For my next article my research is about having good PR skills The skill set of a good PR professional A good PR professional should have a strong and confident personality, a focused mindset and a good network of contacts amongst the media and other stakeholders. Good Interpersonal skills and a high emotional IQ are both key as you will be called upon to first understand, and then balance, the needs of your client and those of the media and other audiences. You need to feel comfortable working behind the scenes to get the job done on behalf of the client but also confident enough to step into the limelight when needed and often with very little notice! Knowing how to craft and tell a story is key in winning the hearts and minds of your target audience. This requires good communication skills, both verbal and written. You also need to be creative and able to come up with ideas that are unique and newsworthy and ultimately likely to create standout for the client. PR professionals should know their brand’s ‘story’ inside and out and always be armed with facts to ensure they are represented correctly. When you are first starting out in PR a lot of your work will involve developing press releases and contacting the media via phone and email to get coverage for your client’s benefit. This is called ‘selling in’. However, it is important that this does not equate it to a sales pitch and a PR person should not be overly pushy. The trick is knowing your target media well and tailoring your approach according to their sector and readership profile. Always do your research before selling in a story and start with a good media list of relevant outlets that may be interested in your topic. Then find the direct contact details of the particular journalist who deals with that section for each outlet and get in touch to pitch your ideas/press release.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 13:40:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015