A commonly asked question in this industry is, “What does a PR professional do?” Even after four years of studying public relations in college and reading countless definitions, defining a PR professionals’ job role is still difficult,  but vital, to master.

PRSA states, “Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”

Though a seemingly simple definition, PR professionals wear many hats. So, let’s break this down!

A PR professional tells the story.

It is important to be a strong communicator. PR professionals are the voice of a brand. They have the responsibility of managing, growing and guiding the publics’ positive image of their client. PR professionals bring attention to their clients to earn free media that appear in newspapers, TV, radio, magazines and websites.  Key word: Free. PR professionals don’t create paid advertisements or the catchy jingles you try to tune out during commercial break.

A PR professional manages crisis.

Things aren’t always so peachy in the world of PR. Every organization is vulnerable to crisis. From natural disasters, human error, technical problems, executive wrongdoing and legal problems, a PR professional should always be prepared with a plan of action.

A PR professional tells the truth.

Journalists are bombarded with press releases, receiving hundreds per week. Reporters are most likely to pay attention to those from a trusted source. Although a little white lie may be tempting in times of crisis, a good PR professional knows that in the end, this will not only undermine credibility with your publics, but also the media, who, in the this position, should be one of your best friends.

A PR professional builds relationships.

The basis of the PR industry is the ability for PR professionals to form good relationships with not only clients, but the media. People want to interact with companies and organizations that seem personal and actually try to understand their products and services. The same goes for the media. If they know and trust you, they are going to be more inclined to work with you.

A PR professional writes (and writes, and writes…).

PR professionals are not only good at verbal communication. We are in a digital age where it is important to know how to properly write an email, press release or letter.  In a world where credibility is key, grammar errors, misspellings, and confusing sentences will knock you off the A-list.

A PR professional is informed.

They know what’s up! PR professionals know their clients, the company, the media and the industry like the back of their hand. They need to be on top of the news and trends so they can harness what they know and craft story ideas that best position their client.

While a PR professional wears many hats, these six attributes help define what it takes to be successful in this industry. A better question would be, “What doesn’t a PR professional do?”

Author Hailey Hendricks is a sales support representative at PR Newswire.