Role of PRSA in an ISMA World?

Yesterday I guest-posted for Linda VandeVrede Public Relations about 6 Essential Qualifications of a Social Media Manager. What I didn’t get into were some of my thoughts about the future of  public relations, and how I think the field is going to change as a result of social media.

Social media is to corporate reputation management what inbound marketing is to sales. As I wrote in my article for Linda, social media and inbound marketing are not the same thing. Social media can not just be based on exchange relationships alone. It needs to be part of an authentic relationship-building philosophy, providing mutual benefits for all concerned, not just limited (or judged) on sales or lead generation alone.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is a leading authority of how organizations manage internal and external relationships. Last month, PRSA held its annual convention in San Diego, and social media was a big topic of conversation. Many sessions provided tutorials on how and why to use Twitter, Facebook and so forth. But most in the audience were just learning.

Meanwhile, a group of social media authorities launched the International Social Media Association, of which I am also a member. There are facets and skills to be earned through ISMA that PRSA can mirror, but never fully duplicate. Similarly, there are corporate research and strategic business connections that ISMA seems to lack. I’m concerned ISMA will only produce tacticians, and PRSA members will not be able to effectively integrate social media into their campaigns.

So, 10 years from now, with PRSA still be relevant? Or will ISMA replace public relations in the corporate world?  Will social media outgrow public relations in the 3.0 world? Will these professions merge? And if so, how?

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