Twitter. Facebook. Facebook Live. Instagram. Pinterest. Periscope. The list goes on. Social media is at the forefront of our modern society, with companies of all shapes and sizes trying to figure out how to use these various platforms in a way that achieves business objectives.

This could be anything from increasing thought leadership, to engaging with stakeholders, to driving sales. Many top companies and brands have turned to PR agencies to manage their paid social campaigns. Others try to manage it on their own, with varying degrees of success.

If your company lacks expertise in social media, whether paid or unpaid, you might want to consider tapping your PR firm, as they have deep expertise in client industries, as well as a thorough understanding of customers and their stories. These are all required for success in PR and can be translated to success in paid advertising on social media too.

PR firms are highly effective managers of paid social campaigns because they are an expert in and understand three key areas:

  • Story: when we work with clients, we ensure we fully understand their customers’ pain points, and where their solutions can fit in. As PR professionals, we are able to take complex, technical ideas and concepts and break them down into ideas that will resonate with clients’ customers and influencers. The ability to explain our clients’ unique value propositions sets us apart from other vendors who don’t have that background.
  • Audience: complementary to the story, we understand the players, also known as the audience. Without a thorough understanding of our clients’ customers, we couldn’t possibly tailor the story in terms they will best understand, in the target outlets about which they care most.
  • Market: our overall understanding of the markets in which our customers exist lets us see the big picture, trends, important events and policy that might be central to the issues that matter the most to them.

Without understanding the story, audience or market, you may find yourself struggling to craft a successful and meaningful paid social campaign, one that delivers on your stated business objectives. Like any marketing effort, if a paid social campaign doesn’t deliver a return on investment, it’s a waste of time and money that could otherwise be spent achieving business objectives.

A paid social campaign that reaches the wrong audience, reaches the right audience but can’t effectively convey a company’s value proposition is not a wise use of time or valuable marketing dollars. You’ve got to get it right, which is why it might be wise to engage with a PR firm to help you implement a successful paid social campaign.

We recently helped a client with a paid Twitter and Facebook campaign, focused on driving new followers and engagements. After a little over a month, the Twitter campaign resulted in 200+ new followers, more than 200,000 tweet impressions and more than 1,150 profile visits.

On Facebook, we saw more than 4,000 engagements (likes, clicks, and shares), a nearly 800 percent increase in engagement from the previous month. This campaign was a minimal spend, with just over $1,000 between the two channels, resulting in tremendous return on investment for the client, who was so pleased that they’ve decided to run another paid campaign.

Have an idea for a paid social campaign that could benefit from PR support? We’re happy to help!

Leave a comment below, or tweet us at @RHStrategic with the hashtag #RHetoricBlog.

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RH Strategic is a Seattle and D.C.-based communications firm providing strategic public relations for innovators in the technology, public sector and healthcare markets.