Meltwater N : 20 Most Important PR Statistics for 2022

If there's one thing that's constant in public relations, it's that the industry is constantly changing. Brands and companies are continually finding new ways to get mentioned in the media and use that coverage to grow their presence and reputation. With each passing year, we can learn more from the past year's successes (and failures). Leverage that information to build on your strategy in the coming months.

Use our ultimate list of PR statistics in 2022 to jumpstart your strategy for the new year. Let's dive in!

Table of Contents:

What Pros Should Know about PR Statistics in 2022

Professional media relations officers and marketers can learn a lot from PR statistics. They give you a clearer idea of what's happening in the industry. You can better anticipate challenges that might affect your PR efforts. Most importantly, knowing current PR statistics can help you see the value that a well-planned PR campaign can bring to your brand.

Combining PR data with media relations tools and services allows you to execute stronger initiatives. When you see what's worked well for other brands, some of the hard part is already done for you. Your main objective is to adapt your strategy to fit the current landscape.

For example, during the early days of the pandemic, many companies adopted the common theme of "being in this together." PR campaigns focused on the compassionate side of a brand, leaving any semblance of sales information far behind.

Fast forward to 2021, where compassion has given way to digital convenience and customer-centric experiences. Consumers have exhibited less tolerance for friction in their shopping experiences. Many have even gone as far as tossing brand loyalty to the curb. With supply chains turned upside down and general certainty out the window, consumer habits remain in constant flux.

What will the upcoming year bring? Let's explore our new collection of PR statistics in 2022.

General Industry PR Statistics

First, let's start with some general PR statistics about the industry itself.

Experts pointed at the need to shift messaging strategies and rearrange operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We're predicting that this fast growth trajectory will continue in 2022. With pandemic conditions continuing to change and many aspects of daily life returning to normal, companies will once again need to adapt their messaging and operations to a world post-COVID.

Source: USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations

2. 59% of PR professionals believe that technology will be key in driving industry transformation.

Public relations can benefit from technology in a number of ways, including identifying best-fit media outlets, making the right contacts, and monitoring brand mentions. Technology may also help lighten the workload of PR pros by automatically collecting data on mentions, analyzing responses, and providing next best action recommendations.

The pandemic has undoubtedly added to this stress. PR pros have been saddled with tailoring the right information to the right outlet at the right time at a time when margins for error are increasingly slim. Things like supply chain disruptions and worker shortages are out of many companies' control. The precarious conditions of the pandemic have left brands less able to recover from bad publicity, leading to increased pressure on PR pros to be accurate and effective.

Content and Planning PR Statistics

4. 9 in 10 PR professionals struggle with creating content.

Common reasons include tight turnaround times, lack of resources, and a lack of skills. The success of a PR campaign hinges on strong content that delivers the right message to the right audience. However, 33% of PR leaders say poor analytics and campaign management tools hinder them from seeing the real value and performance of their campaigns.

5. Press releases remain the most trustworthy content format for media.

Trust in the media continues to erode, and many people no longer trust regular news sources. However, press releases may be the exception. According to Cision data, 42% of respondents rank press releases as the most trustworthy type of content, ahead of spokespeople (29%) and company websites (21%).

6. 77% of MarComm experts believe content marketing is a top priority.

PR experts have a wider range of tasks than ever before. While the majority of the job used to entail pitching to journalists and media outlets, it now includes SEO, link building, and influencer marketing.

PR Pitching Statistics

Data shows that press releases published on Thursdays between 10 am - 2 pm have the greatest chance of being opened. The average open rate is 27%, compared to the next best day (Tuesday) with an average open rate of 19%.

8. 73%+ of journalists look for press releases online.

This is important for PR professionals to know because it underscores the importance of digital media. Online press releases drive organic traffic to your website, helping to boost rankings in search.

9. 94% of PR pros agree that 1:1 emails are the best ways to pitch journalists.

This allows for a personal introduction, good communication tracking, and easy file sharing.

10. 85% of PR specialists say the morning is the best time to send a pitch, and 64% of journalists agree.

Many journalists check email first thing in the morning before the chaos of the day sets in.

PR Tools Statistics

11. 93% of PR experts believe influencer marketing is an essential tool in today's public relations.

A somewhat new PR strategy, using influencers can help reach more of your target audience at scale in a cost-effective way. Influencers also have a significant impact on your audience's decision-making and can build more trust in your company or brand.

Twitter remains a powerful tool in building connections for press distribution. The majority of professionals use Twitter for connections; however, journalists use Twitter mostly for research. When it comes to communicating, the majority of journalists still prefer to be emailed.

Email outranked documents and media databases. Only 10% of PRs use a CRM, while 60% use spreadsheets.

14. 17% of PR professionals are not using any type of dedicated PR software.

Budgets and lack of knowledge about available PR technologies can contribute to the absence of tools.

PR Budgeting Stats

Decreased spending in PR may contribute to the high stress that more PR professionals are feeling.

Media bases account for the second-highest PR spend.

17. 86% of PR pros believe their company's net revenue will increase within the next year

However, only half of PR pros believe their PR budget will increase accordingly.

PR Metrics and Impact Stats

The majority track coverage or story placement. Other common metrics include audience reach, website traffic, and social media shares and mentions.

Here are 14 proven PR KPIs that teams should be tracking - all of the time.

19. More than half of PR teams have daily or weekly briefings

A new trend is communicating the current landscape of a company's PR efforts on an ongoing basis.

20. Only 1 in 5 PR professionals is involved in developing a company's overall marketing strategy

This leaves the majority of PR pros with little input into how a company can maximize their digital PR presence.

Key Takeaways from a PR Statistical Overview

These PR statistics underscore the value PR professionals bring to their organizations every day. They also reveal the importance of keeping a finger on the pulse of the industry at all times. As consumer preferences shift, finding new and better ways to connect with them via the media could be key to your company's future.

Here's what we're predicting for 2022 based on our statistical PR overview:

1. First and foremost, the role of the PR expert will continue to evolve and become more cross-functional. We're already seeing it happen in terms of expanded content creation and influencer marketing.
2. Second, emerging channels like podcasting will enter the PR professional's playbook as a way to connect with audiences at scale. New media formats offer new ways to instill trust and meet users wherever they are.
3. Last but not least, as pandemic conditions return to normal, we expect to see a shift back to some of the "old" ways of making connections. This will likely include the return of in-person events and networking beyond the Zoom call. However, many will not be likely to abandon the new trends and practices put into place during the pandemic. An expanded toolkit and strategy mean more metrics to measure and more options to choose from when executing PR campaigns.

We're sharing these PR statistics for 2022 because we know that knowledge is power. Use them to shape your PR strategy moving forward and get the most out of your efforts.