Did Social Media Kill the PR Star?

There’s been a lot of chatter this weekend about how many PR agencies are closing their doors, or at least cutting their staff.

Many are pointing to the economy, but I have an additional answer: social media.

As I wrote last week, many PR people are still doing public relations they way the learned it in college or from their first mentor.

That’s wrong. Here’s why?

A recent study from the Society of New Communication Research showed that 57 percent of respondents feel social media tools are becoming more valuable. They pointed to the fact that  consumers are using them more and more as communication tools, especially blogs, online videos, podcasting and social networking.

PR practitioners (and colleges that teach PR) must start incorporating the new media as part of their tactics.

Web 2.0  is about connect people to people in a more direct way (at least for PR folks).  What better way is there to get immediate impact than reaching a target market directly?

Image credit: the scottish_podcaster, on Flickr