Working in PR can be pretty stressful to say the least. You may often feel like you’re climbing an uphill battle trying to grab the attention of the media and get your brands noticed. On top of that, the industry is constantly evolving, with new trends cropping up seemingly on a daily basis.

If you want to make an impact, you need to stay on top of the trends. Here are a few PR trends that you need to keep top of mind.

4 PR Trends To Help Your Brand Stand Out

Build Strong Relationships with Journalists

There is a symbiotic relationship that exists between PR professionals and journalists. PR pros need journalists to cover their brands, while journalists need PR pros to provide interesting content ideas that will appeal to the consumer.

This year, it will be more important than ever to build strong, personal relationships with journalists. With more and more journalists working as freelancers, journalists will likely reach out to the PR reps that they trust when seeking out fresh and exciting stories. Plus, they’re going to be more likely to pay attention to your press releases if they have a personal relationship with you.

How do you forge those ever important relationships? Find journalists whose work you admire and who tend to cover relevant topics. Read their work and engage with them about it… but be genuine and sincere! Journalists can sniff out insincerity from a mile away. Think of them as colleagues who you might chat with by the water cooler. Soon enough, they’ll think of you in the same way.

Keep Your Pitches Brief and Professional

Journalists receive a ton of pitches by email… and we mean a lot. Many of them aren’t exactly reader-friendly. We’re all pretty busy these days, so it’s important to structure your press releases in a way that makes the information easy to digest and quick to find.

Use a simple subject line, bolded statements and bullet points. And, most importantly, keep your spelling and grammar on point… these are writers after all!

Keep an Eye on Micro-influencers

If you’re struggling to find coverage for your brands through journalists, why not turn to micro-influencers? Big influencers with robust followings aren’t be the only lucrative channel for PR professionals. Smaller influencers can be just as, if not more, effective.

While smaller influencers may have fewer followers, their followers tend to be dedicated and more engaged with micro-influencer’s content, which means a greater rate of return for you and your brand. Plus, they’re usually easier to secure, it really is a win-win.

Never Rule Out New Content Platforms

You may feel like there’s a new content platform launching on a daily basis — and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. While Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter tend to be the primary platforms, there are niche platforms emerging all the time.

Keep track of which platforms are popular with each demographic. If you think your brand would be a good fit for one of these emerging platforms… go for it! If your brand is one of the first users on a new platform, there is more opportunity for organic growth early on! Why? Because you won’t be competing with many other companies. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are already extremely saturated so if your brand’s target demographic is using a new, emerging platform leverage the opportunity to be one of the first brands to get your content in front of a fresh, new audience.

Summing Up

Being a PR pro in today’s climate can be daunting, but with the right tactics, you and your brands will be able to rise above competition and get the coverage your brand needs and deserves. With a smart approach to building the right relationships and optimizing your PR content for journalists, soon enough, you’ll find the offers for coverage are flying in.