Some of the most important PR trends in 2019 will involve strengthening strategies for nurturing trust and building relationships with the media, influencers and customers. Traditional PR and earned social media coverage lend themselves to these strategies and will remain effective ways to market a product in 2019.
Media Relations Agency’s clients will benefit from the following five PR trends, among others, in 2019. If your PR campaign isn’t also entrenched in relationship building, we can help you make the necessary adjustments.
1. Earned media coverage will play a bigger role in nurturing customers’ trust. Consumers still depend on traditional earned media sources such as TV, print and radio. Earned media coverage supplies trusted third-party validation.
But to tell your story in print and broadcast news, as well as digital versions of those media outlets, you must have a reputable relationship with reporters, bloggers and other influencers. Every day, Media Relations Agency’s PR strategists and publicists partner with reporters, producers and high-profile bloggers to identify story opportunities featuring our clients. We provide them with whatever they need to tell a complete story, including written content and visuals as well as coordinating spokesperson appearances.
2. The media will continue relying on trusted publicists for reputable content. We were shocked to learn that 60 percent of marketing/communications professionals surveyed said identifying and connecting with key influencers was one of their biggest challenges. Yet the media’s reliance on PR professionals has not changed. Because Media Relations Agency pioneered performance-based PR with our Pay Per Interview® model – where our clients only pay for results – our livelihood depends on the relationships we’ve developed with the media over the last 30+ years. These good relationships are why reporters and top bloggers reach out to us for stories, and why they take our calls when we have a story to pitch to them.
3. Companies will use traditional PR to boost their credibility. Traditional media channels are the backbone of a well-designed PR campaign. Just because you love home decorating doesn’t mean you’re familiar with the top interior design blog; but you can probably name at least one show on HGTV. Traditional media outlets also hit larger audiences, giving our clients greater reach with their messaging.
4. Companies will choose marketing agencies based on their ability to deliver on strategy and whether they use a well-defined marketing process. We apply our six-step Strategically Aimed Marketing (SAM 6®) to all our projects. In addition to ensuring that everything we produce is on point, SAM 6 enables us to look at the campaign from every angle and identify gaps while it’s still in the planning stages. With SAM 6, we also stay nimble so we can respond quickly to changes.
5. There will be an even stronger emphasis on message consistency. The lines between traditional media, social media, digital marketing and digital advertising will continue to blur. We help our clients develop ongoing relationships with their audiences across multiple channels. Traditional and social media, for example, can and should work together. Integrated marketing using a consistent voice and messaging across all channels is simply a more efficient way to achieve measurable results.
We love what we do, and we are very excited to apply our 30+ years of strategic marketing experience to help our clients reach their 2019 goals. Let’s talk about what a creative and well-designed PR plan might look like for your business. Call 952-697-5269 or click here to request your free consultation and publicity estimate.