What are the essential social media skills communication, marketing and PR professionals need in 2011?
That was a question posed on Quora – and here’s a shot at an answer.
I believe there are three fundamentals:
1) Good writing.
Writing is the foundation from which all else flows. It’s a critical form of communication that supports virtually every aspect of a business. No matter how the web develops, good writing skills will almost certainly always be essential.
2) Customer service.
Everyone in the organization wears a customer service hat these days, but this is especially true when PR is managing social media for a brand. Good customer service is good marketing.
3) SEO.
Beyond keywords and backlinks, SEO will provide PR with a foundational understanding of how the internet works. Most sites get a preponderance of traffic from organic search, and so this is a critical element to building an audience.
Some additional answers you’ll find in response to that question include:
a) Protecting the reputation.
“Taking reputation building and protection online very seriously.”
b) Stay on top of trends.
“I’d also throw in that it’s still important to be an avid reader/watcher of the news and staying on top of trends in the media. You can’t help create relevant stories if you aren’t paying attention to what’s going on.”
c) How social media works.
“I think the most essential skill is to have an understanding of how social media tools can be used to achieve communication/PR/marketing and overall business goals. Other skills should include an understanding of how to truly engage and attract target audiences to achieve those goals and how to measure results.”
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What skills would you add?
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