Social media is a must for businesses of all sizes. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook connect consumers with new companies, drive website traffic, and provide endless branding opportunities.
If you’re not used to creating social media content for your business, you’re probably wondering how to get started. Can you transfer all of your existing marketing, like press release content, to your social media pages?
Social media PR isn’t quite the same as traditional marketing. Social media users expect dynamic and engaging content that speaks to them directly.
Today we’re going to talk about how to take your latest press release and turn it into a compelling social media post.
Who Is the Audience for Social Media PR?
A traditional press release is written for and distributed to relevant media outlets to get the attention of the press. The goal is to encourage reporters to take note of events, product releases, or important changes and provide additional coverage that will then make its way to the consumer.
Social media, on the other hand, speaks directly to the consumer. Businesses should use social media to break down barriers that used to exist between a customer and the brand they buy from.
You can also use social media PR to attract the attention of influencers. Influencers are independent social media users with a moderate to large following that provide valuable information about products and niche interests to their followers. You may decide that you want social media influencers to attend your events or endorse your products, which is not entirely unlike attracting reporters for third-party coverage.
What Press Release Content Can You Post on Social Media?
A press release is going to cover the who, why, where, and when of a given benchmark or milestone. While the “who” may be your brand or the person your business is highlighting (e.g., a new CEO), it also covers contact information that reporters can use to get in touch.
Social media PR should cover many of these bases but in a different fashion. For example, clarity of information is still key, but you’re going to want to use more casual or colloquial language that connects with viewers while staying true to your brand’s voice. You also don’t necessarily need to include contact information because users can reach out to you via social media if they feel so inclined.
In other words, your press release will contain most of the information you want to convey to viewers on social media. If you’re making a post about an event, you can find things like the time, date, and significance of the event in your press release. While press releases should not contain flowery or superfluous language, social media posts should generate excitement and invite viewers to pay close attention.
Tips for Transforming Your Press Release for Social Media
So far, we’ve talked about how social media PR has a different audience than a press release and therefore serves a different purpose. It’s also important to remember that social media platforms are very different mediums than traditional newspapers and magazines, which means that viewers have different expectations. Here are the most important tips for transforming a press release into compelling social media content.
Keep Important Info Front and Center
Just like a press release, social media content needs to get to the point. Social media is a great place to reach consumers-and a lot of brands are active online.
Each day, social media users encounter dozens of branded posts and advertisements. No matter how flashy your posts are, it’s important to craft them as if you’ll only hold a viewer’s attention for a few seconds. Make sure that all of the most important information is easy to spot and can be skimmed at a glance.
Use Relevant Hashtags
Though hashtags aren’t as popular as they once were, they’re still an important tool. Many social media users follow specific hashtags in order to see posts that are relevant to their niche interests. Below your caption (or in a separate comment), use a series of hashtags that make sense for both your brand and your post.
First, however, make sure to search each hashtag and see what else comes up. If it’s already inundated with content, you may want to look for something more unique. However, if it’s completely original (i.e., never been used before), it may not yield results.
Create Attractive Visuals
Social media is a visual medium. While some viewers will happily read paragraphs-long captions or posts, most are hoping to glean information in a quick, esthetic, and easy-to-digest way. This is where visuals come in handy.
Infographics, high-quality photos, and bold, flier-like designs work well to convey information about new products or events. Eye-catching fonts and colors will make the highlights (e.g., the name, date, and time of your event) stand out. Make sure to use design and color choices that align well with your branding to create cohesion and brand recognition.
Take Advantage of Video Content
Thanks to TikTok, short-form video content is bigger now than ever before. In fact, you’re going to find short-form video content all over social media, from Facebook to Instagram to YouTube. Video marketing statistics reveal that video content gets shared 12 times more than any other type of post, maximizing your potential word-of-mouth marketing.
When you’re putting together a video for your social media PR, continue to prioritize aesthetic and clarity. It’s also useful to look at recent trends in video content, using songs, formats, and even vocal modifiers that are used in trending, viral videos. Incorporating these trends into your own videos can lead to an algorithm boost, but make sure that you’re updating your research each time you make a new video, or you run the risk of creating “outdated” content.
Include a CTA
What is your social media PR goal? It might be to advertise an upcoming sale, encourage event attendance, or increase revenue on a specific product. No matter what your goal is, it’s important to include a solid call to action.
There is often a lot of back-and-forth about whether or not a social media CTA should sound like a sales pitch. On the one hand, you want to share value and build a relationship with viewers. On the other hand, you’re ultimately trying to make a sale, and your viewers are aware of that.
It’s best to make your CTA direct, striking a balance between a conversational and urgent tone. For example, if you’re posting about an upcoming sale, your CTA might sound something like, “Don’t miss out on this limited-time offer!” This tells the viewer to shop during the sale and reminds them of the time sensitivity in play, but still uses casual and inviting language.
Provide Links for More Context
Savvy social media users prefer simplicity and instant gratification. If you’re not leading them to the next step you want them to take, they’re likely not going to take it. The distance between your post and the page where the viewer can learn more, buy tickets, or buy a product should be no more than two clicks whenever possible.
The good news is that many social media platforms make it easy to embed links right there in the post. For example, Instagram Stories now offer the “Swipe Up” feature, which allows users to navigate to the URL of your choosing with a simple swipe of a finger. The more you can appeal to the impulse decision, the more success you’re going to see.
Reach Out to Influencers
If you’re hoping to get influencers involved in your social media PR, you’re going to need to get direct. However, there are a lot of do’s and don’ts when it comes to seeking out influencer collaboration.
You should always research the influencer and make sure that they review and endorse brands that are similar or relevant to your own. Just like you shouldn’t send a press release to every reporter in town, you shouldn’t bombard every influencer with a request for collaboration. If you’re running a small business or promoting a local event, don’t overlook the power of micro-influencers in your area, who can more directly reach relevant consumers.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Social Media PR
In 2023, it’s time to start creating social media content to promote your business. While press releases and social media PR serve different purposes, they share a lot in common. Getting to the point in an attention-grabbing way is a must whether your audience is the press or the consumer.
Need help boosting your press release skills? eRelease is here to help write and distribute press releases for businesses of all sizes. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help.