Public relations will always be about building trust with clients, audiences and journalists. It is only the approach of going about this trust building that has changed.
I. Influencers
The most emerging trend in the public relations industry is the explosion of nontraditional media outlets, such as social media. With the rise of influencer marketing, a pattern of who our audience looks to when relying on a product or service also arose. The emergence of these new digital media platforms has been the biggest shift in the PR industry and how PR professionals do their jobs. Influencers are a new effective approach to connecting brands with their target audience in order for a company or brand to reach their target audience. The Influencers companies use must be relevant to what they stand for. For example, if your company is in the food industry, use an influencer who has a food-based audience.
As an industry that relies on the fluctuating ideals of people, PR professionals should arm themselves with vast knowledge and experience in a variety of integrated media. Influencers are a great way for a company to reach their target audience, however, pitching a brand is already difficult and it will continue to be difficult as the price and demands for influencers gets higher. When it comes to using influencers, you want to make sure you have people who are dedicated and actually believe in what your brand stands for. People who share the same values as your brand will be most effective and genuine. It is best for professionals to learn brand journalism because today’s brands will use this approach more than traditional media. Large databases have been developed to help discover specific influencers that are relevant to your client. An influencer can submit their information and be placed in the database.
II. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence has been on the rise in the PR industry. Artificial intelligence should be used to our advantage. AI can cut out the grueling work of PR professionals, such as arranging meetings, writing emails, creating lists and analyzing data. This provides more time and energy for tasks that cannot be done by a computer. These tasks include building relationships, thinking critically, creating new ideas and strategies as well as storytelling.
III. Branding
A demand for a good visuals and aesthetics is a growing trend in PR. Gone are the days of mass produced press releases as brand news is now released through attractive, inclusive and relevant creative content that meets the interests of today’s society. A brand should have well developed creative content to back it up.
IV. Relationships
Create with the customer, not just for the customer. Today’s consumers are researching, creating their personal brand and envisioning what they want to see happen. Customers should be involved with the process of creating an effective marketing campaign. A company can expand its outreach by combining their efforts to prioritize the customer experience. Developing and strengthening relationships with a client is more efficient and effective than falsifying ones in order to get the desired outcome. How strong the relationship is between a brand and the public is the determining factor of whether the brand will be successful or not. A broader approach to client experience pays attention to what is created, the marketing of product or service and the ability to provide support and build long lasting relationships. Strong The use of storytelling through multimedia channels helps builds trust with clients.
V. Full-Service
There has been a higher demand for full service agencies within the PR industry. Agencies can no longer be a one-trick pony when it comes to the services they provide. Campaigns require an array of capabilities to achieve results. These include creative, digital, promotional, influencers, publicity, media, diverse perspectives and research. Data analytics is a huge part of the PR Industry. Analyzing data shows what trends are pulling in the most revenue and best results. The PR function plays a role in the actual production of content. Knowing how the content is going to be distributed and to whom is the most effective strategy to reaching the right people. Researching an outlets metrics to see who views their page and how much time is spent on their site is a great way to determine if they are the right contact for your client.
Casey George is a freshman Journalism – Strategic Communication major and you can keep up with her on Twitter @Case_g10