10 tips for PR stardom

August 18, 2015 Written by

The super competitive PR industry can be a tough one to crack but we’ve got it covered. Josh Francis, Stand’s latest work experience candidate, has pulled the Stand masterminds together to bring you our top 10 tips for PR stardom:

1. Soak it up – Forget curiosity killing the cat, being inquisitive can make you a PR pro. Keep an eye on what other agencies get up to and remember to read. Whether you’re new to PR or an old hat, absorbing the industry like a sponge will ensure you stay on top.
2. Details, details, details – Be that go-to person for intricate attention to detail. There’s no excuse for punctuation mistakes or getting ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ mixed up! Reading out loud means voicing mistakes. You can skim by them when reading through but you’re less likely to do this when reading aloud.
3. Don’t get left behind – Keep up to date with the latest trends. Download the latest apps to help you to do your job better and faster, incorporate the latest technology into your campaigns and make your pitch presentations interactive.
4. Don’t just give it a “quick google” – Make sure you are on top of the news agenda at all times to make sure you can source the best possible opportunities for your clients. When pitching to a journalist or new client leave no stone unturned – knowing your client or your subject inside out will help you stand out from the crowd when questioned.

5. Nurture your teams to be the best – PR managers need their teams to create and bring campaigns to life that others wish they’d thought of. To attract and retain the best people, it’s important to ensure agency life is more than hard graft. Look after your teams, and give them the support they need to develop and succeed

6. Don’t forget to manage your own PR – Many PR companies forget to get their own names out there. Do this and potential clients will come to you. Even if you don’t own your own agency, remember to update your LinkedIn regularly for clients who may snoop on your profile before a meeting. Make sure they are excited to work with you.
7. Keep your reputation stellar – Protecting your reputation is important. You cannot claim to be able to manage somebody else’s reputation if you cannot manage your own. Remain professional at all times, keep your social media clean and deal with difficulties honestly and head on.
8. Keep blogging – Keeping your blog up to date can seem like a chore, but writing insightful opinion pieces and showing you’re up to date with current affairs positions you as a leading expert in your field. Blogs are a great way to get noticed and communicate with others and an avid reader could quickly become a client.
9. Work hard, play hard – Working in PR can make your stress levels soar through the roof. We’ve all had tricky clients, AWOL journalists and crisis news disasters and there’s no getting away from them. Make sure you have a good work-life balance and lots of hobbies so that when the weekend ends you start on Monday morning feeling refreshed and with interesting stories to share.
10. Get organised – The most important thing a PR pro can be is organised. Create detailed timelines at the start of a campaign to make sure nothing gets forgotten along the way. Particularly in an agency setting, these timelines can also help others working on the account to work out what they need to do going forward. Keeping organised will ensure far fewer mistakes.

Josh Francis joined Stand Agency for one week to gain work experience. He is a Journalism Graduate and is considering a career in PR.