Do Social Media Posts Count as Digital PR Activities?

In a previous article, Media Buffet discussed the 5 Common Misconceptions About Digital PR that have long been perpetuated by academics and public relations professionals alike. Starting with this article, we’d like to break down each of these 5 mistakes one by one. Be sure to read all the way to the end so you don’t fall into the same traps.

Do you still remember the case where a consumer threatened to file a lawsuit under the ITE Law against an Alfamart employee? This case garnered significant public attention. It went viral online until even the famous lawyer Hotman Paris got involved.

That case has indeed concluded. However, there’s an interesting aspect regarding how Alfamart’s management responded to the situation. They issued a public statement and posted it on their official social media accounts.

Was what Alfamart’s management did a form of public relations? Absolutely! But can it also be called digital PR? Not necessarily.

The Role of Social Media in Digital PR

Digital PR or Digital Marketing?

According to riseatseven, digital PR is a collection of various strategies implemented by a brand to enhance its digital presence. And just like any strategy, it must be executed in a measured and strategic manner.

Conventional public relations is defined as a communication strategy aimed at building relationships between a brand and the public—in this case, consumers. Strong relationships are typically built on the foundation of interest, trust, and reputation. Digital PR shares the same objectives but employs more complex strategies and utilizes a different medium: the online space.

We say “more complex” because digital PR integrates conventional PR strategies with digital marketing strategies.

Wait, why bring up digital marketing? To avoid confusion, please keep reading the article.

The Role of Digital Marketing

Digital PR truly cannot be separated from digital marketing. This is because the field of digital PR itself emerged from digital marketing experts in the early 2000s. At that time, Google, as a search engine, had just launched its online advertising programs (AdSense/AdWords).

This program was unique because it not only provided a platform for brands and companies to promote their products online but also offered publishers—such as bloggers—the opportunity to earn money through the advertising program.

Google’s advertising program subsequently sparked a new competition: the race to get websites or news articles about products to appear on Google’s first page. The reason is that when people want to find information, they inevitably turn to Google, and on average, they only look at the first page of Google’s search results.

To win this competition, the field of digital marketing emerged, which encompasses keywords, search engine optimization (SEO), link building, and more. You’re starting to get the picture, right?

Interestingly, the outcomes of digital marketing practices aren’t limited to driving sales conversions—they also involve building interest, reputation, trust, and relationships. That’s exactly in line with the goals of traditional PR, isn’t it?

Digital marketing strategies can actually make people like a product and want to buy it. With a touch of public relations strategy, trust is built, followed by an improved reputation, and then a strong relationship is established between consumers and the brand (brand awareness). Gradually, brands are increasingly turning to the digital realm to introduce themselves. This includes sharing promotions, campaigns, and even press releases on social media.

Going back to the question above, does what Alfamart is doing qualify as digital PR?

That’s right! It does, when carried out using a digital PR strategy. However, if it’s just posting on social media without a strategy, it’s clearly just conventional PR.

Wiko Rahardjo