Social media for PR agencies: a practical guide

Your own social media is a shop window for people who buy PR: founders, marketing directors and communications leads. They want to see judgement, results and people they would trust in a crisis. Journalists and creators will also look at your channels before they reply to a pitch.

LinkedIn does most of the work for winning clients. Use your people's personal profiles as well as the company page, because buyers hire the team, not the logo.

Three posts a week across the agency is plenty. Rotate between expertise, proof and people.

• Monday: a lesson on media relations, such as what makes a story newsworthy.
• Wednesday: proof, such as a campaign result or coverage, with the client's approval.
• Thursday: a quick take on a story in the news and what a communicator should learn from it.
• Friday: people and culture, such as a new hire, a team event or an award.
• Never: a client's embargoed news, private briefings or anything still under negotiation.

The CIPR Code of Conduct lists safeguarding the confidences of present and former clients and employers, and not disclosing confidential information unless permission has been granted or the law requires it. The PRSA Code of Ethics asks members to safeguard the confidences and privacy rights of present, former and prospective clients, and to accurately define what public relations activities can accomplish.

Both codes also ask for accuracy: the CIPR Code lists checking the reliability and accuracy of information before dissemination, and the PRSA Code asks members to investigate the truthfulness and accuracy of information released on behalf of those they represent. Apply the same standard to your own results posts.

1. Get written approval from the client before naming them or showing their coverage.
2. Show coverage with the publication and date, and link to it where you can.
3. Report results you can prove, such as pieces of coverage or enquiries, and say how you counted them.
4. Never imply a client is still with you after the work has ended.
5. Keep pitch lists, journalist contacts and internal briefings out of every screenshot.

Sources: CIPR: Code of Conduct (Regulations, Appendix A, PDF), checked 15 October 2026; PRSA: Code of Ethics, checked 15 October 2026

The CIPR Code lists never deliberately concealing your role as representative of a client or employer, even if they remain anonymous, for example by promoting a cause in the guise of a disinterested party or member of the public. The PRSA Code asks members to reveal the sponsors of causes and interests they represent and to disclose conflicts of interest promptly, and treats assisting front groups as improper.

In the US, the FTC says that when enforcement is needed its focus usually will be on advertisers or their ad agencies and public relations firms, and that delegating part of a promotional programme to an outside company does not remove responsibility. It also says employees who endorse their company's products must disclose the relationship, and that listing your employer on your profile is not enough.

• No fake accounts, sock puppets or anonymous comments to support a client.
• No staff reviews or comments on client products without a clear disclosure in the post.
• No paid followers, likes or views: the FTC's 2024 rule bans buying fake social media indicators to misrepresent influence.
• Tell clients in writing about any conflict, such as working for a competitor.

Sources: CIPR: Code of Conduct (Regulations, Appendix A, PDF), checked 15 October 2026; PRSA: Code of Ethics, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: FTC's Endorsement Guides, what people are asking, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (August 2024), checked 15 October 2026

UK: the ASA says both brands and influencers are responsible for making sure ads are obviously identifiable, and that at a minimum it is likely to expect a prominent "ad" label upfront, not buried in hashtags or hidden behind "See more". A "#" is not necessary if the label is prominent. When an influencer uses an affiliate link or code they are acting as an advertiser, and labels such as "aff" are likely to be insufficient.

US: the FTC says a material connection, such as payment or a free product, should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously in the post itself, and that responsibility rests with the influencer and the brand, not the platform. Agencies that recruit and direct influencers can also be liable.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and change, so check with your regulator, professional body or a lawyer before you post claims, prices or anything about the people you work for.

1. Put the disclosure rules in every creator brief and contract.
2. Check every post before it goes live and again after it is published.
3. Ask for a fix within a set time if a label is missing or hidden.
4. Keep records of who was paid or gifted what, and when.

Sources: ASA Advice Online: Recognising ads, social media and influencer marketing, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: FTC's Endorsement Guides, what people are asking, checked 15 October 2026

Agencies are busiest when clients are, so your own channels slip first. Plan a month at a time and give one person ownership of the agency's own posts.

Disclosure: this guide is published by Zolyp, an AI social media manager. Zolyp plans a calendar around your content pillars, writes and designs each post, and schedules it to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You start in review-everything mode, so nothing goes live without your approval. Zolyp is built for small businesses and agencies, and plans differ by the number of brands they include. Brand Brain can hold each client's voice and topics to avoid. Zolyp does not check influencer disclosures or client approvals, so check both before you approve a post. Everything in this guide works just as well done by hand.

• Week 1: agree which client results you have approval to share.
• Week 2: write two expertise posts from questions clients asked.
• Week 3: post one result and one people post.
• Week 4: review which posts led to conversations and plan next month.