Clients come to us with many different requirements. Some want us to create and coordinate a comprehensive PR strategy including online and offline media relations, broadcast exposure, business blogging and management of their social media profiles. Others cherry pick certain elements of our offering to suit their industry, ambition or financial position, but an increasing number of brands and businesses are requesting assistance in one particular area: managing corporate social media accounts.
Social media is an attractive, low-cost proposition to many businesses. Quick and easy to set up, it is an element of PR that can work well in isolation. Even if the client has invested in little or no other public relations activity, a corporate social media presence can still provide tangible results. However, it is a very different proposition to having a personal account. It is as much of a shop front as a bricks and mortar store, a 24-hour two-way customer service record and a public insight into the way your business thinks, operates and communicates. If done badly or mishandled, it can have the opposite affect than the one intended, creating a negative impact that damages a company’s profile in the eyes of the world.
Here are a few reasons why PR agencies should manage a client’s social media:
1. Striking the right tone
The PR agency is an instrumental tool in shaping the identity of the client and an expert in establishing a consistent, considered and constructive brand message. A social media account for a business is not just a flow of information and casual updates about cooking dinner; it is a two–way conversation with the public. Handled well it can be a shortcut to aligning your business with the right people, positioning your brand as an industry expert that follows and comments on articles and features of the day, boosting your ambient profile and reputation.
2. Customer relations
Some businesses find that social media provides a rallying point for complaints from the public. However, even these can be turned into a positive. Rather than entering a slanging match or airing your dirty laundry in public, responses need to be considered and planned. A PR agency can suggest interventions and work with the client to resolve the issue. Followers and casual observers will see that the business cares and has the happiness and interests of its customers close to its heart.
In the first instance, the PR agency is best placed to see these mentions as and when they appear. Client notifications will appear on Google Alerts or other social media monitoring software, including name checks of the client and any associated keywords. These alerts serve to ensure that the agency is aware that a considered response is necessary.
3. Timing is key
The internet never sleeps and online mentions can appear on social media channels at any minute of the day. Conversations move quickly; what was a key thread only an hour ago could now be lost at the bottom of the wall or feed. As a result, timing in social media is crucial.
In order to ensure the client is effectively commenting on targeted posts in the fast-paced world of social media, responses need to be drafted quickly. If multiple bodies are overseeing different areas of the client’s PR and marketing, this will present an issue if each comment needs approving by a number of different agencies. Unsurprisingly, this will take time; time that nobody has. Missing out on a great social media opportunity because your comment was stuck in the approval chain will be frustrating for the agency, and especially for the client.
