Why Twitter’s got the Followers

I have learnt that one of the most valuable tools used in Public Relations is social media. Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Blogger or Google+ they all can be used to support PR Campaigns. Out of all of these social networks their are two that are battling to be number one. Those networks are Twitter and Facebook, each can be used in very different ways to target specific audiences and to communicate with potential customers. At present Facebook has over 800 million users and Twitter has 175 million. But does this mean that Facebook is better than Twitter ? Or can it be proved that twitter is a more effective social media tool….?

One group of people who back Twitter is ‘Celebrities’. Two of the first celebrity supporters was Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher who believed that Twitter gave them a voice, and a way to maintain their reputation. When Charlie Sheen signed up to twitter he gained over 1 million viewers in the first day, showing how fast followers wanted to hear from Charlie Sheen himself.

These days news is instant and doesn’t wait to come through the traditional sources such as newspapers, but it is spread through tweets which leads to breaking news becoming global in seconds. Twitter is fast paced and you can means that you can continually update the information you publish to your followers.

One of the key parts to helping your tweets gain followers is by using hashtags which can create a trend meaning that you reach a wider audience. Twitters uses certainly work in favour of PR with its ability to monitor conversations and to rectify unsatisfied customers. You are also able to join in conversations and start them. If at times there is a crisis situation twitter allows you to tell the public what you are doing to fix a situation and ensure customers don’t loose their faith in a brand.

What changed my views of Twitter and converted me of its power, was that it allowed me to follow people who are in the PR industry. I definitely feel that Twitter has the edge over Facebook in the world of PR and on a more professional level.

The Power of You Tube

In September 2011, the newest internet sensation was born. Sophia 8 and Rosie 5 received millions of hits on you tube in just a few days. Sophia and her cousin Rosie wowed viewers with their rendition of Nicki Minaj’s song Super Bass. The girls were dressed head to toe in pink, with matching tiara’s to complete the look. Its unlikely that Sophia’s mum anticipated how much attention this home made video would receive, with a wide spread of press attention in local and national papers and they had even been mentioned on the news. After this huge amount of attention the girls received an invite to Lala Land (L.A) on an all expenses paid trip. They were interview on the Ellen show and had the opportunity to meet their idol Nicki Minaj and to sing on the show. This clearly was the beginning of their potential future in show biz for these two Essex girls.

Following their appearance on the Ellen show I can only imagine the hundreds of phone calls that Sophia’s mum would have received from PR firms and agencies hoping to represent these young starlets to try and maintain their presence in the media whilst the stone was hot in what could possibly only be only 15minutes of fame.

So what have these two achieved so far ? lets have a look at what opportunities they’ve had since their big break…. Well what can I say it looks like these girls have been kept extremely busy with interviewing celebrities at the American Music Awards, appearing as guests on the the extra factor and taking viewers of the Sophia and Rosie show around the Grammy Museum in LA.

How much longer they can keep up this momentum is questionable as they return back to england to get back to school. To check out the video that led this duo to fame, go to this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkc_5ZevHy4

Other You Tube hits include: Justin Bieber who rose to fame after posting videos of himself singing leading to being discovered by usher and being signed almost immediately. And also Rebecca Black who notoriously gained millions of views for music video to ‘Friday’ which she posted on You Tube but this also led to negative press as she had not written the song herself.

Who will be the next You tube hit I wonder, and what success will they manage to maintain and possibly turn into a career?

A Little About Me

I am currently a first year undergraduate studying Public Relations at Leeds Metropolitan University, and its fantastic!

I have to admit I wasn’t 100% certain what to expect from my course and how valuable the knowledge I would gain could be, but now I do know that the PR world is the place for me. I can admit that I now eat, sleep and breathe Public Relations, in order to gain as much knowledge as possible.

I’m a hard working, confident individual with a passion to succeed and with a dream to one day be behind globally successful PR campaigns and to have my own agency.

By writing this blog I hope that it can show my perspective on current issues that dominate the media today and to look at PR issues that I am learning about through my journey at university.

So please keep reading my blog entries as I hope to write as often as I can.