Key challenges faced by Public Relations in 2015

The 21^st century has brought on a new sunrise for the Public Relations domain. Although, the Internet has reinvented the idea of putting a message forward, it has become difficult to be heard amidst the din of several messages leading to cacophony. An ineffective PR message has the ability to desensitise the readers and viewers. That the PR agency business is booming is an indubitable fact and new opportunities abound but running a firm of this kind successfully comes with multiple challenges and risks.

This is one of the reasons why professionals associated with the PR domain want to know about the factors that can change the rules of the game.

It won’t be incorrect to state that it is crucial to know about the challenges faced by Public Relations in-depth. In fact, experts are of the opinion that focussing on the game changers can also come in handy.

In this post, we have tried to identify the top challenges faced by Public Relations so that defining the future of one’s PR firm is easier.

• PR optimisation

When optimising PR in accordance to the mobile, it is important to think beyond how the content will be displayed on a smaller screen. The PR strategy should be positioned to identify how brands are able to fit into clients’ communication.

• Personalisation of content

Clients prefer information that comes with a personalised approach, shared through the right channel at the most appropriate time. It is an absolute-must that PR is able to adopt a personalised approach and make use of engaging tactics.

• Understanding ‘local’ market conditions

It has been found that PR customers and stakeholders usually look for support in their neighbourhood. It is also crucial to understand the geographical and cultural specifications of a particular country to find out about the market conditions better. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is by networking with varied PR teams of other countries for an efficient approach.

• Real-time crisis management and impact of social media

Over 30% of the crisis occurring in enterprises achieves attention at the international level within a day. The question is not about ‘if a business will witness a crisis or not’, but when. Only a comprehensive media monitoring service lets brands take care of their reputation and find out details about a brewing crisis on the Internet, print, TV, radio and social media platforms. This is one of the reasons why Public Relations agencies should act swiftly when they are able to identify the warning sign in advance.

Also Read: USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT: HOW & WHY 

• Old-school journalism taking backseat

In the past, media outlets were treated as the gatekeepers of information, but this belief is fast changing. Organisations now prefer to tell their own stories in a more engaging manner.

• Success measurement

PR initiatives are needed to be measured to display the success and failure rate as clients are more focussed on results. Public Relations agencies should follow measurement-driven approach for their clients.

• Importance of transparency

Negative news can hamper the image of an enterprise considerably. Honesty and transparency are the only ways through which brands are able to address the issues related to poor client experiences.

• Focus on image

When content is driven by a good image, it becomes possible to enhance client engagement and retention apart from bolstering sales. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Pinterest have the potential to boost the revenue generation process. It is believed that the next-generation press releases will be distributed through videos and social media posts.

Also Read: Top brand positioning strategies for businesses to stay ahead

• CSR-driven businesses

Enterprises are successfully identifying the benefits of CSR programs to boost their value since more customers are inclined to associate with cause-driven brands.

• Stress on two-way PR

Since most of the target audiences can reply to messages immediately, it is important to alter messages after receiving feedback from the audience.

Despite the challenges witnessed by the PR domain, the Internet will continue to play a significant role for disseminating information.

Do you agree with the PR industry challenges cited by us? Please share your thoughts through your comments below.