5 Public Relations Trends to Watch in 2023

Authors: Natalia Barclay, Kellie Walton Benz

The new year is right around the corner, and with it comes a renewed opportunity for growth and change across all industries. For the public relations, industry – one that is constantly evolving to meet the demands of current events, technology, trends and best practices – 2023 presents an opportunity to usher in even bigger creative ideas, streamline data and reporting and continue helping brands reach their target audience.

Here are five PR and marketing trends to watch in the new year.

Social media will continue to become a space for e-commerce.

Combining social media with e-commerce is something Crowe PR currently recommends to consumer clients and will continue to recommend into 2023. Making a brand’s social media (such as an Instagram page) shoppable creates another touch point for consumers, increasing page visits and overall purchase potential.

Strong media relationships will continue to be paramount.

More and more writers are moving away from a single publication to pursue freelancing, and their beats are changing frequently. Thus, it’s becoming increasingly important for PR professionals to cultivate relationships with editors at target publications. PR pros should be well researched and prepared to create a personal connection prior to reaching out to a writer or editor, which will help them become trusted resources and increase the probability of their clients being covered in multiple top-tier outlets.

PR pros will need to back up results with data.

PR is an investment, and any investment should have quantifiable metrics to measure success. Throughout the years, PR pros have developed and identified key performance indicators (KPIs) to help measure the success and profitability of a campaign that goes beyond brand awareness, and it’s expected that data will continue to play an important role in PR and client relationships.

Data resources such as Google Analytics provide a way to show some insight into which features are generating website clicks, potential revenue and more.

AI will impact PR and marketing.

Artificial intelligence is on the rise. While it’s been advancing in recent years, the introduction of new AI tools for design, copywriting and photography is sure to impact PR and marketing. This provides an opportunity for teams to think even more creatively and leverage AI as an asset to help elevate strategies, streamline audience targeting and help PR add more value for clients.

Affiliate marketing will become a requirement for select media placements.

Affiliate marketing is no longer just an option brands need to consider, but a necessity if they want to make their way to the features page. With magazines increasingly going completely digital, publishers are needing a way to make up for those advertising dollars that no longer fill their paper pages. Working with a knowledgeable PR team can help brands connect with an appropriate affiliate marketing platform and get information in the hands of media.

Need help navigating the ever-changing trends in PR? Reach out to us.