Manage Social with a PR Point of View
Without a solid point of view, you may end up Somewhere you never intended.
This year we saw countless examples of what not to do on social media. While that’s not new, my theory is that the sustained pressure of this turbulent year caused more slip ups than ever. As a public relations expert and general do-gooder, each scroll through a feed feels like a rollercoaster ride.
In 2020, I was interviewed by Claudia Loya-Duran for her podcast, “Coffee Social.” At the time, COVID-19 cases were high and protests were happening across the country. We discussed the critical need to approach social media with a public relations point of view. No, I don’t mean to create “buzz”. Buzz can happen for all kinds of bad reasons!
A PR point of view on social means using your channels to foster a community, build positive relationships, help followers, and proactively creating content to mitigate issues. A PR pro should always be on a social media team. Who better to understand what makes a great story, forecast online issues, or appropriately address tricky topics?
A Guide for Social
Managing social media platforms for an organization is incredibly challenging. There is no one guidebook on how to navigate each new curve the platforms or society presents.
A tried-and-true set of PR principles, The Page Principles, have proved helpful to PR pros for almost a century. When applied to social media, these principles can guide us through a framework that integrates durable direction into social media management.
Here are how Arthur W. Page’s seven principles can be applied to social:
Tell the truth: As communicators, we have the responsibility to be ethical and honest. Ensuring your organization is telling the truth means that we fact check for accuracy before posting.
Prove it with action: Be prepared to prove any claim that’s made. Or take actions to fix any wrongs before you talk about it. Public perception is determined 90 percent by actions, rather than words. Living up to principle one is impossible without taking the actions to prove that truth.
Listen to the client: PR pros focus on building long-term relationships between an organization and its stakeholders by engaging with followers through social media platforms. Use social media to listen to feedback— both positive and negative— to meet your community’s changing needs.
Manage for tomorrow: Monitor the news to detect trends, evaluate patterns in your community, and understand sensitive subjects. Anticipate the outcomes of the moves you make on social media and how that may be perceived in the future.
Conduct PR as if the whole company depends on it: No social strategy should be implemented without considering its impact on the public. Everything your channel and your employees do on social can help or harm the organization. Share policies with your team so they know boundaries and acceptable behaviors. Get their input or help with content creation to engage them and avoid blind spots.
Realize an enterprise’s true character is expressed by people: Any brand promise that an organization may have is only brought to life by the actions the individuals in the organization make. And the higher up a leader is, the more impact their actions and words will have on the perception of the organization.
Remain calm, patient, and good-humored: When things get chaotic, stay calm. We don’t always have to follow the trends as social media managers. In unknown territory, it’s ideal to pause, do some research, find the best practices, and then move forward. Also, professionals and social channels that can offer grounded messages of hope and positivity are especially appreciated in uncertain times.
Which of these principles seem most helpful to you? Use them and other lessons you learn through your experience to create your own custom guidebook.
Want to learn more about Arthur Page’s 7 PR Principles of Public Relations? Watch this video from our YouTube channel.