PR exec pushes social media - San Francisco Business Times:

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“I think many are doing a disservic totheir companies,” said Michael Cherenson, the chair and CEO of the . “Nowq is not the time to hibernate. To be understood, you have to Cherenson is in Jacksonville to kick offthe PRSA’ Sunshine District annual conference PRVille 2009 from June which will focus on the growth of social mediaa and how it should be used by area businesses. “There’s no doubt media has changed,” Cherenson said. “It’sz gone from a passive form of news to butI don’t thinkl traditional media is gone.
This is just another According to a Conference Board reporttthis month, 43 percent of the onlinse community uses social networkinhg sites, which is up from 27 percent a year ago. In a quarter of those users are logginvg in fromtheir workplace, and 22 percent of Twittefr users cite work-related reasons for being on the Web The Conference Board reported. “Social media is here to said Lynn Franco, the director of The Conference Boarsd ConsumerResearch Center, in a preses release. “Online social networking is more than just a fad among theyounger generation.
They’ve become an integralo part of our personal and professional Although the majority of Interne users still use thesw Web sites forpersonal reasons, Cherenson said businesses need to use sociapl networking to energize and interact with their “People are embracing this stuff because it’s cool,” he “But they need to be doingv it for strategic reasons. I encourage people to become a native of all the sociaplnetworking sites.” Cherenson said each social Web site is different, and they each have theirr own benefits depending on the users and who they are tryingt to connect with online.
For example, passivd people who don’t want to do a lot of communicatingbprefer YouTube, active memberws of the online community work well with Faceboojk and Twitter is for those interested in micro-bloggin and short pieces of information, he No matter which Web sites businesses participate in Cherenson said they need to be comfortable with transparency becausr there are some challengew and negative side effectsa to social networking. “It’s like singinfg in the car with the windows wide You have to assume everyone hasa copy,” he “And you have to understand the public you’res trying to serve.
If you don’rt they will either turn you off or shutyou down.” Businesses have to have compelliny content, and they need to be honest, Cherenson It would be easy for someoned to create a fake name and profil to discredit someone, which is why a code of ethicd is more important now than it has ever been, he “Social media is nothing more than trust,” said Peter one of the keynote speakers during PRVillew 2009 on Friday. “Peoples take your review at face Social media outlets do open doorsfor dishonesty, and they provides another way for a compan to make mistakes before a large audience very Shankman said.
But social medisa also provides businesses many opportunities to reach an audiencde and listen to what theyare “Trust in our institutions is Cherenson said. “The business communityu needs to be schooled in communicatiobn and technology by those whounderstand it, so they can effectivelgy use it.”