The use of mobile technology has changed significantly in recent years and we hear the claim more and more often that people ‘cannot live’ without their smartphones. Thanks to considerable ongoing technological developments, smartphones have become pocket-sized personal assistants. People increasingly rely on smartphones to record essential information for the day-to-day running of their lives. But what implications do these developments hold for how people consume media?

People are increasingly accessing information on-the-go. According to PR Moment, 2015 is going to be a significant year in communications as mobile continues to thrive:

“One in five people on Earth now has a smartphone. There is now an even greater pressure for communications experts to understand mobile and react.”

When it comes to public relations in regards to the ever evolving tech market, Matt Bourn of European Media Practice at MWW says:

“PR needs media brands to be strong and influential and this is a hugely significant moment in the history of media. {…} this will be a very important time for everyone involved in PR to monitor, understand and evolve with the dynamic, changing media landscape.”

According to Forbes, 2015 is the year that will see a proliferation of computing into every aspect of our lives. As smartphone technology develops alongside wearable technology, smartphones will be used in different contexts and environments. Gartner claims by the end of the year:

“4.9 billion connected things will be in use in 2015, up 30 percent from 2014.”

It is crucial for communications professionals to consider the impact of increasing use of smartphones on their PR strategy. The rapid growth of mobile is driving the move to digital news. People tend to consume media more and more through a variety of platforms, whereas they might have previously stayed up to date on industry news solely through more traditional, print formats. Although PR professionals now have more platforms that they can utilise to reach their target audiences, more resources are required to deliver content. The question is – how can you develop your communication to ensure your brand doesn’t get lost amongst the noise?

Content is still king – a good story will always make for interesting reading
Multimedia – infographics, videos, images; visuals (recognising the importance of keeping files at a manageable size) are great for illustrating a story, especially for those without much time
Develop relationships with key online players
Make sure your message is easy to distil. Breakdown the story into bite-sized chunks that are easy to follow (see our blog post on writing content for an online audience: https://laurie-prescott-21bo.squarespace.com/config#/|/blog/writing-content-for-an-online-audience

Here are some of our suggestions – what else would you add? Tell us in the comments!