Social media influence

Social media influence

What is social media influence?

• TechTarget (2019) states that it is the way how social media platforms affect people individually, as well as how society and other aspects of our lives.
•  The power of social media platforms and users to mold and affect other people's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors is what we mean when we talk about social media influence.
•  Small-scale examples of this effect include when someone modifies their perception of a good or service after seeing something on social media. Alternatively, it can take place on a bigger scale, such as when people are organized and mobilized around a movement or cause using social media. Thus, social media impact refers to the ability of social media to alter people's beliefs and beliefs                                                                                                                                                                        

 To read more about social media influence👇 

  Social media article

 Advantages of social media influence in PR:

• Allows for a two-way communication between audience and the brand.
• Produces Measurable Outcomes.
• Builds Trust and Expands Brand Reach while Handling Relationships and Threat.

more advantages of social media influence

What are the opportunities for PR practitioner using social media to influence the public?

•  Crisis management: PR practitioners may manage public sentiments, respond to issues and give timely updates using social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. For instance, In November 2019 Checkers launched Checkers Sixty60 during COVID 19 pandemic. Checkers saw that they will not make any profit since customers were not allowed to leave their premises. Checkers PR team analyzed the situation, monitored social media platforms for public opinions, engaged with the affected stakeholders/customers. They used the latest technology to create a mobile app that can be used by customers to buy groceries and other essentials. Checkers PR team connected and acknowledged the public through social media about the app and the service. What is Checkers sixty60?

•  Reputation management: PR practitioners can keep an eye on social media interactions to assess brand opinion, discover possible problems and act with immediate measures. For instance, On the 7th of September 2020 Clicks was accused of being racial after advertising hair product. Clicks used normal and healthy hair of a white lady to show the result of using the hair product while the black person had damaged and dry hair. Clicks PR team interacted with the public, analyzed criticizing public opinions then they issue a media statement apologizing for this action. Clicks incident and apology issued by PRP's

• Increase brand awareness: Well, we all know that information on social media can trend within few hours. Just look at the posters about umjolo the pandemic😂😂, the public always have something to say about the pandemic. PR practitioners use social media to publish relevant and engaging material that highlight the brand's specific selling propositions. Interact with followers via shares, likes and comments. Producing and disseminating images, including videos, memes and infographics. Promoting user generated content by holding challenges and competitions. For instance, Pick n Pay PR practitioners used social media to raise exposure locally. They provided news about their products and promotions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, it has interacted with clients by answering questions, resolved customer service concerns. The power of social media for brand awareness

 What are the challenges encounter by PR practitioners when using social media to influence the public?

• Competition: There are many brands competing for users in the crowded social media space. Therefore, they must be genuinely creative think to differentiate themselves from the competitors. That make the message to be ineffective.

• Credibility: It can be challenging to create and preserve credibility on social media sites. Error, misleading information or unclear messaging can negatively impact the organization's/brand's reputation. PR practitioners need to go an extra mile searching for relevant information that they can publish.

Challenges faced by PR practitioners

💭 Tips from Asanda👂

• PR practitioners when utilizing social media for your brand/organisation ensure that your content is unique. Use multimedia to showcase your creativity, I mean even funeral programmer have pictures😐, so why not? Keep your audience interested you can even use jokes. Monitor your content by checking comments and progress.
• Getting the appropriate personnel and tools to arrange the data such that it is not only comprehensible but also simple to track and analyze is the answer to this PR problem.