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Part 2: Mastering the ropes
In the first part of my blog, I impressed the importance of media training in this fast-evolving world of communication, especially when conversing with members of the media. With the advancements in social media, a new communication landscape has been established that requires new tools to master in order to best reach a target audience.
Not too long ago, media channels were limited to print and broadcast mediums, making the individuals’ interactions with media more streamlined, predictable, and less confusing. With modern technological advancements and with the looming dominance of social media, once considered a form of entertainment that has quickly evolved to the medium of choice for all communication, spokespeople have to update and adapt upon their methods to surpass traditional mediums of print and online.
Individuals now have to equip themselves with new essential tricks that would, among many other things, prepare them in navigating live online broadcasts. Tricks and pointers include the fact that an audience needs to be informed well in advance of the ‘streaming’ schedule in order to create awareness beforehand. Additionally, a compelling description of the stream needs to be written prior to going so that newcomers would be encouraged to watch and engage with you.
Another thing a spokesperson must do is choose the right time to go live; broadcasting to a target audience that is asleep or at work is counter-productive. As should be clear by now, the process of pre-preparation is one of the most crucial elements. Also, if you are going to engage with an audience online, make sure that you are responsive and that you address viewers and commenters by name.
Communication mediums will always change, and the same media training that was once limited to print, TV, and radio, has now expanded to include online mediums. Social media platforms may serve the same purpose as traditional media, but they demand updated methods and tools to fully take advantage of them in order to reach the desired target audiences.
Wajd Breek is Account Manager at Cicero & Bernay Public Relations. An independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai and offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA region. | www.cbpr.me