Top 2012 PR Trends

Writer Julie Liesse presents an engaging look at Top Trends For 2012 in the Nov. 28, 2011 issue of Advertising Age. Her article appears in a special section created by the Council of Public Relations Firms and offers some ideas about how PR firms will work with their clients in the coming year.

One theme which travels throughout the article is “engagement.” In fact, Liesse names “engagement” as a key goal for 2012 and notes that there is a difference between someone who clicked “like” or  “follow” and rarely if ever returns to the brand’s page vs. an engaged fan who interacts on a regular basis. Another key point is that the power of everyday consumer influencers will continue to grow. This is not about celebrities, but people who are passionate about a particular topic.

Another key trend predicted by the article is that social media strategies will continue to expand to more fully include mobile users and at the same time managers will strive to find better metrics with which to measure and analyze response to their brand. As the attention on social media becomes increasingly mission critical, more companies will decide to bring the management of their social media properties in-house.

Here’s a list of the Top Ten Tends. Click HERE to download the article and read the explanations.

1. Engagement will be the key goal for 2012.
2. Your brand will need to be “on” 24/7.
3. The power of consumer influencers will grow.
4. Social media will rely increasingly on professionally produced content.
5. It will be more difficult to tell what is paid media vs. earned or shared.
6. Brands will search for opportunities to market in the moment.
7. Communications strategies will need to change for mobile consumers.
8. Clients and agencies will continue to search for good, common metrics for social media efforts.
9. Companies will work to globally integrate their digital presences.
10. More client companies will bring the social media function in-house.