| | APRIL 20209A LOT OF PRESS RELEASES FIND THEMSELVES IN THE DUSTBINS OF REPORTERS NOT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE INFORMATION, BUT BECAUSE THEY FAIL TO UNDERSCORE THE NEWS POINT EFFECTIVELYcontained. With the advent of so-cial media and the fact that news is disseminated so quickly, the po-tential of goof-ups has increased. The potential of the impact of such a goof-up reaching far and wide also increases. Unlike two decades back, all newspapers and channels now have constantly running dig-ital versions which keep updating news round the clock. Similarly, social media channels ensure that the damage of a goof-up is faster and larger. This is why it is essential for PR agencies to effectively train and upskill staff in acting swiftly and responsibly to handle the in-formation flow in any crisis situ-ation. Agencies also need to have well defined social and digital crisis communication strategies in place.Innovative Content is the Need Today, audience have developed an appetite for content. They are always looking for innovative con-tent that is not only informative, but also engaging. The media also seeks ideas and narratives that are crafted according to its tastes and standards. While there is plenty of content out there, not all of it is of adequate quality. A lot of press re-leases find themselves in the dust-bins of reporters not because they do not have information, but be-cause they fail to underscore the news point effectively. Audience friendly, transparent and well-re-searched content is what is in high demand. Maximum Use of SEOAt a time when people Google even about the medicine they should take for their illness, SEO is an essential yet often ignored part of PR. Using SEO to find rel-evant keywords and integrating them into your content will in-crease your chance of being fea-tured on the first page of Search Engine Results Page (SERP).Real Time MarketingGone are the days when you could plan-out your marketing and public relations programs well in advance and release them on your timetable. One of the big-gest trends developing in PR is Real Time Marketing/reporting. As the name suggests, this is the process of leveraging events and using social media (Live Video/ Live Tweets). PR professionals need to be prepared and equipped for various situations and react to anything that may be happening.Emergence of Artificial Intelligence While AI is still far from becom-ing mainstream in PR, it is holding a lot of promise towards automat-ing mundane work and leaving more time in PR people's hands to focus on the creatives. Creating media lists, arranging meetings, and standard follow-up emails will likely become the work of machines which can do that work better than humans. However, the soft skills ­ relationship building, creative strategy development, trust building and storytelling ­ will remain the provenance of PR professionals. AI is an exciting development on the anvil in PR and marketing. Nikky Gupta
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