Public relations (PR) is a vital skill for any business that wants to communicate effectively with its audience, build trust and reputation, and manage crises. But how do you create a PR team that can handle these challenges and deliver results? The first step is to define your PR goals and strategy.
Before you hire or assign anyone to your PR team, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your PR efforts. What are your main objectives, messages, and target audiences? How do you measure your success and impact? What are the best channels and tools to reach your audience and convey your messages? These are some of the questions you need to answer to develop a PR strategy that aligns with your business goals and values.
Simply put, a clear outline of your organization's PR goals and objectives is my number one. This will determine what you want to achieve and assist you with goal setting and selecting the most appropriate talents to add to you PR team.
Start by aligning with your company's goals to shape the PR team's objectives. Evaluate the necessary skills, identifying what you already have and need. Structure the team around these strengths and fill the gaps, considering new hires or training. Use outsourcing for specialized or temporary needs. This method creates a PR team that’s not only skilled but also aligned with your business objectives.
By taking these initial steps to define your goals, identify key roles, and recruit the right talent, you can lay a solid foundation for building a successful PR team that can effectively promote your brand and manage your company's reputation.
The first step in building a PR team is to clearly define your goals and objectives. This involves outlining what you hope to achieve through your public relations efforts and how you envision your team contributing to these goals. For example, if your company is launching a new product, your PR objectives may include generating media coverage, building brand awareness, and managing any potential crisis situations. With these goals in mind, you can then begin to identify the specific roles and skill sets needed within your PR team.
Once you have a clear understanding of your objectives and the roles you need to fill, you can start recruiting team members who possess the necessary expertise and experience. This might involve hiring PR professionals with backgrounds in media relations, content creation, social media management, or crisis communication, depending on your specific needs. Additionally, it's important to establish a strong leadership structure within your PR team to provide guidance, direction, and support. This might involve appointing a PR manager or director who can oversee the team's activities and ensure that they align with your overall business objectives.
Once you have your PR strategy in place, you must decide how to organize your PR team and assign roles and responsibilities. Depending on the size and scope of your business, you may need a small or large PR team with varying levels of seniority and specialization. The leader of the PR team is typically the PR manager or director, who oversees the overall PR strategy, budget, and performance. The executor of the PR strategy is the PR specialist or coordinator, who handles the day-to-day tasks of creating and distributing materials, pitching media outlets, and monitoring outcomes. A PR writer or editor creates content such as press releases, articles, blogs, newsletters, speeches, and other materials. Lastly, a PR analyst or researcher collects and analyzes data on media coverage, audience feedback, industry trends, and competitors to provide insights for improving the PR strategy.
Understanding the level of specialization required for your budding PR team is crucial. It all comes down to various factors like company size, brand objectives, and the nuances of your product or industry. In startup settings aiming to shape narratives, boost visibility, and drive leads, prioritizing 'PR generalists' is often ideal. Versatile pros who excel in multiple PR domains: strong writers, good media relations, adept at spotting compelling story angles across diverse platforms (consumer, business, tech, etc.) For larger firms, a more tailored setup might be necessary. Think of specialized roles like product comms, crisis management, or region-specific teams. It's about matching the team's skills to your organization's unique needs.
To start, hire consultants who are specialists rather than generalists. I've found this to be a more sustainable way to grow my PR firm than hiring a salaried employee. The monthly cost of a copywriter, graphic designer, and media trainer (three different consultants) is less than a generalist PR salary and the quality of work rivals top agencies.
In addition to the specific roles and responsibilities, you also need to consider the skills and qualities that your PR team members should have. These include communication skills to effectively communicate with different audiences, media, and stakeholders; creativity skills to generate original stories and messages; critical thinking skills to analyze data and make informed decisions; collaboration skills to work well with others; and adaptability skills to cope with change and respond quickly to emerging issues. Having these essential skills and qualities is essential for a successful PR team.
Creating a PR team requires more than just adept storytellers; it also demands skilled story finders. While numerous PR professionals excel in crafting narratives, uncovering individuals capable of bringing forth fresh stories or innovative angles for existing ones is where true magic lies.
Hire a Branded Content leader to leverage up reach, authority and measurable outcomes as the line blurs between paid, earned and owned.
When building a team, I would look for a mix of creativity, strategic thinking, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing media landscapes. Given the dynamic nature of PR, it's equally important for team members to have a knack for problem-solving, and the ability to engage with diverse audiences. As you assemble your first PR team, recognize that roles and responsibilities may evolve. Today’s digital strategist could be tomorrow’s crisis communication expert. Therefore, prioritizing versatility and a willingness to learn is crucial.
When assessing the essential skill set of a top-tier PR team, I firmly believe in three non-negotiable traits, irrespective of seniority: 1) Exceptional writing: no exceptions here. Stellar writing is at the heart of effective communication, whether it's crafting press releases or pitching to the media. This includes striking the perfect balance between content, form, structure, and style. 2) Flair for captivating and unique storytelling: Can they breathe life into mundane or complex subjects with creative story angles? Are they skilled at delivering original, high-impact content that resonates? 3) Analytical mindset: Interpreting data and utilizing it to create editorial insights is crucial for landing compelling, data-driven narratives.
After you have defined your PR team structure, roles, skills, and qualities, you need to find and hire the right people for your PR team. You can look internally for existing employees who have the relevant skills and experience, or you can post job openings on online platforms to attract external candidates. Additionally, asking your current employees, partners, clients, or contacts to refer people with potential and fit is another option. Once your PR team members are hired, providing them with the necessary training and support is essential. Orientation should introduce them to your business vision, values, and culture, as well as your PR goals, strategy, and plan. Assigning a mentor or a senior PR team member to guide new members is also important. Offering learning opportunities such as online courses, webinars, workshops, conferences, or books is a great way to help them develop their skills and knowledge.
When it comes to recruiting and training your PR team, think of it as setting up a versatile squad ready for whatever the world throws at them. You're on the lookout for folks who aren’t just talented but are also quick on their feet, ready to pivot strategies at a moment's notice. During recruitment, value curiosity and adaptability as much as experience. After all, today’s PR landscape changes faster than social media algorithms. For training, ditch the one-size-fits-all approach. Foster an environment where learning from real-life cases, sharing insights, and even embracing the occasional misstep is part of the growth process.
To find people who work well in the field of PR is a must: - People very empathetic. - Fast and efficient solutions - To Have experience in media or agencies - good writing in the desired language - observant and chameleon people, capable of adapting to the interlocutor's environment
Finally, you need to manage and evaluate your PR team on a regular basis, to ensure they are working well together and achieving your PR goals. To do this, you can hold regular meetings with your PR team, either in person or online, to discuss progress, challenges, and opportunities. Additionally, you can ask them to prepare and submit reports on their PR activities, outcomes, and impact. You can also conduct surveys with your PR team, your audience, and stakeholders to collect their opinions and satisfaction. Building a PR team is an ongoing process that requires planning, execution, and improvement. By following these steps, you can create a PR team that can help you reach your business goals and enhance your reputation.