Edinburgh PR agency share how you can make a name for yourself in PR.
STARTING out in my PR career just over a year ago, I had a lot of questions and a lot to learn.
But over the last year working with a range of clients on a range of projects I have gained a valuable insight into the world of PR.
Holyrood PR is a great place to start in the world of PR. It has a history of helping to mould young professionals into PR experts and this is evidenced in the awards which have been won.
At this year’s ‘PR Oscars’ the CIPR Scotland Pride Awards, it was a member of the Holyrood team who came out on top in the Oustanding Young Communicator category – making it the third time it has gone to young talent developed by Holyrood PR.
For those of you who have recently graduated, or have decided to make a career change, you may be wondering what it takes to make a name for yourself in this industry.
So I thought it would be helpful, as someone who is relatively new to PR, to share with you my top ten secrets you should know when trying to develop your public relations career.
- Follow the Platinum rule not the Golden rule
The Platinum Rule is treat others as the THEY want to be treated – the Golden rule, treat others as YOU would like to be treated assumes that all people want to be treated the same way (reality this probably isn’t the case). In PR it is crucial than you have an ability to read people and adapt your behaviour to make others feel comfortable. You need to be able to provide a service which suits their needs as they have described – not what you assume their needs are.
- Get rid of the small talk
If you robotically approach clients with small talk then they will stop paying attention to you. You need to demonstrate you have a genuine interest in them and 
find a connection, even in short everyday conversations. If you’re clients know you are genuinely interested then they will be more likely to ask questions and inform you when something noteworthy is happening – making your job in the long run easier.
in PR than the clients. Find out how you can keep clients happy in everyday situations
- Focus on detail
Nothing hurts the credibility of a pitch, a proposal or any piece of work for that matter, like a mistake. Double check everything, read and re-read your work, question your assumptions.
- Learn to write
You are going to be doing a lot of it so if you can’t already, learn to write well. A crucial point for many new graduates to take on board is you may need to unlearn what your professors taught you in university. Short to-the-point sentences and clear language are what you need to get your point across.
- Learn to juggle
If you are working for an agency you are going to be working on more than one project for more than one client at the same time. Teach yourself to prioritise, focus on what you
need to do and manage your time well.
- Have integrity
You need to be able to walk your talk. It’s as simple as that. Follow through on what you say you are going to do.
- Be level-headed
If you are choosing a career in PR you are going to come against more than one difficult situation – the majority of which you won’t be able to predict. These are the moments which will define you PR career. The most important thing to remember is stay calm, focus on finding a solution and be confident in your delivery.
You need to be able to keep calm in a PR Storm – don’t make a drama out of a crisis
- Learn from your mistakes
You are not perfect – so you need to accept now that you are going to make mistakes and that you can learn from them. But it is important that you accept responsibility when you make a mistake and you use this to develop your skills.
- Think outside your bubble
It is essential in PR that you are creative, it is easy to get caught up in a day to day routine but find new ways to look at projects – if you can provide innovative ideas your clients will be sure to love you.
- Be a sponge
Never stop being curious. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it made the PR Pro. How do you think we find stories? You need to constantly stay on top of the industry and come up with new ways of finding a story if you want to continue to learn.
Once upon a time there was a PR Agency that had all the tips and tricks for successful PR storytelling…
Think you have what it takes to have a career in PR?
If you would like to find out more about what it takes to have a successful career in PR then why not get in contact with us now? You can give us a call on 0131 561 2244 or you can fill in the contact form below and we will get back to you.
