We asked our in-house experts what trends were most impactful in PR, content, and social media in the past 12 months. Here’s what they/I said.

Commerce Content Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

Matt Fleischl

We’re seeing a dramatic shift in how media outlets are covering and featuring consumer products. There’s a clear opportunity for publishers to generate significant revenue from commerce-based stories and affiliate partnerships, helping to make up for decreasing digital and print ad revenue.

In 2015, Gawker Media noted it had generated over $10 million in revenue from its commerce division, paying for Gawker’s entire editorial operation. Digital publications like Buzzfeed, which recently announced it has 19 people on staff solely for commerce content, and Business Insider have also been quick to grow their commerce-focused divisions. Even CNN has launched a commerce division.

CNN presents CNN Underscored, a whole new shopping experience: https://t.co/EcSP6xVoPU

— CNNUnderscored (@CNNUnderscored) November 2, 2017

But they’re not alone. While most commerce divisions are separate from editorial teams, we’re seeing the editorial side taking part in affiliate partnerships, frequently reviewing and featuring products that provide a small kickback to the publisher should the product be purchased through special hyperlinks that often point to product listings on Amazon and other major ecommerce websites. Publishers like TIME, WIRED, and The New York Times-owned Wirecutter all have partnerships that provide an affiliate commission from some of the products they link to in editorial articles.

Media still want to objectively review products that are a fit for their readers, but there’s an inherent opportunity for them to make money from the products they highlight. As media continue to fight for new opportunities to grow revenue, we can expect more publishers to increase commerce-based writing and use affiliate links in editorial product features. 

Continued shrinking of the newsroom

Denise DiMeglio

ABC, Time, ESPN, and BuzzFeed are among the most recent in a string of staff cuts across the editorial world that have ousted hundreds of seasoned reporters. Newsrooms may be shrinking, but the number of PR reps is not. That means more competition for reporters’ attention.

For companies (and their PR reps) looking to secure coverage in these outlets, nurturing genuine, mutually beneficial relationships with journalists remains the key to success. Those companies that prove themselves a valuable resource when they have a story to tell—and just as importantly, when they don’t—will be able to break through the noise and establish themselves as a trusted media resource that reporters carry with them from publication to publication.

End of an era: After 17 great years, I’m leaving USA TODAY. I was laid off today.

— Jon Swartz (@jswartz) September 19, 2017

From layoffs to publisher consolidation, changes in the media landscape are driving new strategies for earning coverage. Consider other ways to achieve editorial coverage in these outlets—namely contributed or sponsored content.

The continued blurring and blending of digital into our lives

Mike Lizun

I used to think of them as separate, digital and non, but it’s no longer like sitting down to watch a TV show; it’s not a standalone activity, but integrated into our daily lives.

Talking to and observing my tween and teen daughters makes me realize online and offline are really the same, and it’s more about time management, and managing their screen time, than it is about digital versus non. Tech just is.

My daughter’s second grade will be live-tweeting (private account) their Ellis Island reenactment. Proof that digital/real-life integration has pervaded every corner of society.

— Rachel Happe (@rhappe) December 5, 2017

And, thinking more about digital integrated in every breath and step we take, at least in my line of work, helps me think more clearly about storytelling and where stories and events live, and are live, and where they are read, discussed, and shared, with a flick of a finger. Finding a real “thumb stopper,” ya know?

Think about this for a minute: In 2017 this became even more evident with the “massive” growth in smart speakers and their applications, and the number of interactions happening with them. So, not only are we using our eyes, ears, and index fingers (and thumbs), we’re increasingly talking with tech. The lines will only continue to blur.

The integration of influencer relations into the marketing stack

Cassie Olszewski

I’m seeing more examples of brands integrating influencer-driven content and commentary into other aspects of their marketing campaigns — TV commercials is one area in particular where I’ve seen a big uptick this year.

This Google Pixel 2 commercial recently caught my eye because it includes influencer heavyweight Marques Brownlee’s commentary alongside the likes of the New York Times and Wired! That speaks volumes about what brands think about his reviews of their products, but also underscores that they strongly believe he has sway with prospective buyers.

If Apple’s adjustment to its iPhone X review strategy wasn’t an indicator, the TV commercials hitting airwaves should be.

PR took back control and refocused on targeted storytelling  

Matt McLoughlin

Over the last few years, PR teams have juggled myriad tools, shifts in media, the birth and death of so many mastheads, evolving social media, and more.

Running in so many directions spread brands thinner than ever, but that all changed this year with a renewed commitment to targeted storytelling.

In addition to focusing on targeted channels and media outlets, PR teams brought it all back to the stories their brands are trying to tell, with data, experiences, demos, and other devices playing supporting roles.

Analytics offered the ability to measure success. From social media to search engines and website analytics, there are more options than ever to evaluate content and measure success.

But even with clear analytics, it’s still up to brands to try new things and test what works best. Complacency is still not acceptable in a world of short attention spans, shifting algorithms, and rapidly changing sources of information. A/B test headlines, try different images, pull from various sources of audience behavior to re-evaluate your strategy.

Video, video, video

Fran Merlie

Nothing new here, but it was top of mind in 2017 for many reasons. It’s practically every post in your Facebook feed. “Pivot to video” became a consistent refrain among the media. YouTubers were some of the first to get their hands on and review the iPhone X.

Obviously, if you’re not thinking about video, you’re behind. But the same old rules apply: Quality and storytelling will separate you from the masses, and authenticity will connect with your audience.

SEO’s next frontier

Voice assistants continued their rise this year, with Google, Apple, Sonos and other major tech players trying to catch the early success of Amazon’s Echo.

Some predictions say 55 percent of U.S. homes will own a voice-activated smart speaker by 2022. ComScore expects half of searches to be done by voice by 2020.

Now the rush is on to optimize content so it can be found when someone asks Alexa or Google Home or Siri a question. While that effort has been ongoing, it’s hitting a new gear as more homes adopt a virtual assistant.