Meet the New PR

By Natalie Slyman

Have you ever been the last person to know about something? The one friend who missed out on a party or trip, only to grin-and-bear weeks of inside jokes and references to the one event you couldn’t attend? The FOMO is real.

Unfortunately, FOMO is not limited to your personal life. It brings me no joy to tell you that you can, in fact, experience professional FOMO.

This stems from the fact that pretty much every industry under the sun is rapidly changing, thanks to the digital evolution. Access to information, the growth of content marketing, and the increased demand for authenticity from brands have changed everything.

Those professionals who get distracted, become too set in their ways, or fail to keep pace with their peers end up using yesterday’s tools to accomplish tomorrow’s goals — and that’s no good for anyone.

All this is to say that staying on top of trends in your industry — especially trends in PR, content, and social media — is key to achieving success for your brand. That’s why our team created a comprehensive resource (with a couple of free templates) to help our fellow communications leaders. It’s called “A Guide to Modern PR.”

Now, I’ll admit that when I think of PR, my mind instantly goes to Samantha Jones in an epic power suit holding a clipboard and wearing a headset. (Yes, I spent far too many nights in college watching “Sex and the City.”) But that idea of PR is really dated.

Modern PR is no longer characterized by a hyperfocus on generating buzz for a brand, event, or product by shamelessly promoting it through any means necessary.

Today, effective PR is built on a foundation of trust and fueled by really awesome content. Instead of blatant self-promotion, the goal is to build mutually beneficial relationships with online contributors, influencers, and thought leaders and to deliver true value to the audiences you share.

This guide pulls back the curtain on how the PR industry is shifting in this digital landscape. In it, we dive into the trends that have led to this shift, explain what they mean for your earned media efforts, and share the tips and tricks you need to know to execute an effective modern PR strategy.