Public relations is about maintaining or improving the reputation of an organisation by influencing how other people perceive it. PR is about how organisations communicate with the public, promote themselves and build a positive image. There is crossover with marketing, since the influence gained may make all the difference when people are deciding which supermarket to shop in, or which company to do business with.

PR activity is usually planned in advance but a PR expert can also be called upon to manage an organisation’s response to a crisis.

• copywriting and research
• drafting press releases and newsletters
• contacting journalists to try to persuade them to cover a new story
• public events and opportunities
• blogging and writing social media content
• online advertising – eg pay per click (PPC)
• search engine optimisation (SEO) – ensuring that clients’ online content gets found and read by its target audience when they do a relevant web search.