There’s no doubt about it anymore. Social media is changing the game of public relations. Forget about one or two major mass media outlets, now the world is a hybrid of social interaction, advertising and public relations. The lines get fuzzier every day . . . and every day those fuzzy lines create both winners, and losers.

NY PR guru Ronn Torossian has some tips on how you, and your brand can succeed in the ever-changing, and tumultuous world of social media PR.

Keep it simple

Social media is, first and foremost, social. People aren’t out to accomplish anything too complicated when they scroll through their Facebook feed. To that end, your messaging must be compelling enough to get people to click, simple enough for them to digest quickly, and understandable enough for them to repeat it.

Make it widely appealing

While niches are important to marketing, social media needs wide appeal to be successful. You want people with a wide variety of interests to grab hold of your message and share it with others of equally diverse interests. To make this happen, your message must be appealing enough to share without being too boring or controversial. A fine line, indeed, but one you will have to walk if you want to achieve social media PR success.

Combine various media formats

The days where you could write something clever and shoot it out to the world are gone. Social media now requires a multi-media approach. From video to infographics to GIFs and gallery lists, people simply expect more than words on a screen. Give it to them, or someone else will. It’s really that simple.

Find common ground

The initial purpose of public relations is to CONNECT with that public. With that in mind, a solid PR campaign must meet people where they are and then take them along where you want them to go. Get this out of order, and you will end up with NOBODY on your bus.

Tell them, then tell them again

You don’t want to be redundant, but you want to drive home important points more than once. Again, that doesn’t mean repeating exactly the same words, but communicating the same ideas in various different ways. This will definitely come into play when you try to transcend from one form of media to another.

These public relations tips represent the new reality of a very ancient profession. While the world keeps turning, you have to turn with it. When things change, you have to be willing to adapt. Sure, your message may not change, but you should always be looking for a better way to get that message out.

SHARE
Previous articleWhen you Can’t Play Hot Potato
Next articleBrands Spreading Themselves All Over Jelly
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.