Social media isn’t PR - but it can support it

One of the most common assumptions in comms is: “We’re active on social media, so that’s our PR covered.”

It’s not quite that simple!

Social media and PR are definitely connected – but they’re not the same thing. One’s a platform. The other’s a discipline. One helps you get seen in the moment. The other helps build trust over time.

Used well, they work well together. But they do different jobs - and it helps to know which one you’re doing.

PR is strategic. Social media moves fast.

PR shapes how people see your business in the long run. It takes a steady, thoughtful approach - the kind that builds trust over time.

Social, on the other hand, is quick. It moves fast and changes constantly. It’s good for getting things out there quickly, but it doesn’t always give people the full picture.

Social is a tool. PR is the thinking behind it.

Posting on LinkedIn or Instagram isn’t PR by itself. Those are just the channels. What matters is how you use them.

Are your posts in line with what you stand for? Are they helping people understand what you’re about? Or are you just filling a gap because you haven’t posted in a while?

PR brings focus. Without it, you’re just adding to the scroll.

They work best when they support each other

This is where the two meet - when what you post reinforces the bigger picture.

• Sharing a news piece you’ve been featured in? That’s using social to back up your PR.

• Posting about a change that affects your industry? That’s PR thinking in a social post.

• Announcing a new team member with a bit of personality, not just their job title? That’s the kind of thing people actually read.

• Responding helpfully to a negative review or public comment? That’s PR in real life.

  
  

These are the moments where social starts to do more than fill your content calendar - it shows people what you’re like to deal with. And that’s what PR is really for.

Not everything needs to be 'a moment'

One of the traps businesses fall into is blindly chasing attention on social media. Not every post needs to follow the latest trend or go viral.

What matters more is whether it sounds like you - and whether it makes sense alongside everything else you’re saying.

That’s what PR helps with. It keeps things joined up, so you’re not chasing attention for the sake of it.

In short

Social media can support your PR. But it doesn’t replace the thinking, planning and judgement that PR needs.

Use both. Use them well. But don’t confuse the two.