Social Media Marketing

With the internet evolving at speeds faster than light, it’s hard to keep up with the times. PR techniques that worked perfectly a decade ago are now outdated. Television ads have nearly become a thing of the past, and now social media allows people to share articles and information instantly. A business needs to be ahead of the game to garner clientele, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the use of social media for PR.

 Here are six quick strategies to make your social media PR effective:

1)  Be brief but exciting.

Many social media sites – Twitter in particular – are fashioned around short attention spans. Your press releases and public relations posts have to be short enough for the impatient, and filled with enough content to be interesting. Meaningful posts are the ones that are shared on social media. Without content that strikes a chord with readers and potential clientele, your company’s social media profiles will fizzle.

2)  Keep up-to-date on the news.

The best way to keep up-to-date is by seeing what trends are taking over social media. You can comment on them on your company’s social media outlets, as well as contact local reporters and hold news conferences to discuss the issue. Business is politics, and you’ll have to take firm roles if you want to be noticed.

 3)  Offer help.

One of the best ways to boost your customer base is by establishing yourself as a knowledgeable leader in your company’s field. Nothing is better for this than being helpful. Post links to tutorials as well as helpful advice. Know what questions people are asking and be prepared to answer them.

 4)  Avoid Facebook for PR.

Facebook can be good for advertising, but it’s not so good for PR. The website tends to be for connecting with friends and colleagues, as well as sharing different articles found on the web.  Though this may sound like the ideal place for PR, many Facebook users – even if they are part of your clientele – aren’t likely to reblog serious news stories.  If you have a funny advertisement then by all means, share it. But even the most engaging press release probably won’t get picked up on Facebook.

5) Live in the moment.

Sometimes a crisis of epic proportions will arise. Whether it’s a natural disaster or something that affects solely your business, you’ll need to respond to it. Social media outlets shouldn’t be your one place to respond, but they should be utilized. You’ll need someone on your PR team to man your social media accounts during the crisis, while another calls a conference to comment on the news as it develops.

 6)  Utilize videos.

Know about video management sites all over the web. Your company should probably have a Youtube channel, where you can post everything from press release videos, to new product lines, to tutorials. Some people find that watching a video is much easier than reading an article, and so you’ll pull in more clients this way.

Underestimating the powerful role that social media plays in PR is a costly mistake. By creating a plan that incorporates these successful strategies, your company can maximize its social impact.

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Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.