2023 Public Relations Trends

In recent years, brand marketing and public relations have become interconnected. Maximizing good PR and eliminating bad PR have become crucial to have an efficient marketing plan for your business. This is why paying attention to the changes in the field of PR and knowing what to expect in the coming months will help in developing the right strategies for 2023.   

Pitching stories to niche-specific publications  

Instead of sending press releases to every single media outlet or writer that you can find to have a higher chance of media coverage, you should focus on connecting with publications that are specific to your business’s niche. With the use of the internet and other digital tools, finding the publications that are tailored to your products or services and are being consumed by the right audience demographics has become much easier. Hence, identifying your specific niche and researching relevant contacts will be a vital step in your public relations efforts this year.  

Building connections with these niche-specific media contacts to send your press releases and other interesting stories is expected to be more effective compared to mass pitching to broader media contacts. Additionally, by doing this you will be more assured that your stories will be picked up by the right publications and be broadcasted to the audience that will benefit from your business and expertise the most. No need to wait and wonder if you’re getting that hit, it’s time to make use of available tools to elevate your PR reach. 

Personalized pitches  

Personalization is an effective way to show people that you care and understand who they are and what they want. This also applies to public relations. Tailoring your pitches to specific writers and channels depending on their identity, style, and interests will help in strengthening your connections and will lead to a higher chance of getting your stories published on their platform.  

Instead of sending out one similar pitch to all contacts, presenting a more targeted pitch that contains details that are in line with specific publications is more effective. For example, if you’re sending out a pitch about an upcoming golf tournament to your contacts and you want to get your story to be picked up by a women’s magazine, adding a short bit about how girls are becoming more interested in the sport will help catch their attention. This might require more time and work compared to the typical one-size-fits-all emails that people are used to but the results will surely be worth the effort.  

Diversify outreach with new channels  

Emailing pitches to your media contacts to generate coverage is important but nowadays, bridging to new platforms and content mediums has become highly significant and effective as well. With the rise of new channels including social media, podcasts, newsletters, influencers, blogs, and more, media outlets are no longer the only ones that would help your brand in reaching more audiences.  

A specific industry tends to be the focus of these new channels. Take fashion blogs, bookstore newsletters, food influencers, and entertainment podcasts as examples. Because each of these channels creates content about a certain niche, their audiences are those that are actually interested in the types of content that they bring. These channels might not necessarily have the biggest audience count but because they are already involved in your industry, they are likely to be more engaging and interested in learning more about you and your business.   

Balance between earned and owned media 

Now that we’ve gone through some of the trends that will likely help you gain more earned media, it is time to clarify one thing: Do not completely rely on these earned media alone. In 2023, businesses must not only focus on getting outside media coverage and instead start creating owned media as well. These owned media include incorporating a combination of social media posts, blogs, and newsletters into their own channels. With these, businesses will have more freedom in expressing their stories and important events to their audiences on their own terms.  

Businesses should strive to strike balance in exerting efforts to gain both earned and owned media. A combination of these two will improve overall public perception and help build trust and brand loyalty in your consumers. An increase in visibility is also a positive result of getting involved in more channels and platforms that will lead new audiences to your doors. 

C2 Communications is your trusted partner in developing effective public relations strategies to improve your brand’s image and create meaningful connections with the right people. We work closely with our clients to ensure that every pitch and content being put out to the public is in line with their values and mission statement. We work in integrating marketing, digital advertising, and public relations efforts for the growth of your business. Contact us now and get a quote!