Top 12 Public Relations Manager Skills to Put on Your Resume

Landing a role as a Public Relations Manager requires a unique blend of talents, from exceptional communication skills to strategic thinking. In today's competitive job market, highlighting the top skills on your resume can set you apart, showcasing your ability to manage and elevate a company's public image effectively.

Public Relations Manager Skills

1. Cision
2. Meltwater
3. Hootsuite
4. Google Analytics
5. SEO
6. SEMrush
7. Canva
8. Adobe Creative Suite
9. Mailchimp
10. WordPress
11. Salesforce
12. Crisis Management

1. Cision

Cision is a comprehensive public relations and earned media software platform that enables PR managers to manage media relations, conduct media monitoring, and measure campaign performance across various channels.

Why It's Important

Cision is important for a Public Relations Manager because it provides comprehensive media monitoring, distribution, and analytics tools, enabling them to effectively manage their organization's public image, track the impact of their campaigns, and engage with key influencers and media outlets.

How to Improve Cision Skills

Improving your use of Cision as a Public Relations Manager involves focusing on several key strategies to enhance efficiency, reach, and engagement. Here is a very short and concise guide:

1. Enhance Media Lists: Regularly update your media contact lists for accuracy. Utilize Cision's database to discover and add relevant journalists and influencers. Media Database

2. Refine Targeting: Use Cision's analytics to identify the most effective channels and times for your press releases and pitches. Tailor your messages to the interests of your target audience for better engagement. Analytics

3. Monitor & Engage: Keep track of brand mentions and industry trends. Use Cision's monitoring tools to respond promptly to both positive and negative mentions. Monitoring

4. Analyze Performance: Regularly review the performance of your campaigns using Cision's reporting tools. Adjust strategies based on what metrics and insights reveal. Reporting

5. Leverage Multimedia: Enhance your press releases with multimedia content. Cision allows for the integration of images, videos, and infographics to make your releases more engaging. Multimedia Integration

6. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with Cision's resources and training to learn about new features and best practices in PR and media relations. Resources

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve your use of Cision, making your PR efforts more effective and efficient.

How to Display Cision Skills on Your Resume

2. Meltwater

Meltwater is a media intelligence and social analytics platform designed to help Public Relations Managers monitor their brand, track competitors, and measure the impact of their communication strategies by analyzing online news and social media content.

Why It's Important

Meltwater is important for a Public Relations Manager because it provides comprehensive media monitoring and analytics, enabling them to track brand mentions, understand public sentiment, measure campaign performance, and identify key influencers and media opportunities, all crucial for informed decision-making and strategic communication planning.

How to Improve Meltwater Skills

Improving your use of Meltwater as a Public Relations Manager involves leveraging its analytics, enhancing media monitoring, and optimizing engagement strategies. Here's a concise guide:

1. Maximize Analytics: Utilize Meltwater's analytics to measure campaign performance and adjust strategies. Focus on metrics that align with your PR goals. Meltwater Analytics

2. Refine Media Monitoring: Customize your media monitoring to track relevant keywords, competitors, and industry trends. This ensures you're always ahead of the conversation. Meltwater Media Monitoring

3. Engage Effectively: Use Meltwater’s engagement tools to streamline communication with journalists and influencers. Personalize your outreach for better results. Meltwater Influencer Engagement

4. Leverage Social Listening: Implement social listening to understand public sentiment and identify potential PR opportunities or crises early. Meltwater Social Listening

5. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with Meltwater's latest features and best practices through their webinars and training resources. Meltwater Webinars and Training

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve your PR management efficiency and effectiveness with Meltwater.

How to Display Meltwater Skills on Your Resume

3. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social media management platform that allows Public Relations Managers to schedule posts, monitor conversations, and analyze performance across multiple social media channels from a single dashboard.

Why It's Important

Hootsuite is crucial for a Public Relations Manager as it enables efficient management and scheduling of social media content across multiple platforms, facilitating real-time engagement and monitoring of public sentiment, thus enhancing brand reputation and communication strategies.

