The integrated public relations and social media tango dance

21 Aug 2024

Since I launched TenacityPR over 10 years ago, the emerging dominance of social media has reshaped the way PR is practiced with news platforms taking a back seat. Crafting strategies with the depth and credibility of authentic news platforms is a challenge I have navigated through years of integrated campaigns.

The integrated public relations and social media tango dance

In these modern times, the water is muddied, and the various areas of communication have become intertwined. This is the case with public relations and social media. PR was generally more focused on targeting influential persons such as investors, shareholders, business partners, etc, but with the advent of social media, these individuals are present on these platforms, which can then be used for PR purposes. As both PR and social media are used to build and maintain trust in the company and their products, it is only natural that the two must be in sync.

PR has significantly adapted to the rise of social media channels by integrating these platforms into its strategies and practices, i.e.

PR collaborates with social media to amplify brand messages

PR places greater emphasis on creating engaging, shareable content.

These adaptations have allowed PR to remain relevant and effective in a social media world, where social media plays a central role in shaping public perception. By crafting a compelling story, PR ensures that the social media content aligns with the brand's values, and resonates with the target audience.

When a brand is featured in a respected publication, sharing that coverage on social media reinforces the brand's credibility, lending authenticity to the campaign. PR efforts often serve as catalysts for social media buzz.

The tango perfectly captures the essence of PR and social media working together – it is a delicate dance where both public relations and social media elements move in harmony, each playing its distinct role while staying connected to the overall rhythm. Just as in the tango, each partner respects the other's space and movement. Both public relations and social media work together,

Social media and PR are both indispensable mouthpieces for brand messaging. Whether full integration or just much closer collaboration, there’s one truth that anyone working in public relations can relate to, our profession is constantly evolving – and so are PR skills and PR tools. The advent of social media has had one of the most significant impacts on PR.

PR methods, such as media relations, content creation, and digital media remain PR’s foundation. The challenge for PR professionals is to integrate social media effectively without losing sight of the principles that have always defined the industry.

The bottom line? Don’t silo social media and PR, or at the very least, collaborate very closely.

TenacityPR is a generator of content for ideas, angles, pitches, and storytelling. TenacityPR sees content differently, and through my expertise in multi-platform PR, I have worked across the board for well-known brands from financial to arts and entertainment.

TenacityPR is a generator of content for ideas, angles, pitches and storytelling. We see content differently, and through our expertise in multi-platform PR, we have worked across the board for well known brands from financial to arts and entertainment.