PR's new role on social media

Social media offers users a unique opportunity to be both personal and professional. Therefore, personal engagement is something users have come to expect from their time on social media. With the ability to engage with customers remotely, translating that personal customer experience to a digital platform introduces new challenges to public relations professionals.

Here are a few things to remember when responding to challenges on social mediat:

1. Use your unique voice

Customers don't want to interact with a brand. They want to know that they're talking to a person. You might be posting from your organization's social media account, but don't forget to represent yourself as a person.

2. Answer negative feedback

Scrolling through the comments on a social media post can be difficult. It might be easy to respond to only positive feedback. But your responses to the negative comments can go a long way to improving your brand's public image.

3. Be honest and transparent

This is a given, but especially in the age of social media, transparency is more important than ever. "Public relations professionals have a special obligation to practice their craft ethically, with the highest standards of truth, accuracy, fairness and responsibility to the public" (Smith, 2014). Your role is so important. If you're not transparent, it will come out eventually.

For further reading, here is a list of 13 social media mistakes and how to avoid them.

Reference

Smith, T. (2014). The value of public relations is growing in the digital age. Mississippi Business Journal, 20. Retrieved from https://bi-gale-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/global/article/GALE%7CA370458336?u=nhc_main&sid=ebsco