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5 STEPS FOR SUCCEEDING AS A FREELANCE PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANT

By Lynn Bliss

As a freelance public relations consultant you could use your creativity and communication skills on a variety of interesting projects.

Clients may give you challenges such as:

We have an event coming up. How can we get people to attend?
How can we persuade people to buy our new product?
How can we get more people to donate money to our charity?
How can we make our new movie a blockbuster hit?
How can we convince people to vote for our candidate?
We have an emergency situation. How can we quickly communicate what people should do?
How can we get people to invest in our company?
How do we improve our industry’s public image?
How can we get our book onto the bestseller list?
How can we increase awareness of an important issue?

It will be your job, or the job of the team you're working with, to come up with solutions to try to inform, influence or persuade people to do what you want.

A career in public relations can be glamorous, and you may work with celebrities and other influential people. As an added benefit, according to the Council of Public Relations Firms freelance public relations consultants can earn up to $85,000 or more per year. Finally, there is a huge sense of personal satisfaction in planning a public relations project, implementing that plan, and seeing the results.

If you think you have what it takes to influence, inform and persuade, follow these steps based on the FabJob.com Guide to Become a Public Relations

Consultant to a rewarding career in this new and dynamic field.

1. Learn about the job:

One of the reasons this career is so interesting is that it includes many different activities and roles under the umbrella term "public relations," including publicity, promotion, advertising, lobbying, fund-raising, and media relations. Many PR consultants specialize in one of these areas, so use the Internet and other resources to explore these areas of expertise to find out where your strengths and interests lie.

2. Develop your skills:

Most PR consultants have a broad range of knowledge and skills, many of which can be self-taught. Writing is the most basic function of a public relations professional — you need to be clear and persuasive in your written communication. Clients expect PR consultants to be computer-savvy, polished individuals who are comfortable speaking with people. You also will want to demonstrate that you are empathetic, appreciate diversity and work well under stress.

3. Get some experience:

Experience, a good mentor, and lots of practice can turn a highly motivated individual into an effective consultant. Volunteering to do public relations for non-profit organizations offers valuable experience. If you can swing it, working with trained PR professionals is a great way to learn and make contacts in the industry.

4. Finding clients:

You'll want to start by identifying who in your area uses public relations consultants. Look at corporations, non-profit groups, the public sector, trade associations, politics, and even individuals who are in the public eye. Networking remains the best way to meet and retain clients for your business — have plenty of business cards available and be prepared to briefly but accurately describe what you do.

5. Self-promotion:

You will also need to actively promote yourself in order to keep your business inundated with new clients. A media kit containing a personalized cover letter, biography, samples of your work and references is an effective promotional tool that can be sent out to prospective clients. By publishing articles, putting up a personal web page, and taking on speaking engagements, you will further establish yourself as the public relations consultant people choose when they want the job done right.

Author Lynne Bliss has 12 years of public relations experience and is the owner of a successful public relations agency. In the FabJob.com Guide to Become a Public Relations Consultant she shares with you her own experiences as well as insider tips and expert advice from other successful public relations consultants. Download the guide from http://www.fabjob.com/publicrelations.asp

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Lynne Bliss has 12 years of public relations experience and is the owner of a successful public relations agency. In the FabJob.com Guide to Become a Public Relations Consultant she shares with you her own experiences as well as insider tips and expert advice from other successful public relations consultants. Download the guide here