One of the inevitabilities of each new year is that every pundit comes out of the woodwork in December and January with predictions for the months ahead. Why should they have all the fun? This year, I tapped my smart-as-a-whip colleagues at Breakaway for their thoughts on the current state of PR and predictions for how our industry will evolve in 2010.
But first, a look back at 2009. We’ve all lived through it, so there ain’t much to share that we don’t already know or haven’t experienced firsthand. The general assessment from my team members shouldn’t come as a shock: 2009 tested our collective mettle. One of my favorite quotes of all time—thank you, FDR— accurately sums up their responses: “When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
Indeed, we were all hanging on through much of 2009. A difficult economy, the shrinking media landscape, the rapid adoption of social media and the evolution of the role of the PR professional truly rocked our world. In 2009, we spent a significant amount of time observing/listening to the online chatter (a critical skill we will need to continue to hone), educating our clients on social media, setting them up for success with social media tools, and helping them communicate more directly with their customers, partners and other constituencies.
Our role of “middleman” was evolving, to be sure. We are now on the front lines. While this front-and-center position was a little scary at first, today it feels truly empowering. In fact, when I asked my gang to choose the terms that best defined the current state of affairs in PR, journalism and marketing, the overwhelming #1 choice was “Challenging.” But, significantly, “Invigorating” was the close second.
In 2010, we are all in a better position to flourish and grow. This is the year our industry truly morphs into something new, and Breakaway seeks to lead the way. A few tasty morsels from the soothsayers around me:
* More of the same relative to social media and media consolidation. The adoption of new skills and technologies will be more important than ever. We have become educators/resources as much as communicators.
* Embargoes and how we “pitch” news will continue to change as news cycles get shorter…and “audience-controlled information” becomes more of the norm. Connecting directly with these audiences will become more and more important.
* PR people need to be direct conduits of information, about their clients, but also about the industries they represent. They need to be resources on Linked-in, Twitter, Facebook and they need to be blogging.
* Print publications will continue to shrink or disappear altogether, while the number and diversity of online outlets will continue to grow. Specialized, niche sites and blogs that connect with their highly targeted audiences (think “ilovebeaglepuppies.com”) will make reaching the ideal individuals to share and learn about any piece of information easier. It’s no wonder tech media network NetShelter Technology Media, with its 180+ highly targeted publications, surpasses CNET, ZDNet and others in reach and number of unique visitors. The building of communities, through micro-targeting audiences, is the media success of the future.
* Is social media “dumbing-down” newswriting? Today it is moving in that direction. However, we’ll begin seeing more evidence of two distinct camps of media: the 24/7 breaking news blog/microblog (a la TechCrunch), and the more thoughtful, investigative media outlet/blog that will write feature stories and longer analysis of news (a la GigaOm Pro).
* Video will become a dominant vehicle for news…and video will dominate mobile devices.
* Tweets (and especially retweets) of coverage will become just as important to clients as the coverage itself.
* As companies dig themselves out of their respective economic holes, the PR landscape will become more competitive. It is critical for PR pros to work harder and more creatively, and to build strong relationships with valuable contacts.
One last thought. Our world is now dominated by networking. In 2010, making connections—both “real” and “virtual”—will become more important than ever. If this is a skill you’ve never nurtured, now is the time to do so!
A Shel of My Former Self
Ars Technica
All Things Digital
Bad Pitch Blog
Breakaway Blog
GigaOm
Influential Marketing Blog
Louis Gray
Mashable
PRNewser
Pro PR Tips
ReadWriteWeb
Scobleizer
Silicon Valley Watcher
Strategic Public Relations
TechCrunch
VentureBeat
Webware
Wi-Fi Networking News
ZDNet’s Social Business
