The Benefits of Outsourcing Social Media

1.pngSocial media isn’t just for teenagers! Whether you are a start-up company or an established brand, utilising a variety of channels to increase brand awareness and generate leads has many benefits. In fact, the possibilities are endless. Google aside, Facebook accounts for approx. 40% of website referral traffic.

Social media presents the opportunity to engage with your target audience, potential clients, easily become a thought leader in your sector and cross promote content. With 90% of businesses attributing increased brand exposure, and over half reporting improved sales just from social media, you should seriously consider optimising to reap the rewards.

Arguably, the most attractive aspect of social media is that it’s free! However, the consistency and regularity of posts is vital and an active social media presence is great for your business.

So, here’s why you should outsource your social media…

Messaging:

Although social media is a great tool for promotion, being perceived as too overtly salesy can do more damage than good. Therefore, it is imperative first and foremost to establish a genuine connection, listening and conversing with a human, empathic voice. Anyone can buy 1000 followers, but just as in real life, relationships aren’t built overnight and a loyal customer base evolves over time.

Quality, Consistency & increased ROI:

The best results are achieved by curating clever content which resonates with and benefits your target audience, in addition to joining in and responding to key trends and customer queries. A combination of commentary by a brand, mixed with agency input ensures the best of both worlds. An agency can organise and schedule PR and marketing activities to seamlessly align with social media efforts, generating an integrated campaign to achieve greater return on investment. Since content creation alone can take as much as 18.5% of the day, it’s worth outsourcing these activities, allowing more time to be spent on other areas of a business.

Paid Advertising:

Creating a social media account might appear to be free, but. in doing so the platform uses your profile and demographic information as currency. These social media platforms offer sophisticated segmentation tools enabling users to advertise, for a fee, to whoever fits the profile of their target customer. Additionally, the reporting features offer a wealth of metrics such as engagement, click-through rates etc. which provide valuable insight. Knowing how to set up advertising campaigns, how much to spend, which adverts work best and how to convert clicks into sales requires in-depth experience. When utilised correctly such strategies can be highly cost-effective in meeting sales and marketing strategies.

Efficiency:

It’s a fast-paced world, especially in social media, so it’s paramount to have a team who really know their stuff, from the latest Twitter updates to knowing which social media platform is right for your target audience. There’s no need to stress about self-teaching yourself the basics. Instead, leave it in the safe hands of an agency who can easily and effectiveness understand your goals, implement a blend of organic and scheduled tweets to grow your following, engage your audience and report back with key performance indicators.

So, what are you waiting for? Find out how you can benefit from outsourcing your social media right now.

Call us on 01483 537890 or, alternatively, email us hello@brookscomm.com and we can help you engage with your target audience successfully using Social Media.

Follow us @PRexpertsUK   Linkedin: brookscomm  Website: www.brookscomm.com

2017: PR Predictions

2017-pr-predictions-min
Looking back, 2016 was a very eventful year for many different reasons. We witnessed PR moments from the likes of Jeremy Corbyn and Virgin Trains, Brangelina’s clever PR tactics, the exploding Samsung Galaxy saga, and of course, Brexit & Trump’s victory.

So, what will be in store for PR in 2017? Read on for our predictions…

1: Bloggers, vloggers & peer-to-peer reviews will become more influential

Forget multi-million-pound celebrity endorsements, consumers now favour and are more likely to be influenced by someone who is more relatable. Therefore, in 2017 there needs to be a focus on promoting reviews from bloggers, vloggers and your everyday consumer, as big ad campaigns and celebrity endorsements no longer resonate as much with consumers.

2: Tech PR growth will outstrip the rest of the industry

A report from last month’s PRCA PR & Comms Council meeting detailed a downturn in fees and activities in the corporate, financial, consumer and industrial PR sectors. But, that the healthcare and tech PR sectors are bucking this trend with some agencies reporting 30% growth in 2016 and forecasting up to 50% growth in 2017. This trend is evident by the record number of exhibitors and visitors to the CES show. In the healthcare sector, technological innovation is driving growth alongside US and UK Government initiatives to improve public sector cyber security.

3: PR professionals will need a broader range of skills

Good writing and communication skills are still fundamental attributes to anyone wishing to pursue a career in PR. However, the proliferation of social media demands that PR professionals need to adopt a range of content, publishing, design, and analytical skills and become familiar with a variety of digital tools. In addition, with clients expecting a more strategic service in 2017, it’s vital for PR professionals to have good business acumen.

4: PR will become more measurable & more integrated

The increasingly wide range of digital media platforms available to PR professionals will provide greater insight into the effectiveness of their activities. This is making PR just as measurable and accountable as sales and advertising activities.

By measuring each disciplines results, enlightened clients can see what works, what doesn’t and where a blend of integrated activities more often than not will lead to best results.

What do you think will be the trends to watch out for in 2017?