Digital PR is the future of marketing, even if you haven’t realised it yet.
Public relations (PR) has always been a key cog in the marketing mix. While other marketing channels have come and gone, PR has stood the test of time and for good reason – it’s adaptable.
What was once measured in column inches and circulation numbers, success is now all about digital engagement, backlinks, and search visibility.
Now, as the media landscape shifts, public consumption of news evolves, and artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes how we interact with information, digital PR looks poised for its next transformative leap.
PR isn’t dying, it’s reinventing itself
Contrary to what some might say, PR is not on its way out. In fact, it’s thriving, just in a very different form.
While traditional media outlets no longer hold the sway they once did, there are more channels and platforms shaping public opinion today than ever before. And digital PR sits at the heart of this change.
Consider this:
- Social media: Influencers and brand advocates shape consumer preferences as people spend an average of 2.5 hours daily on social platforms
- Video platforms: Video content influences purchase decisions with users watching 49 minutes of YouTube daily
- Online presence: Consumers spend 6.5 hours online daily, constantly exposed to digital narratives crafted through strategic PR
- Email news sources: Platforms like ConvertKit (565 million users), Beehiiv (50 million), Substack (35 million), and Medium (850K) offer vast audiences ripe for PR-driven storytelling
- Podcasts: With 61% of Brits listening to podcasts monthly, spending an average of 1.8 hours daily listening to their favourite shows ¹, audio content is an influential PR avenue
- Content aggregators and feeds: 600 million people use Google Discover daily. Platforms like Reddit, Google News, and Apple News amplify strategically crafted and distributed PR content
Digital PR doesn’t just influence public opinion, it shapes it. In an age where media consumption is fragmented across so many platforms, influence is more powerful than ever.
As the landscape continues to evolve, PR’s future looks incredibly bright.
Enter AI: the next evolution of PR
AI is reshaping how we search for and consume information. Recent research reveals that 13% of people surveyed in the UK are now turning to AI tools instead of traditional search engines like Google and Bing² – a clear sign of the growing shift in consumer behavior.
Language models like ChatGPT and other generative AI tools rely on “trusted sources” to build their knowledge bases. And guess what influences these trusted sources? PR-influenced content.
The way people write about, talk about, and publish content about your brand directly impacts how AI tools respond to questions about your industry, products, and services. If your brand isn’t part of the digital conversation, AI tools won’t mention you when users seek solutions you provide.
In a related sense, visibility algorithms on platforms like Google Discover, Reddit, and similar channels prioritise content that’s buzzworthy, credible, and widely discussed. Behind the scenes, strategically driven PR is what gets that content created, submitted, and clicked on. Without PR, your brand is invisible to the algorithms and, by extension, to potential customers.
Why is this important?
Public relations isn’t dying, it’s evolving. And as AI continues to reshape how information is consumed, digital PR is set to become the most powerful marketing tool of the future. Brands that recognise this shift will not only survive but thrive.
Jared Priestley – PR Manager