Social media is a critical part of public relations. When corporations need to reach mass audiences in a timely manner, online content serves that purpose.
Churches are a great example. When the pandemic hit the United States, many churches had to resort to an online stream or broadcast. Whether their social media accounts posted the link to the streams or simply informed the congregation on information regarding the new system, online worship took a massive leap. College Church, for example, began utilizing YouTube to live stream its services and keep their mission consistent even through a time when the community of the church wasn’t physically present.
Sports have also used social media in mass quantities. The era of highlight tapes, edits and behind-the-scenes content is as prevalent as ever. Sports media has played an important part in recruitment, fan engagement and film. The Green Bay Packers use YouTube for different video segments. For example, Packers Daily is their segment that covers a particular player or event. Rock Report is their film segment, giving fans an insight into the player’s performance. They also have 1-on-1 segments where players are interviewed and discussed in detail. The Packers aren’t necessarily selling a product; however they are creating fan engagement which can lead to future sales.
Restaurants tend to take more of a sales approach with their usage of social media. Fast food is a prominent example as we often see promotions, new menu items and mobile apps advertised. McDonald’s uses YouTube to post their short video advertisements for its products. McDonald’s heavily promotes its app which is indirectly helping their profits and sales.
Universities and educational institutions have begun improving and emphasizing their social media content creation. Prospective students are likely more drawn to schools with a good media presence and active accounts. While Instagram and Facebook may be more popular for students to use, YouTube also has an important role for schools in their efforts to be present online. The University of Kansas YouTube channel does a lot of interviews with current students, alumni and faculty to promote their departments. Longer-form videos are great, but these shorter interviews are beneficial to the youth of today.
Companies will always need to adapt to the online world and be in touch with the current status of social media. Content creation has seen a massive increase in importance. Whether their online presence is solely based around sales or indirectly related to profits, media is critical for corporations.
