What to Look for in a PR Strategist
Do you need a PR strategist? If you want to leverage the power of press and public relations, you will definitely need a plan in place
A PR strategist is someone who helps you create your PR strategy. The position is often internal, but some businesses prefer to outsource their PR, often hiring an agency. Regardless of how you fill the job, there are some key elements to look for in a PR strategist.
What to Look for in a Strategist:
1. Forward Thinking
Look for someone who is able to look to the future.
PR is about responding in real-time. However, you also want to have someone who is able to anticipate trends, opportunities, and situations. A public relations strategist should be proactive, not reactive. When speaking with candidates, ask them how they’ve approached PR in the past and ask for examples.
2. The Creative
It’s very easy for Public Relations to become routine. This routine, and focusing on the normal PR events and opportunities, may not help you reach the goals that you want to attain with your Press and PR.
Their portfolio or past examples of PR work they’ve done can help you see if they’re creative or traditional. Make sure to ask to see their past campaigns. Have them break down/highlight one of them and guide you through their creative process. This will allow you to see if their work-flow is a good fit to your team.
3. Successful Track Record
Any PR Strategist you hire should have a successful track record.
They should be able to demonstrate to you that they’ve helped companies create PR strategies that reached their goals. This means being able to initiate, implement, and adopt a strategy exemplifying trends, opportunities, and technology changes.
A strategist must be able to show you their past campaigns highlighting everything that occurred. As mentioned in the previous point, ask every strategist you interview go through one of their campaigns from start to finish. You will get a sense of how they accomplish their goals.
4. Someone Who “Gets” YOU
A good PR strategist, one that fits with your organization, means finding someone who probably has experience in your niche. It also means finding someone who can communicate effectively with you and your team.
Communication is an essential part of being a good PR strategist. Why? Because you have to understand the inner workings of a company and be able to work with different departments: sales, marketing, content creators, event planners, etc.
Finding a good PR strategist can take a little time. However, the role is important. A good strategy can increase brand awareness and strengthen your long-term business goals. Not to mention, consistently keeping you ahead of your opponents.
Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278
