What they don't teach you at university: The PR Hustle

Back in Women’s Month, communication specialist Jana Leonard explained the importance of hands-on experience to succeed in this typically-female field and how she juggles all her responsibilities. It’s certainly not easy.

#WomensMonth: Success = Extremely hard work and perseverance

Leigh Andrews  15 Aug 2017

What they don’t teach you at university is that PR is hard work! It takes consistency, patience, mutual respect and creative thinking – it requires a lot of hustling!

Jana Leonard. All images © Mick Creative.

And so, with the PR Hustle, she wanted to create an offline platform for PRs and the media to meet, and in those meetings, to connect, chat, learn and grow – together.

I couldn’t agree more that the PR-media relationship benefits from both parties putting in a little more effort. For example, Leonard shares the following four PR-media relationship to-dos. Yes, they sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many on both sides forget one or more of these points:

• Be kind and respectful at all times
• Deliver on your promises
• Communicate and follow up
• Be honest and authentic – in your relationships, in your content and in your pitches

Here, Leonard shares the context of the current PR industry, what attendees can expect from the various speakers, and what else the industry can do to boost the SA PR industry’s local knowledge base – both the newbies lacking experience and the older set that are set in their ways. The answer is also simple, as you’ll see!

Talk us through the context of the current PR industry and how you came up with the idea behind the PR Hustle.

The PR industry has changed in the last few years with the rapid growth of digital, social media and the rise of influencers, resulting in a huge influx of content that needs to be shared on a daily basis to keep readers interested and engaged.

This has challenged PR professionals to really think about the reader and create pitches that are both informative and add value. Doing so takes a lot of creative thinking and hustling from both parties. Just as the industry itself is moving with the digital times, the way in which PR professionals pitch and create content needs to change.

In addition to this, it has become apparent to me that due to the digitally driven age we find ourselves in, we don’t always get to meet fellow PR professionals and the members of the media we spend so much time talking to via email and phone.

The PR Hustle... All images © Mick Creative.

So with the PR Hustle, I not only want to give fellow PRs the opportunity to be inspired but to also get insight into the best way of pitching content, brands and products to media, influencers and celebrities.

In addition – this may be one of the most important drivers for the PR Hustle – I would love for like-minded industry-driven individuals to connect with each other offline growing the industry, one networking event at a time.

Fantastic. What will members of the media learn from their colleagues in the PR industry?
Not only will The PR Hustle allow journalists to meet and mingle with fellow journalists, freelancers and PR professionals, but they will also get insight into pitching content and ideas themselves.

Freelancers may pitch stories to publications for their next project, or journalists would pitch ideas to their editors – the PR Hustle’s various event speakers will aim to assist with this.

What else can the industry do to boost the SA PR industry’s local knowledge base – both the newbies lacking experience and the older set that are set in their ways?
Network, network, network! I personally believe that learning from each other, is the best way to gain knowledge and grow within your chosen industry.

Definitely. PR and the media as sometimes seen as ‘the dark side divide’, as there’s so much misunderstanding from both sides of the fence. How does it benefit those in PR to have worked in the media industry, and vice versa, in terms of what this experience brings to your skillset and how you view the ‘other side’.
From a PR perspective, I believe the ability to create content on behalf of your clients, while adding value to the readers, is your biggest trait.

Understanding a target market and readership is vital when it comes to PR and media. I do believe the two industries are very aligned, and working together is where the magic happens!

That’s for sure! What do you have planned for the talks so far? What can attendees expect to learn from the various speakers?
I am so excited for the first The PR Hustle and cannot wait to meet everyone! Guests will have the opportunity to meet, engage and learn from fellow industry colleagues as an industry professional will lead the conversation on a different topic every time, suited to both media and PR professionals alike.

To ensure that networking takes place, each event will be an intimate affair with only 20 guests per event, hosted at a local and trendy space in Cape Town. The first one will be hosted at Roast & Co. on 25 April, from 6pm to 8pm. Women’s Health editor, Danielle Weakley, will chat to guests, about:

• How to pitch to a print editor vs. How to pitch to an online editor
• Subject lines that would prompt you to open an email
• The do’s and don’ts of pitching to an editor
• Climbing up the editorial ladder

Each event will have a theme, to be announced with the speaker, the month before. The PR Hustle will be hosted every second month and tickets will be priced at R200 per person attending.

Let’s hustle! For more information on the PR Hustle events, get in touch with Leonard over email, sign up to The PR Hustle newsletter and click here to purchase tickets to the event. You can also visit the Jack and Jill Communications website for more, and follow Leonard on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest updates.