2015 brought a plethora of changes in technology, which resulted in making it a dynamic year for communications and marketing. These technologies are constantly evolving, therefore anyone involved in PR, advertising, and marketing needs to keep up with the pace.

Being continually connected has altered the way people shop, work, play, and live. The fact that we are constantly connected in the digital world provides PR professionals a whole other avenue for engagement.

Here are four ways you can optimize your public relations game for 2016 and beyond.

  • Technology Platforms

Leading brand names are already using PR for storytelling. Virtual reality is the latest up-and-coming technology that every PR and marketing firm needs to learn to use. Gamers use virtual worlds to play games with other gamers. It also allows consumers to try on clothes, try makeup, and see what they look like with a different haircut. VR technology has been coming for a long time, but it’s more realistic now than ever. You can expect that to continue. VR content is already easier to access for today’s consumer. If you don’t get into the VR game, your PR efforts will be lost in the shuffle.

  • Step Up the Pace

Technology changes, which means everyone changes with it. Consumers, businesses, and marketing strategies have to step up their pace to keep up. Public relations is especially vulnerable to changing technology. Think about it. Just a few years ago, you had to open a newspaper to find out what was going on, where to find Black Friday deals, and what coupons were available. Today, consumers have real-time access to all that and more. PR is about communicating, so we need to be looking to the future of where that takes us at all times.

  • Evoke Emotions

Now that public relations is becoming an even more integral process in marketing, the stories and communications you present must evoke emotions. You have to make it personal so that it strikes a nerve in your audience. This starts from building your brand to developing your marketing strategy. Give your audience something to remember and think about for a long time. It can be a touching story, something fun or funny, or something that inspires.

  • Bring Hope to Fight Fear

The world is often a cruel place where the television news is negative and sad. When the economy is down, cybersecurity threats spread worldwide, and people are losing their jobs, they need hope. Public relations is the method of delivery for hope, optimism, and positive energy. The world is scary if there is nothing to combat negativity. PR professionals need to optimize the game with optimistic communications.

Keep these elements in mind when you’re working with a business or a brand that needs to get more exposure. Get creative and use the new technologies to up your PR game and boost your clients’ revenue.