Four Tips for Successfully Using Social Media as a PR Platform

Social media is changing the way we do everything. Social media impacts not only how we get our news, but also how we advertise products. Most companies have some form of social media presence. It’s now up to public relations practitioners to utilize social media in an efficient way that benefits our company or client. Working with social media can be very tricky and can sometimes become a PR nightmare. To help prevent social media blunders from happening, here are four tips for successfully using social media as a PR platform.

Keep up with the current trends – It’s important that PR professionals keep up with all current events and news, and the same should be done in regards to social media. Hundreds of memes, go viral every day. PR professionals should be aware of what’s going viral and try to participate. If done correctly, it could be an opportunity for your organization to go viral as well, or at least gain more publicity. Regardless, it’s best to stay in tune with what’s going on in the digital realm if you want to maximize your social media platform.

Influencers are your friends – Influencers are another modern-day technique that were created during the rise of social media. They can be the missing link between your brand and your target audience. With their large social media following, influencers can promote your product or company with a more natural approach.

Quickly respond to negative press – It doesn’t take long for things to spiral out of control on social media. It can take years to build your company’s reputation and only seconds for it to be tarnished with one social media post. One thing to remember about handling bad press on social media is not every post needs a response. As a PR practitioner, you cannot comment on rumors. However, if a post needs a response, you must respond in a timely matter. Promptly, yet strategically combat the negativity and make your plea. Responding quickly to negative press could prevent creating an even bigger problem that you’ll have to fix later.

Enjoy it – Social media has done great things for companies and brands who use it well. Engage with your followers and respond to their comments or questions. Be sure to involve your followers on new ideas or ask them for suggestions. Lastly and most importantly, have fun with it. Social media is meant to be fun, so it’s okay to mix business with pleasure.