Most businesses find themselves in the midst of ever-escalating change, and knowing how to recognize, react to and successfully address and embrace change is becoming increasingly critical.

The business of public relations is undergoing a “sea change.” Overpriced launch events, same-ole ground-breakings and ribbon-cuttings, and staged photos of important people with other important people are examples of what many forward-thinking companies are no longer interested in doing or paying for.

An increasingly interesting and diverse digital landscape is, of course, driving much of this change, along with better and more accurate ways to measure companies’ messaging effectiveness in the digital world.

Social media platforms have completely revolutionized how companies and brands can market themselves. Smart businesses are starting to think more of social media as a two-way street for meaningful dialogue with their customers and prospects. It is important for brands to not ignore their key audiences and what those audiences want to say to them. A critical trend, then, is to stop thinking of social media as a one-way channel for pushing out corporate promotional data. Think of it and treat it as a meaningful way to engage and open up new channels of customer conversation.

Researching and utilizing podcasts that target your prospects and customers is a growing trend that will increase during 2023, as businesses become strategically aligned with compatible podcasts which are actually looking for interesting guests who can contribute meaningful commentary within their topical area.

While this has been a growing trend for several years, making strategic use of visual content online is becoming more important than ever. Words still matter, and they always will, but as attention spans continue to dwindle, the old adage is true that sometimes “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Brands need to ensure that they are putting out visual content in order to make themselves seen first.

Another trend is toward collaborating more with other brands. There is mutual benefit in teaming up with companies that share your value system in addition to sharing your target audience (just think of the excitement in the music industry when two popular artists collaborate on a new record!)

So, yes, the public relations industry is undergoing dramatic (and exciting) changes as we increasingly recognize the potential of digital media and the many new and different ways to tap into it.