March 29, 2023

Social Media Platforms Changing Amidst Ongoing Uncertainty

From mass layoffs to security lapses, social media companies face an uncertain future. Platforms are adjusting as expectations change and audiences adapt. Twitter has made the most noise, transforming verification by phasing out blue checkmarks for unpaid users and altering account recommendations. Following Twitter’s lead, Meta is rolling out verification subscriptions for both Facebook and Instagram. Meta’s also making up for declining revenue by adding paid search posts and reminder ads within Instagram.  

Managing social media is also changing. As more third parties phase out free plans, platforms are adopting in-app support—LinkedIn recently joined Twitter and launched native post scheduling. Social media managers must continue honing their skills to keep up with a quickly changing landscape. The good news? Public relations pros have access to more tools than ever before.  

Remote Work Divide Persists for Employees and Employers

The debate regarding remote work isn’t dying down anytime soon. A new labor report indicates fewer employers allowed hybrid work last year, though more employees are demanding it. While recent research show remote workers worry more about job security, many employers have yet to establish recommended protocols to accommodate them. For remote work to work, organizations must develop plans to engage workers and safeguard cyber security. 

Despite resistance from some executives, studies have shown remote workers are more productive. Firms can better support employees by building effective hybrid teams and getting more intentional about meetings. Changing work requires new approaches to everything from managing office rents to reevaluating the length of the average workweek.

More Organizations and Executives Must be Prepared for Crises

A recent study reported less than half of U.S. companies have sufficient crisis communications planning. In today’s world of social media and emergent AI, online narratives can break out at any moment. As recent financial turmoil has shown, it’s imperative organizations and executives stay prepared for unexpected events. This means having a modern crisis communications plan in place—a rubric leadership and staff can rely on for coherent and consistent messaging.  

In addition to a formal plan, organizations must ensure strong communicators have a seat at the leadership table. Once a crisis arises, plans should be implemented immediately with necessary stakeholders informed. Most importantly, leaders must embrace authenticity and learn from the situation.

Sequence Summaries: Social Media Uncertainty, Remote Work Wars, and Confronting Crises

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March 22, 2023

Clients Expect More from PR

As the media landscape fragments and brand trust continues to fade, organizations and executives want more from PR professionals. Clients need counsel to help them navigate complex multichannel approaches as audiences look beyond traditional news outlets.

Increasingly, earned media coverage is no longer the gold standard—clients expect strong social media strategies and branded editorial content. With PR budgets more vulnerable during uncertain economic times, consultants should frequently communicate value, return on investment, and measurement of their work.

The Fight Against Disinformation Continues

Half of journalists recently surveyed cite disinformation as a top concern. It remains a growing threat across traditional and social media with emerging technology providing more opportunities to mislead. And while online platforms have begun reporting how they’re fighting the spread, recent tech layoffs have significantly downsized teams designated to combat disinformation.

The age of AI is also refocusing the fight against disinformation. With more companies implementing generative AI, attention has shifted to preventing its misuse. Cybersecurity experts are sounding the alarm on the need for meaningful regulation while more educators are incorporating digital and media literacy into instruction.  

Search Engines Disrupted by New Tech

Search engines are facing the biggest wave of disruption since their inception decades ago. Younger generations are increasingly turning to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for search instead of Google. And while Microsoft’s Bing has incorporated OpenAI’s GPT-4, many are bypassing search engines altogether in favor of AI (artificial intelligence) chatbots like ChatGPT. Google has responded by releasing its own AI chatbot, Bard.

SEO (search engine optimization) is also changing. Google recently modified their search quality standards to weight author experience, likely to differentiate human- and AI-written content. However, since AI chatbots answer questions instead of delivering ranked results, boosting SEO could become less important for brands over time. 

Sequence Summaries: PR Expectations, Fighting Disinformation, and Search Engine Disruption   

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March 16, 2023

Companies Ramp Up AI Despite Public Concern

More companies are implementing generative AI (artificial intelligence) into their products and services. Salesforce recently launched Einstein GPT, an AI-powered CRM (customer relationship management) tool that drafts personalized sales emails, auto-generates code for developers, and creates content for marketers. Salesforce joins companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Google, all spending exorbitantly to train and maintain large language models.

Despite continued implementation across industries, many surveys show most Americans don’t trust AI, while significant numbers are concerned with privacy issues. PR professionals remain divided on whether they’ll use generative AI tools like ChatGPT—some see value for tasks like copywriting and social media, while others would avoid them entirely. OpenAI’s latest release, GPT-4, can respond to both text and image input.

Silicon Valley Bank’s Bad Communications

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, one of the tech industry’s leading financial institutions, has shaken the U.S. economy. As lenders and lawmakers react, communications missteps continue to plague the beleaguered bank. The lender initially failed to explain its actions to stakeholders, which led to mistrust among financial partners. Then, silence allowed online hysteria to fill the void, while the (now former) CEO’s indecisive messaging continued the spiral.

Coherent and consistent messaging keeps investors informed and customers calm. The lack of executive communications counsel on Silicon Valley Bank’s leadership team likely worsened the crisis, as many have referred to the collapse as the first bank run driven by social media. While good communications can’t prevent poor financial decisions, every banking institution should be prepared with plans to mitigate crises across traditional and social media.

Lawmakers Continue Targeting TikTok

Social media giant TikTok continues to face scrutiny from lawmakers in the U.S. and around the world. In recent weeks, the European Union and Canada have banned the app on government devices, following a similar U.S. directive earlier this year. Governments have expressed security concerns regarding TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, and the potential misuse of user data. Pending the outcome of a U.S. national security review, TikTok’s leadership is considering separating from ByteDance to assuage concerns.

On the PR front, TikTok has taken steps to improve its public perception. Citing research from the Digital Wellness Lab, the app is limiting daily usage for users under 18 to 60-minutes per day. To promote its economic value, TikTok recently launched a new docuseries highlighting small businesses that have successfully leveraged the app for marketing.    

Sequence Summaries: AI Growth, Bad Bank Communications, and TikTok Scrutiny

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