There are plenty of industries and professions where you can learn just about everything you need to know about the day-to-day work within a few months.
But when you work in PR, you’re learning something new just about every day, and believe us when we say there’s so much to learn about the many different aspects of PR work.
This article will be especially helpful for those of you who are about to choose a college major or are exploring different career options.
PR isn’t just a great career path for those interested in marketing and promotion, but for anyone interested in business in a more general sense.
You will definitely end up working with clients and other individuals from other industries, giving you many opportunities to become acquainted with how these other types of businesses operate.
If any of this sounds interesting to you, we encourage you to stick around and let us answer the popular question of, “What do you learn in public relations?”
Please keep in mind that this isn’t a comprehensive list, by any means, but it does represent some of the most important areas and topics you’ll be learning about once you take the leap and start your career in PR.
Public relations is an especially great career if you believe yourself to be a people person.
Obviously, the term can mean a lot of different things to different people, but in this case, it just refers to anyone who enjoys interacting with others and communicating in a way that facilitates an efficient workflow.
In a PR career, this often means balancing your communication between friendly banter and down-to-business conversation that will make sure that everyone stays on the same page.
If you’re not the most social person in the world, don’t worry: working in PR can also teach you a lot about how to communicate with others frequently and effectively.
Even if you feel a bit shy during your first day on the job, you’ll quickly realize that getting along with your coworkers and speaking with clients is just part of the job, and that it’s not nearly as intimidating as it might seem at first glance.
Our one bit of advice on the topic is to observe veteran PR professionals at the agency where you do your internship or find your first employment opportunity.
You’ll notice a common thing among longtime PR pros: they know how to talk and make other people feel comfortable.
No, you don’t have to imitate them exactly to be successful at this work, but you will notice some tips and tricks that you can use in your own interactions.
If you’re having trouble adjusting to this highly social line of work, you can also ask one of your coworkers for additional advice. They’ll help you out however they can. After all, you’re part of the team– they want you to succeed.
Marketing campaigns are at the very heart of public relations. They represent carefully thought-out plans to help your client achieve the public image they want, and maybe even rise to new heights of notoriety.
You should be familiar with the concept of a marketing campaign well before starting your first PR job.
But no matter how much research you do beforehand, there will still be plenty of things you’ll need to learn on the job.
That’s due in large part to the fact that every campaign is different than the last. The wants and needs of clients will change from person to person. That’s simply the nature of the beast.
Still, as you spend more time working on various campaigns, you will become more familiar with the common elements of these campaigns.
First comes ideation, then presenting the campaign plan to the client, then making revisions based on the client’s feedback, and finally, implementation of the campaign, a part of the process which itself can include making revisions to the existing plan.
Perhaps most importantly, you’ll learn how to manage the client’s expectations and you’ll learn how to respond to a difficult situation.
For example, certain campaign materials might not be received in the way you and your client had hoped. But this doesn’t mean the campaign has hit a dead end.
There are nearly countless ways to bounce back from road bumps like these. The more time you spend in PR, the more solutions you’ll find, and this is the mark of a truly successful public relations representative.
In any discussion on contemporary marketing methods, you’re bound to run into the concept of branded content.
Why? Well, it’s quickly becoming one of the most popular and effective ways to promote an individual or a business online.
Best of all, it’s a technique that side skirts the need to create an actual ‘advertisement,’ opting instead for a more subtle form of marketing that blends with entertainment and native forms of online content.
If you sign on with a PR agency, you will learn all there is to know about branded content. Pay careful attention to all of it.
Brands of all kinds are now opting for branded content whenever possible, whether they’re multinational corporations or local businesses looking to expand in their community and beyond.
Even if you’re not currently working in PR but you plan to in the future, it can be a strategic move to make some inroads with influencers and content creators within your reach.
These contacts could soon represent some fantastic opportunities for marketing campaigns.
By the time your coworkers are spitballing placements for branded content, you’ll have a list of people and online outlets you’re already very friendly with.
You’ll also learn how to make branded content that feels incredibly naturalistic and effective. The days of clumsy branded content are long gone, and you may even help to determine how this technique will continue to evolve in the near future.
Even when you feel like a PR pro, remember that there’s always something new to learn and another goal to be reached.
