Slacker or Worker: the new look of PR

I want to take a little bit of a detour from water conservation to talk about social media.  I know, I know, this isn’t why you’re reading this blog, BUT, I have found that within our office, it’s become a huge topic of discussion.  I’ve forced myself into the forefront of social media on behalf of the Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Office, and sometimes I wonder if I’ve jumped in over my head.

What I mean is I’ve had zero professional training.  I’ve taken zero classes on PR, marketing, journalism, or any other subject that would be remotely useful for expanding social media expertise.  And yet, here I am, forcing my way into this foreign world of computers and instant communication.  I’ve dragged my coworkers and bosses with me: better to make a journey like this with a team than to make it alone, I’m thankful for the support Team Water has given me.

But. There’s always a “but,” isn’t there? 

Though we’ve taken a huge step forward into the world of technology, we’re still creatures of habit.  We still view Facebook as a procrastination tool, as something that is not productive, that doesn’t classify as “work.”  We still feel uncomfortable with Twitter, with the idea that constantly tweeting, retweeting, and reading tweets is actually doing something worth being paid for.  Blogging still feels like writing in a journal, not connecting with a public that is genuinely interested in what our office is doing, and why it matters.  Pinterest sounds like another time-waster, not something useful for expanding your brand recognition.  I could go on, but you get the picture.

So what’s the deal?  Why am I complaining about sitting on Facebook and getting paid to do it?  Well…because I’m struggling with seeing it as acceptable.  

But it is.  

It’s very clear that Twitter and Facebook have done lots of work in furthering our conservation message.  Those of you that are on Facebook, Twitter, and the blog-o-sphere for fun DO see our conservation messages, our links, our photos, our events, our tweets, and (hopefully), they get you thinking about our water supply.  A huge part of our responsibility as the Water Conservation Office is outreach: getting across the importance of our Athens water, and the wise use of it.  How are messages received in today’s world?  Through TweetDeck, your Facebook inbox, and those handy apps on your phone.  That alone, I think, gives me permission to use those tools to speak to you.

Last “but,” I promise.  But what do you think?  Do you think I’m playing around all day?  Do you think this is a valuable endeavor?  Do you benefit from my incessant communication?  The most important thing I want to keep in mind during all these outreach efforts is: is this actually working?  Are those that I am speaking to actually listening?  If not, how can I change what I’m doing?  I do want to hear from you, my readers.  If I get responses, I’ll formulate a follow-up post with your ideas, thoughts, and I’ll give credit where credit is due.  So please tell me: what do you think?

Annaliese Ashley-Intern