“Citizen PR” – there is the progress

Who forms the public opinion about your company? PR-specialist? Head? Directors of departments? On the one hand, we understand that we should not underestimate the significance of every employee, even the most insignificant. On the other hand, this potential is not yet being used to the full extent.

The impact of employees on the brand has always been important, as the dissatisfied employee could have shared his experiences or indignation with relatives and friends, presenting the company not in the best light. However, at the certain time, this impact has become even more noticeable. This has happened when the number of users of social media has reached the critical mass, and the employee got the opportunity to express his dissatisfaction to the general public.

So, the case of Domino's Pizza has already become classic, when due to the borderline joke of the employees, which is widely-spread in YouTube, the reputation of the large company was put at risk. This made clear that social media in the hands of disloyal employees can present serious risks.

If it can do harm, then it should be restricted. Even more, the employees in social networks have fun instead of performance of their direct responsibilities – that was the opinion of many employers, who have simply blocked the access to social networks at the workplace. However, the situation is being developed and today it is difficult to isolate employees from social networks, prohibiting them on a corporate computer. At least because many employees have smartphones, which makes available the most diverse range of online resources. And the limitation is not so significant, but the question of how to use the potential and loyalty of employees for the successful corporate communication in social media?

I call it “citizen PR”, similar to the “citizen journalism”. Interesting employees for public can be not less important figures of the company than the PR-specialist or supervisor, and take part in the formation of a positive image of the organization. They may keep blogs, share positive events with their virtual friends, show pride by their place of work, provide consultations to the users as the experts.

But are the organizations ready to pay serious attention to this aspect and to invest in it? In 2010, when I conducted a survey among the Latvian companies, it was discovered that only 4% of respondents were willing to admit the frontline employees to communication in social media. Overall, the survey discovered that social media and employees existed in the minds of the respondents in parallel.

Reading the new «European Communication Monitor 2013», which includes the opinions of 2710 professionals of the communication sphere from 43 countries, including Latvia, I drew attention to the following results. 58% of employees believe that the carriers of corporate information are the most significant. And only after them customers and bloggers are mentioned. This, at first glance, insignificant aspect seems to be very important for me, as it is showing that professionals now better understand the capabilities and potential of social media. It has never failed to amaze me over the last couple of years, why this valuable resource for the development of the image has been used just by few companies. Well, I hope that there is a progress now, and the involvement of employees into communication in social media will become a more common practice with clearly defined rules and expectations on the part of the companies.