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From Facebook's IPO filing to the launching of a real-time digital command center at the Super Bowl, one thing is clear: Social media is no longer an early adopter's game. And while there are battles raging over whether social media inherently belongs to an organization's communications or marketing team (or which type of agency can be trusted with running it), the time when teams would have an intern manage Facebook and Twitter "for the semester" is likely—and hopefully—behind us.
Social media roles are still in flux. In "PR Council Roundtable: Smarter PR Best Route for Nonprofit Success in ‘Crippled’ Economy," our nonprofit PR Council members were asked the question: Is everyone on your communications team expected to engage in social media? Answers ranged from "social media is not an option, it is a fundamental channel to the members we serve and the public we must reach to be effective," to "there are no set goals per se among all of our communications staff in using social media."
We asked PR News' online community the same question: Is everyone on your communications team expected to engage in social media? The response to the poll was encouraging: 68% said yes, everyone is expected to be involved, and 32% said no, it's not expected of everyone.
Though some PR pros may be more comfortable in social media channels than others, implementing an all-hands-on-deck approach—complete with regular training and digital briefings—can help even the most under-budgeted and short-handed communications teams' social media efforts.
Follow Bill Miltenberg: @bmiltenberg