What Does a Publicist Do? – (Answered)

What Does a Publicist Do? – As a publicist, you play a vital role in shaping the public’s perception of your clients. Whether it’s dealing with media, writing press releases, or even just liaising with potential customers, you need to be up-to-date on the latest trends and techniques. In this blog post, we’re going to teach you everything you need to know about publicists and how to get started.

When you first get a job as a publicist, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, you don’t do anything fancy or expensive – you just help people communicate with their businesses and create amazing content. But how does a publicist work? And what are the best things about being one? Here are some answers to these questions!

How Can You Get Started?

If you’re starting your own business, you need a publicist. A publicist is someone who helps businesses take advantage of the digital world and make their marketing more effective. They help you identify and understand your target market, help you design and print beautiful marketing materials, and keep on top of any changes to your business. In this blog post, we’re going to explore what a publicist does and how you can get started.

What does a Publicist do?

A publicist is a professional who helps businesses take advantage of the digital world and make their marketing more effective. They help you identify and understand your target market, help you design and print beautiful marketing materials, and keep on top of any changes to your business.

Publicists communicate a brand or business’ message to their consumers they hope to reach, influence and impact. The primary job responsibility of a publicist is to work with the brand and decide how to create and send a message. A publicist helps to decide how to deliver the message, on which platform and how to maintain and engage a conversation with a target group of people.

A publicist acts as a liaison between the client and the public, working to promote their public image. A publicist manages the public image of their clients and sets up publicity events. They may also pitch ideas and content to clients, journalists and influencers.

A publicist will manage and generate publicity for businesses, public figures, films, movies and more. Publicists often write the following materials:

• Speeches

• Press releases

• Press kit materials

• Media alerts

• Social media content

• Bios

• Website content

• Pitches

Average salary

Publicists usually work full-time positions, though some may gain employment as part-time or contract employees. The size, type and geographical location of their clients can also affect salary. For the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed, click on the salary link.

• Common salary in the U.S.: $52,209 per year

• Some salaries range from $14,000 to $116,000 per year.

Publicist requirements

Publicists should have certain educational and experience requirements to be successful in this career path.

Education

A bachelor’s degree is essential to be successful as a publicist. Undergraduate fields such as marketing, communications, English, advertising or journalism can prepare an individual for a career as a publicist. Students learn the foundation for marketing, communications and writing in an undergraduate program. Some publicists may earn a master’s degree in a related field to potentially increase their earning potential and expand their job opportunities.

Training

During an undergraduate program, students should undergo at least one internship. Choosing an internship in a field that interests them is most useful. During an internship, students learn about media communications, marketing and public relations. Most publicists begin as interns or publicity assistants before becoming a publicist.

Certifications

While there are no certifications needed to be a publicist, joining the Public Relations Society of America can be helpful for publicists. This is the largest professional association of PR professionals in the United States and a vital organization for making connections.

Skills

Other skills could include:

• Writing: Publicists usually write several types of materials. Excellent writing skills help them create these materials in a voice that matches their clients with ease.

• Attention to detail: These professionals often need to be attentive to small details in their work. They should be able to identify and fix mistakes in different forms of communication to show their professionalism.

• Problem-solving: If a publicist works with a client in a challenging public situation, they can use problem-solving skills to overcome obstacles. Problem-solving includes the ability to think creatively to develop a variety of solutions.

• Public speaking: Publicists may speak on behalf of their clients in front of others. They should feel comfortable speaking in different public situations to fulfill some of their duties.

• Communication: This skill involves the ability to work with others in different mediums. Publicists constantly communicate with others in person, via text, in emails, over the phone and by video. Excellent communication skills are vital.

Publicist work environment

The workplace for a publicist varies as their clients range from actors to singers to big corporations to hospitals. While some publicists work a traditional eight-hour workday, many find that weekend, evening, holiday and irregular hours are necessary. Many publicists work on an on-call schedule as needed.

A publicist may work from an office, but they often need to travel to meetings, press conferences, events and other festivities. They need to manage a lot of pressure and possess the ability to work with difficult personalities.

The work for a publicist is varied and can be very exciting. It is constantly changing, and a publicist should stay abreast of digital changes.

How to find a publicist

Finding a publicist can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. You can go to websites like PRNewswire and look through their directory of publicists. Once you find someone who is interested in your business, you can start the conversation by reaching out to them. It’s important to be friendly and professional when talking to a publicist, as they may not have had previous experience working with businesses of this size.

What to Expect from a Publicist.

A publicist is a professional who helps businesses take advantage of the digital world. They help identify and understand your target market, help you design and print beautiful marketing materials, and keep on top of any changes to your business.

How to become a publicist

You can follow these steps to become a publicist:

1. Earn a degree.

A bachelor’s degree in public relations or journalism can help you become a publicist. Other bachelor’s degrees for a publicist include marketing, English, communications or advertising. If you want to gain additional knowledge in one of these fields, consider earning a master’s degree.

2. Work experience.

An internship or part-time work is essential for a publicist, especially in a public relations firm or with a media outlet. Internships are especially important in this field as they can help you build a foundational knowledge of marketing and communications with experienced professionals. You can also gain experience as an assistant with a PR firm to gain experience.

3. Become a member of a publicist organization.

There are no required certifications to be a publicist. However, being a member of PRSA will be beneficial in helping you make connections with other professionals in the marketing and public relations industry.

4. Build your resume.

You should have a professional resume that showcases your education, accomplishments and relevant work history. You should create a robust portfolio of well-written press materials. Finally, make sure you create a list of media contacts and industry contacts that you’ve met personally and can reach out to when you’re ready to apply for publicist jobs.

Publicist job description example

Spark is a growing start-up agency specializing in public relations, content, and thought leadership. We focus on highly regulated industries, such as healthcare, biotechnology, government and more! We offer a competitive salary, insurance, vacation, retirement, paid holidays and paid sick days.

We at Spark hustle hard, dream big, and demand more for our clients. We have guided our clients through acquisitions and launches, crises and celebrations, exits and IPOs. The publicist will report directly to our vice president of public relations.

Responsibilities:

• Support with creating and executing media relation strategies

• Pitch and obtain exposure with businesses, consumers and trade publications

• Maintain relationship with key media members

• Pitch angles and newsworthy story ideas

• Keep an eye on the news cycle for pitching clients on key issues

• Craft press releases and media alerts

• Research and maintain media lists and media coverage reports

• Identify and coordinate speaking opportunities

• Report on PR activity

• Distribute media clips

• Contribute to internal messaging, strategies and plans

• Support on-site events

• Meet with clients to craft brand messages 

This is a Monday-Friday position, but the publicist may be required to be on-call based on the client’s needs.

Key requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

• Minimum of four years of experience in an agency or public relations firm

• Strong knowledge of the PR field

• Experience in media relations, client communications, crisis management, press campaign development, and execution of communication plans

• Self-starter

• Superb time management

• Exception communication skills

• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Cision, Critical Mention, and Cision

If this sounds like your dream job, then we want to hear from you! Please send us your salary requirements in your cover letter, resume and portfolio!

Salary: $82,500 annually, plus overtime

Location: Denver, CO. Approximately 50% to 75% travel locally

Conclusion

When it comes to getting your business off the ground, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. But if you want to be successful as a publicist, you need to start by knowing what a publicist does and how you can get started. A publicist is someone who helps businesses set up their marketing and advertising campaigns. They work with clients to develop promotional materials, such as brochures, flyers, and web pages. In addition, they also help companies hire a good advertising agency and find the right clients.