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In today’s rapid-fire social media climate, it’s important for PR pros to watch for signals that forecast the next social media platform to take off and grow exponentially with users. With that in mind, we asked you, as top communicators and public relations strategists, to predict the next social media platform that’s going to explode in popularity and user growth.

Owned content of an app, video library, article or visual is difficult for anyone to grab true exposure for, and native is still a game for those with the most money. Rarely spoken of is the power of distributing branded content via earned media in a way that is actually scalable and measurable.

By 2018, 3.6 billion people—90% of the world’s internet-enabled population—will be registered to use at least one messaging app, according to Activate, a strategy and technology consultancy. Facebook would like to have its Messenger app on each of those 3.6 billion devices, and it may get there. The company has just announced that 1 billion people globally use Messenger every month.

The PR discipline at large is still trying to come up with widely accepted measurement criteria. The Barcelona Principles—which now include specific suggestions for measuring social media—do a good job at this, but they remain unknown to many communicators. On top of this general confusion, many social networks offer their own native analytics. With these tips, PR pros will be able to gather and analyze their data to align with business goals and build social media intelligence into organizational strategies.

Sometimes pitches can get lost in the daily deluge that is a reporter’s email inbox. And there are plenty of journalists who are simply more engaged on social than other means of communication. One of the great things about social media is that PR pros can cultivate opportunities by being present on the platforms journalists use to identify story angles and sources.

Many of us dreamed of instant stardom in our childhood. Musical.ly brings that dream to life, having spawned a number of social media stars. Plus, it’s fun: Who doesn’t like lip-synching or dancing like a lunatic to their favorite songs (or at the very least, watching others do so)? Here are a few ways PR professionals and communicators can use the app creatively to boost brand awareness to the teenage set and beyond.

Ah, the joys of summer. It’s enough to make you forget what’s going on back at the office. It’s also a good time to unlearn bad habits. Re-energized from your vacation, you might be ready to wash away these misconceptions that have become woven into the communications fabric.

Sand between your tanned toes and the relaxing sound of waves hitting the shore. Happy hour that begins at 4pm (it’s 5’oclock somewhere). Visiting new places. Dealing with crowds (literally, being able to deal with… Continued

You hear it constantly when brand communicators discuss social media, particularly Facebook: “It’s all pay-to-play. Don’t kid yourself.” With that in mind, our Big 4 Social Media Summit next month in San Francisco will include a how-to clinic called “Pay-to-Play—Putting Paid Social to Work to Amplify Your Brand’s Messages.”

Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention on the evening of July 18 included a passage that was clearly plagiarized nearly word for word from Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. PR pros, take heed: If you’re working with a high-profile personality who’s going to be giving a speech, you need to vet it for plagiarism.