Working in a PR role can be interesting and exciting. You will be working closely with your team and clients to help promote both individuals and businesses to a wide audience. It can also be a very challenging job, one that requires thick skin and a sharp mind to think up brilliant ideas and find quick, sensible solutions to any potential problems that could arise. If you’re considering a career in PR, here are a few aspects of the job you should think about.
Client relationships
As you will be dealing with both companies and individuals as clients, you must be able to forge strong and positive relationships with them. You will be helping them to build an image that needs to resonate and connect with the public in a way that inspires trust and confidence. To succeed in building these relationships, you must be able to communicate effectively with your clients and be considerate of their needs. They are relying on you to give them sound advice on how to present themselves in the public arena and resolve any concerns they might have about their image.
Press releases
Part of your job will likely involve writing press releases for your clients. These are very important documents that will relay specific information to media outlets at your clients’ request. They must be accurate and include contact details for whoever is in charge of organizing interviews and other press events. If you’re not sure how to write a press release, you can find examples online as a template, or ask another, more experienced member of your team to help you.
Strategizing
Creating a positive image for your client to share with the public is the main goal, and this will require a good PR strategy. You should consider the client’s brand throughout your planning process, as building their brand awareness is a key part of your job. You will need to carefully select the right media outlets that are relevant to your client to ensure that they are reaching the right audience. For example, if your client is a commercial construction firm, websites, and magazines that specialize in this subject should be your first point of contact.
There may also come a time when your client is going through a ‘scandal’ or other difficulties that need to be handled with care. These situations will require quick thinking and clever strategies to save your client’s image and turn a negative situation into a positive one.
Keep up to date
Public relations, as the name suggests, focuses on the opinions of the wider public in regards to your client. Therefore, you must keep yourself abreast of current affairs and have a strong understanding of the public mood. This will help you keep your client relevant and promote them in such a way that the public will identify with them positively.
It isn’t always an easy job, but working in PR will challenge you, and it’s an opportunity to learn many new skills. If you’re interested in working in this sector, consider the points above to help you decide if it’s the right job for you.
