5 Ways in which Digital impacted PR

The PR industry is constantly changing. The biggest impact has been the digital revolution and namely social media. Being digitally savvy is a must for anyone moving into PR. Here’s my list of top 5 most relevant changes to have impacted the PR industry.

‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently.’

Warren Buffett

CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

PR professionals are expert communicators, know their media relations and they get how the brand’s reputation is key. They may be involved in handling crisis and are strong in building engaging relationships.

The PR industry is constantly changing, and being savvy with social media and digital communications is crucial.

Here’s my list of the five important changes that have impacted the PR world.

1. Story telling through mediums such as YouTube overtaking traditional media

YouTube reaches more audiences than any other broadcast or cable TV network. Brands can readily share content, allowing users to easily engage and interact with your brand. This adds a new dimension of engagement and emotional bonding between the audience and the brand. Audiences are more aligned to the brand of their choice. For brands, it means multi-dimensional connectivity with an engaged and targeted audience.

2. Enhanced engagement through Social Media

Traditional press content has turned into digital content. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram are crucial tools for brands to communicate with their audiences. The dialogue is now a three-way street, between potential and exiting customers, This can open up a can of worms and expose the brand to risks. Being aware of how to communicate online when exposed to such risks and staying on message is crucial for the brand not to sink under the weight of the conversation. Brands can engage as social entities. Instagram has opened to door for a seemingly more relaxed engagement. Behind this, lies a carefully crafted communications strategy. PRs have to be aware of the benefits, but also the pitfalls in building reputation.

3. Bloggers and vloggers outreach is the new word-of-mouth

Word-of-mouth has played a huge part in influencing brand perceptions. Google is the first place we go to for reviews and recommendation. This has become the new word of mouth. Bloggers and vloggers play an important part in getting your brand advocacy out. Having connections with the right bloggers ensures positive messages are being shared to multiple audiences. This personal layer of approval of a brand is hugely impactful. Trust and loyalty are enhanced, by the personal approach that bloggers and vloggers convey to their followers. Getting to know the influential bloggers is now part of a PRs role in managing brands. Look at my tip number 4.

4. Influencer matters

Influencer marketing is one of the most used tactics these days, and all great PR’s know that influencers have the potential to reach more people. Influencers build strong and loyal followers. Working with them can be a great way to get exposure for your brand and to become trusted by a wider audience.

5. Artificial Intelligence

Every industry will need data analytical tools in order to remain competitive. As a simple example, predictive analytics tell businesses what they need, when, and where. A company with excellent predictive analytics will have a significant advantage in cost reduction and customer service, over a company which guesses at when demand will be highest. Data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence should make public relations easier for most companies, from predicting when customer interest will be highest to identifying potential crises and mitigating them.

I hope you enjoyed by five top changes affecting the PR industry and crucially how this impacts your role within PR.