2024 was full of surprises. Who knew Stephen Nedoroscik and Ilona Maher would be the stars of the Olympics? Or Brat Summer would take over social media and the airwaves?
Predicting the future can be tough, but with our deep experience in public relations, it’s not impossible. As we look toward the New Year, there are three trends we believe will dominate the PR and communications industry in 2025.
Owning Your Digital Legacy
Social media has become one of the most important tools for executives and leaders to build their personal brand in a way that impacts their businesses and their reputations. In 2025, more executives will see the value of being active online and will start expanding their digital presence.
The impact on an executive who is active on social media positively impacts hiring, retention, revenue and legacy planning:
- 92% of professionals are more likely to trust a company whose executives are actively using social media.
- A whopping 71% of consumers are more likely to buy from a company with a CEO who is active on social media.
- Leaders are seeing an impact on their audiences, as 85% say stakeholder relationships are improved by actively engaging on social media.
Being active on social media is no longer an option for leaders; it’s a must.
Proactively Preparing For a Crisis
It’s not a matter of if, but when, a crisis will impact your business. PwC’s 2023 Global Crisis Resilience Survey reports that 96% of businesses have faced some sort of crisis in the last two years. Thanks to social media, many organizations face a crisis they didn’t create themselves but are forced to work reactively to respond to the situation.
Proactive planning and training your team on crisis response is key. Having a crisis plan in place before the situation happens will help weather the storm and set you up for success. No one wants to be thinking about the logistics of who to call or who’s approving messaging when you’re in the middle of a crisis. Having those things laid out will allow you to focus on the situation at hand and effectively communicate with all your stakeholders.
Diversifying Your Media Strategy
The media landscape is evolving. The popularity of podcasts has reached a new high with some podcasts getting more views than traditional media. Hyper-local outlets and industry publications may reach your audience better than a big national interview.
Figure out who your target audience is and where they’re consuming information and focus media efforts there. These specialized outlets will establish credibility with your key stakeholders and showcase you as an expert in your industry. An added bonus? Use the interviews for the company and executives’ social media accounts.
No one knows quite what 2025 has in store for us. What we do know is that being prepared, owning your story and reaching your target audience in new ways will build your business and your brand.