Inside the Profession

Friday Five: Looking Back at 2013 and Forward to 2014

As 2013 draws to a close, we have the opportunity to look back on the lessons learned and the trends of the trade throughout the year. With many successes and advancements to celebrate, predictions are now being made for what trends to expect in 2014. The fate of traditional media, the importance of content marketing and the ever-evolving online media landscape are likely to continue to weigh heavily in 2014.

In this week’s PRSA “Friday Five” post – an analysis of the week’s biggest public relations and business news and commentary – we look at what to expect in 2014. Takeaways from 2013, the year’s most popular topics on Twitter, five ways to transition 2013 successes into the new year and six trends to anticipate in 2014 are all covered in this week’s post. We also look at what to expect from social media next year.

2013: a curate’s egg of a year (PR Week) 

2013 brought a major reassessment of roles for the public relations profession. A combination of good – opportunities to harness “earned, shared Friday Five Logoand owned media” – and bad – job and budget cuts – have caused many to question the fate of public relations in 2014 and the years to come.

However, PR Week editor-in-chief Steve Barrett encourages that “now is not the time to become discouraged or complacent – now is the time to prove that this is the era of PR and communications.”

To take on the challenges ahead, public relations pros are encouraged to prove their worth by utilizing the value of the above media to their benefit to promote the importance of public relations. Visit the article to read more.

Celebrity deaths and birthdays top the most popular tweets of 2013 (Digital Trends)

Public relations pros are part of an industry that thrives on trends, and through understanding what was popular on Twitter throughout the year, we can better anticipate trends for 2014. While celebrity news was overwhelmingly popular on Twitter throughout 2013, serious news, including the presidential inauguration and the Boston bombing, also trended.

As Twitter continues to serve as “a major line of communication,” the importance of understanding topics the public cares about becomes greater. Through addressing and following trends, communicators will have an even greater ability to produce valuable content for viewers in 2014. For more trends and the “golden tweets” of 2013, visit the article.

5 ways to celebrate 2013 (and leap into 2014) (PR Daily)

As we transition into a new year, it’s important to showcase the great work done for clients throughout the year, to continue to foster relationships and to “excite them about the year to come.” The article offers ideas on how to keep the momentum going from 2013 to 2014. While holiday parties and work-related gifts are a popular way to celebrate, viral videos, advertising and media interviews are also great tools to highlight the past year and upcoming opportunities.

Advertising in the form of an “infographic or a photo ad can capture the spirit of the successes of 2013 while hinting at what’s to come,” while media interviews offer the opportunity for “clients to share their defining moments of 2013 and what they think will define their work or industry in 2014.” For promotional opportunities through viral videos and for more ideas, visit the article.

6 PR trends to watch in 2014 (Ragan)

With the new year approaching, many are anticipating possible trends for the upcoming year. Improvements in analytics, the death of the “traditional media-relations-only model of PR” and a steeper decline in traditional media are all expected to be major trends in 2014. For those entering public relations or for those continuing to enhance their career, a solid understanding of content marketing will be critical for success in the profession in the new year.

Content marketing in 2014 will be comparable to search engine optimization in 2013, and PR pros “who can master the tactic will thrive, and will be in high demand,” the article states. The concept of “the Internet of Things” will continue to push public relations to generate creative content through all the tools available. The original version of this post and its accompanying slideshare can be viewed on Shift Communications’ page.

14 Social Media Trends for 2014 (Kamber)

The ever-popular concept of the importance of content is driven further with this compilation of proposed trends for 2014. The slideshare in the article offers up a variety of social media trends likely to emerge in the new year, including “content marketing (justifiably) gets the buzz phrase treatment” and “SEO isn’t dead, it has just been redefined.”

Each of the slides outlining the 14 trends gives an explanation of what to expect from each topic in 2014. The theme of the piece drives that change will continue, and it will be “faster and faster.” “In 2014, the rate of change will be like nothing we’ve ever seen before, and it won’t be limited to the popular platforms,” the Kamber article states. “Technology like Google Glass will have an impact on users behavior and brands will attempt to respond to developments like this.” Read more about possible 2014 trends via the article.

Faith Goumas is the public relations associate at the Public Relations Society of America.

 

About the author

Faith Goumas

Leave a Comment