Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Antonetta Guerra, a public relations professional living in the greater Los Angeles area. Antonetta is currently a director of public relations as well as a publicist. Antonetta studied communications with an emphasis in public relations at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She began her first public relations internship at the age of 18 and continued interning throughout her college career. Antonetta gave me a few tips on how to be successful in the public relations field.
1. Know how to communicate.
Antonetta described the importance of communication. She spends her days calling and emailing editors to ensure the products success. Antonetta spoke about the ability to successfully present yourself in a business-setting. Always look the part, dress the part and be confident about the product or service you are representing. Effective communication is the key to success in public relations.
“It’s all about getting that person or that product all the publicity you can. You have to be confident and good on the phone. Know how to interview and present yourself because the first impression is the only impression.”
2. Be passionate about public relations.
To be successful in the public relations field you need to be passionate and love what you do. Antonetta explained the importance of being happy in your chosen career. She spoke about the importance of showing your personality and passion for a product or service to an editor through the phone. If a person does not believe in what they are representing, the editor or journalist will see the phone call as merely a boring pitch.
“In any form of PR, you’re representing something – so you need to be passionate about the company or product you’re working for. As the face and voice of the company, you need to show you’re enthusiasm to create a successful and positive representation.”
4. The pros and cons of social media.
As the popularity of social media continues to rise, it can be a positive or negative method to promote the given product. Antonetta describes her love-hate relationship with social media. She explained that depending on the product, social media can be great or it can hurt the product’s exclusivity. Working for an upscale company, Antonetta believes that social media should be used in moderation; however, if the product or service is an every day commodity then social media can be an excellent and cost-effective way to publicize the product. She also describes how social media can take away from the personal experience of meeting face-to-face with a person and establishing a connection with them.
“[The use of social media] is powerful in the sense that it can create cost-effective publicity for the company or product you are representing. It dictates what kind of brand or product you represent. If you ‘re representing a high end product, you don’t want to overuse social media because the product could become too ordinary. However, social media is great in moderation, but the ability to communicate face-to-face is still the strongest skill a public relations professional can possess.”
3. Network, Network, Network.
Start now – networking is crucial to success. Antonetta suggests starting your Rolodex now and to be on a personal level with your peers in the industry. As a PR professional, you need to establish relationships with your peers and journalists in the given industry. An editor needs to remember and respect you. Regardless of the form of communication, connect with whomever you are speaking to in a way they won’t forget who you are. Never forget about your contacts, you never know when you may need their support.
“The most important thing about public relations is your contacts. You have to have a good network – it’s not about what you know, it’s about whom you know.”
Allyson Walters Blog 