PR TRENDS TO MAKE THE MOST OF IN 2021
A new year absolutely means an obligatory round up of trends for the year ahead...
It’s something I’ve touched upon a little with my take on the future of PR and where the industry is heading and ultimately, the future of PR is.... YOU. Savvy business owners like you being the stars, and the magic makers, of their own PR.
Small business owners that have stories to tell, offers to sell and businesses to build and there is now so much opportunity for this to be done without big budget, without agency outsourcing and without the ‘schmoozing’ often associated with PR.
Every industry sees shifts and the PR industry is one that has slowly been shifting to embrace small businesses and entrepreneurial spirit.
⚡️Big PR agencies, big retainers - the PR cliche, big business, crisis management.
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⚡️Boutique PR agencies, more ‘affordable’ retainers and flexible services - more accessible but retainers still prohibitive to some.
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⚡️The DIY PR movement - accessible to ALL and desirable to many.
I am seeing more and more PR consultants offering training to small businesses, PR coaches, online courses and the like; all proving the trend.
The PR industry is shifting. A rising number of start ups and small businesses are calling for the right service providers to support them.
As a PR Coach, my job is to give you the KNOWLEDGE and POWER to position yourself and your business where you deserve to be.
The opportunity is out there, if you’re ready to take it?
What other trends can we look towards for the PR and media world this year that you can directly make the most of?
Podcasting:
Both your own and guesting on others. Podcasting is set to continue as a prime communication tactic for brands and communities looking to create a deep, value-driven connection with their audiences.
Purpose:
Of course, having purpose in your PR and communications is not new, however, the extent to which brands must be mindful of it has grown. As I wrote in my article, ‘Staying Visible Through COVID-19’ for the print edition of Jewellery Focus magazine in the summer, brand communications have to stand for more in today’s turbulent world.
“Effective PR will be a key component to weathering this storm. Frivolity and frippery have been replaced by value and empathy; any communications strategy now needs to educate, inform, inspire or, provide invaluable escapism.”
Ensuring your brand PR communication holds value, not just message points, will showcase the inner values, goals and aims of your brand. Communicate what you stand for.
Diversify:
For many of us we find much of our social media time going on Instagram or Facebook, but 2020 proved how an audience’s attention can be fickle. The huge growth of Pinterest and TikTok through the year opened up new platforms to get to grips with and new ways to reach our audiences. We can focus on the platform(s) we’re most comfortable with, but we can never rely on putting all our eggs in a social media a basket. A fail safe back up is to work on building your email database as well as diversifying visibility using some savvy PR to give you cost effective and time efficient results.
Connection :
In a period where our opportunity to connect in person has been stripped right back, and even away at times, it is so much more important to acknowledge the importance of human connection and interaction in any form we can. I expect to see conversation and connectivity at the heart of PR and communications through 2021. I often talk to clients and members about the simplicity of social media being about fostering authentic, human connections.
Social media has been a lifeline for many. As have tools such as Zoom and Skype. We have also seen how powerful the media and PR has been in telling stories, informing and inspiring people to know that they’re not alone.
By being truly authentic in encouraging connection across the board, PR will help you to build the right kind of brand awareness and a meaningful relationship with your customers/clients.
Livestream:
2020 brought innovation in communications tactics, especially the use of live streaming across the likes of Instagram and Facebook. This kind of communication sees so much scope for interaction with customers and clients. This trend is likely to continue to develop with even further growth in live digital events, live podcasting and real time online learning. We will also see a merging of the digital and offline events world when we start getting back to physical events, perhaps seeing a hybrid of physical and virtual attendees and participants.
Year on year there is yet more scope for any business owner to go further in promoting and reaching their audience. PR is a great tool to use in doing this. If you want to find out more about how PR can help your business, why not book in for a chat.