3 Five-Minute Social Media Tasks That Add Value to a PR Retainer

Sometimes, it’s not the big things we do for clients that make them stick around for the long haul, it’s the little things. Those five-minute tasks you consistently do for them that they simply don’t think of (or have time to be) doing themselves, but provide value.

Taking care of some simple social media updates related to PR activity can provide that kind of opportunity. Especially if you don’t handle their social media as part of the retainer or agency/client relationship and they don’t already have this handled, it makes sense to get involved.

Think of it as investing in retention through value-adds.

These aren’t creative ideas, these are very basic (yet important!) tactics tied to PR that you can help your client with. It’s a way to show them you are proactive, interested in their success and have the initiative to grow their visibility on ALL levels.

And if you handle your own PR? It’s a reminder of some easy things you can be doing to expand your own visibility.

1. Have a new press release going out? Automatically share it as an update on the LinkedIn Company page. (Make this a habitual part of your normal press release distribution process, along with sharing any significant press mentions you obtain.)

It sounds so simple, but how many companies actually remember to do this? Not many. If your client forgets, give them a hand with it and take over responsibility for company page updates specifically related to the PR activities you are already doing.

This does require you to be an admin on the LinkedIn page, which takes only a few minutes to do – assuming a company page already exists and you have the admin already in your network. (If there isn’t a pre-existing page, it’s a little more complicated.) To make it extra-simple for your client, send them a link on how to designate an admin along with your request.

If you want to take your new process a step further, you can ping the CEO and or c-suite when an update hits the company page, asking him/her to like the update and add a comment so it is shared across THEIR network, too.

This process is very simple, yet it helps your client keep their page updated and ensures a more integrated approach to sharing news.

Sharing press releases and mentions as LinkedIn company page updates are something every company should do, so it might be an opportunity.

2. Notice their newsletter hit your inbox this morning? Share it on Facebook for them. Companies often don’t think of their newsletter as something that can be shared on social media, but it absolutely can.

And instead of telling them what to do, clients are thrilled if you ask permission then simply do it for them. It’s one less thing for them to think about, and another reason they’ll value you even more as part of their team. Just be sure to make it clear where the boundaries are for your social media activity – so there are no misunderstandings about just how much you are taking on.

As with LinkedIn, this will require them adding you as an admin to the page.

Want to invest more time than five minutes? It is also very simple to add a Facebook tab to a page to capture subscriptions. If using a service like MailChimp, it is provided with very clear instructions on setting up the tab. If you can, take the initiative to do the set-up for your client.

3. Land a byline article for your client? Post an insightful comment with the original article that expands on an idea or encourages dialog with the author. If the publication allows comments right below the article, which most do, and/or if they shared the article on one of the their social media platforms, post the comment there to kick-start conversation around the article. The publication appreciates it, the activity can help boost SEO for the article and it improves visibility for the author – especially if conversation suddenly catches on fire and creates engagement.

If you want to invest more time and this client (or your company) has a blog, write a post expanding on the original article, then link to the blog post in your comment. This brings visitors from the publication to your own blog.

Often you can pull the quote right from your interview notes or by rewriting something already in the article – if you wrote the article on behalf of a client – or the original author can create it in just two or three minutes. It shouldn’t be time consuming.

These are just a few quick and simple ideas. As with anything else, be sure to have a detailed conversation about scope, exactly what you want to do for them and why. This makes sure everyone is on the same page and that you aren’t reinventing the wheel.

And if they already have social media handled, including posts related to your public relations activities? Put on your thinking cap.

What can YOU do for your client that only takes a few minutes, but will make them heave a sigh of relief?