Why Medias’ Woos will be a Boon to PR

Over the past few months, several magazines have been laying people off or going to online versions only. This isn’t the first time that the publishing industry has been hit by magazine closures and layoffs – remember the dot com bust as advertising dried up and new media pubs died off one by one.

I think this recent trend will provide a boon to PR professionals. With smaller staffs, shrinking pages and limited air time, it will be even more difficult to get the media’s attention. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about blogs and larger blog networks, I’m talking about traditional print and broadcast media.

Why PR is More Important than Ever

Layoffs are happening throughout the industry and marketing departments typically get hit first. Marketing professionals and internal PR staff are faced with doing more with less. And during a downturn, media coverage is a cost-effective way to keep your company in the forefront of your customers. Being top of mind now will pay off when budgets loosen up as we come out of the downturn.

The PR agency or professional who can secure results that incorporate key messages, while lessening the work on their clients, will become more valuable.

I asked folks for their thoughts on Twitter (also appeared on my Facebook page) and here is what they said:

Thanks to @Tdefren, @shonali, @Aerocles and Rachel Bennett for their feedback.