My PR predictions for 2018
Dear Lovely Business Owner,
I trust you have enjoyed a lovely meaningful time with your loved ones over these past few days. I know I have. I have eaten far too many roast potatoes, too much veggie haggis, yes really, and drank far too much mulled wine!!
Hic, hic… all in the company of my closest family member which was lovely, quite lovely!
As we head into 2018, here are my own personal predictions for PR!
- PR will become more important. With the incessant white noise of Social Media, PR will become something that small businesses like you use to grab your audience’s attention and create brand awareness like nothing else can do, it’s frankly incomparable!
- PR will become much more based around relationships, even more so than last year .You see the media are very very very busy people, who have demanding schedules and deadlines which they have to meet. Even in 2017, I encountered rather a few too many learning curves about this, and what I learned it the importance of getting back to them as fast as possible and seeing how you could help them, as that was where the magic happens!
- Getting mainstream PR will become more powerful than even; as even though Social Media creates community and influence, leads and business, mainstream PR carries the clout that Social Media just does not have.
- International PR will be something that raising someone’s influence and impact because in our interconnected world we are often communicating with people globally anyway, therefore to me, getting some international PR coverage is just the next step. Those who get PR outside of their main country, I believe will create much more impact and influence.
- PR will become even more dependent on Content Marketing; meaning that even in 2017, I know that journalists expected a number written blog posts which they could scan, as opposed to face book live videos, or other videos, or even books which they cannot watch or even have the time to watch, and most certainly do not have the time to read! Written blog posts will be even more in demand by the media; especially those on other websites like medium.com, for example.
- PR will be achieved much more so by visible social media relationships or email relationships which have already been established prior to the pitch! Journalists, are very busy, and this will not change in 2018, so I believe this means they will be even more loyal to those who can be seen already to follow them, support them and root for them and their work.
- Mainstream radio coverage will become a lot more important, as more and more people are turning off the white noise of their phones and digitally-detoxing; they are listening to the radio more and more whilst they are driving into work, or at home relaxing. This means that gaining PR coverage on the radio, will be seen as something to achieve in 2018 and beyond as you have longer time to share your tips and your story, and the audience is far less distracted!
- PR will hark back to the 1980s, where people used to meet up with journalists in person. This has already started as some PR firms even this year have started to organise in-person events where they have invited key media people for their clients and they went down a storm, as too much screen time, is making people lonely, dis-connected and overwhelmed and the media are not immune to this. So, meeting them in person is the most powerful way to start to build a relationship with them and puts you at a greater advantage of being featured in their particular form of media.
And that’s all folks!
If you would like some help with your own PR, sign up to my updates, and exclusive offers and join my one-off live event, on Wednesday 3rd January 2018, where in three two hour sessions I will be walking through my PR courses, to help you supercharge your visibility. More information here.
Or,until 31.12.17, You can book a virtual VIP day with me for just £750 instead of £1500.
Louise Cartright recently did this and this is what she had to say: “I’ve just come off my VIP call with Carrie and all I can say is WOW. She’s really helped me to connect the dots and see a common thread through all of my stories.
I’ve come away with more blog post titles than I could shake a stick at, a clear strategy of what I need to do in 2018 with regard to pitching my ideas to the media and ultimately I feel super empowered about my message and how I can get that out there is ways that illustrate my passion, my authenticity and my desire to be “real”. Thanks Carrie – I knew this programme was going to be a good investment.” Louise Cartright
Happy New Year! May it be your best year EVER!
Love Carrie x
