Social media has had a major impact on the public relations field. Social media makes it easier for the public to involve themselves in a company by giving opinions, responding to things going on with the company and starting conversations.  It also provides a platform for the public to voice their upsets or criticize something a company is doing.  PR professionals must adjust to these changes and be ready to deal with crisis effectively.

Social media allows for PR people to respond to upset customers or address a major issue.  This opportunity should be used to turn crisis into a PR win.  Mistakes are expected from even the most successful organizations, but if they are not handled properly it can lead to dramatic results.

The Huffington Post article talks about how social media means that PR professionals are now in the business of conversation monitoring and engaging.  Similarly, P.R. Newswire recommends that PR professionals jump into the conversation when it comes to crisis.  Social media allows for an ongoing conversation between and organization and their public.  This is a powerful tool that can help boost public opinion or tear it down if not used effectively.  It also allows for opportunity to fix crisis through direct conversation.  Often times when an organization has a major crisis, people just want answers.  Social media is the perfect tool for providing answers in a way that feels direct to the customers and people affected by the crisis.

Real-time marketing requires constant engagement and keeping up with what is going on at all given times.  When things go wrong, it is important to communicate effectively with the public and address the issue quickly and clearly.  PR professionals must develop a strategic plan for public communication via social media as it can be a great advantage and a great tool when it comes to fixing problems.