Social media and PR have one common goal- to create a positive and lucrative brand image. With the similarity in their core use, interlinking the two to get optimum marketing results is not unthinkable. Social media has blurred the lines between two separate yet related concepts- traditional marketing and public relations. Due to this, many are confused about how to use social media for promotion activities. So, here we have six ways you can incorporate social media into your PR initiatives.
- Interlinking press releases and social media
The press release is one of the most common ways that a brand lets its audience, customer, and the world know its latest news and development. Before the advent of social media, newspapers, and TV were the primary sources for press releases. However, it required a certain amount of connection with the journalists to ensure the publishing of the news. When it did, seldom does the company has control over what is being conveyed.
Social media turns the table by allowing brands to take the news directly to its audience without third-party involvement. PR managers should use social media for promotion of businesses by uploading press releases as blogs with sharing buttons and share the same across social media accounts. Doing so lets the audience feel closer to the brand and helps the said brand to reach more people instantly.
- Establishing a voice
In the world of social media, nothing is more important than having a unique voice that people would want to hear. As a brand, establishing a tone for your social media account is imperative. One can do this by selecting the format of posts, based on the company’s ideals and products, published on the handles.
For instance, if you are a B2B service provider, you would do better using social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook, over others. The posts on these handles can range from commentary on a new development in the field to announcements regarding your company. This is not to say you cannot use media like Instagram or Twitter, but you would need to tailor your posts accordingly.
- Forming connections and relationships
Building relationships is what social media does the best. When using social media for promoting businesses, PR managers can effectively connect with journalists and media outlets without the traditional cat-and-mouse game. When done right, brands can have a give-and-take relationship with journalists.
On the other hand, social media’s use in PR activities is also useful to do one of the most important marketing move- building relationships of trust and respect with customers and audience. Through regular posts on topics relevant to targeting your target audience, a brand can build a favorable image in a customer’s mind.
- Influencers, celebrities, and ambassadors
Getting someone to endorse a product is the most commonly used marketing and social media strategy for PR. At present, so many brands rely on influencers, celebrities, and ambassadors to get their products out there in the world. Such a form of marketing benefits a company two-fold: 1. They can reach a wider audience, and 2. They will have loyal customers if the products they sell are excellent.
Using social media handles, PR managers can reach out to their audience for ambassadors and research the influencer domain to know who can help the brand.
- Damage control plans
Reputation is necessary for a company, and one of the best uses of using social media for promoting businesses is the ease of managing brand reputation and image. The internet is fickle, and at any point in time, a brand may end up offending its audience with the silliest of mistakes. In such situations, social media is a platform that will be useful in conveying heartfelt apologies that can go a long way towards building positive relationships with customers.
- All hands on the deck
When it comes to a social media strategy for PR, an all-hands-on-the-deck approach is the best one a brand can adopt. Simply putting up entertaining posts on your handles will not gain brand loyalty. For someone to feel a sense of loyalty, they need to have a personal relationship with the company.
The best way to achieve this is to include everyone behind the scenes in marketing campaigns and social media posts. For instance, a B2B company can have its CEO occasionally post a blog article or put up a LinkedIn post. Another way to do this is by including the behind-the-scenes of marketing campaigns. Doing so humanizes the brand in the eyes of its audience.
Using social media for promoting businesses is not a one-and-done task. It requires a brand to be regular and consistent with its efforts to reach its audience. The key is always the golden rule of marketing- Do to others as you would have them do to you.
