Media & PR Trends for 2024

My socials have been flooded with 2024 ‘In’s and Out’s’ posts, followed by posts from people calling out the same, saying how defunct the concept is lol. So, I was in two minds on whether I would even post this, but you know I thought ‘nah, let’s do it’ and figured that there would be some interest in the topic.

Here is my take on what the 2024 PR/Media Landscape will look like – in the ‘Ins and Out’s’ format (don’t hate!)!

IN’S:

Real stories.

Now more than ever people want to connect with the face or the journey behind the brand, and the media are following suit. It’s time to share the story behind your product or service- your why, your mission, the challenges encountered, your learnings – all of the good stuff!

Forecasting of trends.

This is great for any go-to experts or industry leaders. People are time-poor are always looking for quick and easy ways that will give them knowledge or insight to put them ahead of the curve. Based on your expert insight and experience, your advice on certain topics, forecasting of relevant trends or the embracement of new tech such as AI will always be of interest.

Cost of Living

Was a big one in 2023 and the issue isn’t going away anytime soon. Any content that you can provide, particularly interesting or unique ways to save some money, will be in demand.

Hacks

Going back to the time-poor angle. If you can provide hacks or short-cuts to save time, money or brainpower, then the media want to know. Quite often these are things that may seemingly be a no-brainer to you but can be mind-blowing to others. Hint: No use promoting hacks that have been covered before!

Multi-level servicing

This is in relation to client servicing. Getting media exposure is one thing, leveraging the exposure and supporting media outreach via other PR or marketing efforts/activities will make all the difference when it comes to impact and ROI.

Digital publications

Whilst being featured in print is still an amazing feat, there are a tonne of benefits of being featured solely online. Not only do more and more people consume media online vs. print, the shareability of online articles is chef’s kiss – you can easily share and link the article to your socials, emails and more. Having the piece published is a relatively quick process (no long lead time) and the SEO that comes with this is also a great bonus!

OUT’S:

Mass email pitching.

We have always promoted a personalised approach to pitching vs. mass media distribution. Gone are the days when sending a Media Release to hundreds of targets will get you exposure – a very outdated practice. I’m not saying that there is no space for this, it does have a role to play, but I would prioritise a personalised approach any day as the conversion rates (for us anyway) are much higher.

Promotion of new offer/service/event with no value add to the media’s audience.

Sorry to break the news to you, the media are absolutely not interested in any new workshop, course or offer you are launching – unless it is something revolutionary. They will see this as advertorial rather than editorial and you can expect a call from their sales team in return. A good PR agent will know how to weave your new offering into a broader story.

Rinse and repeat approach to client servicing.

Cookie cutter approaches have never been ‘in’ with us, and they shouldn’t really be in for anyone really. What works for one, will rarely work for another. A tailored approach is the winning way and will allow you to get maximum bang for your buck.

One dimensional PR

PR that focuses just on obtaining media exposure is starting to get outdated. It’s time to push the boundaries of traditional PR and add other delicious elements such as repurposing the content for socials, email marketing and blogs, engaging influencers at unpaid or paid capacities, identifying unique opportunities and partnerships and more.

PR is an ever-evolving area of business and now more than ever, the delineation between ‘PR’ and ‘Marketing’ is more blurred than ever. The key to ‘PR’ success is to be on the ball with what is trending at the moment, how the media are wanting content to be delivered and being adaptable and holistic to client needs for maximum impact and ROI!