By Uriri Onojake and Minomi Thompson Ogbe.

Social Media has taken the communications arena by storm. Without a doubt, public relations play a vital role in the business world, but how can it help a brand like yours? To celebrate Social Media Day this year, we’ve put together a guide to show you how Public Relations experts are using social media to boost their clients’ brand perceptions and how you too can take a leaf from their playbook. 

Social Media Day is observed annually on June 30th. It was born to recognise social media’s impact on global communication. Social media has redefined how people interact, communicate, and share with family, friends, stakeholders, and the world.

What we have learnt from the last decade is that social media can be an invaluable tool for every business’s prosperity and growth. As the days go by, more companies are leveraging the power of social media to scale, build a loyal clientele base, maximise profit and stay top of mind with their target audience. 

It’s no secret that PR has evolved beyond press releases and traditional outlets. Recent social media statistics from Sprout Social highlight that over 50% of consumers follow brands directly to stay updated on brands. It’s no surprise that PR professionals are doing everything they can to harness the power of social media to build their client’s reputation. Whether you are just starting out, well ahead on your way in PR, or even acting as your own publicist as a small business owner, these tips will help you leverage social media for success. 

Below are five far-reaching strategies that PR pros and organisations are leveraging social media for business success.

Repurposing Press Releases 

For some businesses, social media is the primary avenue for breaking news or announcing upcoming products. Beyond dropping links on LinkedIn or Twitter, the other ways they pass additional formatting ideas is summarising the key points of their press release in the caption and formatting the release into an image, a carousel or an infographic.

Influencer Marketing 

One of the ways PR experts use Social Media to boost business is influence based marketing. 

They help brands get their products in the hands of influencers who in turn spread the word. Whether through freebies in exchange for reviews or full-on paid sponsorships, the opportunities to connect with influencers and take advantage of their platforms and communities are seemingly endless.

Amplifying 

Engagement and buzz are more important than follower count. One of the biggest benefits of social media is that it allows you to have conversations with a lot of people all at once. You can build a sense of community. When you create a community, your customers become advocates for your business and spread the word about your brand.

The beauty of social media PR is that you can reach your target audience and communities directly. The more people you have talking positively about your brand and singing its praises, the better. This is what experts refer to as organic PR.

Crisis Management 

Every business is vulnerable to unexpected threats, any one of which can severely damage reputation and have a potentially devastating effect on revenue, loyalty, and other important business outcomes.

The ways that social media benefits businesses is endless, but one of the downsides is that negative publicity can spread quickly. If a negative encounter with a customer gains traction online, it can quickly spiral out of control and generate a lot of bad press for your business. 

It is now acknowledged that brands make PR blunders and have to issue apologies. So when dealing with a wave of negative comments and call-outs, PR experts now help clients respond thoughtfully because they see it as a must-do to keep credibility and calm customers. They also outline ways to remedy the problem and boost confidence in the brand.

Hashtags Hashtags Hashtags 

You never miss with Hashtags. It’s a brilliant way to monitor conversations and sustain the trend related to your business’ PR efforts. It also comes in handy when trying to maintain brand identity. Hashtags are the go-to when you want to build a sense of community of customers and highlight a company’s milestones or achievements.