3 PR LESSONS FOR 2019 PLANNING

3 PR LESSONS FOR 2019 PLANNING

Cision has released its latest Global Communications Report, which surveyed PR professionals from around the world on what their jobs involved in 2018. From talent and online traffic, to content management and consumer activity, this report looks at everything happening in our world and where the industry is heading.  

Here are just a few of the top trends that marketing managers will want to be aware of for 2019:

  1. Data is the New Black: In 2018, PR professionals put their dollars in data. Forty-five percent of survey respondents said they spend up to 10 percent of their budget on measuring, monitoring and understanding the impact of their programs and campaigns. Thirty-three percent of respondents said they spent up to 20 percent of their budget on measurements and 33 percent placed media monitoring among their top three most important brand activities.

    Despite this trend, room for improvement with data remains. Seventy-seven percent of survey respondents said that comms can still do a better job at measuring and proving its impact on business objectives and 73 percent said that “aligning metrics to revenue or vital business KPIs” was the most difficult challenge when it came to measurement. This will continue to be an area of focus as PR pros look to forge quality metrics and position PR in the broader marketing mix.


     
  2. The Selling-Power of Social Media: Modern media channels are making moves on traditional ones. When asked to pick the most effective form of content to influence consumer buying behavior, social media easily ranked first, with 54 percent of those surveyed placing it among their top three, as opposed to the 44 percent last year. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they spend half or more of their media relations budgets on influencers. Ads on social media are up by 10 percent compared to last year, while broadcast features and traditional ad buys are down 6 percent and 4 percent, respectively.  


     

  3. Journalists Still Matter: While the opinions of family and friends continue to have the most influence on consumer trust, mainstream journalists follow closely behind in terms of impacting public thought. Sixteen percent of respondents ranked mainstream journalists the most important, just behind everyday consumers at 27 percent.

    It may seem as though traditional media is losing hold, but third-party validation is still valuable for communications professionals and their audiences. Among media relations professionals, 68 percent said they stay in touch with the media, even when and 71 percent consider traditional journalists among the most important audiences for their content.

 

Check out the full report to learn more about what changed in 2018 and gain more insights on the public relations industry. If these takeaways have you feeling motivated to explore new opportunities with your own media strategy, contact us to get started on a communications plan that works best for your brand in the new year.

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Posted By Jordan Lockhart

Jordan is a glass-half-full kind of girl and prefers an iced vanilla latte. She could talk for hours about the American political climate or her love for videos of dogs in ball pits. This Florida-native also loves cheering on the Tampa Bay Lightning, schooling her roommates in Jeopardy, reading historical, non-fiction thrillers and soaking up the sun with friends.