Midterm Question 5

5. What kinds of conversational patterns can you expect to encounter using social media as a PR professional? What will consumers of your content expect? How can you level those expectations?

Social media has done a few interesting things to conversation patterns. For one, Twitter and Facebook statuses have made sentences shorter and statements more direct.

Social media also relies on the master of the interview type of conversation pattern. Media users engage different platforms to test the messages spread by companies, politicians and traditional media. Social media allows them to test the messages by posing questions designed to break down anything that is untrue.

Social media is also designed to get people talking. There are less two-way, engaging conversations because users rarely know each other outside of the Internet. Social media encourages conversations based on short, impersonal comments.

Consumers of our content expect one thing. As Mitch Joel said consumers expect consistency. Be consistent in the message. Now that there are so many messages floating around from so many sources, consistency leads to trust, this leads to you developing an audience.

The only way to “level” the expectations consumers have of us is to use a conversation pattern that involves compromise. Read what is being written about your product or brand and adapt to the needs of the consumers. Social media is based on the exchange of ideas and, for PR practitioners, understanding what the public is asking is the key to a successful career.