It comes as no surprise that PR agencies and social media teams now work more closely than ever to leverage the strengths of both disciplines and maximise brand awareness for their clients.
According to DataReportal, there are now more than 5.6 billion social media users worldwide, which is almost 70% of the global population. This growth has transformed the way news is shared and consumed, making PR and social media more closely connected than ever. Media outlets now have dedicated social teams working alongside PR agencies to distribute content across different platforms and reach audiences where they are most active.
Plus, the real-time nature of social media also plays a critical role in crisis management and protecting brand reputation.
So how can brands successfully integrate PR and social media, and what benefits can they expect from doing so?
What are the benefits of combining PR and social media?
Sharing content across multiple channels
Combining PR and social media does not simply mean distributing or repurposing news across multiple platforms. It instead means brands can utilise multiple channels to reach greater geographical media and audiences without any additional costs.
Through building a well-thought-out omnichannel communication strategy, brands can create content that builds compelling narratives fit for purpose. An example of this is when a brand creates infographics from research data or converts a quote from a press release into easily digestible social media content.
Staying relevant through social listening
Social media is at the heart of modern PR. With social listening tools such as Pulsar, brands can identify trends early, track audience conversations and respond quickly to what's happening in their industry.
The result is a stronger share of voice and a more informed approach to online communications. Rather than reacting to the news cycle, brands can create content that reflects what their audience is already thinking and talking about. These insights also help shape clearer audience personas, making both PR and social media activity more relevant and effective.
Effective reputation management
Another benefit of social media PR is reputation management. The power of social media and the importance of community management are never more successfully demonstrated than during a crisis. The ability to respond rapidly and ensure all stakeholders are kept informed of any developments means you can monitor reactionary sentiment, correct any misinformation quickly, and uphold the brand’s reputation during the crisis.
Social media also provides platforms for live coverage of events and announcements (positively as well as in a crisis), monitoring immediate feedback on what’s been shared, which further builds trust with a brand’s stakeholders and the public.
Consistent messaging can also be ensured across all platforms (due to the advantage of direct communication with audiences), without the concern that messages are being diluted by the media.
Better relationship building
Relationship marketing is built on trust, credibility and meaningful engagement, making it a natural fit for integrated PR and social media strategies.
Historically, relationship building would fall on events, conferences and direct media outreach. Today, social media provides opportunities to connect with journalists and influencers, providing the ability to build relationships quickly through regular, on-demand communication.
Platforms such as LinkedIn help brands connect with journalists on a more personal level, helping build familiarity and establish valuable professional relationships over time. These connections often create opportunities for media coverage, expert commentary and strategic partnerships.
Building personal brands and industry authority
Social media platforms, particularly those that allow for long-form content such as LinkedIn, provide an opportunity for senior management and employees to build a personal profile that can further boost and complement a brand’s PR strategy. According to LinkedIn's own research, audiences are more likely to engage with content shared by individuals than by corporate pages alone.
This allows brands to put faces to their business, building trust and positioning their team as experts in their fields (as well as putting them in front of journalists and media for expert comments).
Plus, live content formats, including video interviews, webinars and social broadcasts, also help audiences connect with the people behind the brand and foster a greater sense of community.
Making events work harder
Events and speaking opportunities have long been an important part of PR strategies. However, social media is instrumental in amplifying impact beyond these events. Some best practice for amplifying event brand messaging include:
- Live coverage during PR events
- Behind-the-scenes content on Instagram stories and reels
- Hosting Facebook live Q&A sessions or live broadcasting events on your Facebook page
- YouTube interviews and webinar expert panels
All of these aspects help to bring events to life, allowing immediate engagement from audiences.
Data-driven strategies to improve ROI
Monitoring software is constantly evolving and developing to provide the best insights for both social and PR measurement. Having the ability to track reach, engagement and sentiment in real-time, teamed with a better understanding of audience demographics, will provide brands with detailed metrics on content performance. These insights are imperative when it comes to creating a cohesive communication strategy across PR and social media.
Post-project analysis, improvements and wash-ups result in truly informed approaches to solidify decisions and ultimately easily decipher what worked and what didn’t. Social media can also aid ROI without the need for paid media, providing lower distribution costs and generally a more efficient use of marketing budgets to build brands organically.
Measurement for impact
We’ve talked about data-driven strategies and detailed metrics to view performance, but how do those stack up against KPIs?
Whilst PR reporting will include brand mentions, sentiment, coverage, share of voice and stronger media relationships, integrating social media allows brands to reach new depths, exploring metrics such as message penetration, leads, conversion rates and engagement levels, plus what content drove the most website traffic and from which channels.
This post-match analysis enables KPIs to be revisited and reworked, setting new objectives to aim for.
Bringing PR and social media together
When PR and social media work together, brands benefit from stronger visibility, improved reputation management, better audience insights and more meaningful stakeholder relationships.
An integrated approach ensures every piece of content works harder, reaches the right audiences and contributes towards wider business goals. As media consumption habits continue to evolve, the connection between PR and social media will only become more important.
If you'd like to explore how an experienced social media and PR agency can help develop a multi-channel communications strategy that supports your business objectives, get in touch with us today.