As the world is changing, the role and manner of communication must respond to the new environment. If it is possible, 2018 is going to be even more thrilling from the media consumption point of view. But how can we answer these new challenges? And what do we need to prepare for? We summarized some challenges and the possible answers for them.

Replacing PR by digital tools?

It is an increasingly frequent view, that digital marketing and social media can replace PR. Company leaders are looking for quick marketing growth hacks and don't realize that third-party validation and strong media appearances are the only reliable way to get your company's story told for your customers.

Paid vs. Earned media

It is a growing trend, that the lines between editorial content and paid content are fading. During the last couple of years, as the media and the media law has changed and also social media content became more competitive, paid PR became even more important, because there are cases when it remains the only opportunity to stand out from our competitors. However, there are some who believe PR should only involve earned media. That's where the conflict lies.

Consolidation of influencer marketing?

According to the prognosis, using influencers in communication will undergo a period of normalization in the next 12-18 months. It has grown wildly in the last few years, but, besides the legal problems, the other issue is, that there were no clear strategies for the use of these tools in most cases, therefore the results of these campaigns can be questioned. In 2018 the use of influencers will be legally clear and agencies will start to use complex and really effective strategies too.

Artificial Intelligence in PR

Data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence should make public relations easier for most companies, from predicting peaks in customer interest to identifying potential crises and mitigating them before they explode. Intelligent chatbots may even assume a major role in media relations. Going forward, PR must focus more on developing and implementing creative strategies. Doing what machines can’t, will help elevate the profession.

Content over numbers

During the last couple of years, it became easier to track PR results according to readership, number of media appearances, page views and social media results. But we cannot forget the fact that we are building a brand, and that’s hard to quantify. There’s a big picture we can’t afford to lose sight of, while we are concentrating on numbers.

Press releases lose their prominent role

The general press release continues its decline towards irrelevance. While companies may be publishing more of these than ever, their impact continues to lessen every year. Therefore, we need to concentrate on tools that go beyond these tools.

SEO and PR will work together

The difference between SEO and PR continues to blur as more SEO practitioners realize the need for human storytelling, and more PR practitioners quantify their work in SEO terms. This trend will only accelerate as search engines become ever more intelligent.

PLUS ONE

Challenge of talent recruitment and retention Finding and keeping talented communications professionals was always a challenge, but it is even harder if you want to find good PR professionals because success factors change by the day. There are so many platforms, tools, and strategies that employees need to be familiar with, that we may struggle to find anyone who’s suitable for the job. What is the solution? Instead of looking for the perfect workforce, we look to fresh and eager young talent as an opportunity to mold them into exactly what we need.

Dalma Antik

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