Give your PR efforts that extra push through the power of social media
Even though social media campaigns roughly serve the same goals as traditional PR, these channels also present you with additional opportunities. As such, social media can be used to leverage any PR strategy and they should be considered an integral part of your corporate communication as a whole. How can you make the most of platforms like Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn to achieve your PR goals and increase the impact of your campaign?
By Caitlin Muyllaert
Strengths and weaknesses of different platforms
Each social media platform has particular advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these characteristics is crucial when you develop a PR strategy. Choosing the right platform depends on the target audience, campaign objectives and the type of content that resonates with your audience. A balanced approach, using multiple platforms tailored to specific goals and audiences, will most likely yield the best results.
Market leader Meta crossed the one billion registered account mark with Facebook as the first social network and currently has more than three billion monthly active users. As the largest social media platform, Facebook is ideal for global campaigns and community building. However, Facebook's organic reach has decreased significantly, forcing people and organizations to rely on paid promotions to reach a larger audience. Moreover, the platform's saturation can make it challenging to stand out.
In turn, Instagram, Meta's second largest platform, is best suited for visual campaigns. The network also has higher engagement rates, making it a strong platform for influencer marketing. However, a major limitation of Instagram is that direct traffic to external content is restricted, for example by not allowing clickable links outside the bio. Regular changes in the platform's algorithm can also have unpredictable effects on post visibility, making it challenging to maintain consistent reach.
Lastly, LinkedIn is the go-to platform for B2B campaigns, as its audience and content is almost entirely business-oriented. Users expect high-quality informative content, which in turn, offers opportunities to establish thought leadership through articles and posts. Engagement rates do tend to be lower compared to more casual platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
Best practices
After identifying the most suited social media platform for optimal target audience engagement, it's time to think about the content. Although your content should be tailored to the platform on which it appears in terms of format, it is still important to remain consistent and true to your corporate branding. For instance, you can choose a certain visual style and tone-of-voice that recurs throughout. That way, people will recognise your company faster and are more likely to remember you.
Real-time interaction is what sets social media apart from traditional PR. It is therefore important to capitalize on this, and develop strategies to stay actively involved. For instance, it is best to respond as quickly as possible to comments, questions and messages from followers to build a personal connection. This direct contact not only strengthens the relationship with your customers, but also has a positive impact on your image by ensuring that your brand is seen as approachable.
By using social media analytics, you can always gather valuable insights about your audience and their preferences. By analyzing metrics such as likes, shares and comments, you can better understand what works and adjust your strategy accordingly. This data-driven approach ensures that campaigns are constantly optimized based on your target audience's needs and expectations.
Consistently applying best practices for content creation not only ensures that campaigns are continuously optimized, but can also support in achieving PR goals. Ultimately, optimal use of social media can be the key to successful and impactful PR campaigns that resonate with audiences beyond the headlines in newspapers.