The role of social media for brands and marketers is indisputable. Today, we have a whole generation who are growing up never knowing life before social media or smartphones. According to We Are Social’s latest report, there are over 4 billion internet users and 3 billion active monthly social media users globally. How can brand owners and marketers leverage on the platforms available to reach out to both journalists and consumers in a timely and strategic manner?

1. Stay Up-to-Date with the Latest News in Real-Time

Social media platforms like Twitter, SnapChat and Instagram stories have allowed followers to stay in touch with the latest news in real-time. Singapore’s Channel NewsAsia encourages reporters to break the news on Twitter while the newsroom strategise on how to tell the story on the broadcast and online channels. What this means for communicators is the ability to track the latest ongoings, and identify opportunities to pitch their clients as experts to respond and provide commentaries on what is breaking.

Additionally, journalists have also been known to utilise Twitter to seek potential interviewees for the stories they are working on.

2. Getting the Content Right for the Channel

With the increased pressure to publish, it is vital to go back to the basics of not posting just for the sake of posting. Get the content right for each channel and react accordingly to user engagement and behaviour.  Postings on platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook can be more informative by text, while Instagram posts should allow viewers to consume and understand the post in split second. On the technical end, avoid the awkward crops by making sure the media shared fits the requirements of each social media platforms instead of sharing the same images or videos across the board.

Read about the rise of vertical videos.

3. Measure the Effectiveness of Your Communication

Social media platforms have afforded brands and communicators with statistics that was not as readily available with traditional media tools. Follower demographic, views, user engagements and sentiments are all in just a few clicks, enabling page owners to measure the effectiveness of their content, especially in terms of engagement and shareability.