Muck Rack's State of PR 2024 Report: How PR Pros Work, Their Challenges, and Priorities
Life in public relations moves quickly. Outside of happy hours and networking chats, we don’t often get a chance to absorb and reflect on the wins and challenges that we regularly face in the industry.
Once again, Muck Rack takes one for the team by offering an in-depth look at the current landscape in public relations in their State of PR 2024 report. The report offers insight into social media trends, budget and resource challenges, AI, and more.
Muck Rack surveyed PR pros from April 4 to May 10, 2024. You might have been one of the 1,116 PR pros who provided insight into your work. The report captures the perspectives of PR professionals on various aspects of their work, including the challenges they face and the priorities they have set.
And the results are telling. Here’s what stuck out to me:
A growing portion of PR pros, 44%, say their companies need to incorporate AI tools into their workflow to ensure success in the next five years.
LinkedIn is the most important social platform for 50% of PR pros.
More than half of PR pros say there is little to no diversity in leadership.
PR pros worry earned media will be harder to secure.
Let’s dive into it.
AI as a Priority
According to the report, a growing portion of PR pros, 44%, say their companies need to incorporate AI tools into their workflow to ensure success in the next five years. This figure grew 13% from last year. AI now ranks as a higher priority than media relations and just below strategic planning.
This was probably the biggest key insight for me. As someone in the higher education industry, I’m well aware of the growing need to understand AI tools to be successful in the evolving job market. However, the communications and journalism community have been vocal about the concerns and unethical use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. I get it. There are several worst-case uses of AI, especially when it comes to original thinking and writing. But there are growing cases in which AI can augment our work and creativity, especially for those who work independently. Some examples include enhancing creativity through brainstorming sessions, content inspiration, competitor analysis, and streamlining routine tasks such as creating templates.
Dominance of LinkedIn
According to the report, LinkedIn is the most important social platform for 50% of PR pros, far surpassing X/Twitter at 16%. A total of 61% plan to increase their LinkedIn use, while only 15% will focus more on X/Twitter.
Ooof, remember the days of Twitter being the top-used tool for PR pros and journalists? In 2022, 47% of PR pros said they planned to spend more time on X/Twitter compared to 11% who said they’d spend less time. In 2023, the “more” camp shrunk to 24% while 21% said “less.”
X took a big hit in 2024 and LinkedIn is reaping the benefits. Not only is it a strategic tool for communications, but it’s also a necessary tool for professional thought leadership, personal branding, and influencing. It’s not just for job searching anymore. Professionals are building businesses and finding leads through content creation and posting 3-4 times a week. It’s become the ideal spot to showcase your portfolio, create a community with a sprinkle of personality. If you want to leverage your knowledge in ANY industry and you’re not on LinkedIn, stop what you are doing and sign up.
Diversity in Leadership
Diversity in leadership remains a significant issue in the PR industry. It should be no shock to anyone that diversity in the workplace and leadership roles leads to new perspectives, workplace confidence, and greater paths for success.
However, 55% of PR pros say there is little to no diversity on their leadership team. Both brands and agencies rank similarly in the results, but agencies are twice as likely to say there is not any diversity at all compared to brands.
Guys, it’s 2024. What is happening here? This metric was disappointing to see. I’ve been fortunate enough to see leaders of diverse backgrounds in higher education but it’s not the norm. The lack of diversity in leadership can have wide-ranging impacts on company culture, decision-making, and the overall effectiveness of PR strategies.
It’s disheartening to see that the path to leadership is still difficult for those of diverse backgrounds and I hope to see this change in 2025.
PR Pros Worry Earned Media Will Be Harder to Secure
Securing earned media is a significant concern for PR professionals. According to the report, 72% of PR pros think it will be somewhat or much more difficult to secure earned media over the next five years, a figure similar to last year.
The media landscape is becoming increasingly competitive, making it harder for PR professionals to secure earned media. Factors such as media consolidation, shrinking newsrooms, and the rise of pay-to-play models contribute to these challenges.
As much as this concerns me, I continue to find ways to build stronger relationships with journalists by being the helpful and reliable PR pro I can be, meeting journalists where they are, attending conferences with journalists, creating more compelling and newsworthy information that will grab their attention, and staying tuned into what they write and care about.
