Partner Article

Social media: Public relations friend or foe?

Social Media is used by anyone, anywhere, at anytime, and on the surface this would seem like an advantage to most PR practitioners, as they can reach more people on a more direct platform. However, there are some hidden disadvantages to using as many social media accounts as you can.

Today there is an unending list of social media sites available to us, and this list will always keep growing. So companies need to assess what each site can offer them, and which ones are best suited to them. There is no point opening a Tumblr account, when you know most of your targeted consumers do not use that type of site. Having a strategy in place before using social media will only be more beneficial – by being able to understand your current resources and how you intend on using them, will see better business results than from those who don’t plan ahead.

The internet is 24/7, meaning that there is a constant need for updates or communication. If you are a local business, there may be less demand for frequent communication, but if you are national or even global the demand increases as not every consumer will be on the same time as you, and consumers can easily look elsewhere for their information, so you will want to feed their appetite as well as possible.

Accountability is laid upon PR practitioners more with the growth of social media, therefore being more transparent is required. Remember: Everything that is said on the internet can be seen and saved by anyone, caution with what content is released is advised, as it won’t be forgotten and your corporate reputation could be at stake.

Positively, PR teams can work well alongside the digital marketing teams, by helping to improve Search Engine Optimisation with creative content. Also, engaging with consumers and driving traffic to company websites, by utilising the right social media. All this interaction with B2C and B2P is building a positive brand image – a key component in most PR strategies.

Free accounts are available on almost all social media sites, there is the option to pay for a more premium account-type on some of these platforms, but for SME’s who are just starting out the opportunity for a free account is positive, making it a good place for anyone to start out. SME’s are no longer limited or fighting a loosing battle with the much larger companies. Social media allows for a more even playing field for communicating and promoting your business, despite some not-so-obvious pitfalls.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Natasha Graham .