By: Kelsey Marklund, Account Executive at The Agency | @TheAgencyKelsey
A new year means another look into the PR crystal ball to see what the future holds for the industry. As the value and function of public relations becomes more widely understood, a more diverse set of tactics are being used than ever before. Here are a few areas that we expect to see more of in 2016’s industry headlines.
- Thought Leadership
The term “thought leadership” isn’t new, but it’s something we predict will be integrated into more PR strategies in 2016. PR tactics for thought leadership involve the creation of valuable and educational content, distributed over relevant platforms. Thought leadership is one of our personal favorites here at The Agency, as it’s a great way to establish and position clients as experts or leaders in their space. It’s also a way to engage with a company’s audience and to develop useful relationships.
- Multi-Channel Integration
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Medium, Pinterest… the list of social media platforms only continues to grow. To be successful, smart PR strategies must take into account all relevant platforms for communicating a client’s message and engaging with their audience. Gone are the days of creating one social media account and sticking to it – your audience likely isn’t.
- Blogging
An easy, free (other than time) addition to any PR strategy is the creation of a blog for yourself or your company. Today’s growing reliance on social media has given rise to the blogosphere; a great opportunity for PR professionals to enhance their client’s reputation, profile, and following. Not only is a blog a great vehicle for thought leadership pieces, but it’s also a good way to increase your SEO.
- Measurement
PR measurement has always been and will continue to be a point of contention in 2016. Companies want to know where their money is going, and as forms of measurement are up for debate, it will be interesting to see how firms translate their efforts into dollars in 2016. Monitoring social shares is also becoming increasingly important in reflecting the success of a PR strategy – something resources for measuring these statistics are capitalizing on by implementing paid access.
How did our predictions fare last year? Take a look back at The Agency’s PR Future Forecast, 2015 edition! What do you think will be happening in the industry in 2016? Let us know on twitter at @PRTheAgency or in the comment section below.
