Our approaches towards communications in technology PR and the wider business world have undergone a massive transformation in the last few tumultuous years. If we rewind to our pre-pandemic reality, few predicted Zoom would practically become synonymous with workplace communication, or that its name would enter the lexicon as a verb. Though we had become more technologically savvy, the likelihood of regularly conversing with multiple business contacts through video conferences seemed alien and far-fetched to say the least. But it’s amazing what a couple of years can do.
Let’s Zoom Forward a Few Years
Today, not only have video conferences and impromptu Zoom calls become part of the proverbial furniture in business communications, but they have also enabled a much-wider change to our working culture. So much so, that many companies are even planning some form of hybrid arrangement for employees returning from their remote work scenarios, according to a recent CNBC survey of senior executives across many sectors of the economy.
This has certainly impacted the terrain for technology PR initiatives, which have utilized video communications in the past, but never to quite the same extent. That’s not simply just because technology has gotten better and more intuitive. It’s also because the dynamics of how we communicate, particularly within public relations, are inherently based on cues, down to even the most minuscule shifts in tone and expression. Each stage of separation in communications — from in-person to video to phone to email to text — strips away more of those nuances and cues, increasing the risk of misunderstandings and conflict.
Optimizing Video Communication for Technology PR
It took a global pandemic-induced shift for businesses, especially more traditional and less tech-savvy ones, to truly acclimatize to video meetings, conferences, and presentations. But as technology keeps marching forward and familiarity settles in, video communications will also begin to evolve. The question of whether or not we utilize it effectively to optimize our technology PR initiatives can ultimately depend on a number of elements.
- Matching the right medium with the contact: Always make sure you’re using the right medium for the people involved and the job at hand. Should this meeting be an email, or would in-the-moment interaction work better for this topic, with this person?
- Familiarize yourself with conventions: Briefly dropping eye contact is natural in person but can come across as evasive on video. Jumping into a message without at least a “Hi” is abrupt and rude in email, but less so in a text. You don’t have to adhere to all expectations, but it’s important to know and acknowledge when you’re breaking them.
- Prepare for real-time exchange: The days of sending an email and waiting a few days diligently for a response are slowly becoming obsolete. Instead the clear and distinct “show and tell” capabilities of video communication means that you should be prepared for real-time feedback and decision making in future communications. Using video communication more often means you start cultivating skills much more honed for presenting concepts, absorbing feedback, and formulating collaborative decisions.
ReBlonde: Award-Winning Technology PR Initiatives
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