Facebook?

What is Facebook?... 

When it comes down to it Facebook can be considered a personal news site, where all the information portrayed is about you and your friends and family. It is a social media outlet where users can do many things but mainly;

Facebook allows users to:

1. Keep in touch with far away family and friends - Emphasising the SOCIAL part of facebook, it is a great way for us to stay in contact with family and friends around the world or even track down a new friend you met and would like to stay in contact. Facebook is a great way for those with busy lifestyles to stay in touch with the world around them.  

2. Share photos and information -  Facebook allows its users to share their own information on their "wall" so it is available for all their friends and family to see on their "news feed". Again, this is also the social aspect of keeping in touch but allows you to have your own personal profile for potential friends to see. 

3. Get your news - Facebook is also an outlet for journalists and other organisations and businesses to spread news and generate publicity. This is branching off into how facebook is a useful tool in the world of media and public relations. 

Facebook in media and public relations

The internet age has allowed for public relations to expand a great deal. It has created a 24 hour connectivity to the public and now provides a service to clients and customers like no other. In using Facebook correctly in the world of public relations we can really analyse media coverage a lot more accurately and reach a much wider audience.  

1. Instant Feedback - When facebook is used as a public relations tool it makes the publics response much easier and faster to calculate. The way users 'like', 'share', 'comment' and discuss on facebook constantly means we can get instant feedback on the publics reaction to something, making it a very reliable public relations medium.

2. Media Connectivity - Facebook is a very effective tool for media relations meaning it is a great place for media professionals to gather information and communicate with one another, such as influential social networkers or bloggers. 

3. Call to action - Based on the volume and type of responses retained companies are able to judge the success of their actions using facebook. 

4. Sharing -  CEO of TechSavvy Global, ranks easy-to-share content in his top seven tips for great PR, which is why facebook can provide such an advantage in the world of media and PR. The design and nature of facebook itself makes it incredibly easy to share. This gives great content the chance to go viral and have a huge impact on your pr campaign.

Bibliography

Fredrick, H. (2016) The advantages of using facebook for public relations. Available at: http://techin.oureverydaylife.com/advantages-using-facebook-public-relations-3993.html [Accessed 26 October 2016]

Andrus, A. (2012) FAQ's of (web) life: Managing your online identity. Available at: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/linkedin-facebook-blogging-email-hacked,review-1727-6.html [Accessed 26 October 2016]