Photo via Kaushik.net
A public relations practitioner may stop and ask themselves, “Why should I blog and what is the point?
Well, aside from the ENORMOUS craze currently going on over social media, there are lucrative benefits for businesses to also participate.In a blog post I read written by the good the bad the and spin, it stated three reasons why it is smart for people with a career in PR start up a blog. The reasons are:
1. Blogs publish information in real time-Blogs offer a mechanism to respond quickly and affirmatively.
2. Blogs place information on public record- Blogs are one place to put information with a personal touch, rather than sending out a blast news release. Blogs, similar to direct email, are a tactic to target certain publics.
3. Blogs are cost effective- If used correctly, blogs can equate with the search engine ranking power of mass media outlets.
I think these are convincingly concrete answers for why people in the field of PR should blog. It cuts out the people in-between that filters and alters the information a PR practitioner wants to make available to the public. An article online written by James L. Horton best summed up the advantages of blogs in PR by saying, “Think of a blog as a low-cost and fast publishing tool that can provide an important dimension to an individual and/or organization in terms of getting news out quickly.”
Other than playing the role of a vehicle for fast and free publishing, it allows PR professionals to bring into play their most important factor, and that is the human factor. Mashable.com posted a blog entry about the emphasis of relationships between PR professionals and bloggers. The article focused that despite the changing medium for press releases, by directly reaching out to key media and influencers with whom we maintain relationships, we’re able to ensure their timely awareness of the news.
I feel that in the business it is extremely important to keep up with technology and communication trends because if you are not, someone else is. If a PR practitioner is not taking the time to promote their clients and tie them with their publics, then they are not doing their jobs. Blogs allow for this exact interaction to happen!
Now remember, if a person in PR is blogging it does need to be professional and beneficial to their career. Frequently people use blogs as personal journals, and I think PR professionals need to keep in mind that they represent other people and not themselves.
♥ ♥ Cat Pylant ♥ ♥ 
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