The Role of Digital Public Relations in Enhancing Audience Engagement through Social Media Platforms

Abstract

This study investigates the evolving role of Digital Public Relations (DPR) in fostering audience engagement across social media platforms. As digital media becomes increasingly central to organizational communication, PR professionals are challenged to adopt interactive, audience- centric strategies that move beyond traditional one-way messaging. The research addresses the gap in understanding how specific DPR tactics influence user behavior, loyalty, and emotional connection with brands. The primary objective of the study is to explore how DPR enhances audience engagement and to identify the most effective strategies and tools used across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X), and Facebook. A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a structured online questionnaire distributed to a sample of social media users and PR practitioners (n ≈ 250). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and thematic coding for open-ended responses. The findings indicate that DPR strategies such as comment replies, polls, live streaming, and user-generated content campaigns are highly effective in driving engagement. There is a strong positive correlation between responsiveness and audience loyalty. Users expressed a clear preference for brands that interact authentically, humanize their content, and adapt communication to platform-specific norms. The study concludes that DPR is a strategic necessity, not an optional function, in the digital era. It emphasizes the importance of responsiveness, authenticity, and interactivity as core principles for building meaningful relationships in the social media landscape.