Aside from experience, future employers are also looking for those who exude a specific set of skills and/or traits that fit the job in which they are applying. This is especially true in the field of public relations. In a business where one has the capability to achieve an endless amount of success (if they play their cards right), it is safe to say that if you are willing to take on the tasks and lifestyle of a public relations practitioner you should also possess a rather eclectic skill set.
Over time, 5 skills in particular, over time have proven to be essential to a successful career in public affairs.
1. DIG FOR KNOWLEDGE
Research! Research! Research! Thorough research is key to learning about a client, product, target media, consumer, or industry…something you need to be an expert on. Using all of the media outlets available (newspapers, Internet, magazines, TV, radio, etc) to your advantage, and knowing what is going on in the world around you is also a task you, as a public relations professional, need to become accustomed with. By conducting research of any kind, you are setting yourself up to be more versatile, accurate, and most important—especially when pitching to the media—relevant.
2. BE COMMUNICATIVE
If you are shy, you are in the wrong business. Strong verbal and writing skills are essential to a job whose daily tasks surround require them. From press releases to maintaining blogs, you will be expected to be able to produce and deliver high impact messages to a variety of audiences, either publically or in print form. You will also be expected to know how to negotiate; an art that is frequently practiced in the field, and one that requires bluffing, calling a bluff, as well as both properly and effectively breaking down arguments into premises and conclusions.
3. PLAN, ORGANIZE, and MANAGE TIME
In such a fast paced environment, not only will planning and organizing help you keep track of your schedule, it will help keep you up to speed with both the media and as well as the media’s schedules. This is a tactic that is sure to please them and could benefit you in the long-run. Time management (something that can also be made easier by planning and organizing), will serve as an aid when working with multiple accounts at once, being that it will allow you to find a balance of your time and attention so that no account may be neglected.
4. PERSISTANCE & THICK SKIN
Rejection comes with the territory…don’t take it personally. In this field you have to have thick skin. Not everyone is going to like your ideas, but a great deal of your client’s success relies on your ability sell your story to the media. If your pitch happens to get vetoed, don’t give up. Keep pitching new and more creative stories/ideas until you get the attention you are seeking. If it helps, don’t think of it as rejection, but as the chance to hone your problem-solving skills!
5. CREATE YOUR OWN CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
As important as it is for someone in public relations to research, it is equally important to network! As a new professional in this field, you will quickly come to find that it is not always about what you know…but WHO you know. Even more important is the ability to both establish and maintain relationships with contacts. In this industry, the media is your friend so to speak…so treat it that way. Be appreciative of people that cover your stories and show them that they have your support by doing little things like sending “thank you” cards or going to their seminars. Who you develop relationships with in the industry could make or break your career, so it is important to be able to do make contacts and keep them!
For more great tips from Public Relations experts on how to have a successful PR career, check out this video!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
*Under the PR Umbrella*
In the past, advertising and marketing functions have taken precedence over public relations related functions. This is in large part due to their effectiveness to reach “the consumer.” These days, when the ability to use values-driven management to form long-lasting relationships with a more specific audience and organization is key, the field of public relations has been able to push itself ahead of the pack within institutions, with both advertising and marketing falling under its “umbrella.”
Several other catalysts have also contributed to this shift in power.
1. Relevance to all Communications
For decades the labors of division were clear. Advertisers were in charge of drawing attention to goods and services through campaigns, marketers took care of the four Ps—product, price, promotion, and place—and public relations specialists took care of the press releases and “spinning” tasks. In today’s society, companies and their clients are realizing that a number of new products have failed to sell simply because there is no build-up or market education, a job that is either to costly to market, or not as effective when done by ad campaigns. Not only can public relations activities create product awareness, it can also boost the effectiveness of campaigns in addition to marketing strategies.
2. Ability to Reach Niche Audiences
Markets are becoming more tightly grouped than ever before due to a world of options created by technological advances such as the Internet. Coupled with that are constant budget cuts followed by the harsh reality that there is not enough money to spend on trying to reach the general masses. Rather than downsizing, a great deal of businesses are investing the bulk of their budget into PR, being that workers in the field have to a certain degree, perfected the art of breaking through the clutter and influencing leaders as well as trendsetters, while connecting with stakeholders and consumers that are more inclined towards a product.
3. Flexibility
Unlike advertising and marketing, public relations has the capability to be re-shaped in mid-stream so that companies have more flexibility to adjust without changing the bottom line or focus of their messages over the course of a campaign. PR has also proven to have a shorter turn around time because the information Public Relation campaigns use can also be applied to other campaigns allowing more focus to be puts towards the initial strategy, all of which save both precious time as well a money for organizations.
4. Uses Social Media Networks to Advantage
Applications such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter have quickly become the moneymakers for companies not only because they are cheaper than the outdated print and television ads, but because they are the perfect opportunity for viral marketing. By using these sites as promotional avenues, the public relations faction is practically handing promotion to both the masses as well as niche audiences to the company in which they are working for, on a silver platter. All the while, their organization is developing more brand awareness—something that will help make future work or information put out by their client more credible, hence successful.
According to Sissy DeMaria, president of Coral Gables, Fla., public relations firm Kreps DeMaria, "This is business Darwinism right now.” Based on the articles I’ve read, it is my belief that the makeup of organizations are changing, most of which put the most effort, time and money into public relations. Advertising would have to come second in and organization because a provocative campaign can at times stir up more press for PR to handle. Last but not least is marketing. Mainly because there are so many outlets like the social media networks that serve as a cheaper and somewhat more effective alternative.
As DeMaria previously stated, "you're going to see a lot of consolidation in the industry, and only the strongest will survive."
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