Ongoing education is crucial to maintaining PR skills. Photo credit: Saskatoon Business College via Wikipedia
The skills needed for PR changed markedly due to the rise social media, online video and “big data.”
The traditional PR skills, including writing, researching and interpersonal communications, remain valuable. Those abilities are easily transferable to digital marketing functions such as content marketing and blogger outreach. However, the new environment requires PR pros with more technical and analytical skills.
PR must learn new skills to survive and thrive in the rapidly evolving media landscape. Those willing to be perpetual learners will have a competitive edge.
Top Skills for PR Pros to Learn
These are the most valuable new skills for both PR veterans and newer entrants to learn.
Web analytics. Google Analytics is the logical place to start. Learn by jumping in and exploring its different sections. If needed, install the service for your own website or blog. Google offers free online courses through its Analytics Academy.
Social media analytics. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook all now offer analytics. They report follower and engagement levels and provide insights that can guide your content marketing efforts and perhaps even spark media pitching ideas.
Digital advertising. Some paid media now come within the PR province. Learn about paid social media promotions like promoted tweets, sponsored Facebook content, and sponsored LinkedIn content. Some digital marketing players say social media is now a pay-to-play game that requires brands to invest in advertising, including native advertising. PR agencies believe they’re well-suited to handle online advertising since it often relies on the message rather than the creative. Advertising copywriting has become a valuable skill for PR.
PR Measurement. Digital outcomes are measureable and “big data” is becoming increasing prevalent in PR measurement. That means analytical skills are a priority. Successful PR pros need to be able to organize, analyze and interpret numbers on search behaviors, engagement patterns and PR’s contribution to the corporate bottom line. Experts advise acquiring data analysis and advanced spreadsheet skills. Fortunately, spreadsheet programs like Excel now come with data analysis functions that make correlation and statistics work fast and easy. An extension or online course in statistics will prove valuable for most every PR pro.
Social media monitoring. In the past, PR monitored news for placements and mentions. Now, PR monitors social media conversations in order to communicate proactively and predict events. PR has gained the ability to influence outcomes, rather than just measure them. It’s become imperative for PR pros to learn how to use a social media dashboard to evaluate conversations and identify recurring issues relevant to your brand. PR must become involved in social media and industry discussion groups to gain insights into corporate and brand reputation.
Online video. Traditional PR was oriented to the printed word. Now video is a mandatory communications method in PR. PR pros will be increasingly called on to shoot and edit videos. Those who can also post videos to platforms like YouTube and Vimeo and edit videos with tools like PhotoShop and Final Cut Pro will bring additional value to their organizations.
SEO. PR pros today must understand what the latest Google update means to their brand’s web pages, how to research and input the proper keywords, and must stay current with the latest SEO best practices.
Learning resources are abundant. To learn new skills, read industry blogs, and attend webinars, online courses, and industry conferences.
Bottom Line: Mastering digital skills will energize your PR career. Web analytics, social media and other digital and analytical skills are imperative for success in today’s PR. Above all, the ability to commit to an ongoing education is crucial in a constantly changing world of business communications.
What skills do you think are most important to today’s PR professionals? Please comment below.
Resources
From PR to Marketing: Why You Should Expand Your Skill Set
Shift Communications
5 Emerging PR Trends & the New Public Relations Skill Set for 2012 (& Beyond)
PRNewsWire
10 skills the PR pro of 2022 MUST have
Communications Conversations
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
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