Every four years between August and November, public relations pros sit around twiddling their thumbs waiting for the news cycle to shift, so we can get back to doing what we do best: pitching stories about our clients.
It’s a tough business to be in when national media outlets are entirely consumed by the two biggest news stories of the year — the presidential election and the Olympics. Unless you rep one of the candidates, Simon Biles or Michael Phelps, godspeed.
OK, maybe it’s not that bad. But it’s certainly much tougher to get a CEO of an emerging brand on a national business show when every big-name executive seems to have an opinion of the presidential race and people like Phelps just won’t stop winning things.
So while reporters and producers are focused on politicians and pro athletes, here are five ways to stay productive until things get back to normal.
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Focus on the trades
Industry trade outlets will not be as nearly focused on the election and Olympics as the national and local media are, so use your newfound free time to seek out media opportunities with trade pubs.
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Research new reporter contacts
Now’s your chance to finally get to that reporter research you’ve been meaning to do. Keeping in mind they may have temporarily been pulled on to an election- or Olympics-focused beat, you now have time to really dig in and check out their past stories to build a killer media list.
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Learn a new skill
Use all that time not spent on the phone calling producers to take a writing class or brush up on your pitching strategies. Check out your local PRSA chapter for a calendar of upcoming events or this article for a list of some of the top sites for online classes.
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Clean your desk
When all else fails, you can feel good about removing the half-inch of dust that has accumulated and the dozens of Post-it notes and old magazines. You’ll likely end up feeling much more organized and relaxed with a clean workspace.
However you decide to spend your time, think of it not as killing time, but rather investing in your growth as a PR pro.
