New year, new PR trends! With 2021 just around the corner, we’re anticipating some seismic shifts in the public relations industry. To help you stay a step ahead of the competition, we’ve put together a brief list of the changes coming to the PR landscape in 2021.
1. Pitch it? Prove it.
Gone are the days where you send a standard press release on behalf of your client. In order for the media to pay attention, there needs to be a visual component paired with your pitch. Whether that’s a photo-shoot, a video, or even an endorsement from a social media influencer, there needs to be observable proof of your client displaying their talents. We’re in an era of short attention spans, so PR professionals need to captivate their audience right away. What type of content needs to be created in order to highlight the career of your client? Do your homework. And don’t forget to share on various social media platforms – especially the platforms on which your client has the broadest audience.
2. Collaborate and cooperate
Although in the past, marketing and public relations have remained separate, that’s starting to change. PR professionals are recommending that the two teams join forces from the very beginning of a campaign. This way, both parties can share their experience from their side of the project, in order to better combat the age of overly cautious customers. Consumers now know classic marketing strategies, so it’s now more important than ever for your brand to transparently present itself. If both departments back the same vision from the start of a campaign, as opposed to reworking the same campaign over and over again, it’ll be easier to achieve your shared goals.
3. Find your niche
One way to avoid putting generalized tactics into practice is to become a specialist in a narrow field – find your niche. Consider becoming a PR specialist within the acting realm, or the world of law firms, or any other industry: they all need PR. From there, your system will be more concentrated with experience that’s applicable to all of your clients. Along with that, when your experience is specifically relevant to the field of your client, it’ll be easier for them to trust you when it comes to strategic business decisions, which makes life easier for both of you.
4. Let the numbers speak
We live in an era of metrics. When it comes to likes on our posts, how many followers we have, and other such measurements, we start to make adjustments to our communications based on these statistics. Nearly every commercial field has begun to follow the same analytical process – including PR. In 2020, expect to see statistics at the forefront of all your decisions. It’ll be considered a measurement of how well your campaigns are going, so you can execute future campaigns with the best possible chance of success.
5. Speak from the heart
Consumers naturally seek human connection and understanding, and that’s why pathos has long been the driving force behind the strongest marketing techniques. Never forget that relatable and personal content is often the most effective in grabbing attention and making an impact. As we see more and more people reject social media, we need to consider the possibility that the platform may lessen in influence. In order to avoid being ignored by the public, make a personal connection with your audience. The most effective way to do this is to hire talented writers in your PR department, because they know how to influence an audience better than anyone. If you can make an emotional connection with your audience, that’s when you have them hooked.