It’s February, and love is in the air. We often share the PR mistakes or journalist pet peeves, but there’s a lot to love about PR and media relations.
Recently, OnePitch held a meet-up event with journalists and PR professionals in New York City. We asked the question: “What do you love about PR?” Here's what they had to say:
7 PR pros on what they love about PR
A common theme we heard was about the partnership created between PR professionals and their clients. Many appreciate how much they learn from their clients who span different industries or technologies. Kelly Gardiner, Senior Director on the Tech + Innovation team at Factory PR, loves how much she learns from her diverse clients.
“My favorite part is that my team's clients are such a diverse mix of verticals with healthcare, sustainability, consumer products, thought leadership, and so much more that I'm constantly learning about new aspects of business, which informs my overall strategy for my clients.”
Aleksandra Vayntraub, previously the PR Manager for Finder’s US office, also appreciates how PR connections foster learning.
“My favorite part about working in PR is getting to connect with and learn from so many different people, both within PR as well as across content, marketing and sales!”
Anna Bednarek, Head of Digital PR at Chilli Fruit Web Consulting, says that PR is a perfect fit for her learner mindset and the ability to be creative fosters learning.
“I love seeing the results of my work! I love seeing my clients happy with getting their brands in the press, and I love that this job allows me to be creative every single day. I’m also a bit of a sucker for learning new things, so this type of fast-paced environment that forces me to keep studying each day is extremely fun for me!”
Another big reason why PR pros love PR and media relations is the opportunity to tell unique, interesting stories for their clients. Amy McCullaugh, co-founder and managing partner of n|a Consulting, told us about the passion she has for telling entrepreneurs’ stories.
“I absolutely love helping small businesses and fellow entrepreneurs. All of our clients are small and primarily all passion projects — it's thrilling to see them grow and getting a chance to help amplify their stories.”
PR and media relations also give us an opportunity to get an inside peek at some of the most interesting and innovative companies. Being able to connect with and learn from the leaders at these organizations is a favorite of Martha Shaughnessy, the founder of The Key PR.
“I love being able to peek around the corner at what's to come; I love getting inside the brains of brilliant founders and helping them translate their dreams and visions into stories.”
PR and media relations technology is changing at such a fast rate. New tools and resources can make a PR pro’s workflow much easier. Karin Whiting Burgess, Communications Director at Enko, appreciates new PR technology and the role it plays in improving her workflow.
“I have been in Communications for over 30 years and am fascinated by the MANY incredible new tools and automation that assist with what once were seriously heavy lifts.”
At the end of the day, all the PR pros we spoke with truly love their jobs because they like doing good work for their teams and clients, as Domenica D'Ottavio, Associate Director of Digital PR at Journey Further, expressed.
“I love leading my team and helping them be successful for our clients.”
PR tip for March: Get outside and connect
As the weather warms as we head into March, now is an excellent time to think about your event and travel plans, and identify opportunities for meeting with your media friendlies in person. We recently spoke with Lucy Morgan, purpose editor and deputy website editor at Glamour, for our Coffee With a Journalist Podcast. In the episode, Lucy shared how much she values being able to take online relationships offline.
“I have these lovely contacts, but it's always nice for them to be in the same room and to meet up with them. I love going for coffee with people. I love actually putting faces to names. It makes life so much easier.”
As you prep for events, be on the lookout for posts from journalists who are also attending. They’re there to talk to people and gather sources for stories, so put yourself out there and respond. Who knows, you may create a new connection.
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Want to explore opportunities to expand your outreach efforts? Check out how OnePitch can help you identify and track the right list of journalists to pitch simply by uploading your initial pitch or press release.
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