By Aisling McCarthy

1. PR experts understand the media

Understanding how the media works is imperative to ensuring a successful PR business. For starters, if you understand the way in which top media houses craft their stories, you are able to tailor your press releases to suit their needs and, therefore, increase the chances of getting your information published.

Samantha Watt, of Ginja Ninja PR, tells media update that understanding the market of each publication can also assist in getting your content published.

“Having an innate understanding of the type of content they carry is critical, as your story will not even make the page if it’s not relevant to the reader.”

Dorothy Crenshaw, writing for Crenshaw Communications, says that it is not just about consuming all sorts of content, but rather about bringing a degree of critical thinking into media consumption. However, a voracious appetite for all types of content is “solid advice for anyone starting out in PR.”

2. PR gurus are curious, knowledge-seekers

Intellectual curiosity breeds a desire to know, which drives PRs to go the extra mile for clients. The desire to know can also aid the ability to connect the dots between seemingly random pieces of information.

Watt says that a PR’s job involves far more than just dealing with the media and highlights the fact that information is your biggest asset.

“Often, reading a broad array of content will help you uncover a unique angle, sometimes we even find business opportunities for clients … It’s the age old thing that if you are passionate about something, it will be easy to learn more about it.”

Dominique Warr, head of marketing and PR at Mark 1, echoes this sentiment, saying that daily research is necessary to go from good to great.

“Your biggest strength is information – about your client, their competitors, their industry, as well as the media landscape, what is trending at the moment and how you can use that for your client’s benefit … Read the newspaper, read industry thought leader sites and subscribe to all relevant newsletters. You can’t perform best for your clients if you’re in the dark.”

3. PR professionals can recommend a good way to achieve goals

Often, PRs are stereotyped as “yes” people, catering to every client’s whims without any kind of forethought. A quality PR professional is one who considers what the client wants and does the best for them – even if that means recommending something that the client does not necessarily want to hear.

“It’s about integrity. Unfortunately, there are consultants who will chase the bottom line, as opposed to providing the right information or advice. It’s not easy to sway a client in a different direction, but if your relationship is strong enough and they value your opinion, it should be okay in the end,” says Watt.

She continues, saying that she does not believe that senior PR consultants are valued enough – with years of business experience under their belt, they can offer far more than a simple press release.

“As the PR, you need to keep an eye on the overall campaign and ensure that it is going in the right direction. It is your job as the PR lead to manage the strategic direction and also educate the client, no matter how difficult it can get.”

4. Top PRs can see the big picture

South African PR experts know that, sometimes, results must also serve business goals in order to be valuable. Crenshaw says that it is imperative to begin with the end in mind.

“It’s easy to be mired in tactics on the agency side, because the right activities, well packaged, can make a big difference in earning media coverage.”

Watt says that, often, there is a large amount of pressure for PRs to provide ‘extra value’, when, in fact, PR often provides far more than other marketing elements.

“PR is a perception shaper, a content enforcer, relationship builder, an educator and an advisory tool. How can PR not provide business value? It fascinates me that advertising still gets the bigger share of respect and budget when PR is actually way more influential and important in today’s market place.”

5. PR experts understand how businesses work

This is often a shortcoming of some of the most talented PR professionals, and Crenshaw believes it shouldn’t be the case.

“A top communications person understands a client’s business from top to bottom. They have useful generalised business knowledge also – like how products get to market, how start-ups and other companies acquire funding, how public companies report earnings and how to read a balance sheet. It’s not about learning accounting or maths, it’s just another essential habit acquired over time.”

Warr says that PR is one of the most powerful tools in any business’s arsenal, although it is not often viewed as such.

“While it might seem, at first, that PR doesn’t contribute directly to the bottom line or bring in revenue, a well-executed PR strategy promotes credibility and trust in your brand.”

6. Winning PRs listen

Listening is imperative to ensure success – not only listening to the client, but also listening to the market. Crenshaw believes that it is highly underrated in PR, as it is in almost any other business. She says that, generally, bad PRs are either completely passive “order-takers” or “shoot-from-the-hip” PRs who like the sound of their own voice.

Watt says that PR is a two-way street and that it should be a constant dialogue between the PR and the client.

“Listen, repeat, think, respond. Give the client the ability to share their ideas, repeat what you think it is they are requesting and then respond with your suggested approach ... Sometimes, giving a client what they think they want is a mistake. I don’t think enough PRs listen and interpret, not everything has to be literal.”

7. South African PR professionals keep learning

This speaks to curiosity, but also the pace at which the world is changing, where digital, SEO and content marketing all blend into what PR is. Staying at the top of your game in the industry involves updating skills, moving with the times and, occasionally, even reinventing the way in which things are done.

“Upskilling is a no-brainer when it comes to the PR industry, as communication channels change daily. 20 years ago, digital wasn’t a factor, whereas now, our consumers get most of their information online. It’s so important to be able to reach your audience where they are consuming information – whether that’s in traditional or digital media,” says Warr.

Watt tells media update that with experience, comes knowledge and that the basics of PR will always play a role in staying relevant in the industry.

“If you evolve with your client and the market, you are always learning. Reading helps with this, introducing new services and solutions will naturally help. From the get-go, you need to have certain skills as a PR person – if you are a natural one, you will want to stay up to date and ahead of the pack. I am of the opinion that no matter how the world evolves, the basics of PR remain important.”

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Want some tips on ensuring your press releases do well? Read our article, A guide on how to get your press releases published.