We’re Not Just Pretty: Staying in the know

One of the hardest things about being in PR is explaining to non-industry people what exactly it is we do. It’s not just parties
and press releases, although that would be nice! Between strategically piecing
together campaigns, crisis management, scrutinizing coverage and maintaining relationships
with media and influencers, it’s plain to see why PR was rated
the seventh most stressful job in the US, right up there with police
officers, pilots and soldiers.
  

But we wouldn’t do it if we didn’t love it. Every day there’s
something new to learn from – whether it’s a company that does everything right in the face of a crisis or a list of the most misunderstood words in the
English language – and we like to keep a careful eye on our fascinating industry.
Here’s a list of sites we visit to stay in the know:
If you’re going to subscribe to only one news source about
public relations, this is it. PR Daily gathers the top industry news and
sends it out through a subscription-based news feed. Contributors
include everyone from PR pros just starting out in their career, to top executives and decision
makers. Never boring and often hilarious, it’s a rare day when you don’t hear “Did
you see that article on PR Daily?” on the fourth floor.  

It wasn’t long ago when social media became an integral part of PR strategy. It
took some early adopters to shape how our industry was going to respond to the
influx of social sharing sites and bloggers and Todd Defren was one
of the leaders of this shift. He was the first to develop a social media
release template and since then has stayed on top of each and every digital trend shaping PR. That’s why we love PRSquared –  it’s an in-depth look at how social
media has shaped, and continues to shape, our industry.

It’s not updated as regularly as we’d like, but the Bad Pitch
Blog is more than just #PRFails. It’s a blog that calls out the smart and
not-so-smart PR campaigns and the companies and agencies behind them. The content is a great reminder of how to succeed in an industry
that’s constantly saturated with news. Hey, any advice on how we can stand out
more (while avoiding a #Fail) is welcome.
The world of Canadian PR has a few rock stars with Terry Fallis and David Jones, the creators of the
public relations podcast, InsidePR, being two of them. While neither of these gentlemen
are currently hosts, we still have communications superhero Joseph Thornley, also the writer
behind ProPR, to fill our ears with industry
knowledge each week (along with co-hosts Martin Waxman and Gini Deitrich). So much smart in
one podcast!
Like a meeting of the minds, LinkedIn is the largest
resource of industry intel there is. With opportunities to post questions,
start discussions and connect with top PR players, there’s never been a better
reason to keep your profile up-to-date.

Finally, we can’t forget about PR in Canada  – Dave
Forde’s
inside look into all the comings and goings of Canada’s PR agencies.