PR Pros: Andrea Sok On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro
Never stop learning.The media landscape has drastically changed in the past decade! As PR professionals it is our job to stay abreast of trends and technology. You also might find yourself needing to quickly become an expert in a topic so you can represent your client. When I took on my first client in the beauty industry, I knew very little about her niche area of haircare, but I quickly immersed myself. This knowledge informed a targeted pitch that resulted in a fantastic placement for my client.
Have you seen the show Flack? Ever think of pursuing a real-life career in PR? What does it take to succeed in PR? What are the different forms of Public Relations? Do you have to have a college degree in PR? How can you create a highly lucrative career in PR? In this interview series, called “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” we are talking to successful publicists and Public Relations pros, who can share stories and insights from their experiences.
As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Andrea Sok, Founder & Principal, Sok Influencer PR.
Andrea is a public relations pro with more than 15 years of experience in marketing and communications. Her career has taken her around the world seeking great stories and sharing them in new and different ways. She combines her storytelling skills with many successful years of designing and executing campaigns at a local, national, and global level to her boutique agency Sok Influencer PR.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have been writing and storytelling for as long as I can remember. As a child I would fill journals with fictional stories and interviews of people I met. Storytelling started me on this career path. I began in journalism both print and broadcast, but quickly realized I could do more good on the other side. PR took me to the nonprofit sector, and this really propelled my career. I learned to do more with less and how to craft a story. Human services nonprofits have no products to sell, stores to open, or new tech to try. You are often asking journalists to step inside a deeply personal narrative. Over the past several years influencers have emerged as critical voices for sharing and amplifying narratives. Yet so many PR professionals are late to the game, or they feel engaging influencers falls outside their job description. This led me to start Sok Influencer PR. We help our clients craft their story and find the voices and vehicles to deliver it authentically. We call it Influencer PR.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
A career in PR brings you in to so many communities, different experiences, and interesting people. It is hard to pinpoint the most interesting story, but meeting amazing people is what I enjoy the most. I have worked with heroes, scientists, innovators, and everyday advocates. People interest me. Their stories interest me. I am grateful every time someone welcomes me to hear their story.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Early in my career I worked for a local nonprofit that provided housing for homeless families. I secured a nationally televised garden program to renovate one of the properties. It was national exposure plus a free landscape makeover for a property that desperately needed it. I had only worked local news up to that point in my career and was naïve to the amount of work a 30-minute makeover show requires. As the PR person your job is to get it done! This could translate to picking up coffee for the crew or laying pavers for a back patio. My mistake was completely underestimating the amount of work involved. Most of our office staff ended up pitching in and spending several days onsite, away from their own work. On the last day, after the final cut, we all just fell on top of the newly planted grass. We were so exhausted! I continue to pitch, and have since worked on several makeover shows, but I learned from that first experience to expect the unexpected, stay flexible, and that everything will take eight times longer than you think it will.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I am so grateful to be working with so many inspiring and powerful women!
Sophia Fifner is changing the face of women in philanthropy. Her project #BravePhilanthropy highlights women who are giving and volunteering in their communities. These women embrace the label “philanthropist”. Through this movement we hope to inspire more women to get involved in charity. Philanthropy isn’t unattainable. It can be inclusive, and we hope more women will embrace it.
Melissa Pancoast is the CEO and Founder of fintech startup The Beans (www.thebeans.io). She is on a mission to help members of the “Caring Class” those who choose mission over money, experience less financial stress, save money, and pay down debt. Using behavioral research, The Beans has helped teachers and nonprofit workers achieve major financial milestones all while experiencing money + life balance.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Patience
PR is a very fast-paced industry and being the first to respond and the first to a story has served me well, however, equally important is the ability to wait until the timing is right. Likewise, practicing patience with my staff is something I know they appreciate. I want to create an environment that encourages learning.
- Creativity. The leaders that I have looked up to throughout my career have all been highly creative communicators- gifted storytellers who know how to transform a narrative into something truly unique. These leaders also make space for creativity which is something I strive for.
- Emotional Intelligence. I know how much I value empathy and self-awareness, so I aspire to always demonstrate these traits. Leadership is more than giving orders. Good leaders listen.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. For the benefit of our readers, can you help articulate what the different forms of PR are?
At Sok Influencer PR we practice Influencer PR- combing the power of PR and Influencer Marketing to help our clients craft their story and find the voices and vehicles to deliver it authentically.
Media Relations- Pitching journalists, securing placements, and managing the process.
Crisis Communications- Expert messengers who can successfully manage difficult narratives.
Internal Communications- Manage key stakeholders and messaging with their customer being the company’s employees.
Strategic Communications- Helping businesses achieve long-term strategic goals.
Where should a young person considering a career in PR start their education? Should they get a degree in communications? A degree in journalism? Can you explain what you mean?
Journalism is my background, so I am obviously biased there, but at Sok Influencer PR we have staff who are pursuing degrees in PR and Business Communications. They each bring something different to the table. No matter the area you decide to study I cannot stress how important internships are to the education experience. This is where you see all those elements you learned in school come together in real life.
You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?
I like to connect 1:1 for virtual coffees or in small group sessions around a specific topic. I keep the meetups short, casual, and I am always clear why I want to connect.
Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business. Can you share some of the strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?
Since the pandemic everything has gone online. I leverage LinkedIn for lead generation, and I also offer free trainings for businesses who are curious if PR is right for them.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Customer Service. Good PR starts with customer service. This means being responsive, professional, and respectful with our clients and with the media. Journalists appreciate a quick and thorough response. Clients appreciate a prompt call back. One of my very first jobs in college was managing a small customer service call center. I learned how to handle so many different scenarios and I use those skills almost daily.
- Always do your homework.Before pitching a story or chasing down a new lead you need to do your homework. I recently pitched a very niche story to a journalist and her exact response was: “Thank you for doing your homework. This is perfect for me.” Journalists appreciate when you take the time, do your research, and come prepared.
- Practice Patience. Clients often come with unrealistic expectations about the coverage they should receive or who will be interested in their story. By practicing patience, we can help our clients navigate their PR journey to reach attainable goals.
- Never stop learning.The media landscape has drastically changed in the past decade! As PR professionals it is our job to stay abreast of trends and technology. You also might find yourself needing to quickly become an expert in a topic so you can represent your client. When I took on my first client in the beauty industry, I knew very little about her niche area of haircare, but I quickly immersed myself. This knowledge informed a targeted pitch that resulted in a fantastic placement for my client.
- Make storytelling your foundation. It all begins with storytelling. Clients will push you to jump to the pitch, but successful PR professionals know it all starts with the story. I run all my new clients through a message exercise during onboarding. We explore every angle and ensure that our foundational messaging is right before we even discuss outreach.
Because of the role you play, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I want to encourage more positive storytelling. We need more people to share stories that make us feel good! Journalists, content creators, influencers- everyone has a role to play. Let’s uncover those story gems and bring them to the top of the feed!
This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.
PR Pros: Andrea Sok On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.