Top Trends For PR And Communications In 2018
by mavcomm group PR and Digital Media Brand CompanyThe New Year is around the corner, and if 2017 is anything
to go by, then the coming year is going to surge forth in technological
developments. With the powerful combination of artificial intelligence and
social media gaining momentum like never before, we can expect everything from
our marketing and communications strategy—including the way public relations
(PR) works—to witness an overhaul.
With evolving content marketing trends and technologically advanced social
media tools, PR experts can expect a fair share of changes in the coming year.
Here are some of the highly anticipated PR and communications trends for
2018:
1. The areas of specialisation in PR will grow: With every
year, the areas of specialisation in PR seem to be growing in number. For instance,
crisis management has emerged as an essential facet of any company’s PR
expertise. As a brand, you will need to hire resources that can tackle various
crises by first assessing them carefully and then attending to them
proactively. Similarly, social media PR, thought leadership, event planning,
etc., are going to emerge as some other prominent facets of PR. As a brand,
your approach to PR must be a comprehensive one.
2. Your online presence must become more meaningful: For a
brand to have an online presence is non-negotiable. However, your online
presence cannot solely be restricted to having active social media accounts
across channels. Even if you are posting right content regularly, that is not
nearly good enough. With consumers’ attention spans have gotten shorter than
ever before, it is essential for brands to put out only what their target
audience wants to read (and see). The content must be compelling enough for
people to keep coming back, again and again. It is, of course, only possible
after a thorough understanding of your brand goals and of what your target
group is looking for. To stay ahead of the race, you may want to consider
creating content that your target group will want (rather than supplying them
with what they already know they want).
3. Measuring the results will be key: At the end of a year
and the start of a new one, it becomes most important to measure the results of
the PR Agency efforts that have been
put in and the value that they have added to the brand. Influencers have
emerged as one of the most popular and effective ways to market a brand, and
this trend is likely to pick even further in 2018. You may want to take stock
of the value that these influencers are adding to your brand. Measuring the
results of all PR efforts is also recommended as an ongoing practice.
4. Press releases will be reinvented: The press release
sounds like an archaic and outdone tradition. However, if you think that the
press release is entirely over and done with, then you are mistaken! Press
releases are just as important for brands even today. However, they have
primarily been reinvented, and that process is still unfolding. Instead of the
old-style press releases that were arduously text-heavy, the new-age press
releases are all about the images, graphics and interactive content. As for the
copy, it is to the point and minimal. So, don’t give up on the press
releases—give them the much-needed overhaul.
5. The focus will shift to video content marketing: Content
marketing might as well be relabelled as video content marketing because
regular copy and static images are not cutting it with the audiences anymore.
As mentioned previously, the shrinking attention spans are only willing to
process interactive content, and that is best captured in videos. Come 2018; it
may be essential to start thinking beyond pre-recorded videos. Live videos add
a greater level of authenticity to the content and make it even more
interactive. They seem to be the way to go, hereon.
6. Brands must develop their voice: Whether it is brands or
individuals, the recent years (and the upcoming ones even more so) have been
about developing one’s voice and viewpoint. The time when brands took no stand
on contentious issues is long gone. Brands (and influencers) are now best
recognized by the stand they take on issues that pertain to human rights,
animal rights, immigration, feminism, climate change, and so on. If your brand
does not yet have its distinct voice, then it is about time you give it one.
This, of course, does not mean that you must have a stand on everything. Let
your brand speak for a cause that seamlessly complements its identity.
A brand’s PR efforts form an intrinsic part of its identity. To augment
your brand identity in the coming year, it may be a good idea to build on the
expected trends into your PR and communications strategy for 2018.
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Created on Feb 21st 2018 05:11. Viewed 496 times.