Old Lessons for a New Game
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There’s no question that instantaneous publishing is one of the wonders of the web Currently, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Youtube, etc. all allowed us to instantly share the doings of our day-to-day lives. Now that these platforms are all accessible from mobile devices, our ability to share content has once again been bolstered.
Even before the advent of social networking, simple web pages and blogs, themselves ever evolving mediums, allowed users to surpass editors, publishers, and censors. Even now, many blogs still come with a sense of rawness, the content having passed directly from the mind of the writer to the audience.
This can also be a downside of the web. Just as it is often unwise to speak without having mulled over one’s thoughts, publishing “in the moment” has often had disastrous consequences for brands, organizations, and, perhaps to the surprise of no one, politicians. The reader, I’m sure, can think of many such instances.
Analysts and pundits have often pointed to the instantaneous nature of the web as the culprit in such incidents. The long process of writing a letter, sealing the envelope, applying the stamp, etc. gave one time to think about the contents of one’s message. Email and social media remove those checks, or so it is alleged.
As far as I’m concerned, this thinking is entirely wrongheaded. What we are doing, and what communicators must absolutely avoid at all costs, is ascribing intrinsic qualities to technology as if it governs our behaviour. We must understand, on the contrary, that as users and creators, we govern these technologies. Just because you can publish instantly and without a second thought does not mean at all that you should.
The rules of clear and effective communication and writing still apply, especially for brands. While some may argue that it is one of the great advantages of the web that individuals may share content so easily, those acting within a professional context ought to be a bit wearier. At the end of the day, communications professionals have the goal of bolstering both the bottom line as well as the public perception of their organization.
Certain maxims of good writing and communication remain true, even on the web. First, good content always has and always will require multiple iterations. The message will not be clear from the start and taking time to tweak it will always pay off. Second, this process requires feedback. There will always be the potential that readers will misunderstand or misinterpret what you’ve communicated or may even take offence to parts of your message. Soliciting feedback from colleagues or potential readers will help to root out as many of these gaffes as possible. The process may not be infallible, but carefully thought out content is better than content that has been given no thought.
The medium may have changed, but the goal of external communications and public relations has stayed the same, namely establishing a solid and positive reputation for your brand and sharing good content. This requires careful thinking and planning.
According to legend, Mozart composed effortlessly without requiring revisions. Caravaggio painted without having to sketch, producing the final product on the first effort. While all IABC members that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting have been intelligent, insightful, and committed professionals, all would certainly admit that they are not Mozart or Caravaggio. Communications is a tricky game, and careful planning and adequate feedback mechanisms are simple lessons, but there are many recent examples in which they have clearly been forgotten. For 2012, they are worthwhile resolutions.
Ravi Singh has recently completed his master’s degree in political studies at Queen’s University with hopes of entering the communications profession. He has worked as a technical writer for a software startup and a copywriter for a small public relations firm in Toronto, where he developed and managed social media strategies and profiles and helped with online ad campaigns. He blogs at We are Living in a Society.
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