I joined MCCI in April of 2015 and it has been an exciting (almost) year of diving into PR head first. I went to Grand Valley State University and received a Bachelor of Arts in advertising and public relations, with an emphasis in advertising… I didn’t think I’d ever end up in a PR position, but I couldn’t be happier that I have.
I’ve learned a lot of agency lessons since joining the PR community that I thought I’d share:
- Knowing how to write and speak is crucial in the world of PR. You need to know how to best demonstrate yourself, company and client both internally and externally. I’ve truly come to realize that communicating clearly among staff and clients is the most effective way to accomplish set goals.
- Time management is something you must master. Crises pop up in an instant, so having your priorities/deadlines organized is vital in order to be able to re-prioritize (again and again). The more efficient/effective you are with your time the more successful you will be.
- Continued learning allows you to stay on top of trends. Attending trainings, conferences and webinars provides the opportunity to continually sharpen your skills and be up-to-date on the industry at large.
- Researching and understanding what your client does is of high importance. Knowing what trade/industry/local opportunities they can insert themselves into will help demonstrate your expertise and help move the needle for the client as a whole. These things can be trade publications, social trends, speaking opportunities, etc. These approaches can all be aligned with client goals of increasing awareness, sales, donations and more.
- Storytelling in a compelling way, and finding the voice of your clients, is HUGE. PR pros are storytellers by trade and you have to develop/align your voice to differentiate your clients from competitors. Personally, I’ve done at least 20 interviews so far with clients to write internal stories, releases, blog posts and more - and having a solid storytelling foundation makes my stories more focused.
What were the biggest lessons you learned in your first year on the scene as a PR pro?
