The first of the during-the-conversation principles discussed in the UMSL Department of Communication’s course on the use of social media in public relations is endurance. This principle is rooted in the reality that organizations cannot participate in social media only when it’s convenient for them to do so. Instead, they must prepare themselves — once they step into the social mix — to participate regularly, generating fresh content on a reasonably frequent basis and responding in real time to stakeholders who post comments or ask questions about that content.
Several cases help illustrate this principle.
- The “Kony 2012” video, which was summarized in an earlier post at this blog.
- T-Mobile’s attempt to win a customer from AT&T through Twitter.
- The re-vamped efforts of the GOP, before the 2012 presidential election, to emulate the social-media savvy that the Democrats (and the Obama campaign, in particular) had demonstrated before the 2008 election.
The concept of endurance or regular engagement has been taken to an even more intense level by brands that have set up social media “war rooms” or “command centers,” including Oreo and others, such as Hy-Vee, Gatorade, and the NBA.
