Public Relations, or ‘PR’, is all about the way organisations communicate with the public to promote themselves and build a positive reputation and public image.
PR sounds like an effortless, easy task but it can be difficult to know where to start and how to make the most of your time and resources.
As a Media Communications Specialist I have some ideas to help you with your PR activities:
Tell people: Communicate
Celebrate you and all the great things you do! We achieve great things in our personal and professional lives so why do we not shout about them enough? I meet many women in particular who are talented and do fantastic work, yet we refer to the ‘imposter syndrome’ of not being good enough. I believe that self-esteem and confidence can blossom, but it starts with us.
Celebrate what you do well
I take pride in being a chatterbox because my ability to articulate and communicate led me into a broadcasting career and this is something I’m proud to share.
Just imagine introducing yourself to someone new and how you want to be memorable to grab a person’s attention and that will help you to stand tall and speak up to represent everything you have worked to achieve. Practice and perfect your elevator pitch as a way to share your expertise and credentials quickly and effectively with people who don’t know you.
I think this link is helpful with some tips https://www.thebalancecareers.com/elevator-speech-examples-and-writing-tips-2061976
Get creative
Creativity brings ideas to life and I love experimenting with new platforms and software. The graphic design website Canva is my go-to resource to create marketing materials such as graphics, leaflets and more so take a look and play around with text, images, and colours.
This free platform allows you to bring flair and creativity to templates, but you will need to pay for additional images (but it is very cheap). Explore Canva and give it a try!
Use your Social Media
Our social media has become a great way to express who we are and what we do, so plan our content.
Think about:
- what you post: what are the tone and message? Is it positive, friendly, or helpful?
- what you share: if you’re sharing links to other websites make sure that it works, and it is from a reputable source
- who you link with and befriend: social media connections are built around algorithms.
- when you share: try to mirror the buying and browsing of your audience and save your best content for these occasions, for example, share your best content during office working hours, not at 2 am when no one will see and engage with it.
Question: Which tip will you try today to make a difference in your PR?
Want to know more?
Louise is a media, marketing and communications specialist with over 20 years experience working in TV, Radio, print and online media for BBC and Commercial brands, businesses, and services.
Let’s stay connected:
- Subscribe to self-employed stories on LinkedIn
- Find me on Instagram and Facebook