What are some of the fast-growing trends in the public relations industry?

The public relations industry has gone through an amazing transformation over the past10 to12 years. The ever-changing nature of traditional media, emergence of new types of online media outlets, continued evolution of social media and the shift away from traditional media consumption has literally reformed the industry. With this, the way PR pros pitch stories will continue to evolve and we will need to work hard to find new ways to connect and make our clients relevant.

Here are a couple of the major trends that will continue to impact the evolving world of PR:

Visual storytelling and content. Being able to tell a good story on behalf of our clients, and effectively selling that story to promote them have always been the defining strengths of solid public relations. Today there is an even stronger need to embrace storytelling, in an easier to digest and visual way. Content has to be strategic and include visual elements in order to cut through the clutter. 

Press releases will continue to evolve. Just as other forms of communication vehicles are changing, so are press releases. There is certainly still a place for releases to help disseminate news, but they need to be short and engaging to remain relevant. Visual content has also become more prevalent in press releases as a better way to engage reporters and editors.

Mobile will continue to grow. Mobile device adoption and mobile marketing continues to grow rapidly. The impact of mobile on companies of all kinds is becoming more and more noticeable. It is certain that the audiences you are trying to reach on behalf of your clients have access to the Internet on the go. Therefore, solid mobile strategies are a must.

Real-time marketing. Flexible messaging based on current events that can be disseminated quickly has always been a sound PR strategy for those that possess this agile behavior. With continued increases in social media adoption, this type of marketing is no longer “a nice-to-have.” It should be an element of all communications campaigns and is a terrific way to show brand personality.

Tapping the crowd. Having a campaign go viral is the dream of all PR pros hoping to turn social media buzz into brand awareness. This strategy and attempts to replicate the success of some of the most famous will continue in the coming years.

Hyper-local strategies. With the proliferation of new outlets and venues for publishing content, it becomes more important for PR folks to dig deep and develop highly customized and personalized campaigns to find the most appropriate subset of a market and niche offerings.

With the continuing evolution of social media, the shift away from traditional media consumption, and the demand for more visual content, the way PR practitioners pitch stories will continue to evolve. We need to find new and engaging ways to connect in order to keep our clients relevant. We also need to be strategic and proactive and take the time to plan and anticipate clients’ needs. How have your PR programs changed to serve today’s individualistic, on-demand, mobile culture?

I hope that answers your questions, Nisreen:)-

These are the ten top trends :

1.       Shift to Mobile and Beyond

2.       Personalization or the "Universe

3.       Social Media Impact on Communication

4.       Brand Journalism

5.       Crisis in the "Always On" Era

6.       Transparency is King

7.       Evidence-Based

8.       Image is All

9.       Power of Communicating Purpose

10.   Integrated Communication

Besides the growth of mobile and social media PR the biggest trend going forward is PR being an integral part of every marketing activity of brands.The shift is in the perception of companies about the role of PR from being a 'good to have' to 'must have'.This means there is also greater accountability and business returns have to be quantified for every penny spent on PR. It also means research is no longer a choice but a mandate before kick starting any PR campaign. In a nutshell

New media ; Quantify ; Research.

Let’s have a look where the public relations industry is headed next year for example:

Increased management role for business

Impediments to sales success, such as environmental concerns, have convinced companies to include public relations in their strategic planning and policy formulation.

Education and training

Public relations has become a serious academic discipline, universities of technology and selected colleges are now offering BA Communication degrees, national diplomas, B Tech degrees with a public relations focus.

Mobile will expand even further. 

Last year was the year of mobile. So was the year before that. And next year will be, too.

Press releases will evolve. When was the last time you read through an entire press release? Proofreading your own releases doesn't count. Just as other forms of communication are changing, so are press releases. Look for visual content to further infiltrate press releases, as the standard text-heavy format become less popular in the coming year.

Real-time marketing will become more widespread. 

The effectiveness of real-time marketing, or messaging based on current events that can be disseminated quickly, comes hand in hand with increased social media adoption. It's also a great way to show brand personality. 

PR has probably changed more in the last ten years than it has in the last three decades. For communicators, new challenges and opportunities have come along with the changes we have experienced as a society, most of which have roots in the influence of the Internet and social media. We are living through a creative and trans-formative period right now.