Digital PR is entering a new era.
As social platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram become search engines in their own right, traditional strategies focused on backlinks and news coverage are no longer enough.
In 2025, success will depend on meeting audiences where they are – through video-led, socially native content that drives authentic engagement.
The rise of social-first digital PR
The way brands approach digital PR and online coverage is evolving, driven by the rise of social platforms and changing audience behaviors.
Traditional strategies focusing on earning backlinks and securing coverage in high-authority domains fail to deliver meaningful results.
The audience’s journey has evolved, and their relationship with brands, publishers, and creators is shifting. To reach them effectively, brands, creators, and publishers must adapt.
Audiences increasingly engage with video-led content on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram – many of which now function as search engines.
Digital PR teams must go beyond pitching articles to create dynamic, platform-specific content that resonates where people already spend their time.
Users spend considerably more time on social websites (20.75%) than news sites (12.83%) – our traditional digital PR targets.
Success in digital PR is no longer just about securing backlinks.
Metrics like brand mentions, engagement, user-generated content (UGC), and social shares are becoming just as important for building awareness and authority.
These human-focused measures are also likely to play a significant role in driving revenue growth.
The “search everywhere” approach emphasizes meeting audiences where they are, using social-first strategies to redefine how we create and deliver content.
These changes are reshaping the future of digital PR. Let’s explore how they could transform your approach.
The shift to social platforms
In 2025, social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and emerging networks will dominate the SEO and digital PR landscape.
Audiences are:
- Moving away from static content and traditional news sources.
- Spending more time on video-centric platforms that offer authentic, real-time interactions with creators and content.
This shift has made traditional search-focused PR strategies less effective at connecting with audiences.
While backlinks remain valuable for SEO foundations, social posts and UGC now play a greater role in influencing consumer decisions.
Younger audiences, in particular, favor interactive, relatable, and trustworthy content – whether on TikTok, Snapchat, Discord, or Reddit – over static blog articles that once anchored SEO and digital PR strategies.
Social platforms as search engines
Social platforms are increasingly functioning as search engines, creating a new “search universe.”
TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit are popular platforms for finding answers, reviews, and recommendations, helping users discover products and brands.
TikTok’s expanding search functionality, for example, allows users to find everything from “how-to” tutorials to in-depth product reviews.
Gen Z users, drawn to its short-form video format and authenticity, frequently turn to TikTok for research.
Similarly, YouTube attracts audiences looking for detailed, long-form content to make informed decisions.
For instance, product review videos on YouTube or TikTok often rank highly for search queries about products, outperforming traditional editorial articles.
Whether it’s a new camera, a trendy outfit, a restaurant, or skincare advice, interactive and relatable social-first content is shaping consumer decisions more effectively than traditional PR placements.
This shift toward socially native PR content is the new standard for engaging with audiences and ensuring brand visibility.
By adopting these changes, PR campaigns can drive action, foster trust, and grow brand communities, moving beyond “link juice” to impact share of search in this emerging search universe.
Dig deeper: Social search and the future of brand engagement
The inevitable rise of video-led content in digital PR
In 2025, video will no longer be a complementary format in digital PR but the centerpiece of strategies.
Video has proven to be one of the most engaging and effective mediums for capturing attention, delivering messages, and driving action.
Predicted to account for over 80% of all web traffic by 2025, video’s dominance in online consumption is undeniable.
Even press publications that PR teams traditionally target are establishing themselves on social platforms to tap into this trend.
This is evident in TikTok, where publishers are achieving massive engagement.
For example, since January 2024, The Daily Mail’s TikTok channel garnered over 1 billion engagements compared to 40 million on its website.
That’s a staggering 2,400% difference. Content editors and journalists are increasingly seeking video solutions to meet this growing demand.
Dig deeper: A guide to creating social media videos (for search and beyond)
Socially optimized video as the new press release
Traditional text-heavy press releases are losing their effectiveness, especially because they don’t align with social platforms’ visual nature.
Video allows digital PR teams to create versatile press releases that publishers can easily adapt across multiple channels.
Formats like reactive comments, thought leadership, expert insights, and first-party data presentations performed well in 2024.
But they are even more impactful with a video-first approach.
For example, Martin Lewis, a UK financial commentator, has successfully used TikTok to share insights, building his presence both on his account and across media outlet platforms.
Brand mentions: The new metric of success
Brand mentions are becoming a key indicator of authority and trust, much like the traditional goal of achieving “follow” links in website outreach.
Social platform tags, as well as naturally occurring brand mentions in video content, are increasingly valuable.
Social algorithms, particularly TikTok’s, amplify this impact by promoting related content to users who engage with media pieces mentioning a brand.
This makes digital PR a powerful tool for raising awareness and moving audiences through a conversion journey.
Maintaining a strong brand presence on social platforms is now essential for ensuring visibility and trust in this video-first era.
Dig deeper: How to harness the power of brand mentions across the search universe
From backlinks to brand mentions: The ‘search everywhere’ evolution
Digital PR thrives on innovation, and by 2025, success will no longer rely on backlinks or traditional coverage alone.
Thriving in the next 12 to 18 months will require a “search everywhere” approach:
- Creating socially native content.
- Leveraging video and UGC.
- Reaching audiences where they already engage.
This is not a passing trend but a fundamental shift.
The next phase of digital PR is here, and those who embrace it will set the standard for the future.
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