Our online PR course places a lot of emphasis on social media. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook provide plenty of opportunities for free promotion and advertising, and also, allow you to engage with current and potential customers and clients.

These sites, plus others like YouTube and Pinterest, have had a profound effect on public relations, as our online PR course learners will tell you.

Social media is often defined as a ‘group of internet based applications … which allow the creation and exchange of user generated content.’

However, although many organisations have embraced social media and has integrated it into their PR and communication activities, there are plenty who have not.

This is for various reasons: they might not have the resources or the expertise. Others might be ‘frightened’ of social media, and consider the disadvantages of using social media as a communications channel or tool, and which outweigh the advantages. This is usually because they haven’t obtained expert advice or have not done enough research.

Our PR course, explains that social media has several distinct advantages in PR:

  1. You can measure the results.
  2. You can put your message over the way you want to.
  3. You can provide ‘social proof’, ie: testimonials, comments and endorsements from customers.
  4. You can engage directly with potential clients.

And you can use it to:

  • Increase your brand recognition.
  • Increase website traffic.
  • Improve search rank.
  • Generate leads.
  • Increase sales.
  • Provide customer support.
  • Reduce marketing costs.
  • Reduce client support costs.
  • Do market research.
  • Educate your market.
  • Become the go-to expert in your field.

See our PR courses