Weekly Rewind: Our favorite stories from around the web

Technology’s mark on communications has lead it to be one of the most rapidly changing industries. It has spurred a change in the media landscape through a greater amount of digital channels such as blogs or social media.

Our weekly rewind provides some insight on how to stay up to date in our industry. Happy Friday!

Who do you trust?

Imagine this: a friend offers you a style tip. Do you take their advice because you deem them qualified or because you can trust and relate to them? If you chose the latter, then you probably understand why influencers have immense leverage in the communications world.

“Non-celebrity” influencers are viewed as trustworthy and relatable sources of information that brands frequently turn to for content creation. 5wpr’s article the changing face of the public relations agency can tell you more.

Out with the old,  in with the new

PR Daily says that “Google is making strong writers the real heroes of the new online world.” Its new update, Panda 4.0, is changing the ways of SEO by putting more focus on the quality of your writing rather than the amount of arbitrary keywords thrown into a press release.

If you are a PR pro who has avoided the SEO trap, then kudos! Read more about this phenomenon here: Goodbye, SEO: PR is the new king.

Don’t underestimate the podcast

According to Forbes, the widely accepted belief that television is the most valuable platform for connecting with a target audience may be passé. Podcasts are quickly gaining traction in the media landscape as they prove to be an effective way to strengthen current client relationships and brand advocacy.

Curious about the role of podcasts in today’s PR world? See for yourself here.

What’s in it for you?

What exactly does this change in media landscape do for your brand? Meltwater’s article, PR and marketing trends: what the changing media landscape means for brands offers a good analysis.

More spontaneous and live connection.

  • Thanks to social media’s constant evolution, the accessibility of live streaming options like Periscope, Facebook Live, Snapchat Live and Blab allow brands to connect to their audiences in “real time.”