How to Improve Hootsuite Skills

To enhance Hootsuite for a Public Relations Manager, focus on:

• Integration of Advanced Analytics: Incorporate deeper analytics tools for comprehensive reporting and insights. Brandwatch and Google Analytics can offer valuable data for PR campaigns.

• Enhanced Media Monitoring: Integrate with specialized media monitoring tools like Meltwater or Cision to track brand mentions across various media platforms more effectively.

• Improved Social Listening Features: Adopt advanced social listening features through integration with Talkwalker or Brand24 to gain real-time insights into audience sentiment and trends.

• Streamlined Content Collaboration: Utilize content collaboration platforms like Trello or Asana within Hootsuite for better team coordination on PR campaigns.

• Automated Reporting Tools: Embed automated reporting tools such as Tableau for visually appealing and comprehensive performance reports.

By focusing on these enhancements, a Public Relations Manager can leverage Hootsuite more effectively for PR campaign management, monitoring, and analysis.

How to Display Hootsuite Skills on Your Resume

4. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic, providing insights into visitor behavior, which can be leveraged for strategic public relations and communication efforts.

Why It's Important

Google Analytics provides valuable insights into audience behavior, engagement metrics, and campaign performance, enabling a Public Relations Manager to tailor communications, measure the effectiveness of PR strategies, and make data-driven decisions for maximizing media outreach and public engagement.

How to Improve Google Analytics Skills

To improve Google Analytics from a Public Relations Manager perspective, focus on:

1. Set Clear Goals: Define specific, measurable objectives for your PR campaigns. Setting up Goals in Google Analytics helps track conversions and understand user behavior.

2. Custom Dashboards: Create custom dashboards tailored to PR metrics, such as referral traffic, page views on press release pages, and media coverage mentions for quick insights.

3. Campaign Tagging: Use UTM parameters to track the effectiveness of external links in press releases, social media, or email campaigns, enabling you to measure the success of PR efforts.

4. Audience Segmentation: Segment your audience to analyze how different groups interact with your content. This audience segmentation can guide tailored messaging and PR strategies.

5. Monitor Real-Time Reports: Utilize real-time reports to monitor immediate impacts of PR campaigns, such as during product launches or crisis management, to quickly adapt strategies as needed.

6. Engage with Social Reports: Use Social reports to understand how users engage with your content across social platforms, helping to refine social media PR strategies.

By strategically employing these features, Public Relations Managers can leverage Google Analytics to gain valuable insights, optimize PR campaigns, and demonstrate their impact.

How to Display Google Analytics Skills on Your Resume

5. SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of enhancing a website's content and structure to improve its visibility in search engine results, aiming to increase online presence and reputation.

Why It's Important

SEO is crucial for a Public Relations Manager because it ensures the visibility of positive news and corporate communications on search engines, enhancing brand reputation and public perception.

How to Improve SEO Skills

To improve SEO as a Public Relations Manager, follow these concise steps:

1. Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner. Integrate these keywords naturally into your content, including press releases and blog posts.

2. Quality Content: Create high-quality, engaging, and original content that adds value to your audience. See Google's Webmaster Guidelines for best practices.

3. Optimize Metadata: Ensure your titles, descriptions, and headers (H1, H2) include primary keywords. This helps search engines understand your content better.

4. Mobile-Friendly: Make sure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly, as this is a significant ranking factor. Test your site's mobile usability with Google's Mobile-Friendly Test.

5. Load Speed: Improve your site’s load speed by optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and minimizing redirects. Use Google PageSpeed Insights for recommendations.

6. Secure Website: Ensure your site uses HTTPS to secure user data, a factor considered by search engines. Learn more about securing your site with HTTPS through Let's Encrypt.

7. Quality Backlinks: Build high-quality backlinks by engaging with reputable sites within your industry. Guest posting and public relations campaigns can help achieve this.

8. Social Media: Increase your online presence through active social media engagement. While social signals are not a direct ranking factor, they contribute to higher visibility online.

9. Analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor your traffic, refine your SEO strategies based on performance, and understand your audience better.

10. Local SEO: If applicable, optimize for local search by claiming your Google My Business listing, ensuring NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) consistency across the web, and collecting positive reviews.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly improve your website's SEO performance, enhancing visibility and driving more organic traffic.

