The traditional PR is changing at a fast pace, but content, research, media relations, media outreach still form the core of PR. RAMYA MISHRA lists skills that one needs to possess before entering the industry
More or less every field is going through a tremendous change. And all this is made possible with evolving technology. The moment we hear the term PR, lengthy documents, press releases comes to our mind. The traditional PR is changing at a fast pace, content, research, media relations, media outreach still form the core of PR. Yet with the advent of marketing tools, many of the old techniques used for content creation has taken a back seat.
Most of the clients, agencies, and youngsters joining the field believe, PR means networking and getting coverage across media platforms. This is only partial truth there is much more to the field. In the current scenario, a successful communication strategy is a combination of traditional and digital PR. Therefore it is important for the professionals aiming for this field, to get hands-on with digital tools also.
The PR industry is looking for the following skill sets in the young PR professionals:
PR tools knowledge: At the international level there are a number of marketing tools used in the PR industry. It is just a matter of time when India will catch up with this trend. Few agencies with a global presence have already adopted this practice.
One pitch provides a template, which can be sent across to many media contact in one go. If one wants to connect with the global influencers database then Cision Communication Cloud needs to be taken into account. Propl, Scoc’d, AirPR, and many other softwares are widely in use. This might sound overwhelming but no one is supposed to know all of them in detail. Only a basic level of operational understanding is recommended.
Niche content writing skills: The content strategy will be divided into two parts- traditional and digital content. Remember, impactful eye-catching content creates all the difference. Any day quality and exclusivity will win over quantity. Nowadays apart from making pitch notes, writing press releases, the client also expects the agency to write speeches and white paper. The professional should have a habit of doing extensive research and design clear, crisp, original but engaging content. Grammarly is a handy tool for all content creators.
In the case of digital content, the knowledge of search engine optimisation is a must. We all love the content which goes viral. SEO is one tool that will help you achieve that, by showcasing the trending keywords that need to be interwoven into the content. A nicely written piece with proper keywords drives the traffic and increases Google ranking.
Influencers/bloggers/digital content creator: The key to success on the digital platform is maintaining the database of influencers, content creators, or bloggers. Every platform caters to a different kind of influencer. Thus apart from knowing editors, journalists of key publications, it is crucial to know these new age content creators.
The requirement of a particular influencer will be dependent on the nature of the business. B2B often opts for Linkedin influencers, whereas B2C requires bloggers present on Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat .
Executives are needed to have a deep understanding of analytics. This will help them in tracking the worth of influencers, in terms of their real following. Also, web analytics and insights will showcase the status of the campaign. This real time information will help in making changes to the campaign.
A lot of tools are available online, which generates a report around the influencer’s content quality, followers, engagement. It’s time to get the hands dirty.
But all said and done PR is all about human connection, at no point one should stop building that. The winner will be the professional who can seamlessly integrate the new technologies with the traditional methods.
The writer is Perception Director, PR365