Social Media has become a relevant tool for communication with external and internal
audiences. The deliberate, intentional planning that goes into using social media has
proven effective (Charest, Bouffard, & Zach movie, 2016). The question that must be
asked is, what does trust look like? According to Cheng & Shipman (2020), “broadly
speaking, trust is when you expect a person or entity to behave in a positive way, whereas
distrust is when you expect a person or entity to behave in a negative way”. Using social
media can reach a vast external audience. To find the right external audience,
organizations can partner with influencers and causes that will target the audience, also
giving their name or brand credibility in the eyes of the audience who trust the influencer.
Another audience that an organization can build trust with is its internal audience. The
organization can help employees connect more to the values and mission of their company
through social media (Dipolo, 2020). Dipolo (2020) states that “internal social media
facilitates horizontal and vertical communication across organizations remotely. By
posting, streaming, commenting, and messaging, employees can strengthen existing
relationships and form new ones. Workplace ideas and knowledge can be quickly spread
to improve the efficiency of the organization.”
Social Media can be used to address public relations issues by creating campaigns that
demonstrate and communicate their values or plan. Many audiences will complain freely
online and on social media platforms about issues with products & their feelings about
brands or organizations that will help guide the direction of an organization. Organizations
can also gain valuable knowledge through feedback from social media.
Organizations can use social media to support their culture, strategic vision, values,
and/or mission. Findings from a 2018 Gallup Poll indicate that with higher use of social
media within organizations, employees feel more engaged and perceive the organization to
be transparent, which causes them to identify more with their organization (Dipolo, 2020).
According to Dipolo (2020), “an active, welcoming and fun community helps employees
feel like they belong, fostering attachment to the organization and to coworkers.
Encouraging organizational leaders to interact with employees’ posts and comments can
help employees feel their voice is heard. A social media policy is recommended but be
sure to avoid censorship. The policy should reduce risk without discouraging open
communications.” Social Media is a common communication tool that can engage both
external and internal audiences and should not be overlooked.
Charest, F., Bouffard, J. and Zahmovic, E. (2016). Public Relations and social media:
Deliberate or Creative Strategic Planning. Public Relations Review.
Cheng, Y. & Shipman, M. (2020, December 10). Study finds strong links between trust
and social media use. NC State University. https://news.ncsu.edu/2020/12/study-
finds-strong-links-between-trust-and-social-media-use/
DiPolo, M. (2020, October 27). Internal social media boost employee engagement and
trust. Insitute for Public Relations. https://instituteforpr.org/internal-social-media-
boosts-employee-engagement-and-trust/
