In the ever-changing world of communications, it’s imperative for marketers to stay on top of the trends. Cision conducts an annual survey of more than 1,550 North American journalists and influencers to gauge the status of the media. Recently, we dove into The Cision State of the Media Report 2017, to see if we were putting our best foot forward in our public relations efforts. We wanted to share our key takeaways with fresh produce marketers so that you can consider how you’re approaching your PR strategy as well!
The Struggle to Hold Trust
With recent events, such as the presidential election, people have become more skeptical of the news and opinions they find online than ever before. Ninety-one percent of journalists believe that the media is somewhat or much less trusted than they were three years ago. With this statistic being a new reality, reporting accurate facts holds more weight than being the first to report. While this may be an adjustment to traditional public relation professionals, journalists and the public alike will begin to trust your brand, which is an invaluable reward to be reaped.
The Reliance on Public Relations Professionals
Now a days, opinions of public relation professionals change constantly however, 63 percent of journalists stated that their reliance on these individuals have not changed. Journalists are still looking to PR pros to produce a solid foundation for their stories. With the emerging trend of utilizing influencers to bolster brand awareness, this is now a tool that PR can use to their benefit when looking to pitch a story. Journalists are encouraged to pursue a story that has third-party validation, is relevant to their audience and is pitched in a way that is personalized. This leaves the responsibility up to the PR professionals to do their homework and be knowledgeable in their pitches, rather than a “batch and blast” method of pitching.
The Digital and Social Media Migration
Video content continues to grow in popularity, with more brands utilizing Facebook Live to document real-time engagement. As trust in traditional media drops, the need for brands to communicate across multiple channels has increased. With the rise of influencer marketing, influencers and bloggers alike are able to support brands looking to communicate across digital and traditional channels. This is also helpful since journalists are more inclined to pursue stories with pictures, videos and influence. When communicators pair compelling messages and format with pitching best practices, they can drive better and more accurate coverage to increase earned media opportunities.
The Trends to Watch
Since the landscape of the communications world is constantly cultivating, this presents an opportunity for PR professionals to try out new things. According to the State of the Media Report, press releases and story leads ranked first followed by expert interviews and images. While video and image-based content holds weight to journalists, the need to get accurate information to the media is more important. Because of this, PR has an open lane to get creative in their writing when looking to get picked up by journalists.
Although the traditional media pool is evolving, it allows public relation professionals to break the mold previously established. Knowing the key players in the editorial game is vital to PR professionals looking to pitch and land their stories in the media. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the State of the Media! Tweet us at @thecoreblog or @sarahbockholtpr.
