The PR industry is everchanging. With the rise in AI, the introduction of new social media platforms and the decline in print media all contributing to a new way of working for PR professionals.
Here, account manager Lauren Alcock looks back at eight years in the industry and discusses the best way to keep abreast of evolving industry trends.
On July 6,the new Threads app was launched. By July 10, the new social media platform had 100 million users.
This just shows how quickly things can change.
Since starting my career in 2015, the way we work has changed completely and as a result, so have the needs of our clients.
Various external factors have massively affected the industry as we knew it.
The pandemic, for example, and the lasting effects of lockdown have led to a rise in remote working, with many offices choosing to close their doors for good to cut costs.
Over the last five years in particular, the use of digital has drastically overtaken print media, meaning that online coverage is more prominent than ever. We have seen that many magazines are either now solely digital or in many instances, publication has ceased completely.
Many local newspapers have merged or scaled back, making the competition for coverage harder and the demand for digital presence even greater.
And we can’t forget about the rise of social media. The growth of apps like Instagram and TikTok and the introduction of more advanced features has led to the creation of new job roles and skill requirements.
A great example of this is influencer marketing – which hardly existed eight years ago, but according to a study by Influencer Marketing Hub, was used by 67% of brands on Instagram in 2022.
As the industry continues to evolve, it is so important that us PR professionals evolve too.
Investing in personal development is a huge part of a PR’s role to ensure clients benefit from the most up-to-date knowledge and expertise. It is also an employer’s role to facilitate and encourage this training.
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the world’s only Royal Chartered body for public relations professionals where members can benefit from training, mentoring and support.
As part of a CIPR membership, you are required to complete your CPD each year, which is made up of various learning activities such as webinars, podcasts and articles and the more you complete, contributes to your level of accreditation.
This has really benefited me as a PR professional, and I’m sure I speak on behalf of my colleagues when I say how much it has helped our agency grow.
All of us are passionate about the world of PR and are excited by what the future might hold as new technologies continue to emerge.
The industry we first entered may have changed, but our desire to achieve results for our clients remains steadfast.
So, what might my next eight years in the industry look like? I’m really not sure. But what I can tell you is – I’m excited to find out.
Is your business looking at exploiting the latest social and digital industry trends? Our team would love to work with you.
Contact us today or sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date.
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