How Tech Can Help with PR

PR has been around since the early 20th century (and probably much longer before in other shapes and forms), and it’s safe to say a lot has changed since then. Just like in any industry, developing technology has had an impact on the status quo.

There’s no getting away from this; it’s inevitable. So the smartest option is to adapt and use it to your business’s advantage.

Luckily, with changes in technology there are many positives when it comes to promoting your live event. Opportunities now exist where they wouldn’t have before and if you’re not capitalising on these then you might be missing out.

In this post, we’ll look at the modern technology being used today to help build and roll-out PR strategies. Staying up to date with current and emerging technologies could be a major USP that gives your strategy the edge over another.

Let’s get into it.

The Impact of Technology on PR Activities

Now, there are tons of tools at your disposal that could turn even the most basic strategy into a winning one. 

We’re connected now more than ever before as a society. That’s great news for PR as potentially millions of people can be reached at the touch of a button.

Social media and the digital world has been a true force for PR. These platforms are the buffer between the general public and a company or person’s profile. This has turned social platforms into personal media channels which can churn out tailored content for a specific audience. Similarly, news channels now run their content on socials, too, widening the net so much further when they’re running a story about your business! 

Social media is now a crucial element in modern day PR strategies even though it’s only been around for less than 30 years.

To a point, newspapers have been replaced by Google search and social media news feeds meaning we consume content differently. There is now a plethora of content types to choose from, like video, copy, infographic, audio etc. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to how, when and where we are consuming news and other content. 

How Technology is Helping PR Strategies

We’ve talked about technology’s wider impact on PR, now let’s get into the detail and take a look at which technologies are helping PR strategies:

Cloud Based Technology

Cloud technology has been a technological marvel that has transformed virtually every industry. With cloud technology, users can access and transfer large amounts of data in an instant.

For PR professionals this is a game changer. They can collaborate with colleagues no matter where they are and send them large media files which include high resolution video and images. Any opportunity for a PR to share great quality visual content is a winner!

This is very important for large outdoor events that move locations throughout the year. Any media they gather can be saved and stored on the cloud. Then an editor can access them from anywhere and content can be produced quickly.  

This streamlines the whole content creation process making it a valuable asset to your overarching PR strategy.

Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

VR and AR technology is making waves in the PR industry. This technology is relatively new, but it is growing at a rapid rate.

The introduction of VR & AR at live events could prove to be somewhat revolutionary. It has potential to allow events to be more interactive, whether someone is at home or there in person.

Live event PR specialists may also highlight how unique and immersive their events are by using VR & AR. This offers the opportunity to  differentiate you and your events from your competition by demonstrating what you offer more clearly.

Access to Data

In a digital world, data is becoming just as valuable as currency. That is because data can be used to launch hyper targeted online campaigns. PR professionals are using data that they collect from their previous campaigns to refine future ones. 

Data is useful for analysing which messaging people are responding to. Real time results are put under the microscope to show whether a campaign has been successful or not.

PR professionals need to be mindful of data protection laws which are always being updated and scrutinised.

Live Streaming 

Live streaming technology has been a great tool for PR professionals to use over the years. With most social platforms having a live stream option, there is no shortage of streaming choices to pick from.

The possibilities are endless from a PR perspective. Live concerts and festivals, as well as backstage interviews or behind the scenes, can be streamed to worldwide audiences.

The conference world is also a major player in the live streaming arena. There is a worldwide appeal for conferences which are out of reach for a large proportion of viewers. 

Live streaming brings these events to the user and not the other way around.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has been a hot topic of conversation recently.

This flurry of media attention has bagged it some positive and also negative reviews. Like any new technology, there will always come some resistance. 

Luckily for PR professionals there are huge benefits for adopting AI into their strategies. Some of these strategies include:

• Analysing articles, social posts and various other pieces of content in a matter of seconds.
• Translating audio and written online content into other languages so they can be distributed across international platforms.
• Speech-to-text feature that is utilised when conducting interviews and attending press conferences.
• Collating research that can be used for relevant articles that are published as part of a promo campaign. 

The Future of Technology in PR

As technology continues to grow and develop so will the need to use it in our PR strategies. 

At GALA PR, we use our creative and out-of-the-box strategies to help our clients get their live events and other campaigns in front of the right people, and we have over a decade’s worth of experience within PR for the live entertainment and events industry which helps us to do this.

We have seen technological shifts and are always on the lookout for the latest new tools and techniques to implement into our PR campaigns to ensure they are the best out there.
Contact us today to find out more on how we can help promote your live event.