It has been nearly a year since we went fully remote due to COVID-19. We’ve learned a few things over these past months and managing client accounts remotely as well as collaborating as a team from different locations. We’ve also seen how PR is more relevant than ever.
Here’s a look back at some unexpected benefits we’ve seen in working from home, how COVID-19 has affected the way we do our job and what all this may mean for the future of the PR industry.
1. Good messaging will always be essential. In a time of uncertainty like this, public relations is well suited to guide clients when it comes to producing messaging that conveys how businesses are adapting to major events, ensuring health and safety, and providing community support. Great messaging is also the basis of a strong social media and online presence. It’s the core of how a company connects with customers.
2. Working from home is actually a gift. Like many workplaces, Lexington PR moved operations online to ensure the safety of ourselves and our clients, and we actually found many benefits in working from home as PR professionals. WFH allows for more flexibility and productivity in our schedules, helps decrease stress levels, lets us work in the comfort of our homes, and eliminates time spent on a daily commute. Also, with the introduction of regular video meetings with our clients, we actually have gotten to see some of them more than we did with in-person operations!
3. The PR industry could become permanently digital. With these benefits plus the reduced company costs of working from home, we see this becoming a permanent situation across the board for the industry. Digital workspaces allow professionals to work efficiently, and the normalization of web meetings can vastly increase the hiring range and client satisfaction for PR agencies. A shift to completely digital public relations work would revolutionize the way we do business.
4. The need for good public relations is growing more than ever. With the messaging that we have produced since the start of the pandemic, we have found a need in the market for more “PR creativity” as clients look to public relations professionals more for support and time-efficient content. The need and uses for PR have been on the rise since March, and it doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon.
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