PR and Social Media
So far, social media has to be at or near the top of the list of success stories in the twentieth-century. Sites like Facebook and Twitter have skyrocketed in growth and become firmly entrenched in the consumer lifestyle.
Businesses are waking up to the fact that customers are more loyal to brands that are willing to interact with them through social media. For many companies, that simply means establishing a presence in social media and occasionally responding to customer inquiries or comments. Walker Sands partners with our clients to use social media too proactively communicate PR messaging online.
Community Building
To be effective, online PR strategies need to be preceded by an effort to build a strong community of online followers. We’re not necessarily talking about creating new online community mechanisms, but using established social media sites to create a community around your brand. Facebook fan pages, Twitter feeds and other tools can all be helpful in coalescing Internet users around your company and its products.
Selling: The Ultimate Taboo
In social networking circles, selling is the ultimate taboo. Hard sales messaging discouraged on social media sites, if not by the sites, then by social media users themselves. Instead, you need to take a more subtle approach that engages users in conversations that are useful, honest and entertaining.
Dialogue
Two-way interactions are the grease that makes social media platforms run smoothly. If you’ve made an effort to attract an online community, it’s fairly easy to engage your audience in dialogue. The hard part is developing the discipline to listen to what your followers are saying and incorporate their input into the conversation.
Value-Added Content
Online customers and prospects need a reason to follow your brand on social media platforms. If the content you offer is boring, non-engaging or useless, they won’t participate in your network. Good social media PR offers followers unique experiences through sneak previews, multimedia resources, insider tips, etc.
At Walker Sands, we started leveraging the PR benefits of social media long before your mom opened a Facebook account. We are Chicago’s leading social media PR firm with a solid track record in helping businesses achieve success on popular social networking sites. Call us today and learn how we can make social media work to your company’s advantage.