Raleigh NC| Public Relations in 2009

Where will PR go in 2009?

OK.  So the public relations industry in changing — most of us know that.  But where is the industry headed in 2009?  Well, the safe thing to say would be “online,” but I’m going to try and get a bit more specific than that.  Some people are saying 2009 is the year that newspapers will die.  I don’t buy it.  The Wall Street Journal may print less newspapers, but their readership will continue online.  The same goes for the other large newspapers.  So now that I’ve told what will not happen in 2009, let’s look at what will happen.

Twitter

Twitter has taken off in 2008.  By the end of 2009 every public relations firm worth its salt will have a presence on Twitter.  Why?  There are many reasons, but the main ones are that reporters are starting to use it en masse to find sources quicker, companies can influence their customers and potential customers directly with the best kind of recommendations (word-of-mouth), and public relations firms will be asked by their clients to monitor what others are saying about them (Motrin learned this the hard way).

Facebook

I think the jury’s still out on how public relations firms will use Facebook in 2009. We’ve done some work building client FB pages, but a FB page is not for every type of client.  I’m not sure how public relations firms will be using FB – I’m just sure that they will.  Why?  Facebook is averaging 600,000 new users per month and has a very active base.  Public relations firms will find their way to Facebook.

The Phone

There is no link for this one (I refuse to link to a picture of the iPhone ).  It’s common sense, but with all of these new ways to connect to people, the old way of communicating is still the most effective (it is NOT the most effective for connecting anymore).  One of my pet peeves is lengthy back-and-forth emails that could be solved with a five-minute telephone call.  Pick up the phone, folks!  This is one of those circumstances where technology is actually inhibiting effective communication.

The Public Relations Year

The three points above are nothing close to a complete list, but it is a start.  I am definitely excited about what the coming year holds for the industry, for our firm and for our clients.  Public relations is especially effective in a down economy.  You can produce and run one television ad or you can retain the services of a PR firm for three to four months.  Which do you think is more effective?  Please let us know what points you agree with and what trends/technologies that I missed for the public relations industry in 2009.

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