How to Display SEO Skills on Your Resume

6. SEMrush

SEMrush is a digital marketing tool that provides comprehensive data and insights into SEO, pay-per-click (PPC), social media, and content marketing strategies. For a Public Relations Manager, it can be instrumental in monitoring brand reputation, analyzing competitors' online strategies, and identifying media outreach opportunities.

Why It's Important

SEMrush is important for a Public Relations Manager because it provides comprehensive tools for monitoring brand reputation, analyzing competitor strategies, and identifying media outreach opportunities, thereby enabling effective management of a company's online presence and public perception.

How to Improve SEMrush Skills

Improving SEMrush for a Public Relations Manager can focus on enhancing features that monitor brand reputation, streamline media outreach, and analyze competitors' public relations strategies. A concise strategy includes:

1. Enhancing Media Monitoring: Integrate more comprehensive media monitoring tools to track brand mentions across a wider array of online and offline sources. This could involve expanding the database to include more niche publications and social media platforms, allowing PR managers to get a real-time pulse on their brand's public perception.

2. Improving Press Release Distribution: Implement a feature for directly distributing press releases to targeted lists of journalists and publications within SEMrush. This could streamline the process of media outreach, making it easier to manage campaigns within the platform. Cision offers a good model for this functionality.

3. Competitor PR Analysis: Enhance the competitor analysis tools to offer insights specifically into competitors' PR strategies. This could include tracking their press releases, media mentions, and the sentiment of such mentions. It would provide PR managers with actionable intelligence to refine their strategies. Brandwatch is an example of a platform that offers deep insights into brand mentions and sentiment analysis.

4. Crisis Management Tools: Develop features aimed at identifying potential PR crises before they escalate. This could involve sentiment analysis, trend spotting, and alert systems for negative mentions that spike unusually. Tools like Crisp provide early-warning systems for reputation risks.

5. PR ROI Measurement: Introduce more sophisticated metrics and analytics for measuring the ROI of PR campaigns, including advanced link tracking, the impact on brand sentiment, and subsequent changes in web traffic or conversions. Google Analytics integration for deeper insights into how PR efforts drive web behavior would be beneficial.

By focusing on these areas, SEMrush can significantly improve its utility for Public Relations Managers, making it a more comprehensive tool for managing and optimizing PR activities.

How to Display SEMrush Skills on Your Resume

7. Canva

Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool that enables the creation of visual content such as presentations, social media graphics, and other marketing materials, facilitating effective visual communication for Public Relations Managers.

Why It's Important

Canva is important for a Public Relations Manager because it offers an easy-to-use platform for creating visually appealing and professional-grade graphics, presentations, and marketing materials essential for effective communication, brand promotion, and audience engagement.

How to Improve Canva Skills

To improve Canva for a Public Relations Manager, focus on the following enhancements:

1. Advanced Collaboration Tools: Enhance real-time collaboration features, allowing multiple PR team members to work simultaneously and seamlessly on projects. Collaboration Features on Canva

2. Press Release Templates: Increase the variety of customizable press release templates tailored to different industries and news types. Press Release Templates

3. Media Monitoring Integration: Integrate with popular media monitoring tools to enable PR managers to track the reach and impact of their campaigns directly within Canva. What is Media Monitoring?

4. Enhanced Analytics: Offer in-depth analytics and reporting features for social media graphics, providing insights into engagement, reach, and effectiveness. Social Media Analytics Guide

5. Dynamic Content Features: Implement features for creating interactive content such as GIFs, short videos, and infographics that can make press releases and social media posts more engaging. Creating Interactive Content

6. PR Campaign Management Tools: Add tools specifically designed for planning, executing, and tracking PR campaigns, including timeline management, task assignments, and progress tracking. Project Management Tools

7. Press Kit Templates: Provide a wide array of easily customizable digital press kit templates to quickly share with media outlets. Press Kit Templates

By focusing on these features, Canva can become a more powerful tool for PR Managers, facilitating better communication, creativity, and efficiency in their public relations efforts.

