The Power of PR in Social Impact
Welcome to the August 2022 #SocialImpactComms newsletter! This month, we're talking about all things Public Relations and how that relates to social impact communications.
Dear members and friends of The Channels Network,
A very warm and hearty smile from The Channel’s Newsletter Editor, Tanya, to you. We are super excited and happy to be back in your inbox this month!
August started out with heat waves across the world, but that hasn’t dimmed any of the impactful work being done in the social sector. There have been countless developments within the industry that we will be talking about this month.
In August’s newsletter, we’ll be talking about how Public Relations can act as a strong tool for creating meaningful social impact and engaging media and audiences for the greater good. We have an exciting event lined up this month with Melissa Hobsan, Channels member and PR expert.
If you are working on some exciting PR campaigns that advocate impact, email us at thechannelsnetwork@gmail.com and let’s talk about how our platform can help you amplify your cause!
Here’s to forward thinkers and changemakers!
Publicly impacting today and tomorrow,
Tanya K
Introducing: Public Relations
When we hear the word “Public Relations”, our mind often wanders off to the world of corporate PR, brand campaigns and the not-so-common, cold emails to journalists. But PR is much more than creating brand awareness, the marketing world has evolved into a plethora of possibilities when it comes to creating impact.
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organisation (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organisation) to the public in order to affect their public perception.
So why is the #SocialImpactComms newsletter talking about Public Relations? Effective public relations depend heavily on communication. Information must flow between the organisation and the public in a strategic manner that allows for two-way communication. To create meaningful social impact, it then becomes necessary to merge the two and network within both, the media and social development industry.
Let’s talk more about how effective PR can help create impact and drive public opinion.
Q&A with Melissa Hobson
To learn more about PR this month, we chatted with one of our members, PR expert Melissa Hobson, about a career in social impact public relations!
Channels: Can you tell us the story about what you currently do and how you got here in your career?
Melissa: I'm a marine science, conservation and sustainability writer and PR consultant. That means I write articles, blogs, press releases, whitepapers and more for organisations that are working to protect the ocean - as well as providing PR consultancy to help them improve their communications strategy. I spent around 10 years working in London in PR agencies and at Cancer Research UK. I had a wide range of clients: from coffee, ice cream and travel companies to corporate businesses and charities. This extensive experience taught me a lot about media relations and I also started writing for magazines on the side which helped me improve my writing skills. But agency life can be hectic and stressful. Eventually, I burned out. I quit my job as Associate Director at an independent PR agency and moved to Mozambique to help a brilliant marine conservation charity (Marine Megafauna Foundation) with their comms. While many people thought I was taking a huge risk, that decision was a game-changer for me. It led to me bringing together my writing and PR expertise with my passion for the ocean and is why I now specialise in marine conservation and sustainability. I've been a certified scuba diver for longer than I've been working in PR so it's brilliant to be able to combine the two!
What does a normal day in your work life look like?
One of the reasons I love being freelance is that there is no 'normal' day as such. Being my own boss, I can be flexible with my schedule in a way that works for me. So one day I might be up early to send a press release to the news desks for a client, while another I might switch my phone off and focus on researching and writing an article for one of my editors. Usually, I take a long lunch break to go to the gym or do some exercise. For me, getting away from the computer is often when I have some of my best inspiration so I try to prioritise this every day.
Do you consider Public Relations as a part of Communications? How are they similar or different?
Yes - public relations is an important part of the wider communications picture. If you look up 'public relations' you'll probably find a definition saying something like: PR is the management of how an organisation or brand is perceived by the public. But what does this mean? A nice analogy I've heard before is to imagine you're at a party. I come up to you and say "hey, I'm Mel and I'm a brilliant copywriter" - that's advertising. My friend then comes up to you and says "Have you met Mel, she's a great copywriter" - that's marketing. And PR? That's when someone who doesn't even know me is chatting to you and says "Oh, have you heard about Mel? She's a fantastic copywriter!". PR usually involves a high level of media relations to encourage journalists to write stories about your organisation but there can be a blurry line between other communications skills, such as social media, SEO, and digital marketing.
How does PR in the social impact sector differ from other PR work?
An obvious one is the budget. Often, working in the social impact sector means you have much tighter budgets and smaller teams than a big organisation. But that doesn't mean you can't do great PR. Another difference is the passion you find within NGOs and social impact teams. While people working in corporate companies can, of course, love their jobs, there's a drive and a passion that's unrivalled in this sector. We're doing this because we really care about the cause - which is so motivating. I come across inspiring people in my work almost every day.
