By: Ali Doolan, BPR Student.
For many organizations, one of the most daunting tasks required to stay competitive and relevant is using social media – and using it strategically.
“Social media is how we strategize internally when it comes to building our own relationships, appealing to journalists and diving deep into industry research,” says Michelle Mekky, president and founder of Mekky Media Relations, in a 2019 article published in Forbes.
Public relations has proven to be highly effective in efforts to build relationships and maintain a respectable image. Choosing the right tools and platforms to build a company’s image is important.
Here, you will learn what social media is and when, where, why and how you can successfully use it for communications, relationship building and brand awareness.
What is social media?
Social media is a technology that allows users to share ideas, thoughts or information – all while building networks or communities with other users who share similar interests. Social media is accessible through computers, smart phones and tablets.
Christina Newberry, writer and editor for Hootsuite, writes that benefits to using social media for brand building include increasing brand awareness, humanizing your brand, establishing your brand as a thought leader, and staying top of mind.
Some tips for using social media effectively include having an open account, using photos as much as possible, responding to comments, and keeping messages short and to the point.
When to use social media
In all aspects, at all times, good or bad, social media provides a platform to represent an organization’s image. Social media can help organizations in a time of a crisis get their information out before it spreads to other media outlets. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many organizations due to the lack of in-person, face-to-face interactions. Using social media at this time will help you maintain these interactions through a different channel.
There are many brands and organizations that have used social media well. It is essential to use social media in the time of a crisis. In 2018, KFC dealt with a chicken shortage after they switched to a new supplier. In good fashion, KFC decided to make light of the situation by launching a ‘find my chicken’ link on twitter, that if you didn’t already know, went viral.
Where to post
The following social media sites are commonly used: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.
Before using these platforms, understand the audience you want to address. The age demographic varies on each site, so knowing who you’re targeting is an important step. For example, TikTok is widely used by teenagers and young adults. This app offers a fun and easy-going environment, so a business message on this app should reciprocate that.
Why use social media?
Social media allows for an immediate interaction that requires little effort and planning. In 2018, Hootsuite identified that there were over three billion people using social networks. Of these three billion, most people used the networks to engage with brands.
In many ways, social media has allowed corporations to connect with a broader audience in an effective and affordable way. Target groups have now expanded, and public relations practitioners can reach multiple target groups at once. Social media also strengthens public relations messages. News releases, emails and inquiries can reach a larger audience and spread faster by putting this information into social media channels.
Iván Pino Zas, journalist and guest writer for an article on Audience says that without social media, public relations practitioners found that audiences they were reaching out to were anonymous, information was restricted to a limited number of people, and television was the only way to reach a wide audience.
Mekky points out the benefits to social media:
- you have increased opportunity to promote your organization and build relationships;
- you can reach anyone you want;
- you have your own media channel;
- you can showcase your organization or brand in a much bigger light;
- and you can easily find other people to spread your message;
Glossier — a skin care, body care, and fragrance product line — is often referred to as the first authentic Instagram brand. They believe that using social media platforms to build awareness and create one-on-one conversations with their audience is the reason for their success.
How to use social media
Social media offers an opportunity for organizations to take advantage of their diverse group of supporters and grow a following. To effectively use social media to promote your organization or brand, follow these steps:
- Be consistent with posting: Don’t go weeks without updating your platform and remind followers that you are there and willing to interact.
- Keep information fun and engaging: Content can be dry when promoting a business. Add some light-hearted, fun content to stimulate engagement.
- Know your audience: The same post made on Instagram may not translate well on Facebook. Different age groups are on different platforms.
- Plan posts: Planning for posts creates a structured and clear message for the audience.
- Keep up with trends: Do your research. Find out what other brands or organizations are doing that is working. Scroll through the platforms to educate yourself.
Social media is a tool to help grow an organization and brand. Keeping an organization up to date with ever-changing trends is an important step in building a large audience, reaching the audience and keeping up with competitors.
Try to implement some of these tips into your social media and notice the results for your organization or brand. Although social media can seem overwhelming, becoming social media savvy is worth the time and effort.
And, if you’re not on social media already, what are you waiting for?
