THE INTERSECTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA, PUBLIC RELATIONS & DIGITAL MARKETING

It’s undeniable that the world is much different than even five years ago. Even over the course of the last year, major changes have affected the ways companies market to their audiences – from advertising on Instagram to Facebook and Google algorithm changes, staying on top of the trends is more crucial than ever.

These changes have, for lack of a better word, forced companies to ensure their social media, public relations, and digital and content marketing strategies are integrated and working in-step together. Consumers are making all of their decisions about brands, services, companies and projects at the intersection of earned, owned and paid media.

These decisions and opinions are constantly shared across all channels. Whether it’s via a review on Yelp, a quick post by a publication, or a complaint about a service or experience on Twitter, a company’s reputation has the opportunity to be damaged, or boosted, at the drop of a hat.

Marketing’s role has typically been to directly promote products and services to potential customers, while public relations has focused on reputation management and creating a positive impression of the brand with the general public. Social media has always complemented both. The new online landscape and increased importance of content marketing has marketers, social media experts and PR pros using the same tools and leveraging similar content. Coupled with an incessant need for innovative ideas and coming up with “the next big thing,” the pressure is on for companies to figure this out quickly.

Companies should strive to align PR and marketing departments, where messages, content and audiences intersect, as appropriate. One piece of content, like a case study, can be transformed into multiple assets that can work in various digital applications. The case study can - and should - evolve into numerous other assets, such as an infographic, a blog post, an eBook, multiple social media posts and a press release.

The changes in the industry and the way we do things are only going to continue to evolve. It’s important for agencies, companies, consultants and professionals to constantly stay in-the-know and learn how to collaborate with all other marketing functions. It truly is the only way to succeed in this digital, fast-paced world.