7 Worthwhile Things a PR Person Should Do Every Day To Be Better At Their Job – 10 Yetis Insight Blog

Public relations is a fast paced, high pressure-high reward kind of industry to work in and so it pays, like in any job, to try to improve a little each day at what you’re doing.

I’ve come up with a list of 7 things that I think every PR person should do each day to be better at their job. Here it goes…

1. Consume News

Watch the likes of BBC Breakfast or Sky News Sunrise, or just scroll through your preferred news site each morning to see what’s going on in the world. If you’re involved in creating news in some way, like us PR folk, then you need to get used to consuming it by the bucket load. Not only will this help you to spot any piggybacking PR opportunities for your clients, but it will also mean that you’ll be among the first to know when a new PR-generated story is doing the rounds (call it inspiration).

2. Monitor #journorequest

Most agencies and PR people have access to some kind of media request service, but they are rather expensive. The beauty of monitoring the hashtag #journorequest on Twitter is that it’s completely free (OK, apart from your internet costs, but let’s not be pernickety). Journalists, bloggers and other media types use this hashtag when they’re looking for things PR people can generally help with, like a spokesperson, case study, data or just some interesting information and expert advice. Keep a tab open on Twitter with a search for #journorequest running (or, even better, have it up on a second screen) and you’ll never miss a trick. PR pitching and journo/PR relationships are progressively moving more onto social platforms, away from the typical emails and phone calls and I, for one, think this is pretty handy.

3. Coverage Check

If you work in PR, you’ll know that there’s nothing quiet as annoying as when a client flags up coverage you’ve secured for them before you see it/have the chance to tell them. If you’ve got great results for the client, you should be the one to tell them about it; and the only way to do that is to make sure you’re on the ball when it comes to media monitoring. Start multitasking and check your cuttings service early in the morning whilst you’re eating your Cheerios. Use an online service like Meltwater to track for digital mentions and set up Google Alerts for the brands and clients you work with. Journalists are far too busy to email you when they’ve covered something for you/your client, so don’t rely on them for this.

4. Read Industry Blogs/Mags

It helps in an industry like PR to know your sector inside out. The best way to do this is to regularly read blogs and magazines about marketing and public relations, where you’ll find insights and thought leadership pieces from experts in the field. I’m a big believer in the idea that you should never stop learning, no matter how old you get, and reading what your peers have to say about the sector you work in is good for educating yourself. My favourites are PR Week, the CIPR mag ‘Influencer’, PR Moment (where my good and bad PR column lives) and, of course, The Drum.

5. Get On The Phone

You can’t always rely on the (I think) slow paced nature of email in a PR job. Would we be lost without it? Absolutely. Is it the best way to pitch a story? Nah. I think every PR person should spend a chunk of their day talking to the media over the phone – if you want an instant answer about a pitch or story, the phone is the way to get it. This is one of the most important skills needed for a job in PR and so it’s good to always be developing it. Don’t just call contacts to pitch either; ring to find out what they’re working on, if you can help in any way. Basically, don’t be annoying or pushy!

6. Keep Track of Other Agency Work

I’ll happily admit that I spend a bit of time looking at the ‘our work’ or ‘case study’ sections of other PR agencies websites. They’re a great source of inspiration and I can appreciate a great campaign when I see one. If you work in PR, I really recommend doing this; not only will it help you to see what others in your space are doing and what works well, but it will keep your mind fresh.

7. Engage With Clients

If someone is paying you to handle their PR affairs, never leave them in the dark. You should try to check in with clients daily, whether it’s just to update them about coverage that’s come through, to give them an activity update or just to say hi and build on that relationship. Again, don’t be needy or annoying.

There you have it; seven quick things you can do each day to keep getting better and better at your job in PR. Give them a go.