Here at PR in Your Pajamas, we often talk about PR trends and the new demands they place on PR professionals. These fast and frequent changes keep us on our toes, requiring us to develop new skills on the fly.
But in this post, I’d like to go back to basics. Let’s remember the time-tested, essential PR skills we need. These skills are so important, so foundational, that I dare say they have and will continue to withstand the test of time. They transcend technology and fads.
Good Old-Fashioned PR Skills
1. Writing
Forget what they say about how people no longer read these days. Even if the majority of your audience prefers video to text, you still need to know how to communicate by putting words on paper.
I’d like to point out two specific types of writing that we need to know and master to succeed in PR. The first is journalistic writing. Knowing what’s important, and communicating the essential parts first. Writing in a way that grabs the attention and interest of readers immediately. If you’re more of a creative writer, don’t despair. Journalistic writing can be learned.
The other type of writing we need is copywriting. Copywriting is simply selling in print. It’s using words to hook your audience, align with their personal goals, and motivate them to do what you want. Copywriting is applied, not only in the written word, but also in radio and video. The basis of copywriting is persuasion, so if you know copywriting, you also inadvertently become a more effective persuader.
2. Interpersonal Skills
PR is all about interacting with others. You need to build rapport and effectively relate with the C-suite (whether your own company’s or your client’s), technical experts, sales people, the marketing staff, journalists, customers. Strong people skills will open many doors for you, and make PR work much easier. On the other hand, if you hate interacting with people, you’ll probably hate PR work.
3. Negotiation
Negotiation skills are also essential. You negotiate with decision makers to get their buy-in on the PR campaign. You negotiate a story with journalists and editors. If you know how to create win-win situations, you’ll be successful in PR.
4. Media Awareness
Can you be good in PR and dislike actually consuming media — watching TV, listening to the radio, surfing websites, reading the news? I doubt it.
In PR, we need to know all about the media. What media are available in what formats, who runs them, who consumes them, what content they provide, and who creates the content. These things are location and culture-specific.
Aside from knowing the media, you also have to be able to think like the media. You need to have a nose for news. Be able to put yourself in a journalist’s shoes. Can you sniff what will become the next big thing? Then you’re one step ahead of your competitors.
5. Research
PR practitioners need to learn tons of new information with each new client or campaign we have. It’s necessary to know how to find the information you need. Speed reading comes in handy for this. More importantly, you must have the ability to evaluate the information you do find and “connect the dots” – synthesize them in a useful form.
6. Strategic Thinking
Thinking strategically includes the ability to set objectives and formulate a plan to achieve them. It also means taking calculated risks, and recognizing opportunities and maximizing them. In PR, where the solutions aren’t always straightforward, a strategic thinker can create opportunities where none appear to exist.
7. Attention to Detail
You have to anticipate needs and problems before they arise — and be ready for them. By being detail oriented, you think of the smallest things, including those that may not be so important, but could spell disaster if neglected. Think typos on press releases, forgotten appointments with journalists, and having enough copies of your media kit. Small stuff, yes, but someone’s got to stay on top of them!
8. Management
Aside from interacting with people and communicating persuasively, as a PR practitioner, you’re also a manager. You manage resources, time, and people, including yourself. You have to be realistic with your budgets, know how to mobilize human resources, and produce results.
9. Statistics and Measurement
As if being a good writer weren’t hard enough, PR professionals also need math skills. You measure and monitor inputs, outputs and results, so you need a good head for numbers. Understanding statistics and data — and knowing how to use them for high-impact communication — is a critical PR skill that will remain relevant long after your latest smartphone or tablet has become obsolete.
10. Business Sense
Finally, PR pros need to have good business sense. We don’t do PR for PR’s sake but to help contribute to the bottom line of our or our client’s business. Having business acumen is what you need to be taken seriously by clients or the C-suite.
Over to You
Whew, that’s quite a long list of essential, time-tested skills for PR practitioners. But tell me, did I miss anything? Or is my list too long?
Let me know what you think by posting a comment below. You can also publish it on our Facebook page. Or send me a message on Twitter.
Elena is founder of a technology PR agency that works with startups to billion-dollar companies. She is passionate about helping marketers and small business owners with practical publicity strategies.
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Great tips! The water drinking is sooo important, and I totally agree about the upbeat music. I think you’re right about the stretchingI do feel better when I do that first thing in the morning. Will have to make it part of my daily routine now.
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These are some great tips! You hit the nail on the head with every point. I am a firm believer that these skills are what PR professionals need to understand in order to succeed in the business. My favorite what the part about having strategy and how a strategic thinker can create opportunities where none appear to exist.
These PR skills are so important, especially for soon-to-be graduates because these skills are what employers are looking for the new PR practitioners. I like that you also list statistics and measurements on the list because if PR professionals could use output measurements to support their writing, it would increase credibility. Thanks for sharing these tips!
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A great post here, I have to say I definitely agree with many of the points you have made here! I think this will be very useful for any beginners so thank you for sharing! Looking forward to seeing your other posts.
Great list! Although Im studying about advertising and public relations at a university, I feel PR requires much broader skills than advertising after reading this post. If Iwork at an ad agency, I should know many kinds of things, but also you should be specialized in one skill.
PR is different. I have to be a real professional in everything I would use in communication. Writing, design, in-person communication, planning strategies, mathematics, and anything I need.
Thank you for your great tips! I will definitely apply them to my works in the future.
I enjoyed this blog. I feel it touches on all the important aspects of PR very well. As a PR major in college, I found these tips very helpful. One suggestion I have is to mention ghostwriting in the writing section of the blog. That’s an important topic you could touch on in a brief paragraph that I believe would be beneficial to other readers.
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Thanks for the great tips! I am just about to graduate college and I am a PR major whose is still trying to figure out what my best skills are and how they will be helpful to an employer. Your comment about needing to be conscious of media 24/7 especially resonated with me. I am just now starting to look into all media channels and try and keep current with trends and topics going on in the professional field. I feel like I have learned a lot from my professors who have shared their PR experiences in agency and corporate work, but blogs like this have been very inspiring and helpful as I start applying for jobs.
Thanks for the tips!!! This article is so much informative for me to understand more about PR. I believe that these skills are what PR professionals need to understand in order to succeed in the business. I have to be a real professional in everything I would use in communication. I need to have a good writing, communication, planning strategies, decision solving, and math. I will definitely apply them to my works in the future.
Old is gold. And basics of any trade will never go out of trend. If you have mastered the basics of PR skills then you won’t have a problem maintaining your public relations.
Hey thanks for this nice article. Your points are really useful for newbies like me.
Abhishek´s last [type] ..Top 10 Youtube Videos of 2012
This is a great list – something for students to be aware of and aspire to for sure!
One additional comment and distinction I would make is the subset of writing that is editing. It’s important in the strategy and collaboration to understand that sometimes writing/re-writing isn’t necessary, only the nuance of editing to improve the original thought of the client-contributed content.
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