QUICK PR READS YOU CAN TACKLE BETWEEN BITES
Happy Tuesday, Lunch Breakers! Take a few minutes to refresh yourself on all things PR with this week’s Lunch Break. In this week’s edition, we’re featuring insight on COVID-19’s impact on the job search for PR pros, the power of TikTok during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and guidance on developing a plan to bring your PR agency back to the office.
Navigating the PR World During, and After, a Pandemic
As we all know, the public relations industry suffered unprecedented blows throughout the past year and a half. Many companies were forced to make the tough decision to eliminate or downsize their comms departments. Agencies experienced mass contract-loss, as so many third-party contractors were deemed an unaffordable cost amidst the economic decline of the pandemic.
PR pro Caroline James shared her tenured insight into navigating the job-finding world of PR in today’s market. The biggest takeaway? Network, network, network. Check out her other advice in Ragan’s PR Daily for her expertise on leveraging your professional network to ensure your career doesn’t suffer a lag.
The Sport of TikTok
TikTok – every PR professional knows the impact of this app. But, for the first time ever, we’re watching the power it holds during the Olympic Games.
For influencers and athletes alike, TikTok has provided an ideal platform to earn sponsorships; brands are also connecting with trending influencers in the hopes of securing a shoutout or paid placement on their channel.
Fashion and wellness outlet Glossy highlighted how some athletes are collaborating with fashion brands. Ilona Maher with the U.S. women’s rugby team has built a sizeable following with her videos of life in the Olympic Village. Maher has amassed more than half a million views on many of her videos, including some paid sponsorships with Nike and Ralph Lauren. Another athlete, U.S. pole vaulter Katie Nageotte, posted a video praising the comfort of her Skims, a team USA clothing partner, which has nearly 4 million views.
It’s clear that TikTok users not only value the recommendations provided by their favorite creators, but take action based on what they see (i.e. purchasing, subscribing, visiting a website). As PR experts, finding new ways to build TikTok into our social strategies is becoming increasingly important.
PR Pros and their Return to the Office
With cases of the contagious COVID-19 Delta variant spiking nationwide, many are uncertain what this will mean for the return to the office. While some have already made the shift back to in-person work, a large portion of PR professionals are still working from home.
PR may be all about communications, but one area that has experienced a decline across the board is internal communications. Whether this is because so many shifted 100% of their focus to ensuring that client communications during this unexpected time never skipped a beat, or due to new challenges associated with internal connectivity while remote, communication has suffered.
PR News Online has six valuable tips for companies developing a ‘return to office’ plan. From transparency to open-mindedness, adhering to these strategic ideas have the power to make or break your employees desire to head back to the office.
Catching Up on Proactive Pitching
In a time that feels like a constant game of catchup, making time for proactive media outreach can feel like an impossible task. Spin Sucks hosted an ‘Ask Me Anything’ during which CEO Gini Dietrich gave her advice on how to make proactive pitching a priority and fit it into your busy schedule. Let’s cut to the chase: solutions. Here are two tips for making time for your proactive pitching.
- Block out time in your calendar at the start of each month for weekly proactive media outreach and stick to it as you would if it were a client meeting. If you receive pushback, reiterate the value that proactive pitching can bring to your clients.
- Turn off notifications, whether that be text, Slack, email or all of the above. If you need to setup an automatic reply to let people know what you’re busy with, do it. No matter what, protect the time you’ve allotted for you to get your work done.
