Most business owners and entrepreneurs know how important social media marketing and public relations is for their business but many may not realize how well these two work together to simultaneously grow a brand. That’s why we’ve created a list of ways you can integrate your PR efforts into your social media strategy and vice versa.
Use Media Features as Social Media Content
Using public relations to increase awareness of your business, will hopefully result in your business being featured in local or national publications, as well as TV and radio segments, podcast interviews, etc. These articles, videos, and radio shows can be shared via social media, which will result in more eyeballs on your brand, which will hopefully result in more sales for your business.
Use Social Media Content as PR Content
On the contrary, social media content can also make for great PR pitch ideas or stories. Let’s say a local outdoor supplies store is running a Facebook contest to give away a fishing expedition to one lucky winner and his family. This contest could be pitched to a journalist and featured on a local TV segment, where the business owner or marketing person from that brand would explain the contest in detail to encourage more people to enter the contest.
Partner with Social Media Influencers
There are other ways that social media and public relations can benefit from one another. For instance, social media influencers are currently a great way to expand your business’ reach by relying on the followers of these influential people. By using public relations tactics to reach out to these influencers and create a campaign for the promotion of your product or service, your brand would be exposed to many social media users in a way that is authentic and engaging.
Use Social Media as a Research Tool To Create Your PR Strategy
Another way that you can implement social media and public relations is to use social channels as a research tool to learn more about the target audience for your business. By looking at the analytics of your social media channels, you’ll be able to decide the interests and demographics of your social media followers and fans. This information will help you to determine the types of PR content that will create the most awareness for your brand. For example, if you determine that the majority of your social media followers are ages 25-40 and enjoy craft beer, it might be a good idea to create a PR event or partnership with a local brewery to get your brand in front of the people who will actually be interested.
Use Social Media as a Customer Service/Reputation Management Tool
We all know that online reviews can either make or break a brand’s reputation. Because of this, using social media channels to manage these reviews is a must. Reputations are no longer made just in the media. Social media now plays such a large role in this due to complaints, negative reviews, photos, videos, etc. To ensure that your brand’s reputation remains squeaky clean, make sure that you reply to all social media messages and complaints immediately as well as provide impeccable customer service using these channels. Additionally, should your company ever be involved in a PR crisis, your social media channels can also be used to issue a statement to the public as well as journalists in an attempt to rectify the situation.
Ready to get started on creating a social media and public relations strategy that will work well together? Contact us to learn more about how Social Ape can do just that and increase awareness of your business!
