. Some will say they’ve adapted. And I truly believe that some have. But not all.

Some still don’t fully understand this new form of marketing, in particular Facebook as a social media and advertising platform, from the client’s perspective. Without understanding that, they’ll never understand what they’re up against, so let me share my perspective as a fairly steady PR client since 2004. I’ve co-founded two consumer products companies. During the past year we’ve been using PR for my current company, Thread Experiment, which sells home bedding designed for men. I’ve noticed a significant change in the impact of PR since 12 years ago when I founded my first company.

In its most basic function, PR gets brands placed in various media sources. Whether it be magazine, TV or blog, a mention of your brand, a product photo, or a full write-up on your business often creates fantastic exposure to readers/viewers of that medium. Implied in that placement is a form of unbiased endorsement of the brand. As a result, readers or viewers are likelier to shop and/or purchase the brand’s products. That’s the goal of PR, anyway.