How to Become a Publicist and Work From Home

If you’re getting ready to choose a career, or you’re considering switching up your current career, public relations is a great field for a number of reasons! PR has changed my life for the better, and I know it can do the same for you — and guess what? You can become a publicist today, even if you’re brand new and have no experience. 

In this post, you’ll learn why you should consider PR for your career, and how to actually get started and prime yourself for success. Let’s get started!

Why You’d Want to Become a Publicist 

When I decided to leave my career in law 15 years ago, I had no idea that it was going to literally be the best decision of my life, and one that I stand by wholeheartedly now. I still absolutely love my business and it's my passion to teach other people how to have a business similar to mine. 

Especially if you’re not sure what you want to do, or you know your current career isn’t serving your life, values, or goals, PR is such an excellent field to consider shifting into. Here are some of the reasons why.  

You Can Actually Work From Home

I've been running my agency from my house for the last 15 years, working with billion-dollar brands. If you have a laptop, you can build a PR business and work from anywhere with WiFi.  

It’s important to remember, too, that working from home doesn’t make you any less qualified or capable. Don’t think that you’re less professional or that you can’t demand top dollar for your services because you don’t have an office. All of my billion-dollar clients know we run our business from home, and they could care less. All that matters to your clients is the results you create for them. 

The amazing reality of working from home is that you don’t have a huge overhead, and you can pass those savings onto your clients.

You Can Start Now, Even Without Any Experience

Don’t be intimidated if you feel like you don’t have enough experience — we all have to start from somewhere! When I started, I was a lawyer with zero contacts or experience, and I’ve built a successful agency from the ground up. If I can do it, you can, too!

To become a publicist, you don’t have to have tons of experience. But if you’re just getting started and you want to gain experience, you can offer your services below market value, or for free. 

When I started out, I worked for one brand for free. I got my second paying client working below market value. I ended up working for that client for 11 years. It helped me establish deep expertise and we now represent billion-dollar clients.

Related: How to Work with PR Clients Who Have Low Budgets

How to Get Started in PR Successfully 

Now that you know the two huge reasons you might want to become a publicist, how do you actually go about doing it? Even though this career is exciting, any change is a little overwhelming. 

Here are my best tips for getting started and building a PR career from scratch. 

Hone In On Your Niche First

One of the huge things that are going to allow you to scale in a way that brings in more money for you, without more time, is honing in on your niches. Niching down scares a lot of people because they feel they won’t get enough work. But it’s essential to building a successful PR business. 

You can niche into what types of clients you serve: they can be experts or brands. You also want to niche into what services you offer, because the more things you offer, the more you have to manage. What do you want to be known for? Niching down is how you offer maximum value and command higher rates! 

If you don’t niche down, you won’t be known as the expert authority in any specific area. Instead, niche down and leverage successes so that clients in that niche know that you’re the best at what you specifically do. 

Without niching, you’ll have 10 clients at $2000 a month, rather than two clients for $10,000 a month. When you know what to focus on, you can convert all of your conversations into clients and get top dollar for your services.

Find a Good Mentor

Next, you’ll want to find a great mentor who you can build a relationship with. Find mentors who have similar values and have the kind of business and life you’re looking to have. 

The mentors I invest in have balance in their lives. Their priorities are in check. It's not all just about money. Instead, it’s about building a business that absolutely lights you up every single day. 

When you choose to become a publicist and build your own PR business, you have a vision for your career, your life, and how the two interact. Focus on those qualities when you’re looking for a mentor. It’s also important to have a mentor who knows your niche! 

Related: How to Find a Mentor to Boost Your PR Agency Growth 

Finally, Build Your Skills

One of the most important things to do is to build your skills. The main skill that you’ll need to work on is mastering the art of the pitch so that you can score high-quality press features for your clients. 

Your pitching skills are the foundation of everything you’ll do once you become a publicist, so focus on those skills early. Then, continually work to develop them. You should always be learning and practicing to make your business successful! 

Making the jump to become a publicist is one of the best decisions I ever made. With all of the benefits of building a PR career, it’s something you should definitely consider! 

With these three easy starting steps, you’ll have the foundation of a business that you love (and that loves you back by being successful).