Seasons Change, So Does PR
In recent years, we have all noticed that the use and influence of social media marketing have increased. With everyone from baby boomers to millennials using at least one social media network, it’s safe to assume that social media marketing is the new word-of-mouth marketing. But why do businesses use social media to promote themselves? Most would answer that it’s to maintain a relationship with their customers to keep their products and brand at the upfront of the audience minds and perceive it in the best possible light. But wait, isn’t that what public relations is for?
In my opinion, the use of public relations and social media should be coordinated to avoid any obstacles to marketing. Public relations used to focus more on high profile personalities such as investors, shareholders, and business partners, but with the development of social media, these people are now present on these platforms, which can be used for public relations. Since both PR and social media are used to establish and retain trust in the company and its merchandise, it makes sense for them to work together.
What impact have social media had on public relations?
In many aspects, the influence of social media on public relations is undeniable. The following are some of the most important points:
• I think both PR and social media are built for communication, but social media amplifies your message through real-time messaging, allowing PR to be more powerful and influential. With the aid of social media, content issued via press releases, emails, and other PR-related tools may live longer, circulate quicker, and reach a wider audience.
• PR may now reach a far broader audience thanks to social media. Previously, PR was focused on certain individuals such as investors and business partners, but with the rise of social media, this target group has grown to include all participants in a company’s success.
• Because of social media, public relations have become more “friendly” to all stakeholders in a company, establishing a new marketing strategy known as “relationship marketing.” This enables businesses, regardless of their size or seriousness, to be more welcoming, inviting, and approachable.
How to use social media in your public relations strategy in a practical way?
Each social media platform may be used in a different way to help with public relations. The main social media sites are described here, along with examples of how they might be utilized to enhance your PR strategy.
• Facebook – This is the place to go if your business or brand is conversational. Use Facebook features like groups, mentions, contribution and pledge buttons, and other Facebook professional services and tools to help with PR.
• Twitter — With a character limitation of 140 characters, Twitter is the greatest way to convey a brief message about a new launch, activity, or promotion, or to offer any type of update. Using hashtags is an excellent method to connect with people while also keeping track of what your audience and others are saying about your company or brand. Twitter provides several options for conducting research into your organization, brand, competitors, and other topics. Furthermore, Periscope, the company’s app, is a fantastic way to live broadcast and interact with viewers.
• LinkedIn – Another wonderful approach of interacting with people, particularly influencers, gathering industry knowledge, and disseminating useful information is through LinkedIn. It’s also an excellent tool for blogging.
• Instagram – Using this medium to interact with your audience is a terrific idea. Visuals are great for highlighting important causes and raising awareness about critical concerns. Instagram is also ideal for marketing events (before, during, and after) to keep the audience interested and feel like they are a part of the event, even if they are not.
All sorts of organizations may utilize social media marketing and public relations to have a social effect. Those that use the tools for corporate social responsibility and social impact initiatives may do so in a variety of innovative and meaningful ways across any platform.
• For example, hashtag campaigns on Facebook and Twitter are an excellent method for a company to combine social media and public relations to have a social effect. They can be used to promote awareness or solicit donations for a cause.
• It’s a useful technique to rally your troops and get them behind your cause.
• Information dissemination.
Without a question, social media is here to stay and will continue to evolve. PR must also change to preserve harmony and allow businesses to gain the full benefits of these two marketing pillars.