Your partner doesn’t get it. Your best friend doesn’t get it. And your mom definitely doesn’t get it. Unless they are ambitious PR professionals too, they just don’t understand the thrills and challenges of working in PR.
That’s why PR communities are so important. These are the places where you can ask a question (How much are we charging for a la carte press releases these days?), celebrate a major PR win (I just have to share this cover story I placed for my client!) and vent (My client was a no-show for a HUGE press opportunity I spent months on!).
In an industry that’s constantly changing with new PR opportunities, client expectations, trending topics and new PR tech tools, PR communities are known for providing the invaluable support needed day in and day out to learn best practices and thrive in the profession.
You can dedicate your time to one PR community, or join a few to get a mix of opinions and new ideas. And if you’re lucky enough to have experienced a long PR career with insightful advice to give, being a mentor to new PR professionals can be a way to give back. Don’t you remember what those first PR mentors in your life meant to a young, aspirational you?
If you’re limited on time (and we totally get it!), finding an online PR community can keep you connected with other professionals from the comfort of your laptop. And if you’re the type that loves to network in-person, there are public relations communities that are starting to host in-person meetups again. Honestly, there are a lot of options out there.
We’ve rounded up a list of some of the popular PR communities out there right now. They span from groups you need to apply for to free Facebook groups to weekly PR conversations on social media. This list is by no means complete, but it’s an excellent place to get started in finding the best fit for you.
SpinSucks
The SpinSucks community is free to join and welcomes a wide range of PR professionals: in-house marketers, agency leaders, digital media pros, freelancers, designers, developers, students and strategists.
They encourage professionals to weigh in on current industry topics, share opportunities at all levels of PR experience and write about a recent frustration or laugh.
Most of all, they focus on sharing details of the popular Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned (PESO) Model, which they created and now provide graduate-level certifications for, through Syracuse University no less!
PR Council
The PR Council (PRC) is a trade association where new members apply to join. If accepted, you’ll be in excellent company: over 100 of the most successful PR firms are members.
The association helps participating agencies grow to next levels, and does this through educational opportunities, group events and access to industry resources.
The group is broken down even further into niche PR communities based on the critical functions of their firms, like CFO & COO; Digital; HR; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI); and sales & marketing.
Profitable PR Pros
Profitable PR Pros is a fun Facebook group founded by Jen Berson of LA-based boutique PR firm, Jeneration PR. She has created a free community of experienced and aspiring PR pros who want to learn how to launch, grow and scale their public relations and social media agencies.
You’ll find the group is a very active online PR community where you can check in daily to read peer questions, get expert advice and listen in on general industry discussions. The Jeneration PR team also offers online courses for those looking to learn their specific framework for growing a highly-successful and profitable public relations agency.
Per Berson: “It is my mission to help as many people as possible have the kind of business that they can run on their terms. I truly believe that in the great wide world of PR, there’s room enough for everybody. That’s why it is my passion to share my secrets for attracting multi-million dollar (and even billion-dollar!) retainer clients with… really anybody who’s willing to listen!”
The Weekly PR
Isn’t it awesome when someone takes the time to hand-pick a collection of the best digital PR campaigns and insights for the week? And then, they share their hard work with you? This is true of the always-helpful @bethaniejane, the curator of The Weekly PR, a round-up she publishes for free every Tuesday.
Join her 1,500+ subscribers and learn why staying on top of the latest trends in PR doesn’t have to be difficult when you have a valuable resource like this.
Then send her a thank you for doing all of the hard work!
Women in Public Relations
Women in Public Relations is proudly “bringing together public relations women leaders across the Americas to share ideas, contacts, experiences, and to advocate for major issues directly affecting women working in the PR industry today.”
This is a great PR community to join if you’re looking for a mission-based public relations group. They are working actively to build real-world solutions that tackle gender inequality issues like the pay gap, improve the visibility of women in public relations and help women get into the profession by sharing job opportunities.
House of Marketing and PR
Here is another online PR community you can find on Facebook: House of Marketing and PR. It focuses on discussion of the future of marketing, media, and public relations.
The group is open to academics, professionals, students and teachers. All of these voices are valued in the conversation, and it’s a great place to discuss current observations about the industry and where it’s going next.
If you don’t have time to check into the group regularly, its admins publish a weekly Substack of content shared there.
Solo PR Pros
Solo PR pros is a paid PR community created specifically for solo PR pros. It’s an excellent outlet for those who do their work alone, but love to learn and check-in with other PR professionals.
Joining the community brings you into an interactive community that’s focused on networking, lead sharing and idea generation.
You also get downloadable access to the group’s ebooks, templates and how-to guidance. You’ll learn quickly that you’re never alone in PR.
PR Lunch Hour with Tamara, Michelle & Tonya
Sometimes the best way to connect to other PR pros is to sit back and listen in on one of their conversations. If this sounds like your preference, and you only have time to do this during something like your lunch break, we have the perfect community for you.
PR Lunch Hour with Tamara, Michelle & Tonya is a weekly PR discussion on Twitter Spaces, led by @baydiangirl, @PRisUs and @TonyaMcKenziePR.
You know the conversation will be a good one when their invite states: “Let’s get together to celebrate our #wins, talk strategy and sip tea on the latest stories in the news.”
Book these weekly conversations on your calendar.
PR Couture
PR Couture is a PR community that has been around for over 15 years! It offers advice that’s neatly catered to three different career levels: entry-level, PR professional, and agency owner. You can dig into the website for all kinds of educational information, or you can join their free Facebook group, Pitch, Please!
The group includes over 2,000 professionals and is moderated by a PR pro, Crosby Noricks. She posts valuable PR tools like monthly pitch calendars and interviews PRs who are finding amazing success in the profession. There’s a reason this PR community has been going strong for so long!
Opportunities – Marketing, PR, Digital, Social Media & Communications
Finally, if you’re looking for PR partners, The Opportunities private FB group is a great place to connect with marketing, public relations, communications, social media and digital professionals for experienced advice and project collaboration.
Answer a few simple questions to apply to join, and become a part of this community that’s 11K+ members strong.
Join the Club
Really, this list is only scratching the surface of PR communities you can discover and join. There are even more professional groups you can find by searching locally or on LinkedIn.
The goal is to find one or more of the public relations communities that feels the most aligned with your current needs as a PR professional. Sometimes that means getting your foot in the door through internships and mentors; sometimes it’s looking for the best advice and tools to build your own PR agency; and sometimes it’s looking for ways to downsize your career into freelancing.
Wherever you are in your PR career journey, we’re convinced there is a group of people who will help you get to your next step. We’ve always found the PR community to be a welcoming group of professionals who root each other on when big PR wins roll in, and give you that much-needed support you need when your week has been anything but great.
So start your research and find your best match. We know your ideal PR community is just waiting to meet you!
