PR Teams: What They Are and How To Build Them

A company’s reputation is considered very important by 74% of the people who consider working for an organization, and somewhat important by 25% more, according to a study by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Similarly, 62% of consumers consider a company’s brand reputation to be very important, and 35% more consider reputation to be somewhat important when purchasing their products.

The primary objective of a company's public relations (PR) team is to create a positive public perception of the company and enhance brand awareness. Brand perception can have a substantial impact on hiring, sales, credibility, and customer loyalty.

This step-by-step guide covers how to build a strong PR team and best practices to manage PR teams effectively.

What is a PR team?

A PR team is a group of communications professionals who oversee and manage a company or individual’s reputation. The goal of hiring or partnering with a PR team is to create a positive public perception of a person or organization, which can help attract customers, media, investors, employees, and other target audiences.

Your PR team plays an integral role in shaping public perception through social media, written content, press conferences, company events, and other strategies and tactics.

Key responsibilities of a PR team include:

• Media relations. Media relations involves building and maintaining relationships with editors, news anchors, journalists, social media influencers, and other media professionals to promote positive coverage for the company. For example, a media relations campaign may involve pitching the news of a company’s venture capital financing round or new product to top business press and industry-specific trade publications.  
• Crisis management. One responsibility of your PR team is to handle and mitigate negative publicity and manage the company's reputation during a crisis. For example, if a company's product has been recalled due to safety concerns, the PR team would issue a statement to the media outlining the steps being taken to address the issue, as well as any actions needed by the consumer and compensation being offered.
• Content marketing. Content marketers create and distribute content to attract and engage your target audience, position the company as a thought leader, and build brand awareness. For instance, if an organization offers eco-friendly products, the PR team may produce a blog, research report, or social media post highlighting the benefits of using environmentally friendly products.
  

If your company could benefit from professionals with media relations, crisis management, or content marketing skills, you can find experienced public relations specialists on Upwork.

If you’d like to first learn essential steps to build an effective PR team, keep reading!

How to assess your PR needs

Before building a PR team, understanding your public relations needs is important. Defining your needs can help you find the right PR professionals who align with your broader business objectives.

Consider the following ways to assess your PR needs:

• Outline goals. Begin by defining SMART goals, meaning goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Goals should align with your business objectives, including increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or improving company reputation. An example of a SMART goal for a PR team may be to secure 15 earned media placements in top-tier publications in the next six months to continue building brand awareness.
• Understand your target audience. You'll also need to understand who your customers are, what their interests are, and what motivates them to make a purchase. You can analyze demographic information and audience behavior using data analytics tools. This information will help you choose the best channels to reach your target audience. For example, if your target audience is business professionals, you may want to focus on publishing content in trade journals and on LinkedIn. If your target audience is younger and consumer-focused, you may want to promote your brand on Instagram or TikTok.
• Review your brand perception. Evaluating the current state of your company's public image will help you determine whether you need to focus more on rebranding, brand consistency, brand awareness, or generating a more positive perception. Use surveys, feedback, and analytics to gauge public sentiment. As an example, you may distribute a survey to members of your target audience to measure brand awareness by asking questions related to how familiar they are with your company and key products or services.
• Align on a budget. Whether you’re planning to hire internal PR team members or engage independent professionals or an agency, aligning on a realistic budget is critical. Determine how much your business can allocate toward PR efforts and understand the potential ROI of building a PR team.

Once you determine your PR needs, you can move forward with the process of building a PR team.

5 Steps to building a strong PR team

Building a successful PR team requires a combination of both strategic planning and careful execution. Below are five steps you can take to build a strong PR team.

Steps include:

1. Define the team structure
2. Identify the right team members and skills
3. Develop essential PR skills
4. Create a collaborative culture
5. Scale your PR team

1. Define the team structure

An in-house PR team is a group of part- and full-time employees who work exclusively for the company. This team is responsible for executing all PR activities of the company. Some pros and cons to consider include:

Pros of an in-house PR team

• Alignment with company values. An in-house PR team will have a deep understanding of the company's culture, vision, and goals.
• Financial savings. If your needs are long-term, an in-house team may be more cost-effective than hiring an external agency.
• Availability. If you hire staff, they will likely be more readily available and responsive to the company's needs than an external agency.
  

Cons of an in-house PR team

• Less varied experience. Especially if your plan is to promote from within, an in-house team may lack the broader industry experience and insights of external agencies.
• Limiting bias. A dedicated staff may face challenges in remaining objective and unbiased in their approach.

An external PR agency is a third-party service provider that specializes in PR and communication. Some pros and cons to consider include:

Pros of a third-party PR team

• New ideas. An agency can bring a fresh perspective and broader industry experience to the table.
• Wide network. Agencies typically have strong and established professional relationships with media outlets and influencers.
• Varied skills. Agencies often provide a wide range of services that may be lacking in an in-house team, such as crisis management and media training.
  

