ABSTRACT
The rewards for keeping up to date with social media practices are significant: A 2016 survey of international practitioners ranked social media skills second only to the creation of strategic content among the drivers of future growth for the profession of public relations. The importance of social media had doubled since 2011 and had soared past the use of special events and media relations with print, broadcast and online outlets. The audiences for social media within public relations are vast and diverse. Social media usage is increasing among all key publics: customers, employees, journalists, advocacy groups, investors, government workers and even older adults. As social media grow in importance in public relations, some important trends within these evolving platforms show signs of enduring: the relevance of social media influencers, the use of algorithms and the importance of video. Social media algorithms favor posts with videos, a trend that, again, shows signs of enduring.
