Surrey Economic Partnership: a call for clarity in online communications

Yesterday I presented to a group of SME’s at Surrey Economic Partnership’s regular business breakfast seminar. 110 people registered to hear more about the importance of good website content – both from a search and an audience perspective.

One of the main problems I highlighted is that as web-savvy people, we often use a language that is full of assumed knowledge and in-words. With just over half of the people in the room being comfortable with the term Web 2.0, I was interested to see their reaction with the definition I’d heard the other day “permissioned meta data interacting with similarly permissioned meta data”. Not surprising there was a wall of blank faces mirroring mine when I first heard this.

People are naturally alienated. All too often those who want to learn are put off, and stay in familiar places and spaces. SME’s wanting to get involved with online decide to ‘tackle’ it another day, month or even year.

I think that we – PR people - as communicators should see our role as clearly championing the online cause in words that are meaningful, exciting and that prompt action. We shouldn’t be concerned that by sharing knowledge we will write ourselves out of a job – instead it will ensure that what we do is normalised, integrated and just part of a normal brief. Not only that, the knowledge will help ensure that the brief is clear, with appropriate measures and expectations, and takes account that online is just one way – albeit an important way – of engaging with (listening and talking!) target audiences.