Cons of a third-party PR team

• Higher cost. Agencies can be more expensive long-term, compared to an in-house team.
• Differing agendas. There may be a lack of alignment between the agency's goals and the company's objectives.
• Sharing responsibility. The company may have less control over the PR campaigns and messaging.

Factors to consider when choosing a PR team structure include the size of the company, the scope of PR campaigns, and available resources. For example, larger companies may be able to afford more comprehensive in-house teams.

On the other hand, complex, large-scale campaigns may benefit from agency specialization. Your company should also evaluate the need for constant in-house PR support versus project-based assistance with an agency.

Large companies that need to fill a gap in the skillset of their PR team, and smaller companies that need the skills of an agency without the risk of a long-term commitment, can schedule a risk-free consultation with a PR consultant.

2. Identify the right team members

Building a robust PR team means hiring different members to handle various PR requirements. You may want to begin with hiring a PR specialist. This role focuses on working with the media to create positive company publicity, building relationships with journalists, and monitoring the organization's reputation.

Working with influencers and bloggers can also help your company produce positive video and written content about your brand, which can increase the company's visibility and credibility.

PR professionals, like any specialty, need certain skills and qualities to be successful. For instance, excellent communication skills are essential to convey the company's message clearly and effectively.

A PR professional should also have strong writing skills to produce press releases, social media posts, and other written content that accurately represents the brand.

Additionally, creativity is another important skill that PR professionals should possess to come up with innovative ideas and unique strategies for promoting the brand and capturing the audience’s attention.

PR professionals should also be able to work under pressure. They must be equipped to handle crises effectively and manage the company's reputation during setbacks.

3. Develop essential PR skills

While you want to hire PR professionals with the right skills, taking an ongoing approach to learning and development can help ensure individuals’ skills grow and evolve to align with your business needs. Essential PR skills include media relations management, crisis response, and content creation.

In terms of media relations, PR teams establish relationships with media professionals to ensure that the public holds a positive view of the company. This is achieved through outreach to journalists and news outlets and pitching stories about the company via email or phone to promote your business or a new product or service.

Crisis management involves resolving issues or negative perceptions of the company caused by events such as recalls, product shortages, and similar challenges. In such cases, this involves identifying the root cause of the issue and developing a communication plan that outlines how the organization will respond to its stakeholders and the media.

Content creation enables companies to create and share compelling stories that can help build their brand and reputation. This can include content formats such as blog posts, articles, infographics, and videos. The skills required for content creation in PR include strong written and verbal communication skills, the ability to record and edit both audio and video content, a thorough understanding of the target audience, and a creative mindset.

To develop these skills, consider encouraging your PR team to attend workshops to gain hands-on experience in PR. Attending press conferences and networking events can also help PR professionals expand their knowledge and connect with industry professionals. Additionally, reading industry publications and books can provide valuable insights and tips for improving your skill set. Also offer PR team members and all workers at your organization access to talent development resources to improve existing skills and develop new ones over time.

4. Create a collaborative culture

Maintaining clear communication and teamwork within the PR team and the entire organization can help support a consistent brand strategy, ensure everyone is on board with the brand's vision, and manage your company's online presence more efficiently.

A positive team environment enables an engaging workplace and also displays your capability to handle issues with grace. Maintaining a positive environment and reputation can help you attract more customers and talent.

To ensure everyone has specific responsibilities with clear guidelines, PR specialists, social media managers, influencers, and other team members should collaborate with one another for effective campaigns. When team members collaborate, they can share ideas and insights, which can lead to more creative and successful campaigns.

Additionally, collaboration can help ensure messaging is consistent across all channels and that campaigns are aligned with the company's goals and values. Whether internal or external, by collaborating effectively, PR team members can also ensure that they are targeting the right audience and that their efforts are having a measurable impact on brand awareness and reputation.

5. Scale your PR team

To support scaling your business, evaluate workload demands and consider hiring additional PR team members or outsourcing tasks when:

• Workload increases. If the existing team is consistently overwhelmed, it may be time to expand.
• Specialized skills are needed. For specialized projects or unique campaigns, hiring experts with specific skills, including search engine optimization (SEO) expertise, influencer marketing, and crisis communication, can be beneficial.
• Your business has a global presence. Consider outsourcing for international campaigns to leverage expertise and reach audiences around the world.
  

To manage an expanding team, consider:

• Effective communication. Foster open communication channels to maintain team cohesion through regular team meetings, communication platforms, and feedback.
• Regular training. Encourage the team to learn new skills—such as event planning, digital marketing, and crisis management—that are needed for evolving challenges and priorities.
• Outsourcing through platforms like Upwork. Leverage freelance talent to fill specific skill gaps quickly and cost-effectively.

