Public Relations in 2012

While it's a little early to document the trends for public relations or PR in 2012, there are a few things that seem to be happening here on the "front lines" of PR.

1. Budgets are back, and companies are willing to spend money and commit to the concept and value of PR for the purpose of supporting their marketing, brand development, and communications.

2. That said, clients are impatient. In this "get it NOW" world, clients want tangible results, and they want them fast. Today that seems to mean web traffic. While PR can drive web traffic and spike it, (and it does), that's not the complete measure of good PR. To keep clients happy while "buying the time" it takes to put enough information together and out there to get results will continue to be the biggest challenge that publicists will have in 2012.

3. Facts with sequins on them still works. PR has always been the sector of marketing that gathered, compiled, and stored facts and information and communicated it to key audiences,primarily media, sometimes with some glitz and glam, some video, speeches, media tours, media kits, etc. This "stuff" still works. Today media relations has changed, but not much. People are still people, and people are in charge of the digital media. So in addition to news releases and paid distribution services, companies are recognizing they still need to "press the flesh," develop relationships, and put the time into creating the media network that makes the rest of marketing so much easier. That takes a publicist and it takes time.

4. Trend: Outsourced Social Media. Companies will continue to use social media for a variety of things, but it will shift from a marketing driven "project" to a top down C-level project that will put it in into the PR mix. Companies are discovering that social media is on the front lines of customer service and PR. Businesses are beginning to recognize that they have put the youngest, least experienced employees (or even interns!) in charge of their social media program. This means they have the kids running loose with the microphone, effectively in charge of a global image. Trend for 2012: outsource social media content creation to professionals. Social media is an awesome tool for PR and customer service, and in 2012 more companies will figure out how to use it effectively. PR firms and copywriters will help. Marketing will manage the back end of the system and help with strategic direction, but professional copywriters will supply the content.

5. Content in bulk, but it has to be good. It's about quantity today, which is good news for all those out of work journalists who need something to do. Everyone wants and needs content to drive their SEO engine and give it what one of my clients calls "Google Juice." (See post WRITERS WANTED!)

Check back here in a year and we'll see if these trends hold true for 2012. In the meantime, have a wonderful New Year's Weekend as the start of what I hope will be a blessed new year for you.