Tagged: #socialmedia
The Social Media Benefit in the Public Relations Industry
By: Sebastian Szczurowski
While it seems like social media has been around for a very long time, it has actually only been popular for barely a decade now. With the steady rise of social media over the past few years many companies have been able to strengthen their position in the marketplace by using it to effectively promote their brands and products.
One of the main things that social media allows companies to do is gain faster and more widespread coverage to thousands or even millions of individuals in under the span of a few minutes. This is something that was unimaginable 15 or 20 years ago. The rise of the internet has allowed this rapid increase in media and news coverage outlets across the globe, and has enabled social media to become a powerful tool when it comes to increasing a brand’s visibility within its target market. When a company is able to establish a strong online presence it will become more visible to the public by implementing a communication strategy that helps to promote the company and gain more followers on social media in the long run.
Another well-known advantage that social media has had on the public relations industry is increased communication. Social media allows everyday people to post their thoughts about all sorts of topics with just a click of a button on their phone, laptop, or tablet. These communication channels can also be used to develop relationships with your brand’s consumers and help PR professionals create relevant content that will resonate with their target audiences.
Nowadays, most people have some form of social media account or maybe even have multiple accounts. Today’s social media platforms are designed to provide easy integration for all of their users which allows people of all ages and backgrounds to have access to some form of social media. This has made it much easier for PR professionals to increase awareness of their client’s business and the products and services that are offered.
Social media has allowed many companies worldwide to promote their brands and develop a sense of relevancy with their consumers. Social media allows PR practitioners to track results in real-time and learn more about the people who are interacting with their clients online and how often those interactions are occurring.
While social media is still in its early stages, its value in promoting client branding and as a means for conducting research, are rapidly demonstrating its importance as a strategic public relations tool that is only gaining momentum.
4 Public Relations Tactics Every Business Should Do
1.) Transparency
Authenticity is first and foremost, one of the most important practices a public relations professional should be undertaking. Publics have proven that their trust in the media and online information is at an all-time low, so having to weave through press releases and information coming from specific companies themselves is a daunting task in and of itself when one already feels as though a strong bias is present. It is important to be sincere in your messaging and ensure your information is both credible and with no ill intent. It is a good idea to always present sources, data, and strategies behind a statement you are making to ensure the reader is able to check if your statement is valid.
2.) Utilize Social Media
Social media is arguably one of the most important elements a business can have. It allows a company to have a voice and write their own story instead of allowing others to write one for them. One bad Yelp review can spiral into a large mess for any business if they are not there to give background a mediate the situation. For example, if a local= sushi restaurant relies on word of mouth consumers and one customer feels as though they have a negative experience and decide to put a review online, that may be the first thing anyone sees when they look up “nearest sushi restaurant” on their phone. People are likely to not go somewhere with a bad review and no way to see good reviews or see that everyone else in the area loves to eat there. If this business had a personal website, that would likely be the first thing to pop up in a google search and could allow you to have a voice in sharing positive testimonials and photos capturing happiness of customers. This could make or break new customers visiting your location. Social media also allows others to interact with your business in personal ways and spread the word. A good example of a business using social media to help their brand is Wendy’s. (http://twitter.com/wendys ) They are able to perfectly advertise their menu items and deals, while also providing a comical element that many young adults and teenagers engage with.
3.) Video Content
Video content is said to be one of the most important elements of utilizing your company’s online footprint. People are more likely than ever to engage with creative videos rather than reading articles or releases or any other form of written content. It allows users to stay engaged and interested rather than be distracted or overwhelmed, and when used correctly, could allow you to impact a large audience. For some great ideas on how to better utilize video content, refer to this article https://www.singlegrain.com/video-marketing/10-useful-types-of-video- content-viewers love/ .
4.) Humanize Your Brand
Consumers do not want to feel as though their favorite brand is ran by robots. Try to avoid sounding canned or emotionless when producing content for the public to see. Use emotion, provoke thought, allow empathy to be a frontrunning emotion in your mind when speaking to the public. Nike is an example of a brand that does this extremely well. Whether or not one agrees with their stances or messaging, it is inarguable to state that no matter what emotion it is, you are feeling something after one of their campaigns is ran. There are ways to do this without eliciting controversy, but keep in mind that people want to WANT to connect to you. They must feel as though there is a two-way communication rather than simply a computer speaking to them.
References:
http://www.knbcomm.com/blog/8-best-practices-pr
https://b2bprblog.marxcommunications.com/b2bpr/social-media-and-public-relations-tactics
