PR Trends: What’s in and What is Out

This is the seventh article in our online course series on the theory, practice, trends and secrets of New Age Public Relations. Other topics that we cover are:

Public relations trends

» What is Public Relations?
» PR Practice - Advanced Public Relations Techniques
» The Power of Public Relations Campaign
» How to Write and Publish a Press Release
» Internet Public Relations
» Small Business Public Relations
» PR Trends: What’s in and What is Out
» Top Secrets of Effective Public Relations
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What are the new rules of Public Relations? Here is how you can stay above the PR curve for new Millennium:

What’s In?

Face to Face Public Relations
Studies have proven, and it might be more so in the next decade, that connecting is what is going to keep us going, as opposed to all these loud pitching campaigns. We are going to see less of a reliance on technology as it’s really time consuming, and at the end of the day, makes us feel kind of useless.
Micromedia PR
Use of specialized tools (usually micro-blogging) like Twitter to connect journalists, bloggers, analysts and PR/marketing together in an efficient, unobtrusive, targeted, and productive way.
Social Media Mastering
Social Media is public relations. It has now become just as important to create a name for yourself online as well as offline.
- Put your face on Facebook
- Find some space at MySpace
- Dig the Digg articles
- Stumble on Stumpleupon
- Promote articles on EzineArticles
- Get on the tube at YouTube
- Really put on the RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
- …
Stronger Media Relationships
It will be more important than ever to secure and build stronger media relationships.
Going Green
You can’t open a magazine, scan a website or read a newspaper without hearing about a company’s transformation into eco friendliness. Then there are dozens of environmentally themed television shows not to mention networks. Helping Mother Earth is a great thing and becoming the proponent of all things green may help your bottom line as well.

Public Relations - What is out

What’s Out?

Expensive and Long-lasting PR Campaigns
Zero dollars spent on PR and marketing - is it possible? There are many smaller start-ups who have done the same: They have gotten incredible results from the viral nature of their products, services, and their personal abilities to establish though leadership through blogging and other online engagements.

Slide.com, for example, has managed to attract millions of users for its online apps on Faceback and MySpace for no dollars.
Expensive Wire Distributions
The days of paying for expensive press release wire distribution services are out. Today many free wire distribution services offer the same exposure as paid for press release distribution services.
all of these services offer free press release wire distribution services.
Faking Hype
Adding fake hype to a news story or tip to receive publicity is out. Find a true newsworthy storyline oppose to adding fake hype.
Running focus groups, sending out surveys
Today, we need to be actively listening all of the time to our customers, influencers, and communities of people that can impact our client’s business. Social media has established a constant flow of conversations and media online.
Using “messages” to target “users” and “audience.”
They don’t want to hear messages, they want to hear how you can help them do something better than how they do it today or how this is something that they couldn’t do before, taking into specific account, their daily regime. Messages are not conversations and there is no market for them.
Promote yourself as green even though it may not be entirely true
If your company uses twelve different toxic chemicals in its manufacturing process but uses recycled toilet paper, chances are that you’re not going to be considered to be green.

Public Relations - What is new

What’s New?

PR Pitching to Bloggers
The Public Relations Society of America held a panel discussion with “Meet the Mommie Bloggers”, just few weeks ago! Bloggers offer a vital solution to reach and also target mass audiences.
DotMobi Mobile PR
Utilize mobile communications to connect and gain exposure. Implement mobile websites for cell phones and mobile email communications.
- Purchase a .mobi domain name and create a mobile website to launch your mobile PR campaigns.
- Communicate through text messaging via mobile communications. You can send text messages from Internet email.
- Launch a mobile website blog. Directly interact via your mobile website blog.
- Conduct surveys via mobile communications. Utilize mobile websites, mobile blogs, and mobile texting.
Today the worldwide mobile data market is worth 100 billion dollars and in next 5 years the mobile content market is predicted to be worth $1 trillion dollars. Mobile websites offer an opportunity to reach 1.8 billion consumers through mobile phones. Targeting this market is setup to be the largest circulation to reach consumers in the world. Go Mobile!
PR Industry Co-opting
Form alliances with others that add value and help you to gain stronger media exposure.
Integration
The walls between marketing and communications are dissolving. This is happening because of the complex interdependence of all of the channels on each other.

Public Relations Trends - The Bottom Line

A new course of action is to focus on the actual meaning of PR - public RELATIONS. That means relations — as in relationships between people. Organizations - companies, government bodies, non-profits — are made up of people. People need to talk to people.