About You

You are a strong written and verbal communicator. You are proficient in communication, which allows you to set clear expectations with media outlets and clients. You are creative with your communication and understand how to craft engaging stories that will catch the attention of busy media professionals. You are energized by collaborating on all the puzzle pieces necessary to create an engaging piece of content. You can translate ideas and trends into creative concepts in a clear, concise manner.

You collaborate well with others. You’re great at working with a team and across departments. You are client-focused and understand that getting the best results for clients and providing the best experience may require you to pull in different individuals across the organization. In this role, you’ll collaborate with approximately seven account services teams and 40+ clients in addition to your fellow media relations team members.

You are deadline-oriented. You are an organized individual and never scoff at a deadline. You can meet fast turnaround times and pivot when necessary. You set goals and meet them, and you utilize data and analytics to determine said goals and/or figure out how to meet them.

You are a relationship builder. You’re able to meet new people (mostly virtually) and build your network. You find small ways to connect with individuals in ways that resonate. You get to know people and make meaningful connections with clients and the media outlets with which you work.

You can handle rejection. You understand that a role like this will get a lot of “nos” or no replies. This does not deter you. You push through and find new and creative ways to connect with others. You aren’t afraid to do research on the publications and editors you’re looking to connect with and discover the best ways to get their attention.

You research new topics. You are a lifelong learner. You will be working with a variety of clients and industries, some of which might not be familiar to you. You are not expected to know everything about what our clients do — they are the experts in that department. However, you are able to dive in and learn just the right amount about each new topic in order to craft the most interesting pitches for the most relevant audiences.

You are energized by learning about technology. You enjoy keeping up with the latest trends in technology, especially the ways in which technology is transforming the way companies do business. You don’t shy away from learning more about complex technological concepts like artificial intelligence and machine learning.

You’re a decision maker. You’re able to identify next steps based on the information you have on hand. You utilize your instincts to stay decisive rather than succumb to the overwhelm of having too many options.

So what does the publication strategist role look like in real time?

Let’s break down the first year. Please note: This is a rough timeline, as we know not everyone operates at the same pace. As long as we’re in communication, we will do our best to support your unique pace.

At the 30-day mark, we expect publication strategists to have an understanding of Influence & Co.’s content strategy process and service lines, as well as content marketing as an industry. Don’t worry — you will receive plenty of training on all of these! Additionally, you will have a foundational understanding of the publications you have been assigned and how your role works. You may also start practicing pitching articles to editors and reviewing client content.

At the 60-day mark, you will feel comfortable using our content creation platform, ICo. Core, as well as the other tech solutions involved in your job (Toggl, Slack, and Google Drive, to name a few). By this time, you’ll be getting more comfortable with reviewing content and sending articles to editors, as well as identifying industry trends and publication preferences with more ease. Of course, you will still be supported at this stage, but you will be experiencing more autonomy.

Once you’ve reached 90 days, we expect publication strategists to function in their roles with support. We never expect questions to stop, especially not right after your initial new hire training concludes! We try to prepare you to tackle things on your own and as a team, but we don’t expect you to know everything after 90 days. You will be proficient on the tech side of things and feel confident in your ability to pitch to editors, provide content strategy suggestions, and communicate with clients. You’ll be showing more autonomy and becoming more equipped to process feedback. You’ll have a strong understanding of client strategy and how to balance client goals and publication preferences.

At six months, you are cruising right along! You know the clients and publications you work with well and are capable of providing feedback to them and receiving it in turn. You have developed strategies to manage your content queue well and are securing valuable placements and wins for clients. You’re still pulling in support on those new-to-you situations, but you’re looking to the future and setting goals for what’s to come.

It’s now been one year. You’re getting a “Happy Workiversary!” shout-out and maybe a little gift to mark this milestone. At this time, you are truly comfortable collaborating on client strategies and communicating with publication editors in a persuasive and helpful tone. Your communication with clients and internal teams is on point. You are able to navigate tricky client needs and confidently contribute your ideas because they’re backed by experience, research, and purpose. Your ability to solve problems, create new solutions for clients, and pursue relevant media trends and topics is second nature.