From the CEO: Social Media Success

PC: PRSSANC

I am a millennial, so I must know everything about social media, right? I mean, on average, our generation spends 17.8 hours/day consuming a wide range of media types. So naturally, when we meet with clients, social media is always on the table to be discussed. When we offer social media as a service, our teams review the clients’ social media profiles and develop suggestions for improvements. I had a client ask me what the ROI on a Facebook fan was. My answer resembled this: “Well, a social media presence creates an opportunity for your brand to create a reputation with people who have shown interest in your company or product, so with each post, you have a chance to gain a sale and influence your brand perception.” But, isn’t it more complex than that? Geah Pressgrove, Assistant Professor at West Virginia University, challenged that exact question at the PRSSA National Conference that I attended last weekend, and the answer is YES!

 Social media has the power to do a lot of things – boost website traffic, increase leads, drive sales, increase volunteer support, reduce advertising costs, and most importantly, it gives you the opportunity to directly manage your brand reputation. All of these things can be accomplished in additional ways, but social media helps expedite the process and reach your target market.

 If you are strategic with your social media planning, you can achieve success. It is not a matter of how many social media platforms you can be on, but how effectively you can communicate with your audience through the platforms you choose. Quantity v. quantity, people. “Information shared online is only as solid as it is shared offline,” said Pressgrove. The key to social media is strategy – what are you doing and why?

 We are working this semester to apply these skills and strategic social media movements with our clients. What are you doing to be more strategic with your social media channels?

 -Daltyn Little, CEO