Social media strategy: Why you should hire an expert

A PR professional knows how to respond to the good, the bad and the ugly on social media

Most people have experience with social media through their personal pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms. Some even gain large followings and feel that they are quite knowledgeable about social media. However, a company’s official social media accounts are much different than personal profiles. They require a specialized content strategy with professionally crafted posts.

Every business should be actively using social media. Some of the many benefits social media can offer your business include:

A large and diverse audience will see what you post.
Your posts could go viral.
Social media grows your company brand.
Your customers are comfortable using social media.
Your customers feel connected to your company through social media.
Your company’s online presence increases through social media.
Social media largely contributes to SEO.

Your company’s online presence projects your image to the entire world. You spend time and effort on search engine optimization so customers can find your website quickly and efficiently. You invest money in advertising online or through media. You may even employ a web designer to make sure your website encompasses your image perfectly. Hiring a public relations agency will provide a team of experts to manage your company’s social media accounts. There are countless benefits to using PR to handle all of your official profiles.

Social media engages your customers and allows them to form personal relationships with your company. Strategically and frequently posting with a schedule that includes interesting links, images, videos and engaging questions will keep your followers updated and allow for maximum use of your social media accounts.

A PR professional will:

Craft engaging posts.
Implement a posting schedule.
Include interesting images and video.
Reach a larger audience.
Respond to and help customers.
Communicate your company’s mission and values.
Inform customers about your services/products.
Research how the public perceives your company and improve that perception.

An expert social media manager’s first goal will be to engage with your target audience. As comments, tweets, mentions and messages appear, they will need timely and professional responses. Simply handing your social media accounts over to an intern or millennial who works in your company may not be the best idea. Without a strategic plan and prepared responses, followers could react negatively to even one seemingly harmless post. The mob mentality of social media can be overwhelming and can easily ruin a company’s reputation.

Axia Public Relations offers full service social media management for medium to large corporations. To learn more about the best practices that experts follow on social media, check out Axia’s e-book The Essential Social Media Management Guide. Follow Axia on Facebook or Twitter @axiapr for helpful tips on growing your brand and managing your company’s reputation on social media.

Katie Boyles has worked with Axia since September 2015. She studies public relations at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. and will soon graduate with a Bachelor of Science in communication.