PR Marketing Statistics for 2026: Industry Growth, Trends, and Performance Metrics

In 2026, PR marketing stands at the intersection of earned media, digital amplification, and AI-driven discovery. Brands rely on PR to build credibility amid fragmented attention spans, where traditional press releases compete with AI search results and influencer voices. Journalists demand data-backed pitches, while algorithms prioritize authoritative earned links over paid promotion.

Public relations professionals face mounting pressure to demonstrate measurable impact, as budgets shift toward strategic storytelling and crisis management. With global markets expanding and digital tools reshaping outreach, PR’s role in SEO, brand trust, and revenue generation has never been more critical.

This article compiles over 70 PR marketing statistics from 30+ distinct sources, drawn from recently published data. Organized by key dimensions, these figures provide a reference for industry benchmarks relevant to 2026 planning.

Scope and Methodology

• Includes only publicly available PR marketing statistics relevant for 2026.
• Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
• Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
• Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
• No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.

Key PR Marketing Statistics for 2026

The global public relations market is projected to reach $132.52 billion by 2029, based on a 2024 estimate by Research and Markets.
60% of PR firms project business growth, based on a January 2025 survey by Statista.
Consultancy and strategic communication rank as the top growth opportunity for one in four PR firms, based on a recent survey reported by Ranko Media.
Issues and crisis management has the greatest growth potential for 21% of surveyed PR firms, based on a recent survey reported by Ranko Media.
The success rate of PR pitching is under 5%, based on 2025 internal data by Ranko Media.
94% of links cited by AI responses are non-paid media stories, based on a 2026 study of over one million links by STIR.
68% of PR professionals cite demonstrating ROI as their biggest challenge, based on the Gitnux PR Industry Statistics Report cited by Zilker Media.
83% of communicators believe digital PR improves brand awareness, based on DemandSage data cited by Zilker Media.
77% of communicators say digital PR boosts organic search ranking, based on DemandSage data cited by Zilker Media.

Industry Growth and Market Size Statistics

The global PR market is estimated at $100.06 billion for 2024 with a projected 6% CAGR to 2029, based on data from Research and Markets.
28% of PR firms worldwide expected no change in business compared to 2024, based on a January 2025 survey by Statista.
3% of PR firms predicted business decline compared to 2024, based on a January 2025 survey by Statista.
Nearly 30% of marketing budgets are wasted under current approaches, based on the Smartly 2026 Digital Advertising Trends report cited by Zilker Media.
46% of marketers are using AI to scale creative production, based on the Smartly 2026 Digital Advertising Trends report cited by Zilker Media.
33% of marketers are using AI across creative, media, and measurement, based on the Smartly 2026 Digital Advertising Trends report cited by Zilker Media.

Adoption and Usage Statistics

45% of B2B marketers plan to increase investment in AI-powered marketing tools in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Content Marketing Institute.
33% of B2B marketers plan to increase investment in events and experiential marketing in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Content Marketing Institute.
32% of B2B marketers plan to increase investment in owned media in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Content Marketing Institute.
25% of B2B marketers plan to increase investment in paid media in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Content Marketing Institute.
21% of B2B marketers plan to increase investment in tech infrastructure in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Content Marketing Institute.
9% of B2B marketers plan to increase investment in human resources in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Content Marketing Institute.
91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Wyzowl.

Channel Performance Statistics

Website/blog/SEO remains the #1 ROI-generating channel for marketers, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
Paid social media accounts for 26% of top ROI-generating channels, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
The average email CTR across industries is 2.5%, based on HubSpot 2025 data reported in the 2026 State of Marketing Report by HubSpot.
Conversion Rate Optimization is used by 50% of marketers, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
84% of brands and marketers see good results with PPC advertising campaigns, based on a 2024 study by Ranktracker.
Blog posts were the third most popular content format used by marketers at 38% in 2025, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.

Trust, Influence, and Perception Statistics

93% of video marketers say video is an important part of their marketing strategy in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Wyzowl.
69% of video marketers have created social media videos in 2026, based on a 2026 study by Wyzowl.
27% of all sources cited by LLMs came from journalism, based on 2025 data from Muck Rack.
Readers rate AI-labeled content as less credible even when accurate, based on a study published in JMIR Formative Research cited by Zilker Media.

Revenue and Business Impact Statistics

Blog posts rank among the top 5 highest-ROI content formats at 22.26% according to marketers in 2025, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
Small businesses are 23% more likely than average to see ROI from blog posts, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
35% of marketing leaders report earning $10 to $36 for every $1 spent on email marketing, based on the State of Email 2025 by Litmus.

Skills and Professional Development Statistics

Storytelling and content creation is the No. 1 in-demand skill for 59% of PR pros in 2026, based on the 2026 Inside PR Report by Cision.

Conversion and Acquisition Statistics

41% of marketers say the top trend they’re exploring is updating SEO strategy for changes in search, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
73.7% of marketers plan on maintaining or increasing investment in voice search optimization, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
Nearly 24% of marketers are exploring updating SEO strategy for generative AI in search, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
44.4% of marketers using interactive content report a mildly or very successful strategy, based on a 2026 study by Siege Media.

Customer Value and Retention Statistics

Only 8.4% of marketers say email open rates and click-through rates are the most important metrics of success, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
37% of marketers say leads are more informed thanks to AI, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.

B2B vs B2C Statistics

Lead quality and MQLs are the top metric for 39% of marketers in 2026, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
Lead to customer conversion rate is a top metric for 34% of marketers in 2026, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.
ROI ranks as a top metric for 31% of marketers in 2026, based on the HubSpot State of Marketing Report 2026 by HubSpot.

Regional or Geographic Statistics

News media saw 2,254 layoffs in 2025, based on data reported by PR Daily.

Audience and Behavioral Statistics

One in seven PR firm respondents projected business growth compared to 2024, based on a January 2025 survey by Statista.

References

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