Thought Leadership

PR Trends to Look out for in 2020

Public Relations is an industry that’s constantly growing and changing with the influx of trends that reach the market each year. And it is crucial to stay up to date with the trends in order to stay relevant in such a competitive industry.

As the relevance of social media and fast news continues to grow, it is necessary for public relations officials to know how to utilize these outlets effectively and follow the current trends to accurately target their audiences and achieve their goals.

As important as it is to stay up to date with the current trends, it is also just as necessary to look ahead and be prepared for the trends that could happen in the future.

Based on information from trends in the past and current trends in 2019, we can begin to predict trends that could be huge for the Public Relations industry in 2020.

Trend #1 – Importance of Social Responsibility

Brand authenticity has been a trend that sprouted to gain importance this year, and it is only going to continue to grow in 2020. By 2020, we can foresee this trend being extremely important for public relations teams. Consumers want to know that brands are genuine in what they promote and that they welcome and ensure diversity in their services. This trend has really started to flourish with the entrance of Gen Z, the generation who was born into and grew up in the times of the internet.

Brands need to realize this change in consumers and target their public relations strategies towards it. This generation is persistent in its support of socially responsible businesses and needs for genuine authenticity. Public relations experts need to make sure the businesses they represent are focusing on diversity and social responsibility.

Trend #2 – Niche Media

The media has become so overcrowded with information that people are starting to turn in favor of niche media. This will affect public relations professionals using influencers for outreach and product promotion. Instead of using influencers that may have to largest outreach or largest following, you should instead opt for influencers with a large following for their specific niches. These influencers are more likely to get a greater result and feel more authentic and thrust worthy to the consumer. For the rest of the year and entering into 2020, it will definitely be important to start gaining relationships with niche influencers.

Trend #3 – Attention-Grabbing Information

The amount of information out there is ever-increasing at immeasurable speeds. People want information but they want it quick.

News outlets and social media websites share information so fast these days that people are used to finding out information with quick ease—including the amount of time it takes them to actually read the information. Audiences need something that will grab their attention, keep it from all the other internet distractions, and then keep it for long enough to absorb the information. This means that information needs to be in short and easy to grasp paragraphs; otherwise it won’t keep the viewer’s attention.

Also, people love images accompanied by the content they read online. And in 2020, this demand will only become greater. Images are one of the quickest and easiest ways to grasp information. In long articles, people are most likely to simply read article titles and then look at pictures and its associated captions.

Trend #4 – Moving Quickly

Trend #4 also relates to the attention-grabbing topic we previously discussed. In 2020, news will only continue to be released faster and faster. In the PR industry, it is going to be important to get our voices and information out at a consistent pace in order for it to stay relevant.

Breaking news comes out every second, and you need to make sure to stay on top of it and respond in a timely manner in order for your voice to be heard.

As we grow closer to 2020, it’s suggested for PR officials to keep their eyes out for these new trends that are sure to trickle through the industry in the coming months.