Nine Things I’ve Learned After Nine Years in PR - 10 Yetis Insight

Nine years ago, on 8^th December 2008, I walked in to 10 Yetis HQ as a determined and enthusiastic 18-year-old for my very first day at the company; a place where I hoped I’d spend many years learning the tricks of the trade. My experience and knowledge of PR was limited to a quick stint at the local county council’s press office for year 11 work experience and what I’d seen of Edi from Ab Fab.

I was hoping that I’d prove the doubters wrong and show them that turning down the place I’d been offered at university wasn’t a monumental mistake on my part. Fast forward nine years and I think it’s safe to say that it was the best decision I ever made.

People often ask me what my plans for the future are. Back in the day it seemed more acceptable to stay in one company for years and years; now, people seem more eager to be in the movers and shakers category, jumping from one role to the next and leaving a little bit of their awesomeness at each company they’re employed by. There’s definitely nothing wrong with that and I understand why I get a lot of “Do you think you’ll leave soon?” and “Don’t you want to go out on your own?” probes. My answer is always the same though… nah!

10 Yetis is a great company and, being an agency, no day is ever the same. I’ve worked on so many different client accounts since I started here that each one is like a new job role; especially because we strive to act more like an extension of our client’s in-house teams than a different team. Therefore, this is a really long-winded way of me saying that I love my job, I love 10 Yetis and I plan to stay here for as long as I can.

I was thinking today about the things I’ve learned over the past nine years and how my job today is different from the one I walked in to 3,288 days ago. How has the industry changed and what lessons do I have for other fresh-faced 18 year olds about to embark on their PR career? Well, here’s what I have to say about that!

1.Nothing stays the same for long

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that public relations is a fast-paced industry. When I started out, print coverage in a big national paper was the dream. Now, it’s greater than that. Digital has taken over and you constantly need to adapt to keep up. The industry now compared to nine years ago has changed significantly and I expect it to transform massively again over the next nine years.

2.The highs far outweigh the lows

PR is a rollercoaster of an industry, but the ups more than make up for the downs. If you’ve had a pretty tough week, with a story that just won’t seem to get that traction you thought it would, and an unhappy client, that can all be forgotten when you suddenly land a decent piece of coverage.

3.You’re only as good as your last piece of coverage

If one of your campaigns really takes off and gets covered by every newspaper, magazine and website from here to Timbuktu, it doesn’t mean you can sit back and rest on your laurels. If your next story only lands a small nib in a regional that nobody’s heard of, the success you experienced previously can be quickly forgotten. The high pressure of the job means that you constantly need to bring you’re A-game and keeping smashing it out of the park. There’s no time to be complacent.

4.It’s a jack of all trades kind of career

You’ll wear many different hats when working in the field of public relations, from PR itself and social media and content to video and search engine optimisation. At 10 Yetis, many of our client strategies are cross platform campaigns and may have PR, video, social and SEO elements all wrapped in to one, so you’ll pick up skills you may not have expected to once you embark upon your PR career.

5.There will always be people who won’t understand what you do

It’s nine years later and I’m STILL explaining to friends and family what it is that I actually do. People will think you’re in advertising and that you’ve paid for that piece of client coverage you achieve. People will think you’re a PA and run around after a big wig getting them coffee and organising their life. Some people will think you’re a journalist. Not everyone will grasp this whole PR thang, so get ready to have your explanation script to hand.

6.You need a thick skin and a good sense of humour

Journalists are under pressure. Clients are under pressure. PR people are under pressure. Occasionally, you’ll need a thick skin to get through the day. A journalist might be less than responsive to your pitch if they have a deadline to meet and don’t have the time to talk to you. Better still, they might event hang up on you. Don’t take it to heart. Everyone is busy and you just need to laugh it off (providing you haven’t done anything to warrant the aforementioned hanging up or nonchalance).

7.Online is king

With the closure of many magazines and the even national papers like The Independent, some would say that print is slowly dying. Whilst I think it will be a long, long while before print ceases to exist, the importance of online is massive. When thinking of campaign plans, you need to be thinking about the links it could achieve, how it will work on social media, whether it needs video to make it bigger and better (basically, all online stuff). If you’re not incorporating online into your PR in this day and age, you’re doing something wrong. SEO is becoming a big part of digital PR, given its linkbuilding abilities, so that's another key reason why online is king.

8.You never know where a journalist is going to end up

I always think about where the journalists I’m talking to could end up in the future and I treat each and every one of them the same. I put as much effort into selling in a small, local story as I do a big, national one and I’ll bend over backwards to make sure I get whatever the journalist needs. I never snub media contacts or think they’re “beneath” my client’s stories, purely because a) that’s really bloody stupid and b) that journalist from your local paper could up being a top reporter at a big national title or website one day and you could really need them. Then, you’ll wish you’d made the effort to have a good relationship with them.

9.You get obsessed with the news

When working in PR, you’ll be more switched on to the news than you ever were before… and that’s a good thing. I’m not saying that I need to know everything that’s going on, all around the world, but it helps to have your (annoying phrase alert) finger on the pulse when it comes to the news agenda. If news breaks that is relevant to your client or brand and you can react to it in any way, it’s going to serve you well to have picked up on it quickly. It’s also good to consume as much news and as many features as you can across print, online and broadcast, so you can see what media opportunities might be available with those titles for your clients or brand. Be obsessed.

Just to reassure you, I’ve learnt far more than just nine things in my nine years in PR, but these are just some of the key takeaways that I had to share with you on this fine day. If you’ve read to this point and haven’t fallen asleep yet, ta very much.

Thanks for reading everyone and here’s to another nine years!