Not unlike the past 200 or so weeks, social media was a big news story this week, both within the PR profession and beyond. The question on many pundits’ minds was how can the same sites that build brands, and strengthen business-to-consumer relationships, also dismantle the level of consumers’ online privacy?

Social networks like Twitter and Facebook still offer companies valuable brand-marketing strategies. But with interest in, and use of, Google+ rising and becoming more of a force, consumers are questioning: “What is the value of oversharing?”

PRSA’s “Friday Five” post — an analysis of the week’s biggest PR and business news and commentary — looks at the consequences that consumers could face as a result of new privacy changes to Google+ and explores the strategic requirements for businesses using Twitter.

Google’s no-opt-out privacy changes and the end of the anonymous Internet (ComPost / The Washington Post)

Reporter Alexandra Petri says that Google’s latest privacy changes have left many consumers asking, “Must you, Google?” This is in response to the search giant’s announcement this week of plans to integrate data from all its services with Google+ users’ profile information and status updates. Try searching yourself on Google, and you might be surprised by how much Google seems to know about you. The Washington Post examines how our online activity may soon cause real-world consequences.

Facebook, Twitter Call Out Google On Social Search Results (Digits / The Wall Street Journal)

The Wall Street Journal reports on cries of hypocrisy Facebook, Twitter and Myspace over Google’s decision to promote Google+ pages in search rankings. Known for providing users with the most relevant and objective search results and information, the argument, as The Journal reports, is that Google is forcing Google+ plus pages to the top of search results when Facebook profiles and Twitter pages may contain content that is more relevant. Google rushes into the social media arena late in the game but may pose unexpected competition.

The great thing about the Internet is that the voice of a single person can carry as much weight as even the largest companies. The scary thing about the Internet, for many companies, is that the voice of a single person could potentially damage the reputation of even the largest companies.

Wherever there is a new fear, someone is going to try to make a buck off of it. The fear of a small number of disgruntled customers causing significant financial damage to a company’s business has spawned the growth of “reputation managers.” I even saw a link describing “reputation insurance,” which I felt compelled to click on just to see if it was a joke.

But companies should resist the temptation to trust their reputation to this new breed of
fear-mongering. If we are to encourage people to trust companies online, companies have to trust that the Internet community will be, on the whole, fair to them, as well.

Reputation management can easily backfire. The Financial Times reported a case of 50 employees of one of Britain’s leading PR firms making Wikipedia edits under faked identities to boost the reputation of one of their clients. I wonder what that did to the reputation of the PR firm. Representatives from PRSA inform me that it is against its Code of Ethics to omit disclosing a relationship to a client. I’m glad to hear it. Incidents such as these undermine trust in Wikipedia and other Internet communities and thus make it harder for reputable companies.

Yes, there is the occasional Internet crazy who insults companies unfairly. What should you do?

The latest monthly survey by the National Federation of Independent Business indicated a brighter employment picture and significant increase in future hiring plans. Similarly, the Manpower survey of hiring intentions, represents the most promising hiring outlook since 2008.

Monster.com has reported an uptick in online advertising in recent months, and a recent study from WantedAnalytics found that hiring demand, specifically in the public relations industry has steadily increased in 2011. In looking at the number of new online job ads hiring for PR managers and specialists over the past 90 days, the study saw a 10-percent increase compared to the same 90-day period in 2010. That report indicates that beyond an increase in specific job openings, there is a fundamental shift taking place in the way the job market functions.

The year ahead will see employers identify new ways to leverage the social networks of employees’ to recruit and retain talent. Over the course of 2010 and 2011, you likely read a great deal about social medial policies. According to the October 2011 Booz & Company/Buddy Media Survey, 65 percent of organizations have social media policies and another 29 percent are in the process of developing or planning a policy.

Social media policies and guidelines are essential; employee networks boast a formidable power.

As of November 2011, LinkedIn claimed more than 135 million members. With policies in place, and employees well connected throughout their respective industry, in 2012, companies will be poised to better harness their employees networks to strengthen the organization. Businesses will find ways to capitalize on these networks by utilizing employee referral programs.

