Social media and PR go hand in hand together. The main purpose of public relations is to generate the most positive press possible for your company. Social media is where many people see that coverage. Social media statistics have recently reported that over 50% of consumers follow brands directly, so they can stay updated on the brands and their products and services. The union of PR and social media boosts your positive mentions, and it keeps your customers in the loop, as well. Actionable strategies include the combination of blogging, social media, and marketing for PR.
Guest Blogging
You can earn maximum exposure and authority, as well, by being a contributor and publishing content on industry blogs. Guest blogging works as a newer form of PR. Your well-crafted pitch is often enough to get you in the door because blogs are always searching for new and fresh content.
You will be able to reach a wider audience to enable you to tap into more potential customers, and you gain exposure with the players in your industry. You also get the benefit from the credibility of the blog you are featured in. You may also be allowed to supply the blog with backlinks to your site.
After your thoughtful content is live, you can boost and share the content. This is how PR and social media work closely together for a great marketing plan.
Influencers Marketing
This is the biggest creative avenue to boost your social media and PR. If your company is in the B2C space, then getting your products into the actual hands of influencers is the way to spread the word wide and loud. You may give a social influencer a freebie of some sort in exchange for them either sponsoring your products and services or for reviews of your business. Influencers are constantly changing as to what they may look like. Big-name brands will partner up with actual celebrities, but your newer brand can work with content creators of all types to get more engagement and buzz on your products and services.
Consider an Ambassador Program
Ambassadors are even more valuable to you than influencers are. An ambassador is a person who is vetted by your company, and in exchange for a commission, perks, or free products, they will hype up your brand to cause a major buzz on social media. Consumers like to learn about new products through Instagram and Pinterest. When prospective customer finds your ambassador’s posts, they are much more inclined to purchase your goods or services.
Engage with Twitter Journalists
Instead of just cold pitching a journalist on Twitter to sing your praises, take some time to understand their interests, stories, and publications in advance. You can share their articles on Twitter, and mention them with their hashtag and be helpful too. When they ask you for some sources, offer them some ideas, and don’t offer yourself as a source. Interact with journalists on a conversational level, so your relationship is not only professional–journalists are people too, and you can get to know them to make your relationship together better.
Make a Social Media Crisis Plan
One of the biggest nightmares in the PR world is when something goes wrong, and reputation management is needed. Professional multimedia public relations firms in St. Louis can implement a social media crisis plan quickly. It’s basically a contingency plan that they develop for their clients, even if things are smooth sailing.
Social media has a way of spreading poor press very rapidly. When there are a lot of negative comments, it’s your responsibility to respond thoughtfully, so you can retain your credibility and calm your customers down.
Don’t anticipate that you will need a social media crisis plan, but it’s best to have one in mind in case the need does arise. Always hold yourself and your employees accountable for any mistakes that are made, and never issue a statement as a rebuttal that will get passed around social media even more to damage your reputation.
Our team at Soloman and Turner keeps up to date on all types of social media engagement in order to successfully promote our clients. We have over 30 years of experience in St. Louis public relations and PR services. We can help you to become the leader of the pack in your industry, and we love meeting new clients. Contact us today so we can show you all of the possibilities when you leave your marketing strategies to a PR specialist.
