Public relations (PR) at it’s core is designed to manage the spread of information between an individual and an organization – bridge that together with social media and you’ve got yourself a dream team!
1. THE PERFECT MARRIAGE BETWEEN
PUBLIC RELATIONS AND
SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING
BY RONN TOROSSIAN
Public relations (PR) at it’s core is designed to manage the spread of information
between an individual and an organization – bridge that together with social media and
you’ve got yourself a dream team! PR traditionally consist of several different factors
such as:
Building brand awareness
Creating interest
Brand management
Stimulating Demand
Providing Information
Traditional marketing efforts alone are good; but, when combined with social media
advertising, they can propel brands and influencers to achieve heights of success that
were previously limited.
What Does Social Media Advertising
Consist of?
Social Media Advertising is defined as the process of serving up digital content via
websites or social media sites with the intention of gaining traffic to increase
impressions and, furthermore, drive a specific call to action. Social media marketing
programs usually center on efforts to create content that attracts attention and
encourages readers to share it across their social networks.
Social media advertising capabilities include but are not limited to:
Driving traffic to websites and stores
Driving online sales
Driving brand awareness and loyalty
Event Promotion
2. Product Promotion
Brand to consumer engagement
Why Bring in Social Media?
Social media allows brands, products and influencers to reach their targeted audiences
on a more personal level. Add in compelling creative that evokes a positive emotional
connection and the consumer will be more likely to engage. Positive engagement
develops trust which in turn becomes loyalty.
Speed is another major factor to consider. In an age where news travels at the speed
of light, social media provides a platform where omni-channel strategic campaigns can
be executed immediately and efficiently.
Key Practices to Keep in Mind When Using Social Media
with Public Relations
Make your ads noticeable
Stick to a strong focal point
Insert brand personality
Create an information reward
Use strong calls to action
Keep messaging consistent
Create emotional reward
How to Seamlessly Merge Public Relations
and Social Media
As with any campaign, the client’s goal for the campaign is paramount; it must be clear
and concrete so the objectives of the campaign are succinctly defined. Then a strategy
can be developed where the duties of both social media and public relations are
outlined, so as to support and complement each other. Desired content and messaging
should be relevant to and delivered in a timely manner to the target audience.
The End Result:
Public relations and Social media are two separate beasts – they always have been and
always will be. But, when properly aligned, brands and influencers increase their
chances of success.