In 2011, all employees became an asset (or liability) to marketing, publicly representing themselves and, as a reflection, their brand online. The coming year will find employees encroaching on HR territory, serving as brand ambassadors to prospective employees. A coordinated effort between HR and public relations to offer continued social media training and guidelines is essential. PR practitioners with social media responsibilities will begin looking at retention and recruitment metrics in their own analysis.

Even those organizations not yet prepared to commit to hiring must take significant steps in 2012, if they hope to retain valuable talent and survive the next decade. Employees whose profiles are on LinkedIn (and Google+) essentially have their resumes “out there” and are more likely than ever before to be approached by a competitor. Organizations that have been retaining employees simply as a result of a fear of the economy will be increasingly vulnerable as savvy growing businesses easily acquire their top talent.

The economic recession of the early 1990s was marked by several years of high unemployment, but five years later, the “dot-com boom” hit. Overnight, it seemed jobs were plentiful, with companies striving to outdo their competitors in perks as they fought to hire and retain talent. The economy will again turn, and the steps organizations take in 2012 will determine whether they are positioned for success.

Editor’s note: This is the 11th in a series of 12 guest posts from industry executives predicting key trends that will impact the public relations industry in 2012. Hosted under the hashtag #PRin2012, the series began Dec. 19, 2011, with a compilation post previewing all 12 predictions.

A confluence of events will make 2012 the year the public relations profession discovers that independent public relations consultants are its secret weapon.

With growing recognition that independent practitioners are not in a transitory blip between traditional jobs (in fact, a study found that less than 1 in 10 independent contractors would return to a traditional job if given the opportunity), there is a growing understanding within the business community that solo PR pros are experienced and savvy professionals, who play a key role in our profession.

As the economy edges toward recovery, the key to weathering the oscillating business cycles that have become the norm is the effective use of independent PR contractors. When new corporate business initiatives commence before a hiring freeze is lifted, or PR agencies endure a waiting period after landing new clients before hiring additional full-time staff, partnering with independent public relations practitioners offers significant benefits.

The U.S. Department of Labor confirms this, noting that “firms [will] hire contractors to provide public relations services, rather than support more full-time staff when additional work is needed.” With expected response times shrinking and real-time public relations — both planned, or in the case of a crisis, unforeseen — becoming the norm, 2012 will see new levels of interest in partnering with independent contractors as the most effective way to manage workflow without sacrificing quality.

Perhaps more importantly, as the media continues to fragment and niche influencers gain in importance, independent PR consultants can offer a strategic advantage by providing specific expertise  — from strategy and planning to execution — that can hit the ground running immediately. Why wait for internal staff to learn a new industry, market or specialized tactic, when an indie practitioner can deliver better results today?

The New Year will see broader understanding, by both agencies and in-house PR teams, that the challenges of maintaining influencer relationships across different business units can more efficiently — and effectively — be addressed by partnering with independent consultants.

PR professionals were inundated this week with news about the movement to thwart the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). On Wednesday, social forums like Wikipedia and Reddit blacked out their sites in protest of the bills. Even Google acquired 45 million signatures for its anti-SOPA petition. For many PR pros, the challenge was how to react to an issue that may affect the way communication professionals do their job.

PRSA’s inaugural “Friday Five” blog post — an analysis of the week’s big news and commentary in the PR profession — looks at various perspectives on the issue. We also examine how social media has become a vital resource for enforcing accountability among political candidates and government.

It’s time for the PR profession to join the opposition to SOPA and PIPA (Shel Holtz / A Shel of My Former Self)

PR pro and blogger Shell Holtz raised the banner that PR pros should take a stand against any legislation that threatens the freedom of expression on the Net. Holtz notes that SOPA will have a large impact on anyone who uses social media tools to communicate, including PR pros. It’s become very easy to post a video from YouTube or share photos with friends via Slideshare.  However, under SOPA, Internet service providers could be ordered to block the domain name, which means that once YouTube, Slideshare, or any other social domain goes dark, your links and pictures on Facebook and Twitter will go dark as well. So where do we draw the line between social governance and blacking out a person’s ability to do their job?

Related:

• PRSA Statement in Opposition of SOPA and PIPA
• #SOPA and #PIPA: Separating the Real from the Rhetoric (PRSAY)