PR Pro | Okay, so I am going to be completely honest. I wrote this article almost two years ago when I worked as an Account Manager at a boutique PR Firm in Long Beach. But I still love how this world introduced me to the communications side of “marketing” and wanted to share it with you. To be honest, I would have also love to create a separate instagram account that only focuses on the day-to-day of a PR Pro. Due to legal stuff ( like signing an NDA), I didn’t do that and this article was pushed aside. 2 years later and a couple edits, I wanted to give you guys a little look at what my life looked like dealing with my favorite brands.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Brew the Coffee & Read the News
This might sound obvious but if there’s anything a PR Pro likes, it’s the inside scoop. And reading your feed (& emails) to start your day can be the thing that keeps your brands at the front of the trends. This can also be a good time to check that all your scheduled posts and releases were properly distributed – and maybe even starting the engagement on their feed. I love using various monitor programs that scans brand names and keywords and delivers anything with a mention right to your email.
You’ve Been Featured!
This is also one of my most favorite and least favorite parts combined. Mainly because the more press you acquire, the better you are at your job (on paper). But it also means that the more press you acquire, the more work you created for yourself. Most companies have a team that helps distribute the good news, but the boutique firm required each account manger to do the work themselves. On the bright side, the communication and tone was kept with the same people.
KEEP ALL ALERTS ON
Social Media & Branding
This is another thing that is usually accomplished with the help of a team. Every client should have a social media presence. Duh. But managing them and filling them up with pretty & trendy photos can be time consuming, so it helps to have extra hands on deck.
This is also where branding and blogging come into play. You want to make sure that your client has up to date branding and budgets and is ready to go for any event or crisis that may come up. Depending on your industry, crisis management could rarely come up or be a consistent part of your day. You also want to keep your client’s site at its highest ranking with consistent content getting pushed out. So know your SEO and figure out what kind of content aligns best with your client – my favorite has been campus quizzes that were edited to videos. (Might be a tip if you’re on YouTube).
Get Them Featured
This might sound even more obvious than starting your day off with coffee. But think about it. Unless you have a Fortune 500 client or a have a celebrity on retainer, odds are you don’t have top channels and media filling up your phone with requests to meet your clients. This is when your sales voice is activated. Cold calls, cold emails and ultimately get left on read – and REPEAT. Not necessarily to ask for favors or spark their interest in who you represent, but to start a stream of communication that may not currently exist. To be honest, this is how I have gotten the majority of my features secured.
Then there’s the “traditional” way – well, as traditional as you can get in the digital age. You submit through submission portals, media sites, sending emails to those you know and even responding to HARO requests. No efforts are too small, trust me on that one.
Find the Influencers
Do I even need to explain this one? Collaborating with Influencers brings so much exposure to the brand in more authentic and engaging way. So why wouldn’t you want to slap your client’s name across some of the top visited feeds?
IT’S A (WORK) PR PRO PARTY
Play the Spokesperson
Whether you’re in-house or manage a portfolio of clients, you will usually attend events after work. This may be to grow your own network or to represent your client in their industry. So this requires a wealth of knowledge of where these events are happening and the people who will be in attendance.
See you there!
Let me remind you, parties are not always what will keep your night life going. You will also be busy planning charity events and styled shoots. Basically, if it’s opportunity to create more content, your client (or you) will be there. And if you can’t find one, you will make one happen. Don’t be fooled, some are the best days of my week and if you work with financial advisors or people in tech, it’s more just writing stuff down on the latest news and legal changes.
Let me remind you, there is no real “Day in the Life” since my tasks are different every single day. However, even with a shapeshifting schedule, most of your to-do’s lists will fall somewhere within these groups. And every industry looks different, so remember even if it’s the same task, it could look completely different from client to client.
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