On Tuesday, the series finale concluded the seven-year-run of what has been called “the most social show on TV”—and one of the first series to usher in the era of tweeting along with your favorite television shows.
Its second season finale generated the most social media buzz of any series in TV history at the time, and last year’s episodes generated more than a quarter of a billion engagements across social platforms.
Here are seven lessons “Pretty Little Liars” can offer PR pros looking to develop their own social media campaigns:
1. Begin with your endgame in mind.
As the show moved to reveal its ultimate antagonist, “A.D.,” the final episodes were dubbed #PLLEndGame. Clues from episodes that aired years ago suddenly fell into place in a very calculated way.
The final arc showed that the show’s writers established its conclusion—or endgame—for some time ago, and have been strategically building towards it with each season.
Do the same with your social media campaigns by carefully thinking through what success might look like long before you write a single tweet or Facebook post.
Keeping the endgame of your campaign in mind at all times will enable you to take a more strategic approach to every aspect of the campaign and help you achieve your ultimate PR goals.
2. Familiarity breeds success.
#PLLEndGame rewarded viewers who have been loyal fans of the show for years by bringing back characters, locations and plotlines that had not been seen for several seasons.
Likewise, the people who follow your brand on social media are often your biggest advocates. You have a unique opportunity to design campaigns that enable you to leverage this loyalty such as Coca-Cola’s #CokeJourney campaign.
Just as the writers of “Pretty Little Liars” engaged with loyal fans since the show’s begining, you can use the familiarity that social media provides to develop relationships with consumers that can last a lifetime.
3. Don’t forget the element of surprise.
#PLLEndGame delivered shocking moments, such as revealing Mary Drake as Spencer Hasting’s mother and unveiling that Mona Vanderwaal killed Charlotte Drake. These moments mirrored the bombshell plot twists that pushed the series to the top of the social media stratosphere years ago.
Similarly, the element of surprise can also go a long way in your social media campaigns, especially as your brand seeks to stand out in increasingly crowded timelines.
Brand managers can employ several tactics to disrupt the status quo and turn the attention of a conversation toward them, including the snark that earned Wendy’s its beloved place among younger consumers.
[RELATED: Refresh your social media strategy so you can react on the fly.]
4. Listen to fan feedback.
Social media offers the ability to monitor the feedback your campaign is generating in real time, and “Pretty Little Liars’” writers consistently used online feedback to influence future storylines on the show.
For example, fans’ strong reactions to the relationship between characters Alison DiLaurentis and Emily Fields moved the show’s creator, I. Marlene King, to make their pairing a central focus of #PLLEndGame.
The ever-changing nature of “Pretty Little Liars” can underline the importance of being dynamic in a social media campaign. By listening to comments, reactions and other feedback, you can correct the course of your campaign to ensure you reach your goals.
5. Don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith.
By the middle of the series, “Pretty Little Liars” started to feel stale, and many of the show’s relationships and mysteries had run their courses. To address this, writers moved the show’s timeline five years into the future, which injected the series with newfound creativity and excitement.
Fatigue can be common when managing a social media campaign over a long period of time, and you might write posts ad nauseam.
“Pretty Little Liars’” #5YearsLater time jump is a valuable reminder that you should never stick to what is familiar because it’s what you’ve always done. Instead, try new ideas that can capture consumers’ attention and restore social media magic to your campaign.
6. Engage fans at multiple touchpoints.
“Pretty Little Liars” creators used a several touchpoints to keep fans engaged. Throughout the series, viewers used the #PLLChat hashtag to talk with cast and crew members as episodes aired. The show has a vibrant presence on social platforms, including Tumblr blogs dedicated to deconstructing the mysteries of #PLLEndGame, a PLL Snapchat that offers fans behind-the-scenes peeks and a portal on Wish that invites viewers to take polls.
Outstanding social media campaigns do not rely solely on one platform. Instead, savvy brand managers reach out to audiences at every possible opportunity.
7. Always bring your “A” game.
As a PR pro, the most important way to ensure a successful social media campaign is to do your best work on every project, for every client, every single time.
Not all campaigns you devise will be the rousing successes, just as some seasons of “Pretty Little Liars” are favored over others. However, putting your best foot forward and focusing on crafting exceptional work ensures that at your career’s endgame, you’ll take several PR wins with you.
Drew Boehmker is an account executive at Scooter Media.
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