If you’re anything like those of us here at Buchanan PR, your day is already jam-packed writing pitches, coordinating interviews, and producing content for your clients. There is hardly time in the day to fit in anything extra, much less take on an outside position with your local PR organization.
However, if you can carve out a little bit of extra time every week to become involved with public relations organizations in your city, you’ll find the benefits are well-worth the extra obligation. Whether you attend a monthly happy hour or you decide to undertake a committee position in your local PRSA chapter, there are many reasons why community involvement is beneficial on a personal and agency level.
Personal Networking
Through your involvement, you’ll meet fellow PR professionals in the area and learn about other agencies and branches of public relations that you might not encounter otherwise. These connections open the door for mentee/mentor relationships, business collaborations, peer review, and even new business acquisitions.
It provides a platform to promote your agency.
Many PR organizations have community blogs, features and membership spotlights that provide an outlet to promote your agency’s messaging, content, and clients. If your blog post is featured on an organization’s website, you could double or even triple the amount of people who access your content compared to posting independently on your agency blog. Your involvement in committees and organizations lets you serve as a brand ambassador for your agency, as well.
It keeps your agency connected.
Oftentimes, we get so caught up in our clients’ needs and day-to-day deadlines that we lose the opportunity to network with other agencies in our area. PR colleagues are a valuable resource when it comes to refining agency processes, navigating the latest industry trends, and even receiving critique or guidance on that difficult pitch you’ve been handling this month. Often, these organizations will provide personal access to journalists, as well.
What’s your favorite way to stay involved with the public relations community? Let us know in the comments below.