Since the beginning, the PR (public relations) industry has been pretty compliant with the evolution of technology. Due to this reason, this segment of the business has improved pretty massively during the previous decade.
However, the good news is – it’s showing no signs of stopping, at least not as of now.
Nonetheless, if you’re considering getting into this industry, you’ll need to have an idea regarding what you’re getting into. So, let’s focus on it.
Public Relations – Then And Now
The journey of the public relations segment began with the invention of the printing press. During the 1900s, people used to read magazines and newspapers to keep themselves updated with information – including the business. However, since the introduction of the telephone and television, the world of public relations has changed in the following manner –
- Previously, during the era of the newspaper, reporters were the initial form of “public relations” for the general audience.
- However, after the invention of television, the camera-based reporting system became the new norm in this segment.
- Currently, alongside the reporters, we are also seeing bloggers taking part in the aspect of public relations.
- Many organizations are also using chatbots to answer the queries of their audience and keep the “seller-buyer relationship” intact.
Aside from this, the segment of online news has taken over the aspect of newspapers and magazines to some extent.
PR Industry And Technology – How Much Has It Evolved?
In short, technology has evolved the PR industry massively, and it’ll boost this segment even more during the upcoming years. Here’s what you need to learn about it.
Improvement – 1: Greater Understanding Of The Situation
As a PR professional, you have understood your audience base more explicitly – and you can do so through the usage of data analysis. You can use several tools for analysing the data. To get those tools, click here.
There are several such tools available in the market that can help you learn more about –
- Your consumer demographics.
- Their buying behavior.
- The tone they’re using while talking.
- Their pain points, etc.
The more you know about them, the easier it’ll be to solve their problems and keep them happy. Also, accessing the titular tools is pretty as well.
Improvement – 2: No Need To Go Through Routine PR Functions!
There was a time when you had to initiate a routine PR function to create a well-documented ecosystem. However, thanks to technology, now, you can automate these procedures and invest your time into something else.
For example, previously, you had to write press releases and distribute them individually. However, now, you can distribute them through various programs like Constant Contact. Besides, you can also use chatbots on your website to solve consumer queries efficiently.
Improvement – 3: Better Communication
Public relations is all about communicating with your consumers and taking care of their pain points – and, thanks to technology, it’s possible!
For example, you can use Facebook to get connected with your audience and ask for their problems through chatting. If you want to help them learn something new, you can also do the same by performing a video call on Snapchat.
Previously, reaching out to new people and grabbing their attention was a massive challenge for PR professionals. Nonetheless, owing to the availability of social media platforms, it has become much more manageable, primarily for tech-savvy people.
Improvement – 4: Building Relationships With Influencers
Thanks to the proliferation of social media, it’s become much easier for an organization to connect with an influencer through less-intrusive means.
But, how are you going to offer them your proposal?
Well, as with anything, you can simply begin by following and sending them a text. However, make sure to inform them about your plan gradually.
There’s no need to let them know about everything all at once. It might cause complications and misunderstandings, even before forming a relationship.
Conclusion
If we’re being honest, technology has taken the “human touch” from the PR industry to some extent. However, if you consider the positives of the system, it doesn’t seem like something that might trouble the segment in the near future.
People, especially the younger generation,” are becoming more and more tech-savvy. Thus, after some years, they will become accustomed to this issue altogether. All you need to do is plan your steps to improve your PR strategically, and you’ll be fine!
