As the media landscape evolves, so must your approach to PR
By Zoe Baptie, Associate Director - Head of Tech Practice
Having worked in B2B PR longer than I’d like to admit on paper, I've seen some significant shifts that have changed PR, if not for the long haul, then forever.
The pandemic was a catalyst for this (and I am sorry to bring up the word "pandemic" again). It would have happened eventually, but it definitely sped up the process. Newsrooms shrank pretty much overnight, and without income from event activations, many publications looked to other areas to commercialise. As such, what qualifies as news has become tougher as competition for column inches increases. Plus, many previously free-to-place thought-leadership-style placements have moved to a paid model. While thought leadership remains an important component of PR, it's no longer something that can be relied on as heavily. And to be successful, a punchy point of view and an opinion that offers a different take are needed.
When it comes to shrinking media opportunities, there’s one exception to the rule I’ve noticed. I remember when podcasts first became the shiny new coin. Pitching clients for opportunities would often require going down the paid-for model. However, with more outlets releasing their own podcasts and a rise in focused podcasts overall, there’s more competition among titles, making it easier to secure earned placements to get guests to appear. A win-win for PR.
News is also now instant. Gone are the days of AM vs PM deadlines - that is, of course, you are targeting a specific column. It’s more global, too. The borders between UK and US media continue to blur (in my opinion), with media titles tending to report on more ‘global’ matters with a regional-specific slant.
And where have the ‘open letter’ days gone? Before, rivals, partners, friends, and enemies would come together to rally behind a cause, post an open letter, and media chaos would ensue. Now, with the heavy reliance on LinkedIn and everyone having opinions, it’s become a flash in the pan. People read, they may react, they move on.
More fun please
This change isn’t just being driven by the editorial landscape either. We are hearing feedback to shift focus to the ‘fun’ activities, those that take the pressure off internal review times. There’s a huge emphasis on events and getting spokespeople on stage, which has pretty much brought everything full circle, and making this stretch further by creating content for owned media such as blogs, LinkedIn, and now with the rise in interest in Substack and Reddit. It’s then about looking at these individual channels and thinking about how to make content more shareable and more engaging, which is where short snackable videos are seeing increased demand.
Reddit and Substack are definitely worth watching. I’ve had journalists approach recently, saying they’ve seen something on Reddit and are wondering if there’s any weight to it. So we know, anecdotally anyway, that these platforms are being monitored for their next scoop.
You can’t escape it: AI
As client priorities have changed, so have our PR strategies. As such, we find ourselves at a crossroads, needing to know more about SEO and GEO. We’ve had to be agile, adapt, and learn quickly to stay on the front foot. The intersection of keywords in PR thought leadership, paid media, owned media, and social media, and their influence on GEO overviews and AI-generated search, remains increasingly important as the fight for eyeballs and share of voice continues.
What it has brought to light is the importance of having a varied content strategy. It seems that GEO favours sponsored content due to its longevity on the homepage and its placement in newsletters. However, the continuity and authoritative voice that earned media brings to the table, coupled with a steady cadence of social media activity, establishes trust, credibility, and topical expertise within AI-generated responses. Think EEAT - Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness - to ensure your content remains seen and found.