Well, aren’t we the luckiest bunch in the new millennium? Inundated with marketing platforms that reach billions and gain leading popularity overnight? Not only do we have more competitors between big and small brands, but we have a slew of constantly evolving PR strategies and tactics to utilize in our marketing campaigns. Quite the opportunities, wouldn’t you agree?
Many of 2019’s PR trends will piggy back off of strategies already in place, like public relations email and newsletters. The greedy news? A few more new trends, but nothing you can’t handle.
Most Important Public Relations Marketing Strategy Trends of 2019:
Branding
Branding is not new, but it is still important. Branding distinguishes you from competitors, which is vital, sure. But branding is the marketing element that gives you the power over what the media says and what the consumer thinks about your company.
Use branding to bolster your image. Besides offering a stellar product or service, how do you want the public to view your brand? It’s a chance to show off your executive team that’s well entrenched in the future of your industry; your philanthropic endeavors; or how open-eyed and current you are committed to staying in this technologically leaping era.
Contributor Marketing
Contributor marketers are all the rage, and reasonably so. As the culture torn between content marketing and journalism finds a grip on the future, contributors are frequently invited to share insight on relevant industry topics. Contributor marketers shake up the voice of brand media, they have an undeniable authentic feel and when the contributor is not first and foremost a journalist, the consumer enjoys hearing what they have to say about a topic. Contributions feel delightfully candid, they can be economical and depending on the voices brought in, and they help gain outside media attention. Test the writing skills of your influencers or interview them in a Q&A to check off two PR outreach tactics in one swoop.
Executive Thought Leadership
As modern day marketers, we have an endless vessel of innovative ideas to drive communication and sales. But we still value the opinions of our industry leaders. So much so that we scavenge the pages of news and our Twitter feeds to find out what they’re talking about and stating for the future.
The solution for your brand’s PR? Get your leaders in the conversation. If your executive team can spare time to reflect on recent changes or explain in digestible jargon what to expect in your industry, harness that intelligence and use it to reflect on your brand. Thought leadership should not be overlooked. Sure, we all have a genius within us, but let’s at least cast a light on the stage upon which our executive leaders guide the masses.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is growing more important and proving to be highly valuable to brands who capitalize on the right influencers. Because of social media, consumers are able to interact with influencers in a more personal way. Instead of representing a brand or being its spokesperson, influencers share the ins and outs of their lives through photos, videos, thoughts, and ideas.
As we get to ‘know’ them, we begin to assign their opinions higher regard; even as much as we grant to our friends’. A recent Nielsen survey said that 92 percent of consumers trust recommendations from individuals whom we do not personally know over what the brand communicates. That’s pretty remarkable!
Integrated Marketing Campaigns
Integration is key. If you have not yet adopted the comprehensive marketing approach, 2019 is an excellent time to hop on board. Since nearly every type of media and consumption that a consumer uses is available at her fingertips, she is used to digesting multiple stories and types of content at once.
A consumer might be tagged in a brand influencer’s Instagram post, and she sees the tagged photo, clicks on the tagged brand within in the image and instantly, opts to purchase the featured scarf. Sharing and shopping are easily one, and that’s just one example of integrated marketing.
In every campaign you host, you want to make sure that all media outlets are in use and featured in every relevant post. In an advertisement, a shout-out to influencers can be made with a purchase now option, outbound links to relevant content, easy access to social handles and an exit option to the campaign’s landing page. It sounds like a lot, but imagine all facets of your marketing strategy as a bundle. Everywhere the campaign goes, the bundles follows. Like groupies. But for marketing.
Journalistic integrity
As we’ve seen the media takeover by fake news sites this autumn and winter, fact checks will grow more important than ever in 2019. The consumer has a skeptic’s eye on just about all content produced. That means that in house, you need to do everything within your control to ensure that your branded content is factually, verifiably accurate.
Live Video
Live video is so 2019, and we are so stoked about it! If you haven’t already experimented with Snapchat or Facebook Live, now is the time. The ability to pop in on a brand at any given point in the day (or during an event) has turned out- not so surprisingly, really- to effectively grasp the consumer’s attention. Live video is an ingredient you don’t want to overlook in your upcoming year’s strategy.
Social Media
Social media is continuing to evolve. It is essential that you identify which social mediums resonate with your consumers and then utilize them! If you opt for a social presence, own it. Be there often with contributory comments and with useful, quality content of your own. Make sure to include social media in all marketing campaigns.
The Dot URL
Your web address matters, there’s no way around it. A strong URL makes for an easy destination upon search. A memorable URL eventually prompts the searcher to bypass a search engine’s suggestions and head straight to your site. However, since the boom of the Internet and all things dot-com, the options left for title claiming are slim. The good news is, you have options outside of the dot-com ending.
Some of these trends might sound completely new, and others might be already snug in your current strategy. If you need help accommodating any of the ideas above, the team at Executive Digital has you covered. Give us a call to set up a time to discuss your brand, the upcoming year’s trends and how to dominate your industry in 2019.