Social Networking is a fun way to interact with others, and can be very effective for those working in the PR industry to reach out to the public. In this post i'll be discussing the benefits and drawbacks which women face in regards to social networking.
The Benefits
There are so many benefits to using social media in PR, and with few women being 'at the top' in the PR field, these social networking sites give women the chance to express their views to everyone, which is something that was practically impossible before.
A great example of a powerful woman in the PR industry who uses social media to her advantage is Deirdre Breakenridge, who boasts over 20 thousand followers. She regularly tweets PR tips and answers tons of questions from her followers. This activity is mirrored on her Facebook page where she is also an active member of several PR groups. On her pages she also promotes her books which is another fantastic (free) example of how beneficial social networking is. Check out her on twitter here: @dbreakenridge or her Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/breakenridge and see for yourself!
Below are a series of pictures which prove how beneficial social networking is, especially to women.According to the statistics shown, women are much more present within social media, and therefore have more influence. Social networking really is changing the way women are viewed, and hopefully through this new power and presence, women in the PR field will be recognised and appreciated more.
The Drawbacks
Unfortunately with the good comes some bad. It's common knowledge that not everyone can agree on certain things, and disagreements are inevitable, but on social media this can be taken to a whole new level. Due to the anonymity that can be achieved through the internet, people have been sending women hurtful messages, and in some cases death threats just because they don't appreciate the things that the women are saying. These sexist attacks are taking the enjoyment of social networking away from women, and could leave them back at square one where they can't have the benefit of the internet at all.
Will women grouping together on social networks finally break the glass ceiling?
The PR industry is mainly led by men, but this hasn't stopped some strong women from breaking the glass ceiling and encouraging
others to do the same. There are even a number of twitter accounts just for
women who work in public relations to give them extra support and help. Do you
think that these social networking communities will help women work their way
up in the PR industry? Check out @WomenInPR1 and @WomeninPR on
Twitter and see if you think women grouping together via social networks will
help.
Below is a screenshot of one of the twitter pages, to give you a small idea of what activity you can expect to see.
Do you think that social networking will help women in the PR industry? Join in the discussion and leave comments.
By Shannon O'Brien
The main social networking website you've spoken about is Twitter, what about the others?
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteTwitter is the most popular social networking website among women in the PR industry as it is popular, easily accessible and fun to use which is why it was the main focus of my blog post. However other social networks are used, but just not as much. Facebook is popular among PR women but some prefer not to use it as it has more of a personal feel to it- Facebook is seen by many as a site to communicate with friends and family. Pinterest is another site that is great to go to if you're interested in seeing any pictures of PR events and for any quick tips, but it just isn't as direct as Twitter.
Thanks so much for your comment and let me know if there are any more social networking sites you're interested in, and how they could relate to women within the PR industry!