10 Yetis Insight Blog - 9 Predictions for the PR Industry in the Next 5 Years

The future can be a scary prospect. Nobody knows what it has in store; be it friendships, relationships, employment or, you know, the PR industry!

Here at 10 Yetis, we like to think we’re at the forefront of the industry. We were trendsetters in PR for SEO, get fantastic results for our clients and execute some pretty cool cross-platform campaigns, if I do say so myself. So who better to make 9 predictions for the future of the PR Industry? No one, that’s who.

So, here’s my top 9 predictions for the PR industry:

1.SEO, SEO, SEO

PR for SEO has become one of the most requested forms of PR we experience as an agency. More and more businesses are realising the positives behind having an SEO driven PR campaign. Whether it’s to get your website higher in the rankings of search engines or to recover from a Google penalty, PR for SEO can really give your website and business a boost.

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We’re fortunate in that we spotted this trend before it came mainstream and have managed to use our expertise to get ahead of the industry in PR for SEO. With more agencies and businesses realising the advantages of SEO driving PR campaigns, SEO will become the future of the PR industry.

2.Cross Platform

We’ve started to see the introduction of cross-platform campaigns in the PR industry and it is only a matter of time before every PR campaign is cross-platform.

At 10 Yetis, we try to make every single one of our campaigns cross-platform. If you didn’t know already, cross-platform campaigns are campaigns that incorporate a number of elements to broaden the reach of the campaign. These can include video, web widgets and microsites, social media and stunts, as well as your standard PR, all in one campaign.

"We were the first agency to successfully merge social media, video and public relations campaigns into one giant, big, awesome (you get it) campaign for our clients.” – Andy Barr, 10 Yetis (head Yeti)

They are incredibly effective, as we have seen from campaigns with the likes of Confused.com, Holiday Cottages and our very own Social Santa.

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3.Social Media

Social media really has taken over people’s lives. These days, you’ll struggle to find someone that isn’t on social media, and it’s strange if you do! Brands, businesses and PR agencies are using social media to target their customers.

It really is scary the effect that social media can have. If someone influential tweets or shares your news story then the amount of attention and traffic you can receive is incredible. The future of the PR industry will see agencies targeting social media more and using social media stats as a measure of the success of a campaign.

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4.Death of the Press Release?

How long has the press release got left? Well, it’s impossible to really put a lifespan on it, but I believe the future of the PR industry will see the death of the press release.

The facts are that journalists get hundreds of press releases into their inbox every single day, so you have to stand out. A catchy headline and strong news hook is always good, but if you can do something else to standout then it will be even better.

Does this point towards the death of the press release? Maybe.

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5.All Under One Roof

As an agency, we are proud that we are able to offer all services under one roof. We offer public relations, social media, web design, graphic design and video production, which enables us to offer clients integrated, cross-platform campaigns with the ease of everything being done in-house.

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I think this will be a big part of the future of the PR industry. Cross-platform campaigns will mean that more and more agencies will be offering products and services in-house and integrating all elements in client campaigns.

6.Bloggers

Bloggers have almost become the new journalist and celebrity all rolled into one. Think Zoella, Joe Sugg, the Michalaks, Tanya Burr, Hannah Gale etc.

These people are among the most famous people in the UK and are key to targeting the youth in the country. Many listen to and hang onto every word they say, so if you can get them to endorse your product or brand then you’re onto a winner.

We’ve managed to do some great work with various bloggers and our clients and campaigns have seen the benefit from it. This has included some great work for Optical Express with bloggers such as Poppy Rawson.

7.Influencers

Influencers are the trend setters and do what they say on the tin; influence people. They key to many PR campaigns is to target these influencers to create a buzz around your campaign.

These influencers have an impact on both the consumer and journalists, so can really get your business or brand noticed. We did a post recently about 42 of the big deal influencers in the tech world and are able to use tools and lists like this to tailor our campaigns to target them.

Influencers are the way forward for getting your client noticed and a number of agencies are already noticing this.

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8.Multi-Skilled PRs

The future PR professional will have to be multi-skilled, with the demand for cross platform campaigns meaning the need to a variety of skills. Being a good communicator will no longer be all that is required of PR professionals.

Anyone working in the PR industry will need to have a good understanding of search engine optimisation and what it will mean for PR campaigns. Basic video editing and Photoshop skills will be essential, as well as a basic understanding of HTML in the future.

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9.Global Regulator

One potential food for thought is whether the future of the PR industry will see a global regulator come into force? At present, there are so many different laws and restraints against media communications around the world, that there needs to be some consistent regulation.

For example, British publications are heavily contained by media laws, whereas the likes of those in Russia do not face the same containment. Perhaps the future of PR will see equal, global laws for all set by one global industry regulator?

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