We have written often in this blog about the value of earned media, but I’d like to dig a little deeper into how it can help better build your brand. How can you reinforce positive perceptions of a company, support media pitching efforts, and ultimately strengthen the value of media placements? Social media might be the answer, albeit not a quick fix. With time and consistency, effective use of social media in three ways can bolster your brand credibility and land you even more impactful media coverage.
First, according to Muck Rack’s most recent State of Journalism Study, more than half (59%) of journalists say they “usually” or “always” consult branded social media profiles when reporting on an organization, and 29% will “sometimes” check these profiles. Twitter remains the leading social media network among journalists at 85%, with LinkedIn being the platform they plan to spend the most time on after Twitter in the coming year. Therefore, an investment in content marketing and expanding your company’s social media presence may not only improve your ability to reach customers, partners and other stakeholders, it also could pay dividends in your pursuit of earned media.
Next, as PR professionals, we know the importance of relationship-building in the media-pitching process. However, interacting with journalists and media outlets on social media can also extend your reach. Social media is an ideal vehicle for nurturing authentic and mutually beneficial connections with media covering your industry. Following, sharing and commenting on a journalist’s content on Twitter and LinkedIn in an altruistic way could make yours a name they recognize in their crowded email inbox and thus make them more likely to open and consider your pitch.
Finally, the easiest tip to deploy: Utilizing some simple social media tools in your daily work can go a long way to expanding your visibility. By incorporating social sharing links and buttons in press releases and on blog posts you give your followers a quick and easy way to share your news with an audience you might otherwise never touch. Using hashtags is another way to spread your message and monitor your reach and success.
So, as you lay out your strategies for 2021, remember to include the many facets of social media in your media relations plan to grow your brand credibility, reinforce your pitching efforts and position your company as a thought leader.