While I continue to tell the stories of clients through my work in PR, my passion for storytelling began at a young age. Ever since I can remember, I read bedtime stories with my parents or listened to the tales of my grandparents. These moments from childhood continue to influence me to be curious, immerse myself in the worlds of others, and think more critically – all important skills to have in PR.
Tomorrow is National Book Lovers Day, a day for avid readers to pick up their favorite book and spend the day reading. Today, I want to highlight the top four reasons why reading is essential to becoming a well-rounded PR professional:
- Strengthens your writing skills
Whether it’s a pitch, a blog post, or a press release, PR professionals are constantly writing. Reading helps us advance our writing skills by exposing us to different writing styles, expanding our vocabulary, and improving our grammar skills. From crafting a unique angle on a pitch to honing in on which message your audience is most likely to receive best, reading influences the way we think about our writing.
- Empathize more
As PR professionals, it’s our job to understand not only our clients and their needs, but also their audience. We need to understand their audience to communicate effectively with them. Reading enhances our empathy and emotional intelligence by exposing us to different cultures, ethnicities, professions, ages, and more. It allows us to get inside the mind of the character and truly understand how they feel in their situation, just like we understand how our audiences feel. Through reading, we can build a foundation for empathy and understanding to effectively communicate with others.
- Enhances storytelling
At the heart of every pitch or blog post is a good story. We need to have an interesting story to engage the reporter or reader. Reading teaches us the basics of storytelling: how to hook the reader in, engage them through the ups and downs, and ultimately come to a resolution. Storytelling helps us frame our message in a unique way that engages our audiences. Through reading, we learn how to frame old messages in new ways and say more with less, which is key to pitching a reporter.
- Stimulates strategic thinking
Behind every message PR professionals send is a thoughtful, strategic approach. Reading helps us analyze information, recognize patterns, and evaluate the message from different angles. Through reading, we learn the importance of tailoring a message and how to shape narratives, which is especially important in PR.
PR isn’t just about making people look good. It’s about understanding the audience, how to effectively reach them, and knowing what will resonate with them. Overall, reading provides us with the skills needed to be an effective storyteller and communicator.