How to Display Canva Skills on Your Resume

8. Adobe Creative Suite

Adobe Creative Suite is a collection of software applications for graphic design, video editing, web development, photography, and more, widely used by professionals in creative industries, including public relations, for creating high-quality digital content and communications materials.

Why It's Important

Adobe Creative Suite is essential for a Public Relations Manager as it provides comprehensive tools for creating high-quality visual content, enhancing brand messaging, and engaging target audiences effectively across various media platforms.

How to Improve Adobe Creative Suite Skills

Improving Adobe Creative Suite for a Public Relations Manager involves streamlining processes, enhancing collaboration, and leveraging advanced features for impactful storytelling. Here’s a concise guide:

1. Leverage Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries: Ensure brand consistency across campaigns by sharing logos, colors, and assets among team members. Learn more about Creative Cloud Libraries.

2. Utilize Adobe Fonts: Access thousands of fonts to ensure your projects stand out and maintain the brand voice. Explore Adobe Fonts.

3. Master Adobe Photoshop’s Advanced Features: Harness the power of Photoshop for striking visuals. Focus on learning layer comps, adjustment layers, and smart objects for efficient revisions. Dive into Photoshop tutorials.

4. Exploit Adobe Premiere Pro’s Collaboration Tools: Edit videos collaboratively in real-time, streamlining feedback and approval processes. Discover Premiere Pro’s collaboration features.

5. Adopt Adobe InDesign for PR Materials: Create professional press kits, brochures, and reports with InDesign. Learn to use templates for speed and consistency. Get started with InDesign.

6. Automate Routine Tasks with Adobe Actions and Scripts: Save time by automating repetitive tasks in Photoshop and Illustrator, allowing you to focus on creativity. Learn about actions in Photoshop and scripting in Illustrator.

7. Stay Updated and Train Regularly: Adobe constantly updates its software. Stay ahead by learning new features and tools through Adobe’s tutorials and training resources.

By focusing on these key areas, a Public Relations Manager can significantly enhance their efficiency and effectiveness in using Adobe Creative Suite, leading to more compelling and engaging PR campaigns.

How to Display Adobe Creative Suite Skills on Your Resume

9. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a marketing automation platform and email marketing service that enables users to create, send, and analyze email and ad campaigns, useful for public relations managers in managing communications, engaging with audiences, and tracking campaign performance.

Why It's Important

Mailchimp is important for a Public Relations Manager because it offers efficient tools for creating, managing, and analyzing email campaigns, crucial for building and maintaining relationships with media and the public, and disseminating key messages effectively.

How to Improve Mailchimp Skills

Improving Mailchimp for a Public Relations Manager involves optimizing audience segmentation, personalizing content, and integrating with CRM tools to streamline communication efforts.

1. Segment Your Audience:

   • Create targeted lists based on demographics, engagement, or behavior to tailor messages accurately. Mailchimp’s guide on segmentation can help.

2. Personalize Content:

   • Utilize Mailchimp’s dynamic content feature to customize emails for different segments, enhancing relevance and engagement. Learn about personalization.

3. Integrate with CRM:

   • Connect your CRM to Mailchimp for a unified approach to managing contacts and tracking interactions. This ensures a seamless flow of information. Explore integration options.

4. Automate Campaigns:

   • Use automation to send timely and relevant emails without manual intervention, perfect for nurturing leads and maintaining relationships. Start with automation.

5. Analyze and Optimize:

   • Regularly review campaign analytics to understand what works and what doesn’t. Mailchimp provides insights that can help refine your strategy. Dive into analytics.

6. A/B Testing:

   • Experiment with different subject lines, content, and send times to see what yields the best results. Mailchimp’s A/B testing tools can guide these efforts. Learn about A/B testing.

By focusing on these strategies, a Public Relations Manager can leverage Mailchimp more effectively to enhance outreach and engagement.

How to Display Mailchimp Skills on Your Resume

10. WordPress

WordPress is a user-friendly, versatile content management system (CMS) widely used for creating and managing websites, including blogs, business sites, and portfolios, offering extensive customization through themes and plugins. Ideal for managing an organization's online presence and communications.

