The PR industry is evolving fast. Thriving in 2025 means that as PR professionals, we have no choice but to adapt and innovate, to stay ahead of the curve. With print media continuing to decline, trust in the media eroding, and social platforms reshaping how stories are told, we face an urgent challenge: how can we remain impactful and credible in the new 'mass media' era? The old faithful tried-and-tested tactics aren't enough. While the lines between content, commerce, and communication are blurring, clients and stakeholders are demanding more than just coverage - they want results they can see and measure. Success in 2025 will mean embracing new tools, fostering genuine relationships, and rethinking strategies not just to meet, but exceed expectations. So, what does that look like in practice? From leveraging data to redefining how we engage with journalists, the strategies needed to thrive will have to be bold and necessary. But how? Here are some thoughts on how the PR industry could up its game over the next 12 months: 1. Champion Data-Driven PR CampaignsIn 2025, PR pros will need to think like data scientists. The key to landing coverage shouldn’t just focus on creative ideas - they also need to be aligned with audience led data. Understanding what people are searching for, talking about, and emotionally connecting with are key to creating stories that resonate. Tools like Google Trends, Answer the Public and Exploding Topics provide insights into the themes, questions, and concerns driving public interest. By aligning your campaigns with these insights, you can create narratives that tap into the zeitgeist, increasing the likelihood of media pickup. 2. Become the Beacon of Credibility in a World of MisinformationIn an era where misinformation spreads faster than facts, PR as an industry must become champions of credibility. Journalists and their audiences are increasingly sceptical so anything we’re pitching must show authority and inspire trust. This means creating more E-E-A-T led content (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), while delivering meticulously researched data or expert insights. Whether it’s a white paper, exclusive report or commentary from a qualified specialist, your content should shine as a dependable resource that journalists can rely on - and readers can believe in. Fluffy pieces are becoming less and less effective. 3. Master SEO to Your Elevate PR ExpertiseIn 2025, every PR pro should see themselves as an SEO. Many already possess key SEO skills from creating high-value content and generating backlinks through their online coverage. Often, the SEO benefits are gained without those doing the work even realising it! If you're in PR, 2025 should be the year to up skill your SEO knowledge. Doing so will help you clearly demonstrate the full impact of your work by combining both skillsets. (see more on how you do this in my Brighton SEO Slides here). It will also play a huge part when having the 'value of PR' conversations with stakeholders. 4. Broaden Your Reach by Targeting Untapped AudiencesMany PR campaigns overlook untapped audiences and miss valuable opportunities to engage with them. In 2025, PR professionals must actively seek out audiences that are relevant but may have been previously overlooked. For example, if you're a beauty brand promoting a new set of lashes, in addition to your usual national, lifestyle, and women’s weekly titles, consider pitching to other relevant groups. Think about beauty enthusiasts with specific needs, such as lash wearers with allergies or sensitive skin and body hair loss, or groups involved in special events like weddings or photoshoots (where lashes play a key role). When building your media list, think outside the box and include contacts that neither you nor your competitors are considering in your day to day. 5. Personalise Outreach Emails Like Never BeforeGeneric, mass emails won’t cut it in 2025. Journalists are overwhelmed with pitches - some receiving up to 1,000 emails a day! Blanket, long-winded outreach tactics are now unlikely to get noticed. Personalisation is key. Segmenting different niches, re wording angles and even personalising the first paragraph of your pitch can make a huge difference. Reference a recent article they've written that ties to your pitch or, acknowledge a significant life event that’s relevant, such as a new baby, recent move, or new role. Take the time to understand their publication’s editorial calendar and the stories they’ve covered recently. Invest in finding out about their personal interests and approach them in a way where they feel they haven't been blanket emailed. The time taken to do this will improve your open and response rates, even if you don't get to send out as many emails. A huge 2025 trend will be about personalisation and media outreach should be no different. 6. Bring Back Face to Face Journalist Meet UpsIn the post-COVID, work-from-home era, meeting with journalists has become a rarity. Meet ups and face-to-face interactions are more important than ever! Beyond press events and product launches, meeting journalists in real life helps build genuine relationships that stand out and have longevity. In 2025, make the effort to connect in person whether it’s over coffee, lunch or after work drinks. Take the time to understand their beats, interests, and professional dynamics - freelance or staff. This enables your pitches to hit the mark and strengthen your rapport a lot quicker. Let's face it - human interaction resonates better. Set targets for you/your team to meet as many journalists as you can! 7. Stop Letting Outdated Media Lists Hold You BackOutdated media lists are a common problem with bounce-back emails derailing outreach efforts. Journalists change roles frequently so relying on old contacts wastes time and credibility. Regularly update your lists - whether it’s correcting email addresses, tracking role changes, or adding new contacts. If you have access to tools like Buzzstream, monitor bounce-backs and ensure your outreach lands where it matters. This point seems like a no brainer - I know! But you would not believe the amount of media lists I've had to clean up/ update due to the huge bounce rates I was getting from outreach campaigns. 