The perception exists that you only hear about a publicist when something bad happens and a brand’s reputation needs to be managed. Likewise, we only seem to hear about PR officers when companies are launching new products and they are networking at events. Although these are very important aspects of the job, there are a lot of other things that happen behind-the-scenes.

So, what exactly do public relations professionals do? Well, there is a multitude of occupations in the PR industry. Some duties overlap, but other jobs differ completely.

Every job in PR involves the communication between a brand and the public, usually in the form of press releases, events and social media — all of which takes a lot of research and strategic planning. The function of such a position is to ensure that the business or client is seen by the world in a positive light.

With such a wide definition, getting to the core of what someone in PR actually does often feels like stumbling in the dark. Do you need to know more about the different occupations within the publicity field?

Don’t worry, media update’s Maryna Steyn is here to shed some light on the responsibilities and duties of four of the most common jobs in PR.

PR officer

Working in this position requires you to travel to events and meet new clients, and it is extremely deadline-driven and fast-paced. They need to communicate key messages to their audience to influence perceptions through the use of tools like social media and a website.

This career includes a wide range of responsibilities — from implementing and developing PR strategies to planning events and monitoring campaigns. They also need to build strong relationships, oversee external communication and prepare client reports.

Publicist

Typically, when one thinks about PR, we picture a publicist. Such an individual can either be part of an in-house team or work for a publicity agency. Their main duty is to ensure that the brand strategy of their company or client is well executed. To do so, they need to ideate campaigns and identify opportunities to promote the brand.

Clients can both be a company as well as an individual such as a celebrity. In the case of a company, publicists can generate publicity for movies and products as well. When it comes to a public figure, their duties may also involve scheduling interviews and photoshoots.

This role requires a lot of writing and includes press releases, electronic press kits, speeches, media alerts, blogs, newsletters and social media content, to name a few.

A key function in managing a client’s brand image is to pitch ideas, track media coverage and ensure branding is cohesive.

Public relations director

The public relations director has different duties that are mainly determined by where they work. But some responsibilities are the same across the industry, such as managing other publicists and team members as well as creating press releases and media alerts.

It is their responsibility to ensure that targeted strategies are implemented according to thorough competitor research, target audience analysis and campaign monitoring. Furthermore, these individuals develop PR plans by working closely with the operation and marketing teams.

PR directors are responsible for ensuring there is consistency in all communication. It is important because they determine the brand stories that are presented to the public. These stories need to be positive, strategic and aim to create business relationships between a brand and the public. This communication can be in the form of videos, photos or text on websites, blogs, social media or other forms of traditional media.

Copywriter

If you are not aware already, there are a few more creative roles within PR — one such job is being a copywriter. These individuals create content for a variety of platforms and duties can include writing speeches, press releases, article headlines, social posts, video scripts and copy for ads.

This position works closely with the rest of the creative team on marketing campaigns and might need to monitor their performance as well as juggling multiple projects or clients. This deadline-driven position is ideal for wordsmiths who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment.

Other tasks in the copyright process involve researching the target audience, analysing competitors, discussing ideas with the creative art director, proofreading and editing copy and implementing feedback from the creative art director and clients.

Is there a particular field in PR that you find interesting? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

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