I love this post. Here's the thing - good comms people have two key characteristics. As Sarah Kissko Hersh points out below, tenacity is one essential characteristic. It's the willingness to learn more about your market, publications, key reporters/bloggers/influencers, etc. Even if I don't know a particular reporter, I know how to do a deep dive, understand what they do/what they value when writing a piece and how to grow that relationship. Relationship building is the heart of a successful comms program. It also enables you to gain a better understanding of issues at a broader level, providing guidance to your internal team as to whether you can add value to that conversation. The second is the ability to write. Good writing is a super power. Well-written outreach opens doors and well-written articles build trust with your audience. That's critical in any market, but particularly critical in #CybersecurityCommunications. It's not just small details; it is understanding how to craft a piece that gets to the heart of what matters to both the journalist as well as their audience. Of course, all of this is so much easier when you love what you do and the market you're in. Then learning more, understanding and growing relationships with others is not only educational but...well, fun!
PR Trainer and Consultant Ongoing and on-call PR/comms problem-solving and counsel | 18k+ followers
PR is PR is PR. With very few exceptions, if you can successfully do PR in one industry you can successfully do PR in any industry. Over the years I’ve worked for clients in: Travel and hospitality Architecture and design B2B B2C Non profits Museums Associations Consumer packaged goods Government and quasi-government orgs Public companies Private companies Entertainment Marketing Tech Luxury Retail And more (even a jazz dance troupe) The principles are the same, and they are transferable. New media relationships can be made. So if you’re hiring a PR person or PR agency partner, prioritize things like: Chemistry fit Attitude Writing skills Work ethic Creativity Genuine interest in following news Tenacity Past success
Chief Marketing Officer, Fractional CMO, VP Marketing
6moWell said Kelly!