What is Social PR and How Will It Impact Brand Message?

Have you heard of social PR? If you haven’t, what would you guess it is? When most people hear of social public relations, they think of digital integrated marketing. Social PR is all about using social media content and tools to connect with potential customers and nurture leads with brand ambassadors. It’s all about integrating social outputs like content, messaging, strategy, and omnichannel marketing into one cohesive marketing plan. And doing so in a shareable and engaging way, like in these brilliant social PR campaign examples.

Social PR utilizes citizen journalism, digital TV channels, ever-growing influencer marketing, celebrities, and other online personalities to spread a certain PR message. Social PR depends on non-traditional media channels such as Facebook Live, podcasts, Instagram Live and YouTube. This is a type of integrated marketing that relies on digital platforms and the viral spread of information online to amplify a brand’s campaign.

Here are some examples of social PR tactics that you can use to promote your brand, raise awareness, and increase engagement:

• Influencer partnerships
• Social media contests and giveaways
• Social media newsjacking
• Taking part in social media challenges
• Collaboration with other brands or businesses
• Employee advocacy
• Ambassador programs

But, it’s critical to acknowledge that likes do not always equal sales. On a foundational level, any marketing project has the same end goal in mind: sales. Your marketing strategy’s purpose may include increasing likes and followers, but when all is said and done, likes, followers, and retweets hold little monetary value if they don’t translate into sales and revenue.

In this day and age, there are numerous ways to communicate with an audience online. Historically, PR professionals relied on traditional media outlets to spread their brand message. Social media marketing is one way a PR professional can start to communicate a specific campaign; yet social media marketing must focus on conversions, rather than views.

If “getting likes” isn’t a sound social media strategy, neither is “having influencers.” Influencer marketing is only successful if it’s backed by a good social PR plan. Social PR depends on creative marketing strategies and using influencers to amplify a specific message. Integrated marketing plans need authentic and engaged likes, as well as an active online community. But, brands must always remember that sales are the inevitable goal of all marketing strategies. A project must always be evaluated on its potential to meet a sales goal. The benchmarks for success in a social PR campaign need to tie directly to revenue, conversion, and other quantifiable metrics related to sales.

A company’s capacity to execute a marketing project must also be clear from conception. Any company, no matter the size, has limitations in terms of what resources can be dedicated to a marketing campaign. It is critical to first know how much a company can allot in terms of budget, talent, and hours and strategize accordingly.

In the end, a strong PR and marketing plan relies on the success of the strategy which will result in lead generation and revenue. This includes having a solid and creative foundation that can be amplified by online channels, influencers, and the online community.