Why Social Media Should Be a Part of Your PR Plan

September 19, 2022

When it comes to having an effective PR strategy, many think this means press releases, media outreach and contributed articles, but these are only pieces of a much larger puzzle. In our modern, post-pandemic world, the need for digital components is on the rise as more and more businesses have immersed themselves in the ether that is the world wide web. This month, we’re hearing from Impact’s Senior Account Executive, Kira Leasure, on why social media should be an automatic inclusion in any PR plan.

Q: Kira, can you tell us a little bit about your background and why you’re qualified to speak on this subject?

A: Of course! Before joining the Impact team, I spent nearly the first four years of my career working in integrated marketing which, if you don’t know what that is, is essentially a mix of all types of communication strategies – design, social media, PR, digital and traditional advertising. While in this overarching field, one of my roles was working with social and digital media teams on overall strategy relating to both subsects. This often includes drafting social media content, developing hashtag strategies, coordinating with influencers and digital ad development.

Q: What are basic social/digital media components that should be included in a PR campaign?

A: While no campaign is the same, when it comes to the building blocks of a strong social strategy the first step is always research. Before doing anything, it’s important to complete a full review, or audit, of the client’s current strategy – what are they posting and how often, are they receiving any engagement, etc. Another element to the research stage is to review competitors and overall industry standards for the client’s specific business type; having this data will help drive the content development stage. Which brings us to the next step – content development. This is crucial, as having a consistent presence on social media is key to remaining visible to the public and driving new business.

Q: If a client can only include one social or digital element into their PR strategy, what would you recommend?

A: At the risk of sounding repetitive, every business’s strategy is different however, if I had to choose one thing to make sure everyone is doing, no matter the industry, I would have to say social media content. Now, this doesn’t mean just posting willy nilly. There should always be a game plan behind the content and it should be determined and planned out long before it’s live on the respective platform. I typically recommend that a business plans out at least three months of content in advance so, while it’s a lot of work on the front end, you won’t have to worry about anything other than timely content, like stories or Reels, for three whole months, which leads me to another important note for a healthy social media strategy. This planned content is meant to act as evergreen content, meaning it keeps your page current and consistent but allows space for fun, spur of the moment posts like behind the scenes clips, team outings, current events, etc. This pre-scheduled content should not be used in a set it and forget it type of way, rather these act as the foundation of the house and the spur of the moment content is the décor.

If you’d like to learn more about Kira, and from her, follow her on LinkedIn or check out her bio on our “About the Team” page.