We’d like to welcome our first, of hopefully many, guest bloggers. The below post is by Vernon Marker.  Vernon is an expert on many subjects including SEO and social media.  He uses his expertise and knowledge to answer questions on a Q&A site. Follow him on Twitter, @VernMarker.

Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Social media sites are all the rage these days. And it’s not just individuals who are signing up and letting the world know what they are up to. Companies and businesses are using social media sites, especially Twitter and Facebook, to spread the word about what they have to offer. Social media is a cheap and easy wayto market what your company has to offer. But should it replace traditional PR methods? Absolutely not. Any strong marketing strategy should incorporate both social media and PR. Why? Because while the two are marketing strategies, their approach is different and so is their target audiences.

Social media is a great way to connect with your customers on a more personal basis. You actually get to interact with people and hear directly what they like and dislikeabout your product or service. It’s also a great way to give you a more visible image, when it is done right. The thing about social media is that it is very interactive. If you have a Twitter or Facebook account for your company or a company department, you need to make sure that you are talking and responding to your customers when you can. If you simple list or “tweet” your services, people won’t pay a whole lot of attention. The key is to make it casual and not seem like you are using it as a marketing tool. Talk to people. Mention stuff that is outside of the company from time to time. If people believe that there is actually a person behind the account they will be more open to communicating and actually reading what you post.

But don’t think that just because you tweet you should bypass a more traditional PR campaign. There are certain things that a PR company can do and offer that you can’t get through social media. Sure, PR may be seen as the older, stuffy sibling to social media, but keep in mind that older quite often means wiser. A great PR campaign is more than press releases and product descriptions: the right PR company can offer you a custom made campaign that can target your core customer base. PR firms also have a direct line to more traditional forms of media, such as print media. And people do still read magazines and newspapers. A PR campaign coupled with a strong social media presence can ensure that your marketing campaign has all the bases covered. And there is nothing that says that the two can’t work together and overlay somewhat. Use your Twitter account to not only promote any PR campaigns that your company may have in place, but also gage what larger scale PR may work.

And, not all of your potential customers use social media sites. So, if you opt out of traditional PR, then you will be doing a great disservice to your business. If you are unhappy with your PR or you think that it is too old school, don’t discard it, but rather re-evaluate it. PR firms are constantly changing and adapting. It may not be that PR isn’t going to work for your business, but that you need to take your PR in a different direction.

Social media has moved beyond simply being a tool for individuals to stay in touch. For most companies it’s an essential part of their marketing strategy. And it should be. It’s a great way to talk to your customers and really find out how they feel about your business. But don’t throw your PR plan out for the hipper social media sites. Used together, social media and PR can ensure that you have every marketing angle covered.