Keeping it PRofessional on Social Media
Summer is officially underway and you may feel pressured to keep your Instagram feed filled with content and updates on what you are up to! Connecting with friends, family, and fellow social media users allows you to communicate in a variety of ways. From commenting on photos, having a streak on Snapchat, or uploading albums to Facebook so you have all your fun memories in one place, there are countless ways to interact with one another.Over the years, social media has grown to become a place where people come together to communicate in real-time. PR professionals had to adjust to this new phenomenon and learn how to effectively use social media to their benefit. Using social media has a bunch of advantages, especially in the public relations world.
Here are some helpful tips on how to use social media effectively in the PR world:
Get Message Out Quickly
Social media allows for whatever message you're trying to share to get out into the world faster, as well as amplify the message. Almost everyone uses social media every day, so posting your message will allow for quicker distribution than sending a simple text message or call. Social media can also heighten the meaning of the message If you post on Instagram, it will most likely pop onto the target’s feed and will interact with it in one way or another.
PR Stronger
Another advantage is that social media allows PR to be stronger and more impactful as there are a ton of channels to engage with users to promote your brand. Instead of just promoting a brand in a newspaper, billboard, or email, social media has the ability to be more impactful as more users will be able to engage through channels. For example, you could tweet something to promote the brand, and users through different groups can retweet, quote tweet or copy the link and send it to acquaintances to take a look at it.
Be Trendy
TikTok is currently a huge hit and the place to be. Focusing on specific trends like dances, challenges or songs can help PR professionals have more success when promoting a brand. One example is when Walker Hayes, a country music singer, released “Fancy Like”. His daughter and himself created a dance to his song and uploaded it to TikTok and it became such a hit, that Applebees used the song for their Commercials. By joining in on the fun whether that’s on TikTok or Instagram reels, the brand you’re trying to support and promote will have an audience if the way you advertise it is creative and relative to what’s happening in the world.
Spread Awareness
If you notice a movement going on, don’t stand back. Spread awareness! As a PR professional working in social media, it will be noted whether you say something or not. Supporting movements like Black Lives Matter or getting gun control will do you more right than wrong. One issue right now is the lack of gun control. Posting and sharing on social media about what happened at Uvalde, Texas will show that the brand is supportive and vulnerable and as PR professionals, we must show that we are aware of what’s happening and care for the world around us.Spreading awareness, being trendy, getting messages out quickly, and being PR Strong will promote the brand when using social media. Hopefully, all those tips are helpful and they show you that social media can be used to your advantage. By also having fun, you can still be professional when using social media as adding the fun trends makes more people want to interact with your posts. Following these tips will help you professionally communicate effectively through social media.
Madi Reifler is a sophomore studying Advertising and Public Relations with an emphasis in Public Relations. She is currently occupying the role of VP of Professional Development for GVPRSSA. When not working at Aerie this summer, Madi’s spending time with her new puppy Kingsley, laying by the pool, and hanging out with friends and family.