Public relations is a magical and mystical world — one that can take you from a straight up fire drill with a client’s reputation on the line, to a broadcast studio tasting wine with a client and your friendly neighborhood newscaster — all in a matter of hours.
But that doesn’t exactly demonstrate or communicate what PR actually is, right? Anyone who has ever worked in PR has probably had a family member or a friend confess to not actually knowing what they really do for a living.
PR pros are communication gatekeepers
PR folks shape what communication looks and sounds like coming from an organization. That could cover any piece — large or small — of the following (and likely a lot more):
- Good news
- Bad news
- Internal communications
- Promotional messaging and planning
- Crisis communications
- Social shout outs and kudos given on any one of the bazillion social channels
- Reviews on products or services
- Results of market research
- Product/service launches
- Media relations
- Thought leadership
The list goes on and on
It’s safe to say that PR pros touch many different tasks from day to day. But the trick to writing multiple messages across multiple platforms is to stay consistent. Whether it’s good news or bad news, a newspaper article or a Facebook post, the tone must reflect the business’ core values.
There’s no shortage of need for good public relations. Good public relations tells unique stories and informs the public. It doesn’t rely on hooks and spin, but instead relies on truth and new information. Every organization should rely on the work of a PR pro to grow, recover and be positioned well with its most important audiences.
The next time you meet a PR pro, instead of asking them what they do, ask him or her about their favorite exciting or challenging experience. You might just get hooked yourself!
Check back soon for more on some of the most important lessons I learned in my PR training.