8. Collaborate with Freelance JournalistsFreelancers are increasingly pivotal in the media ecosystem. Unlike staff journalists, they have more freedom to explore diverse topics making them great collaborative partners. Building strong relationships with freelancers can also open doors to commissioned stories. Offer them exclusives like unique data, expert commentary, or industry insights tailored to their sectors. Take the extra step to ask what kind of data or angles they’re looking for and go the extra mile to get them if you can. These connections can result in more meaningful, targeted media coverage in 2025. 9. Become an Indispensable PR Contact for Syndicated JournalistsJournalists at networks like Reach PLC and PA play a key role in syndication. Their stories often appear in multiple publications, including those that are harder to access. To tap into this opportunity, invest time in understanding their workflow, what they value, and their unique interests. Position yourself as their go-to PR contact for your niche, offering valuable insights that align with their needs and tight deadlines. 10. Make Micro Influencers a Core Part of your Campaign StrategyIn 2025, micro-influencers will solidify their role as essential partners for PR campaigns. Their highly engaged, niche audiences provide a unique opportunity for brands to tell authentic stories that truly resonate. To give your PR campaigns cut through, collaborate with micro-influencers where possible to share genuine, relatable content. Incorporate their storytelling into your brand’s narrative for campaigns that feel more personal and impactful. 11. Prove the Value of PR with Tangible MetricsProof that PR drives business outcomes will be even more important in 2025. As PR professionals, we need to get better at measurement to clearly show the value of our work. To show value, we should be creating bespoke reports and tracking metrics that align with key business goals. For example, a simple way to demonstrate increased brand awareness is by tracking brand search - comparing how many people are searching for a brand or product online year over year. Referral traffic is another key metric to measure, showing how often the coverage you’ve secured drives people to visit a brand’s website. And then there's social media engagement. Monitoring how people interact with content linked to your campaigns can reveal even wider impact. By using bespoke relevant metrics, we can clearly show how PR boosts visibility and drives results. You can see more on how to show the value of your work in my Brighton SEO Talk slides here . 12. Tap Into the Power of Podcast PlacementsPodcasts have become a powerful tool for reaching targeted audiences, offering a more intimate and engaged platform. In 2025, PR professionals should see podcast placements as a key avenue for building credibility. Position your brand/client experts as valuable voices in their industry. Pitch to secure them guest spots in the same way you do media outreach suggesting ideas, angles and topics they would excel in. Not only does this enhance thought leadership, it also taps into new, highly engaged audiences. Podcast placements are a powerful new media format where expert commentary, unique insights, and storytelling can drive brand credibility. 13. Curate and Repackage Existing Data into a PR GoldmineYou don’t always need to create your own research - valuable data is often already available. Focus on gathering and packaging up existing data from sources like search trends, social media insights, FOI requests, government reports, or industry studies. Curating data into compelling narratives offer journalists ready-to-use resources, making their job easier. Offering them easy to digest data will then increase your chances of building relationships and securing coverage. 14. Give Other Departments a Seat at the TableIn 2025, PR pros need to collaborate more closely with different departments - digital marketing, customer service, and product development if possible. E-commerce teams can offer valuable insights on trending products or popular search terms, while customer service teams can provide direct feedback from existing customers, highlighting pain points or FAQs that could inspire content. Product development teams may also have data on upcoming innovations that PR can use to tell a story. Working collaboratively with other disciplines will be key. 15. Embrace AI so you can Supercharge PRAnd then of course, there’s AI. It wouldn’t be a 2025 list without talking about how artificial intelligence is transforming the PR landscape. Automation will streamline repetitive tasks like media monitoring and reporting, freeing up time for more creative work. Tools powered by AI will enhance data gathering, sentiment analysis, and social listening, offering real-time insights that help PR pros craft smarter, more targeted campaigns. AI isn’t just a buzzword - it will become an indispensable part of how we plan, execute, and measure success in the PR world. And all we have to do is embrace it! Conclusion2025 is going to be a year of transformation for PR. Agility will be essential, and we must accept that the tactics that worked a couple of years ago won't be as effective. As misinformation spreads and client expectations evolve, we need to think on our feet and merge multiple skillsets across digital and social media. Embracing new trends, building stronger relationships with journalists and using data-driven insights will be key to results driven campaign that resonate. 2025 will be the year for smarter, more strategic thinking if we want to cut through the noise.
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