It was a pleasure to sit down with Mark Jeffries this week in our LA office. We discussed topics ranging from influencer PR, tech startup raising and what makes a great PR Professional. Mark has worked with some of the most well known companies in the tech spaces as well as major influencers. He regularly liaises with established journalists on top publications. Mark and his team at FamousInfluencer.com have quickly established themselves as one of the premier PR and digital marketing agencies in London and Los Angeles.
What attributes do you look for Mark in a prospective team member and why?
To be effective at the job, a PR professional needs to be first and foremost a people person. Since PR work is centred on relationships, the ability to establish and maintain strong connections is an indispensable skill. Flexibility and adaptability are also important as the industry grows, which means that professionals need to learn and adjust accordingly.
To join our team at FamousInfluencer, a prospective team member should have all these attributes. We are very selective with whom we work with and you need to be an ‘entrepreneur at heart’. We work continuously with all new team members at sharpening and improving these attributes through frequent professional development sessions.
What correlation exists between people skills and strategic PR and how does this impact business success?
Strategic thinking and good people skills are interdependent qualities in an effective PR professional. Without people skills, a strategic PR professional loses those all-important connections that help to accomplish the job.
What ICT Tools Do You Consider to be Indispensable to the Modern PR Professional?
Communication is a key aspect of the job and therefore its crucial; any team member possesses good social skills and is on at least 1 or 2 social networks. In addition to the handy smartphone, an effective PR agent also needs a good laptop, equipped with software that will help our clients. Video editing and sharing software such as GoVideo are crucial in any PR toolkit. PR software like Newswire, BuzzStream, Cision and Meltwater provide the latest PR information and digital tools in one spot. We’re also a big fan of automation at FamousInfluencer.
Which Traditional PR Tool Does the Modern PR Professional Still Need?
The one that comes to mind immediately is a portfolio of partners such as journalists, clients, investors, editors and influencers. A well-seasoned PR professional or an established company like famous influencer will have quite an impressive list with connections to industry players who are positioned to have the greatest impact. Without this media connection capacity, the professional is essentially powerless to achieve the main goal of the job, garnering positive publicity. In fact, establishing one’s own custom list, improving it over time and ensuring that it functions as a true reflection of the connections made should be at top priority for anyone interested in joining our team. Of course, it goes without saying that it can be quite a difficult task, which why the team effort comes in handy for PR work.