Why do we communicate? To get our message across.

Communication plays a key role in effective public relations. Two-way communication between both parties is essential, and information must flow in its desired form between the organization and the public. With PR practitioners focused on what people think, feel and say about brands they interact with, we need to be consistent and authentic in our communications with our client's target audiences. One surefire way to improve communication skills is to strengthen your emotional intelligence.

As the way consumers interact with brands continues to evolve, there has been a notable shift from traditional advertising to more influencer collaborations. As you scroll Facebook, Instagram or, most recently, TikTok, there is a consistent slew of influencers sharing their experiences with beauty, health and lifestyle brands to their followers.  

If you’ve paid any attention to the news in the last couple months, then you’ve heard about Better.com. Not because of a great PR campaign or anything – unfortunately, it’s because of their toxic leadership and resulting company culture.

2021 was a whirlwind year for many, as evolving consumer preferences and continued health concerns forced many businesses to shift their strategies. As we work on our annual Bankers as Buyers report, which highlights predictions and trends for the financial services industry, we couldn’t help but wonder what the next year will bring. We reached out to the rest of the WMA team to see what they thought. Here are a few PR and marketing industry predictions for 2022:

The fear of missing out, or FOMO, affects nearly everybody. FOMO is a powerful social force that compels people to join in on popular trends and experiences. While FOMO as a concept predates social media, feelings associated with it have grown more intense with the rise of these platforms. Whether it’s about a party you didn’t get invited to or the latest industry trend, FOMO can manifest in personal and professional matters. Lately, the hottest trend in communications and marketing is TikTok, the fastest-growing social media network in the world. While many companies are eager to capitalize on this growth, others wonder if TikTok is right for them. 

Even in the most forward-thinking relationships, public relations practitioners and their clients can sometimes get comfortable with their regular routine of scheduled press releases and published bylines. The media attention is consistent, and a complacent approach to PR can become accepted as the norm. It’s the responsibility of the PR team to find alternative forms of media that diversify their client’s repertoire. Fortunately, as the public yearns for new and exciting ways to consume content, podcasting has become a channel highly utilized by media professionals.

Productive brainstorming is key to cultivating fresh concepts and new content for a public relations program. When done proactively, it can fuel the PR pipeline throughout the year. It’s important to remember that brainstorming sessions can easily miss the mark without the proper direction. As a result, these meetings can fail to generate solid and innovative strategies, plans or actions. Before you jump into your next brainstorming session, consider the below ideas to successfully bring inventive ideas to the table and put them into action.

A key goal for many growing companies is to expand beyond local recognition to become a well-known national brand. This is where a comprehensive, strategic PR and marketing plan can come in, helping to boost visibility and awareness. Here are a few key areas to focus on.

Much has changed in the world of business over the past 18 months and perhaps no particular sector of American business has been impacted as much as conferences and special events. What once were mainstays upon which budgets were set and the annual corporate calendar revolved, the financial services industry – like most others – saw an almost exclusive shift to virtual hosting of conferences, user group meetings, association events, etc. And while conference committees have been pushed to be creative in finding ways to still host events in a virtual environment (Zoom break-out sessions, anyone?), the reality is that most attendees and sponsors found something lacking.

The value your media coverage brings to your clients doesn’t stop once it is published. It is important to encourage your clients, employees, and peers to share media coverage through their own social media to get the most out of any organic and earned media. This practice is free marketing and displays a sense of pride and unity from the company.