Noah Hansen Creative Solutions

You would be hard-pressed to find a more important PR tool than social media. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have transformed the way organizations communicate with their stakeholders, their partners, and their publics – offering a direct line for messaging and feedback. Social media enables companies to reach a wider audience and engage with their target market in real-time. As such, social media is more important now than ever in any organization’s public relations strategy, and staying up-to-date on the latest social media trends and updates is crucial for success.

Social media is the best way to directly reach an audience and communicate with them. Issues can be resolved publicly in spaces like Twitter threads and Facebook comments, and privately in direct messages and private chats. Social listening also allows the PR professional to understand thoughts and opinions from their publics regarding particular campaigns, products, or even the organization overall. The information that can be gathered through social listening can help determine what decisions need to be made in regard to PR strategy. Spreading the word has also never been easier nor more effective than it is with hashtag campaigns and participatory trends.

It should also be noted that social media is cheap. Boosted posts and promoted ads cost far less on social media platforms than traditional advertisements in print, radio, and television, making it a no-brainer for any organization that is looking to increase awareness in a cost-effective manner.

One of the most significant updates in social media and public relations is the growing importance of short-form video content. Short-form video content is becoming increasingly popular on social media platforms, with TikTok becoming the most downloaded app in 2022. Other platforms such as Instagram and YouTube have responded to the TikTok boom with their own versions of infinite-scrolling short-form video feeds. Consumers are happy with these updates, as 73% of consumers prefer short-form videos to long-form content typically found on Facebook and YouTube. For the PR professional, this means there’s a huge opportunity to take advantage of increased viewership and engagement rates to communicate with their publics. With this in mind, the PR pro must also consider how to best communicate with their audiences with such brevity. Words cannot be wasted, and every word will be seen and heard.

Influencers have proven to be some of the biggest and best assets a PR professional has available. Influencer marketing is responsible for $16.4 billion in sales, and is growing more popular as short-form content provides more opportunities for influencers to sell. Additionally, parasocial relationships are more prominent and stronger than ever, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many consumers strongly rely on influencers to provide perspective on what’s hot and what’s not, and to inform them on important topics, events, brands, and trends. It affects consumers decision-making to the point where 49% of consumers depend on influencers’ opinion prior to making a purchase. The rise of influencer marketing has inevitably led to some challenges, particularly regarding transparency and authenticity. Public relations professionals must ensure that the influencers they work with align with their brand values and messaging to maintain authenticity.

Social media also allows PR professionals to better manage crises. For example, Peloton was able to flip the script on the television show “Billions” after the show portrayed prominent characters suffering fatal injuries on their exercise bikes. This painted Peloton in a negative light that messaged to viewers that their bikes were potentially hazardous or life-threatening. Peloton was quick to act, jumping to Twitter to make it clear that they did not agree to this portrayal, and clarified that the show admits that cardiovascular exercise is beneficial to all. Having this direct outlet to the public is incredibly useful for crisis management as the message can be sent and received instantly, and feedback can be collected and evaluated instantly.

Peloton utilized another strategy for a negative portrayal of their bike in the show “And Just Like That” that was just as effective and utilized social media to quickly communicate with audiences. Peloton teamed up with Ryan Reynold’s company Maximum Effort to create an advertisement in just 48 hours; poking fun at the portrayal of their bike in the show and setting the narrative straight. This advertisement was then shared to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for millions to see. In the past, this kind of turnaround would be impossible. Social media has made it so PR communication is quick, measurable, and most importantly effective when properly researched and carefully planned.

Social media allows PR professionals to effectively maintain their relationships with their publics in an affordable and effective manner. Social listening provides great insight into what people are thinking, and communication couldn’t be more direct. The opportunities to tell audiences brand-conscious stories are endless, and managing crises has never been more intimate and direct. With the next big trend and the next big app just around the corner, it is up to PR professionals to remain informed, and more importantly logged on.