SOCIAL
SEA CHANGE
in a world of instant, round-the-clock news, viral videos,
and twitter feeds, communicators must be strategic to
ensure their companies come out on top
By Chris Black
FAST FORWARD
LAst spring, A LegALLy bLind 92-yeAr-oLd Assisted Living resi- dent rAcKed up the highest score in A virtuAL bo WLing competition At her community. “ernie” henKeL of eAgLe
ridge, A bmA mAnAgement community in decAtur, iLLinois, thre W
› traditional media relations still has
its place in communicating with the
press and public, but communications
professionals now must be social
experts, too, to keep their companies
in the positive spotlight.
eight consecutive striKes on her Wii consoLe heAding into the
finAL four phAse of the competition.
› With the internet’s proliferation,
a negative story lives forever in
cyberspace. plus, today’s culture of
instant communications means even
an incorrect story from one source can
go viral. Senior living companies need
to be prepared to respond.
› A strong social presence extends a
company’s marketing reach, and savvy
marketers know they must be where
consumers are, including Facebook,
twitter, and Linkedin.
