Today, I woke up on the neutral side of the bed. I’m neither happy nor sad but I do know that there are quite some fascinating attributes about my job that I’d like to let out of the bag. I know you didn’t ask for this but, walk with me!
I dived into the adventurous career path of Public Relations a few months back and although I’m still an infant in this adventure, I am old enough to know that Public relations plays a vital communication management function between an organization and its audience. Public relations plays the role of constructing a positive brand image right from inception and consistently manages the positivity even as the brand gets bigger.
Now, just like any other profession, there are misconceptions about public relations as well as myths however, I will be sharing with you some facts about public relations I have discovered over the last couple of months.
Public Relations is an Art
Public relations involves storytelling. Telling a brand’s story in a way that attracts the audience and getting the desired media coverage is an art. Pitching the story to the media and getting them to cover it involves the skill to position the story right and that in my opinion is an art. The skill required to place the story on the right and most suitable media platform which consequently provides brand coverage and constructs audience perception is also an art in my opinion.
PR portrays Transparency
Many are of the opinion that public relations is used to exaggerate the virtues of a brand well, in my opinion, it is about telling the story of the journey of a brand, telling how a business is built, the core values of the business, how the business is growing and evolving.
It unravels the stories of struggle, trials, wins and errors which brings to life a brand’s story and connects instantly with the audience. This provides aspirational values for the audience.
PR Practitioners understand the Media
In my opinion, PR professionals are well vast with the nitty gritty of what makes news interesting and what sells in the media. They research and read to stay up to date on the news so as to know how and where to insert a client into a story.
Social Media is not a replacement for Public Relations
In as much as social media presence is essential for brand positioning, it cannot fill the shoes of public relations in my opinion. Social media is simply an invaluable tool used by PR professionals to augment PR efforts and amplify messages.
Before I take that sagacious bow, note that these facts gives an insight into what PR people do. So, if there’s ever a time where you are wondering what people in PR do or someone asks you what PR people really do, pull out one of these nuggets from your back pocket and be the life of the party!