What are the most common skills and competencies you use on a regular basis for your PR work?
An important skill for my PR work is being able to think from a journalist's point of view (being a writer myself really helps this) and thinking about how to join the dots. A common mistake PR people want to make is thinking too much about the story they want to tell and not enough about the things a journalist needs to do their job - if you can combine the two, you're going to have a much better chance of getting great results. It also helps to be a strong writer, organised and able to juggle various things at once. Having thick skin helps too.
If someone was just getting started in Public Relations, what advice would you give them?
Persevere. PR can be a hard gig and you'll get lots of rejections (or non-responses) from journalists. I heard somewhere recently that journalists ignore around 97% of pitches. While I think this is partly to do with lots of people 'blasting' out a press release far and wide rather than focusing on the most relevant journalists (a strategy I believe has a much higher success rate), so you can't take a 'no' to heart. If a journalist responds to decline your pitch, think of it as a good opportunity to learn what they do want, adapt your story or build a relationship with them that might help you with a future story.
Want to hear more from Melissa? Join our event on August 24th! More info below ⬇️
Channels Meet-Up: 24th August
After the success of July’s meet-up, we are excited to announce our next meet-up happening this month! This August we've inviting Melissa Hobson (marine science, conservation and sustainability copywriter and PR consultant) to talk to The Channels Network. Melissa works with organisations that are passionate about making a positive difference in our oceans, our planet, and people’s lives. She will be introducing us to the PR world and helping us navigate how to cultivate relationships with journalists!
In addition to learning about PR and social impact comms, it's a great opportunity to network with other Channels members. See you there!
What we’re reading this month
How did PR and Advocacy strengthen Pro-Abortion Campaigns in the United States? Here’s what Arianna has to say…
Misinformation is a common tactic anti-abortion groups use to discredit and damage the reputation of abortion service providers and pro-choice organizations. According to sexual health information specialist, Toni Belfield; misinformation on abortion can negatively affect an organization’s reputation by making it “difficult for the public… to separate fact from fiction”. PR can help manage these tactics and mitigate the harm they cause.
#SocialImpactComms Jobs
We just posted our 50th #SocialImpactComms jobs board! More than a year ago, we started curating #SocialImpactComms Jobs and we have loved every second of it. Along with our 50th Jobs board, we also have a treat for social impact organizations this time!
Here is a glimpse of the jobs round-up below:
Gender & women’s rights
Director of Communications, Advocacy and Campaigns - Girls Not Brides - Nairobi, Kenya, Delhi, India or London, UK - 12 September
Digital Content Intern - She’s the First - Remote - 26 August
Content Manager - MADRE - Remote in the US - 1 October
Communications Manager - Fawcett - London, UK - 18 September
Climate change, public health & sustainability
Knowledge Management & Communications Specialist - Pangora Group - Kampala, Uganda - Rolling deadline
Communications Officer - European Forest Institute - Joensuu, Finland - 29 August
Communications Officer - European Forest Institute - Barcelona, Spain - 12 September
Interim Director of Campaigns - Global Witness - Location flexible in London, UK, Washington DC, US, and Brussels, Belgium - 9 September
Public Information Officer Social Media - United Nations Environment Program - Nairobi, Kenya - 1 September
Humanitarian aid & development
Head of Engagement - CONCORD - Brussels, Belgium - 11 September
Communications Officer - HIAS - Athens, Greece - Rolling deadline
Digital Communications Manager - Results for Development - Washington, DC, US - Rolling deadline
Communications Specialist - Nickol Global Solutions - Alexandria, Virginia, US - Rolling deadline
Find even more opportunities in our weekly job round ups here!
🔥 Hot tip: Even if you’re not currently looking for career opportunities, it’s important to stay on top of what’s happening in the hiring world of our field! We suggest everyone browses through some job offers at least every few weeks to see what skills, competencies, and experiences are asked for these days.
Want to get involved with Channels? Reach out at thechannelsnetwork@gmail.com.
Like what we do? Here’s how you can help:
💬 Share The Channels Network substack with your network.
🤝 Join Channels as a member, and let the networking begin!
☕️ Buy us a coffee to keep this operation going. Thank you!
📩 Reach out to thechannelsnetwork@gmail.com to get involved.