The benefits of PR managing social media

Learn why you shouldn’t let just anyone manage this vital tool

To do business today, everyone says you must post, tweet, share, update, like, pin, snap and follow on a daily basis. You also have to take great care to prevent costly mistakes and pay close attention to what others are saying about you. This is in addition to everything else you do to keep your business successful. How do you find the time?

Social media has become an omnipresent part of business life and if you are not using it to its maximum potential, you are falling behind the competition. One of the best ways to stay on top of this medium is to let PR manage your social media efforts for you.

Why PR should handle your social media

We have the right skill set to do the job. PR professionals are already accustomed to utilizing numerous platforms to reach target audiences. We are exceptional writers who know how to craft stories in ways that will resonate with customers, prospects and other key stakeholders. In addition, we are used to working on deadlines and make a point to carefully proofread everything to avoid careless errors.

PR experts can help you create a content management plan for social media. We can help you make the most of your content, whether it’s a speech by the CEO, a positive online review or a newsletter article. You can transfer and segment these to communicate on different social media platforms to satisfy the diverse interests of each channel’s users.

If you experience a crisis involving social media, we are best equipped to handle it. With so many social media platforms and each company managing various accounts, it’s easy for someone to slip up. It is also possible to suffer from a slew of negative reviews and false information on social media. These issues can go viral in just a few hours. By letting PR take the reins, you can avoid costly mistakes and minimize the effect of negative information. We can make sure your company’s messages get visibility and help turn the conversation in your favor.

PR pros know the right ways to use social media for reputation and relationship-building. Thanks to the speed and pervasiveness of social media, you can exert influence and gather feedback in real time. You can use this to your advantage by drawing upon it for actual conversations with customers, fostering rapport and requesting input. These tools can help your company improve customer service, make customer-centric decisions and build brand loyalty.

PR excels in communications. Knowing your audiences and how each group prefers to be engaged is a key in communicating on social media. It is vital for your organization to put the right information in front of consumers and to speak with one voice, even on different platforms. Social media often brings out the good, the bad and the hideous, and you must be prepared to handle it all effectively. PR professionals are accustomed to responding to any situation thoroughly and productively.

Ultimately, social media is less about you and more about how your company can best connect with customers, prospects and the world. It has developed a life of its own as customers demand interaction with your company and, therefore, the time commitment involved in managing all of this has greatly increased.

By allowing PR to manage your social presence, you can use social media as a beneficial tool for growth, instead of letting it suffocate you. Let the experts at Axia Public Relations help you develop a plan and take charge of social media to boost your image, visibility and profits. Contact us today or download our e-book The Essential Social Media Management Guide for more tips on using social media for your company’s growth and success.

Lisa Goldsberry is a writer for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business, higher education and technology PR. Connect with Axia Public Relations on Twitter