How to manage and lead your PR team

Regularly reassess team dynamics and adjust structures as the company evolves, which can help the PR team remain agile and aligned with the growing needs of your business.

Below are some key strategies that can help you manage and lead your PR team.

Set clear goals and expectations

Setting specific goals provides a roadmap, ensuring the team’s efforts are aligned with the company's overall objectives. Measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) offer tangible metrics for assessing progress and impact. For instance, goals may include managing crisis communication effectively or launching successful product campaigns. Corresponding KPIs could involve measuring media coverage or monitoring social media engagement and sentiment.

If you hire internal PR team members, consider setting measurable KPIs during initial onboarding and performance reviews. When partnering with an agency or independent PR professional, include KPIs in the contract, project scope, or statement of work (SOW) to hold external partners accountable for results.

You’ll want to clearly articulate expectations, timelines, and success criteria to team members to avoid any misunderstandings about the project goals and objectives. Use visual aids, such as charts or dashboards, to simplify complex topics and make data more accessible. Regularly discuss progress with the team and celebrate milestones to maintain motivation.

Delegate tasks and motivate your team

Delegating tasks across team members can be a highly effective strategy to ensure PR projects are completed efficiently and on time. This approach also ensures PR responsibilities are assigned to team members with the most specialized skills for each specific task.

For example, if one team member has a background working in SEO writing, they may be the best fit to draft blog posts and other website content, while someone with experience managing workplace crises would be best suited to mitigate negative company perceptions.

Motivating team members is equally important to creating a positive team environment, encouraging workers to do a good job, and improving your company's reputation. Recognizing and rewarding their achievements is an effective way to motivate team members. Consider organizing team lunches, sending employee recognition emails, offering extra vacation time, or other incentives.

Retaining talent contributes to the long-term success of your PR efforts and your organization as a whole. Providing opportunities for professional development and growth is an effective way to show your commitment to your team members. Listening to their feedback, offering competitive compensation packages, and creating a positive work culture are some other ways to retain talent.

Manage team dynamics and conflict

Resolving conflicts in the workplace can help your PR team work efficiently, streamline work operations, and ensure everyone enjoys collaborating. Some strategies for resolving conflicts to maintain healthy team dynamics include:

• Open communication. Encourage team members to express concerns and viewpoints. For example, during a team meeting, ask each worker to share feedback on a particular issue to ensure everyone's voice is heard.
• Strong leadership. Leaders should take a proactive approach to conflict resolution. For example, a leader may schedule a one-on-one meeting with team members to discuss the conflict and work toward a solution.
• Relationship building. Encourage team members to get to know each other on a personal level. For example, organize a team-building event such as a company picnic or outing to help team members build trust with each other.
• Active listening. Encourage team members to be attentive. A team member may demonstrate active listening by asking questions to clarify the other person's perspective.
• Finding common ground. Encourage team members to find common ground and work toward collective solutions to challenges. For example, team members may brainstorm solutions to a conflict and find a compromise that addresses everyone's needs.

Evaluate the success of your team

Evaluating the success of PR efforts involves leveraging metrics and data analysis to glean insights and inform strategic decisions. Begin by tracking relevant KPIs. Examples of PR-related metrics include media mentions, social media engagement, conversion rates, and website traffic.

Use tools like Google Analytics for website metrics, social media analytics platforms, and media monitoring services. You can analyze this data to assess the performance of PR campaigns. For instance, if the goal is to increase brand awareness, measure the growth in media coverage and social media impressions.

Adapt your strategy over time based on your analysis and overall results. If media coverage is lower than anticipated, consider refining the messaging or targeting different media outlets. In the case of negative sentiment on social media, implement crisis communication strategies to address concerns in a timely manner. Also consider using A/B testing for content—such as different email subject lines or calls to action (CTAs)—to identify which options drive the most engagement among your target audience.

Build your PR team with Upwork

Access professionals with the skills you need to achieve public relations goals by searching for talent on Upwork. Skilled independent professionals are available to help quickly fill skills gaps while reducing operational costs.

Several options are available to help you engage independent talent on Upwork, including:

• Find a top public relations specialist or PR agency to support your goals.
• Search for experienced blog writers, SEO experts, social media specialists, reputation managers, crisis communications specialists, and other professionals to build your PR team.
• Use Project Catalog™ to search for one-on-one consultations and fixed-price public relations projects. Once you find a project or book a consultation that aligns with your specific needs, you can begin working with a public relations expert right away.
• Access the top 1% Expert-Vetted talent through Enterprise Suite, Upwork’s powerful, full-service platform. We’ll partner with you to help you develop a custom, scalable talent strategy—for your PR team and other critical needs across your organization—to achieve your specific business objectives and maximize impact.

If you don’t already have an Upwork account, sign up today to access skilled PR professionals and other independent talent to drive positive outcomes for your business.

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the third-party tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.