STATE OF DIGITAL PR REPORT (2026)

Summary from the TLDR Marketing newsletter

Digital PR is more effective in 2026 but also more difficult due to AI search and rising demand for brand authority and mentions. 68.2% of professionals say it is more effective than last year, yet 75% say it is more challenging, and 60.8% say finding relevant journalists has become harder. Data-led content remains the top tactic at 95.9%, press release pitching rose to 85.1%, and 66.2% now list AI citations as a key outcome, while backlinks still lead at 85.8%. Budgets are rising, as 8.8% now spend over $20,000 per month, and cost per link above $750 grew from 3% to 10.2%, while 60% still spend under $10,000. AI now shapes daily work, as 76.4% say it changed their process, 78.4% track AI visibility, and only about 40% have a repeatable method to earn AI citations.