Buckle up, 2024 is going to be a wild ride in the world of public relations and social media. Here are my top five things to watch for as we enter the new year.
Accuracy, authenticity and credibility should be your top priority
We’ve heard “Honesty is the best policy” our entire lives, but now more than ever it is necessary to function transparently as an organization. Consumers are smart and are tired of fake news, clickbait and propaganda. From social media to public relations, make sure your efforts are factual, genuine and authentic.
I often compare public relations to a bank account. Build as much goodwill or put as many deposits as possible into the bank account of public perception. If and when things go sideways and you need to make a withdrawal, you can do so honestly and with the hope of understanding from your audiences.
2024 is really a make it or break it year for media relations
I’ll be honest, I didn’t have “global pandemic” or “highly contested presidential election” on my bingo card as we finished planning for 2020. It made me a better PR pro and a more out-of-the-box thinker, but reflecting on that time still makes my eye twitch.
From another hot presidential election to the Summer Olympics, I think 2024 is going to rival 2020 when it comes to challenges with earning media coverage. Never fear! We’re smarter, calmer and more collected. Heck, if we can survive the ’20s to this point, we can survive anything. Here are some ways you can prepare for a challenging year.
- Newsrooms are swamped. Be prepared, be responsive, be credible, be helpful.
- Tell your own story. Use social media and owned channels like newsletters and blogs, and leverage others, like brand ambassadors, brand loyalists and influencers, to share key messages.
- Decide early what topics your organization is comfortable jumping in on. Presidential elections open the door on a lot of different content areas. If you’re prepared to act fast, your organization can be the voice of trust and reason.
How you support your media relationship in 2024 will have a big impact on future opportunities.
Stay committed to your values
Fun fact: 68% of consumers expect their brands to be clear about their values. From corporate social responsibility to diversity, equity and inclusion to sustainability, your organization needs a clear view on the causes they care about. With support from leadership, decide what those topics are, how you’re going to get involved and make sure your audiences know you align.
The upside of micro-influencers
Micro-influencers fall in the 10,000-100,000 followers range. They tend to have a very specific and very engaged following. What you give up in reach with macro- or mega-influencers, you gain in engagement rate with micro-influencers (bonus: You’ll see a big shift in the importance of engagement rate over impressions!). Audiences tend to connect with micro-influencers in a dramatic way, because their content is so niche and so specific to their interests.
Pro-tips:
- Define your goals and objectives
- Take the time to discover and vet your influencers
- Help your influencers tell your story by providing brand messaging
- Have monthly check-ins with your influencers
AI is, at a minimum, something you need to pay attention to
Paul Roetzer said, “AI won’t replace marketers. Marketers who use AI will replace marketers who don’t use AI.” While I don’t think that the machines are taking over the world, at least not in 2024, I do think marketers need to understand AI, how it can create efficiencies and how to talk about it to your stakeholders. Odds are, there is some form of artificial intelligence that is already making your job easier, it’s just already baked into the tools you use. If you’re just dipping your toe into the world of artificial intelligence, here are some resources on ethics and terminology.
Questions? Drop us a line or let’s get social.
