How To Become a Publicist

What is a Publicist? 
A publicist is someone that is hired to represent and manage all media relationships for their client. They essentially as act as a barrier between the public, and the media. Within the entertainment industry, there is a large group of divisions that all work to promote a production. Within this large group, you will find publicists. Publicists are experts on demographics, press targeting and such like. In this article, we will be discussing the role of the publicist, and the skills you will need to become one.

Key responsibilities of a Publicist 

The role of a Publicist largely depends on their level of seniority. For instance, a Junior Publicist may be responsible for the more tedious aspects of event management, gathering information for press kits or assisting on the creation of press releases. Often they will be responsible for handling the administrative activities of the Senior Publicist.

More Senior Publicists will be responsible for creating press campaigns. They will work directly with a number of individuals such as photographers, freelance writers and agencies to promote the production. Further, they will be responsible for securing coverage across a range of mediums such as television, print or online. A good Publicist will know which media outlets will reach the production’s target demographics. Key to excelling as a Publicist is building up a range of connections with journalists across news outlets.

Publicists need strong writing skills as they spend much of their time writing press kits, press releases, and emailing media professionals to secure interview time for your Artist, Politician, Actor, or Public Figure. In the production sector, Publicists work to promote a particular film or TV project, or alternatively the on-screen talent. You will often create media campaigns and be supervising clients social media pages to make sure everything runs effortlessly, so digital experience on social media is extremely beneficial.

How to become a Publicist

Those who go into the field of publicity usually have a BA degree in communications like Journalism, Marketing and Advertising, or Public Relations. Having knowledge of communications between the mass media and the public is essential to understanding how the industry works, and how you can successfully navigate using these to work in your favour. Being confident and having great social skills will be key when making those crucial professional relationships. You will also need to be flexible and well read, as you’ll be dealing with a wide variety of clients.

Things To Be Aware Of
As a publicist you will be researching new stories, creating social media content, handling some personal diaries, attending networking or industry events to solidify your connections within the industry.

You will also be in charge of the social and work life of your client, so you need to be on top of the industry events they need to attend and who they need to be introduced to in order to further their career. You will be meeting various people along the way such as journalists, television figures and radio hosts. This is why a marketing degree is essential as you need to constantly be promoting your client.

Become a Publicist today
If you are ready for the next step in your career, why not take a look at the latest Publicist vacancies on our jobs board? You can view our latest vacancies here.