Today, social media and media relations are no longer separate disciplines. They are deeply interconnected.
While media relations focuses on building relationships with journalists and securing earned media coverage, social media amplifies these efforts by extending reach and fostering engagement. Integrating the two can elevate a business school’s visibility and credibility across platforms.
So, how should they go about it? Here’s our 5 top tips:
1. Align goals and messaging
Journalists often use social media for news gathering and research. So, business schools must ensure their social media and media relations strategies are aligned from the outset.
Whether aiming to boost brand awareness, attract new students or staff, or launch a new programme, their messaging should be consistent across all channels. A unified tone and shared core messages help reinforce their brand identity and avoid confusion.
Extra tip: If business schools want to promote their faculty as media commentators, ensure their areas of expertise are clearly stated on their social media profiles (no jargon, please!)
2. Promote earned media coverage
One of the most effective ways to integrate social media is to promote media coverage across a business school’s channels. This can be done by sharing links to press releases, articles, interviews, and broadcast segments.
Thanking journalists and tagging media outlets not only gives credit but can also extend a school’s reach, as they may reshare posts.
Schools shouldn’t just rely on their main channels. They can ask people involved in the project to consider their posts or reshare theirs. These could include faculty, programme heads, Deans or alumni.
Using relevant hashtags can extend a post’s reach and connect with interested audiences.
Visual and multimedia content increases engagement and can make announcements more appealing. Infographics, behind-the-scenes videos, and soundbites are great ways to enrich posts.
3. Build relationships with journalists online
Social media is a powerful tool for developing and nurturing relationships with reporters.
Business school communications teams can follow relevant journalists on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. They can engage with their content by sharing articles, adding insightful comments, or offering support for their reporting. All conversations should be professional and polite.
This ongoing interaction keeps their brand top-of-mind and can lead to future media opportunities.
4. Monitor industry trends and opportunities
Monitoring social media can help business schools stay ahead of breaking news and emerging stories, enabling them to pitch timely angles to journalists. Following hashtags of interest or joining topic-specific groups can help them stay ahead of what matters to their audiences.
Many journalists use channels like X (formerly Twitter) to ask for experts or case studies for their articles. Whilst there’s often a lot of competition for these spots, if business schools act fast with relevant information, they can get journalists’ attention.
5. Leverage social media for news distribution
Social media can act as a direct channel for news dissemination. Business schools can use it to announce press releases, product launches, event invitations, and executive appointments.
Platforms like X and Instagram provide the immediacy to keep audiences informed with real-time updates during live events or emergencies.
And finally…a word about measurement
Integrating social media into their media relations strategy also gives business schools a whole raft of metrics to evaluate their effort. Measurements such as engagement, follower growth and website traffic can all be used to refine media relations programmes and improve outcomes.
It’s about more than just visibility. It’s about building meaningful relationships and telling their story where their audience lives.