Why It's Important

WordPress is crucial for a Public Relations Manager as it provides an easy-to-use platform for creating and managing content, enabling efficient communication and engagement with the target audience, and enhancing the brand's online presence.

How to Improve WordPress Skills

To improve WordPress for a Public Relations Manager, focus on:

1. SEO Optimization: Enhance visibility with plugins like Yoast SEO, improving content readability and keyword performance.
2. Responsive Design: Ensure the site looks great on all devices using responsive themes like Divi.
3. Speed Optimization: Use plugins like WP Rocket to speed up load times, enhancing user experience and SEO.
4. Content Calendar: Plan and manage your PR campaigns with a content calendar plugin such as Editorial Calendar.
5. Social Media Integration: Amplify reach with plugins like Smash Balloon for seamless social media content display and sharing.
6. Analytics and Reporting: Understand audience behavior with Google Analytics by MonsterInsights, enabling data-driven decisions.
7. Security: Protect your brand's reputation with security plugins like Wordfence Security to prevent data breaches and hacks.
8. Feedback and Surveys: Engage with your audience and gather insights using tools like WPForms for customizable forms and surveys.

Implementing these strategies can significantly enhance a WordPress site, making it more effective for a Public Relations Manager's objectives.

How to Display WordPress Skills on Your Resume

11. Salesforce

Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform that enables businesses to manage sales, marketing, customer service, and more, all in one place, facilitating improved communication and engagement strategies for Public Relations Managers.

Why It's Important

Salesforce is important for a Public Relations Manager because it centralizes customer information, streamlines communication, and automates tasks, enhancing relationship management and enabling more personalized and effective public relations strategies.

How to Improve Salesforce Skills

To improve Salesforce for a Public Relations Manager, focus on these key areas:

1. Customization: Tailor Salesforce to fit the specific needs of PR activities. Utilize custom fields and objects to track press releases, media contacts, and coverage.
2. Integration: Use Salesforce AppExchange to find apps that integrate external PR tools and social media platforms into Salesforce, enhancing monitoring and engagement capabilities.
3. Automation: Implement Process Builder or Flow for automating repetitive tasks like media monitoring alerts, follow-up emails, and activity tracking to increase efficiency.
4. Analytics: Leverage Salesforce Reports and Dashboards to measure the impact of PR campaigns, media reach, and engagement levels, ensuring data-driven decisions.
5. Training and Adoption: Encourage team adoption by providing tailored Salesforce training specific to PR activities, ensuring all team members can fully utilize the platform's capabilities.

By focusing on these areas, a Public Relations Manager can significantly enhance their efficiency and effectiveness through Salesforce.

How to Display Salesforce Skills on Your Resume

12. Crisis Management

Crisis management, in the context of a Public Relations Manager, involves the strategic handling of unexpected and potentially damaging events, aiming to protect and restore a company or organization's reputation, through timely, effective communication and action plans.

Why It's Important

Crisis management is crucial for a Public Relations Manager as it helps protect and rebuild the organization's reputation during and after a crisis, ensuring swift, effective communication to mitigate negative impacts, maintain public trust, and uphold the organization's image.

How to Improve Crisis Management Skills

Improving crisis management, especially for a Public Relations Manager, involves several key steps aimed at enhancing preparation, response, and recovery efforts. Here's a very short and concise guide:

1. Preparation: Develop a comprehensive crisis management plan that includes potential scenarios, response strategies, and communication protocols. Regular training and drills can ensure the team is well-prepared. FEMA's guide provides a good foundation.

2. Monitoring and Identification: Use social media and other online tools to monitor for potential crises. Tools like Google Alerts can help in identifying issues early.

3. Clear Communication: Establish clear, concise, and transparent communication channels with all stakeholders. The CDC's Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) manual offers valuable insights on effective communication.

4. Swift Action: React quickly to control the narrative. Time is of the essence in preventing misinformation and managing public perception.

5. Post-Crisis Analysis: After resolving the crisis, conduct a thorough review of what happened, how it was handled, and what could be improved. This step is crucial for refining the crisis management plan for future incidents.

Improving crisis management is an ongoing process that requires vigilance, preparation, and the ability to adapt to new challenges.

How to Display Crisis Management Skills on Your Resume