One of the biggest objectives that most organizations have in common nowadays is all about gaining positive exposure and increasing visibility from the audience.
This is exactly what publicity managers deal with within the enterprise – their job is to make sure to get coverage in different media outlets and gain public attention by leveraging various channels to amplify their core message.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about kicking off your career as a publicity manager, the responsibilities in this role, and what skills are important to master for landing a high-profile job in this career.
Who Is a Publicity Manager?
A Publicity Manager is a professional who is responsible for maintaining a positive perception of an organization in the public eye and handling coverage through various channels, such as press releases, social media, events, or media interviews.
The main job of a publicity manager is focused on generating media exposure and attention, which is typically a one-way communication process. It often involves promotion of a specific message, event, product, or achievement.
Different metrics that measure the success of a publicity manager include media mentions, reach, impressions, traffic, or other factors that indicate exposure in public.
Publicity Manager Responsibilities
Develop Publicity Campaigns:
- Attract attention and create awareness by leveraging media coverage
- Generate interest in organization or a product through different channels
Secure Media Coverage:
- Write and deliver press releases to get publicity from various media outlets
- Take care of organization’s credibility and trustworthiness in the public eye
Manage Press Relations:
- Actively look out for and attend events where you can meet journalists
- Maintain good relationships with journalists and media representatives
Build Organization’s Credibility:
- Have an influence on public perception through positive publicity
- Work closely with the marketing team to plan the publicity campaigns
Create a Strategy to Amplify Messages:
- Plan a campaign to help an organization reach a wider audience
- Amplify messages through different channels to enhance the impact
Publicity Manager Salary
There are different factors to take into consideration when talking about the salary of a Publicity Manager. Indicators such as the experience, industry of an organization you work for, and geographic location play pivotal roles in getting higher pay.
According to the Glassdoor platform, the total pay range for Publicity Managers in the United States is estimated to be $52k – $94k per year, including the potential additional pay of $4k – $7k per year. On average, a Publicity Manager makes $69,021 per year in the US.
Location also plays a massive role in understanding the average salary in this role. Here’s how the salary difference breaks down for different states according to the source:
- California – $90,000 per year
- Massachusetts – $78,875 per year
- New York – $74,500 per year
- Tennessee – $67,500 per year
- Washington – $60,500 per year
At the same time, the size of an organization also plays a significant role in getting higher compensation in this profession – the larger the organization, the better the pay is, according to different reports.
Publicity Manager Career Path
The key characteristics of the Publicity role in an organization includes creating awareness, pushing relevant messages, and building credibility in front of an audience.
Therefore, this career path can help you advance in many different marketing roles, such as communications manager, product marketing manager, business development director, and more.
However, when it comes to progressing into the Publicity Manager role, you should keep in mind that this profession is relationship-oriented, strategic, and holistic. So, when thinking about your educational background, you must choose the subjects that will help you gain experience in these areas.
Let’s take a look at the skills, qualifications, and educational requirements you need to start a proper career in the publicity field:
Skills and Qualifications
When thinking about mastering different skills to become a well-established publicity manager in the field, you must know that this career path combines various qualifications, such as building professional relationships, paying attention to details, and adapting to certain environments.
This is why the following skill set would be helpful to find your way in your professional journey in this field:
- Media Relations
Publicity managers must know how to build great professional relationships with different media representatives such as journalists, editors, and influencers in order to get favorable coverage when the company needs it.
This ties down to strong communication skills, which is extremely beneficial for somebody in such a strategic position for an organization.
- Strategic Thinking
Another vital component for being a successful publicity manager is about how well you can strategically plan and manage different campaigns that your organization is planning.
This skill can help you develop effective publicity initiatives, attract more attention from your audience, and align them with your organizational goals.
- Attention to Detail
Different tasks like managing press materials, coordinating media outreach efforts, and tracking campaign performance requires a lot of attention to detail from the publicity manager’s side.
Oftentimes, publicity managers have to navigate through complex projects and the skill of noticing small details can be very beneficial for everyone involved in these initiatives.
- Adaptability
This is the skill that plays a massive role in your ability to respond to ever-changing media landscapes and adjusting publicity strategies according to new trends. As a publicity manager, you should always be ready to take your time and research fresh tendencies of your audience and adapt your campaigns to them.
- Organizational Skills
When it comes to planning different initiatives for a certain campaign, it is vital to have great organizational skills and know how to put together physical events, plan interview sessions, and monitor budget to help your company meet its goals.
- Writing and Editing
As a publicity manager, you might have to draft compelling press releases and send them to various journalists to get coverage of your organization’s new initiative or campaign. Therefore, your writing skills might directly affect the success of a particular project.
Educational Requirements
If you’d like to take your professional journey towards becoming a Publicity Manager, then it would be beneficial to consider a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in fields like communications, journalism, public relations, or English language.
These degrees will help you understand the basics of economics, business, social media marketing, psychology, and other related fields, which will help you excel your skills and qualifications needed to become a successful Publicity Manager.
Other than university studies, there are lots of internships and volunteering opportunities available in different organizations, which will help you understand the daily challenges that these professionals face and make your first connections to help you easily land a desired job straight after graduation.
Besides, it is easy to find different seminars, workshops, and professional development training sessions to continuously improve your skills and connect with like-minded individuals in this field.
Key Differences Between the Roles in Publicity and Public Relations
While the roles in publicity and public relations fields might have similar traits, they are completely different from one another.
A Publicity Manager is responsible for the process of gaining public attention or media coverage for an organization. A Public Relations manager, on the other hand, takes care of the strategic communication efforts and a professional relationship building between an organization and other stakeholders, like audience, media, investors, etc.
Generally, publicity refers to a one-way process of communication, in which a responsible person has the intention of capturing media attention and getting coverage in relevant publications or an outlet.
When it comes to public relations, it is more of a two-way communication process because the goal here is to build meaningful relationships and engage with an audience in a consistent manner.
However, these fields are closely related to each other because both of them deal with building a desired public perception in front of an audience and getting more attention through publicity. Besides, they both share responsibilities such as building connections with journalists, creating press releases, working on strategy, and more.
Tips for Aspiring Publicity Managers
If you are interested in becoming a publicity manager and thriving in this field, there are a couple of tips you need to keep in mind. Let’s have a look at what it takes to get started in this field:
- Never underestimate the power of networking and building relationships with different professionals in this or related fields. This will help you easily find opportunities to improve your skill set, gain valuable experience, and build your dream career in this field.
- When it comes to getting an education, consider studies that are closely related to public relations, journalism, or communication. On top of that, always look out for relevant internship and volunteering opportunities to get hands-on working experience in the publicity area.
- Be consistent with improving your organizational, writing, and strategic thinking skills, as they are the core of becoming a successful publicity manager. It is important to use every opportunity you have for perfecting these skills and making your profile more attractive for potential employers.
- Take time to learn and understand the media market, as they are the one who you have to be consistently communicating with in this role. Familiarize yourself with relevant media outlets and understand their language for building consistent communication with them.
- Have the courage to reach out to other Publicity Managers and ask them about their experiences working in this field. This way, you will understand their everyday challenges, which will help you make better decisions for your career.
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