When I graduated in 2010, I worked in NYC during a time when social media was really fresh and new. Because social agencies weren’t a thing, Public Relations agencies took on the digital media work. It was this that led to my understanding of how PR and Social Media needed to be integrated. And, how important it is that your PR strategy is an integral part of your social strategy.
There are a breadth of items in PR that can help with your IG game. But I’ve broken down five public relations strategies that you should take into consideration in an effort to strengthen your Instagram efforts.
Connect: Use social media to connect you and your brand to reporters. Reporters are inundated with press releases every single day! It is up to us to work on disrupting the space so that reporters may see our ‘newsworthy’ stories. Take the time to connect with reporters on Instagram and comment and like on their social media posts. Let them know you are following them and even introduce yourself via DM. It’s a great way for them to remember you when it’s time for you to submit a story.
React: React to big stories and share your opinions. This will help to position you as a thought leader, especially if it is thoughtful and compelling. A great example of this is a blogger/social media IG influencer who I follow on Instagram. Her page is dedicated to everything Catherine Middleton and the royal family. Whether positive or negative, she has an opinion and recently her quotes from social media were picked up and published in several major British publications.
Campaign: Create a campaign around customer case studies and sentiments to further elevate your brand and your story. Connect positive stories and experiences to the products you are launching. It is a great way to kick off a campaign and to give reporters something they can talk about or reference when they start to write your story. The sentiments of real people who have bought into your brand is a great hook and one that is easily shared and replicated on social media.
Extend [The Story]: Add social components to your press releases to allow for social sharing. This will not only help your press release or your story to be shared on social channels, it will help interested parties to share your brand with short snippets.
Accelerate: Social media when it comes to popularity does not always equate to influence. If you have 500 followers, and a story about your brand is placed in the NY Times vs your Instagram, where do you think the influence is going to be? When your story lands in a big magazine, paper or even local publication, it is a big deal and often times will have more influence than your social feed. Leverage this on your social accounts. Post imagery, tag the publication, add it to your website. But make sure your social components are on the press release and make sure you're engaging with individuals in the comments section of the publication your story has run in.
These are just a few of the ways that public relations can help your social media game. If you would like more help with your communications efforts, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can reach out to us by sending an email to info@theburnetteagency.com or click here to fill out the information on our contact us form.
