PR and social media - what's the difference?

Great question.

PR uses a multitude of strategies to position and elevate a brand, increase awareness and increase sales. Strategies are typically centred around content creation that shares a brands story. One of the ways PR does this is traditional media, but sometimes it's new media - social media.

Publicity and social media - same same but different

Sharing your story on social media is a form of PR and reputation management and is a great tool to speak directly to your audience. Traditionally speaking, publicity is built on the ability to access the media via a PR professional. It's primarily a B2B strategy with the influence of a PR professional for the media to share a story because it's valuable and in the best interest of the readership.

The media tend to act like a gate keeper and publish what they deem as worthy. Third party publicity is valuable, but not easy to get - only secured through the skill of good angles and ideas. Securing editorial pieces is amplified with relationships with journalists who PR professionals can directly access.

Social media on the other hand allows you to take on a B2C approach where you can go directly to your audience. This is equally as important as third party endorsement.

To execute well on social media with a PR mind your content needs to be;

• relevant

• researched

• credible

• value-based

• informative

Social media is a platform that empowers you to share why your brand is special. It allows you to control your messaging and you’re able to get real time feedback. It also opens up the opportunity to connect with audiences well beyond your location. Social media is a form of direct-to-your-customer PR.

If social media or PR is a dark art you can't master just yet, our team would be happy to help you tell your story.