PR & Social Media in Brand

Roles of PR and Social Media in Brand Building

Building and maintaining a strong brand presence has become a critical endeavor for businesses of all sizes. Two very powerful tools combine to create a dynamic duo of brand building: PR and social media. While both wield their individual strengths, when they are brought together, they can propel your brand to new heights

Public relations is the art of storytelling with a strategic twist. It's the bridge that connects a brand with the world, developing relationships and creating narratives that spread far beyond the boundaries of advertising. PR professionals serve as your brand's ambassadors, using their expertise to produce captivating narratives, manage crises and cultivate a positive brand image. They also use several tools such as media relations, press releases and events to create a brand image. Their interactions with journalists and media outlets can lead to valuable earned media, offering a level of credibility and exposure that paid advertising can’t match. Social media has come to play an important role as well.

Social media is a place where authenticity and engagement reign. From the comedic appeal of Twitter to the visual displays of Instagram, each platform provides a distinctive blueprint for brands to paint their narratives. Brands have the opportunity to engage in real-time conversations with their customers, addressing queries, celebrating successes and even owning up to shortcomings. This direct line of communication humanizes brands, transforming them from mere entities to relatable companions in the consumer's journey.

According to a 2021 Pew Research study, media coverage performs well especially through social media.

“A little under half (48%) of U.S. adults say they get news from social media ‘often’ or ‘sometimes.’ The same survey found that about one-third of U.S. adults (31%) say they get news regularly on Facebook, while about one-in-five Americans (22%) say they regularly get news on YouTube. Twitter and Instagram are regular news sources for 13% and 11% of Americans, respectively.”

Also, according to another Pew Research survey, 94% of U.S. journalists use social media for their jobs. I tracked twitter religiously when I was a reporter, not to report on tweets as is the custom frequently now, but to get leads and spark ideas for articles, as well as find new sources.

“Twitter clearly ranks at the top of the list for work-related tasks. Around seven in 10 U.S. journalists (69%) say it’s the social media site they use most or second most for their job,” Pew writes. “Twitter is followed by Facebook at 52% and, far lower on the list, by Instagram (19%), LinkedIn (17%) and YouTube (14%).” So, if you’re looking to grab journalists’ attention, twitter is a good place to try.

PR and social media, when orchestrated seamlessly along with content marketing and advertising, intensifies each other's impact in many ways. In times of crisis, this partnership becomes even more vital. A well-handled PR crisis can save a brand from irreparable damage, and social media can play a pivotal role in this process. By addressing concerns transparently and promptly on social media platforms, brands can mitigate the impact of negative PR and showcase their commitment to repairing relationships.

One of the most important features of the PR-social media partnership is its ability to form a unified brand voice and messaging. Conflicts between a brand's messaging in media and its online presence lead to confusion and negate audience trust. However, when PR and social media work in concert, they ensure a consistent narrative across the touchpoints (same goes for your content marketing!). As consumers engage with a brand's PR-driven media and scroll through its social media posts, they're enveloped in a consistent brand story that leaves a lasting impression.

PR's strategic storytelling and media relationships lay the foundation, while social media's engagement and authenticity create a relatable brand persona for your company. The roles of PR and social media will undoubtedly adapt and expand, however, their principle as enablers of brand development and guardians of brand reputation will remain constant.

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