The Best Social Media Platforms for Public Relations

Social media platforms are a great tool for public relations professionals, opening up a variety of possibilities for integrating social media marketing strategies and channels into PR campaigns.

For example, social media platforms offer the following benefits for public relations:

  1. Increased PR campaign visibility: Social media platforms can help increase the visibility of public relations campaigns. For example, sharing earned media coverage on social media channels expands the audience for the piece. Owned content—content that is developed by the brand itself rather than earned in a 3rd party media publication—can be integrated into PR campaigns, and distributed via social media platforms.
  2. Discover viral conversations: Social media platforms can be used by public relations teams to monitor for popular conversation topics as they unfold, such as news and relevant industry updates for their brands or clients. Twitter and LinkedIn, for example, feature newsfeeds full of conversations that brands can participate in, or reference in PR campaigns.
  3. Better engagement with reporters and target audience members: Social media platforms allow PR teams to engage with reporters in a 1v1 format, and to directly connect with a brand's fans. For example, brand social media accounts can be used to comment on reporter's posts, or to credit reporters when earned media is shared. These activities ensure brands are on reporters' radar for future media opportunities. They can also be used to engage with fans when company news is shared via social media platforms, and when a brand is mentioned in the media.
  4. Enhanced reputation management: PR is all about reputation management for brands, as PR teams work to ensure their brands and clients are presented in a positive light in the media. Social media platforms are an extension of this, as they can be used by PR teams to amplify positive conversations, and to monitor negative comments and feedback should they arise.
  5. Personal branding: Building personal brands for company spokespeople and executive communication are usually components of PR campaigns. PR professionals can leverage social media platforms to expand the thought leadership platforms of their respective spokespeople, executing personal branding content ideas like providing commentary on industry news and answering common industry questions.

To help you decide which social media platforms are the best fit for your needs, check out our list of the top options.

The best social media platforms for public relations:

YouTube

YouTube

YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, share, and view videos.

    Platform highlights:

    1. The ability to upload videos
    2. A user interface that is easy to navigate
    3. A search bar to help you find the videos you're looking for
    4. The ability to create and manage playlists
    5. The ability to like, comment on, and share videos
    6. The ability to subscribe to channels
    Learn more
    Snapchat

    Snapchat

    Snapchat is a messaging app that allows users to send each other photos and videos which disappear after a set amount of time.

      Platform highlights:

      1. You can send disappearing photos and videos to your friends
      2. You can add filters and effects to your photos and videos
      3. You can create "Stories" which are collections of photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours
      4. You can chat with your friends
      5. You can add friends by their username or by scanning their Snapcode
      6. You can view snaps from around the world on the "Discover" page
      Learn more
      TikTok

      TikTok

      Tiktok is a social media platform that allows users to share short videos of themselves, and to discover short videos from other users.

        Platform highlights:

        1. The ability to create short, creative videos
        2. A large variety of music and sound effects you can use to create content
        3. A library of filters and editing tools to help you create engaging videos
        4. A community of other creatives to connect with and get inspiration from
        Learn more
        Instagram

        Instagram

        Instagram is a social networking app made for sharing photos and videos with followers.

        Platform highlights:

        1. Instagram is a highly visual platform that caters to creators
        2. Instagram offers content creation tools and post types that give users a variety of options, including temporary story posts, polls, photos, photo carousels, and videos
        3. Instagram profiles offer users visual branding opportunities to design the look and feel of their profiles
        4. Instagram offers a business profile option that unlocks lead generation, ecommerce, and advertising tools for business owners and personal brands
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        Facebook

        Facebook

        Facebook is a social networking website where users can post updates, share photos, and communicate with friends.

        Platform highlights:

        1. Facebook has a large established user base
        2. Facebook users and Facebook business pages have ample content creation opportunities, with Facebook posts supporting content types ranging from videos and photos to live video
        3. Facebook business pages offer an opportunity to create a brand footprint on an established marketing channel
        4. Facebook offers advertising tools for creating ads and sponsoring existing posts
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        Twitter

        Twitter

        Twitter is a social networking site where users can post short messages, called tweets, of up to 280 characters.

        Platform highlights:

        1. Short form content style encourages frequent, timely updates
        2. Twitter offers a variety of content creation features ranging from live video to audio chat rooms (spaces) and other common content formats like video and photos
        3. Newsfeed is full of real-time updates, which can be used to gather news, participate in conversations as they unfold, and make connections
        4. Twitter has an active community of professionals that presents a valuable networking opportunity, as well as target customers for brands
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        LinkedIn

        LinkedIn

        LinkedIn is a social network for professional networking, connecting employers with prospective employees, and connecting employees with other professionals in their field.

        Platform highlights:

        1. Large professional network presents ample opportunities for personal brand building, networking, and yielding job opportunities
        2. Content creation tools offer a variety of options ranging from live video to PDF document sharing and a native LinkedIn blogging platform
        3. LinkedIn profiles are robust, with numerous content fields and opportunities for branding and SEO
        4. LinkedIn company pages offer a variety of content creation tools and branding opportunities geared toward
        Learn more

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