By: Aubry Hawks, Account Coordinator
Whether you are a PR pro or a PR novice, it’s crucial to find ways to stay competitive within the professional world. As a freshly picked PR professional, I have discovered how competitive this field of work truly is. I have found this out first hand, while going to interviews or applying to internships that the person who is most or more qualified will nine times out of 10 get the job. You might ask yourself, “what can I do to get hired or stay competitive in my job?” Well, we cannot become better at our jobs or get hired unless we keep improving upon ourselves. The difference between sinking and being above water in the PR industry is directly linked to our acquired skill set. Utilizing new social media tools may prove resourceful at helping you stand out. By adopting new skills, staying current and by following the four tips below you can harvest your full PR potential.
1. Before you pitch, pre-heat: It doesn’t matter how long you have been working with the media. You must be sure to do your research first. Most stories receive low to zero coverage and more times than not, it’s your fault. You wouldn’t put a turkey in the oven without pre-heating it first, so when it comes to pitching the media, make it a two-process step. Some ways to help you get your turkey (pitch) ready is to research past stories and carefully select the right media to target, and then via email, phone or Facebook, deliver your story. Also, be sure to allow some time to pass before checking in with them. Following up with the media too soon is the same as opening the oven too soon while cooking your turkey. We all get excited about our stories, but checking in too often will not allow your turkey (story) to cook any faster.
2. Become a PR pioneer: It can often feel comfortable or easy to keep utilizing the same traditional ways of PR, but to reach your full potential and audience, it’s important to act as a pioneer and search for new tools. Take advantage of social media! Pinterest and Instagram prove very reliable for ROI and can help make your image or brand stand out if used correctly. Mashable and PRDaily are two great sites that can help you explore some of the latest PR technology. Just this week Mashable released an article with step by step directions on how to install the new YouTube design with a Google Chrome extension. By searching these sites on a weekly basis you can be sure to stay on top!
3. Colonize with PR pilgrims: Reaching out to new clients or other PR professionals can appear scary, but to be successful, it’s important to develop new or deeper professional relationships. At first the Pilgrims and Native Americans were unsure about uniting together, but their friendship proved mutually valuable and helped them succeed. Relationships, especially in PR, can either make or break your career. When it’s time to harvest a relationship with new clients, bosses or interviewers, be creative and write a handwritten thank you card or send an email. Even if the interview or meeting didn’t go as well as planned, thanking that person for the opportunity and their time will help you stand out in a good way.
4. Don’t settle: Become a better writer: Writing in PR is essential to your success, but at times we can become accustomed to our daily writings and lose creativity. It’s important to feed your mind. When your writing appetite is running low, fuel it by reading books, blogs or visiting new sites. Also, if you know you might struggle with a specific topic, plan ahead by writing down ideas and putting them in an outline. This will make writing easier for you.
The Pilgrims did not achieve everything in one day. Becoming a better PR professional starts one step at a time. The more you seek to improve yourself and your PR skills, the more you will be able to reach your full PR potential.