What does a public relations account executive do?
A Public Relations Account Associate is responsible for managing the brand's media relations and strategizing promotional campaigns for client accounts. They coordinate with the clients for their specifications and requirements, including their budget limitations, target audience, and timetables. They also work closely with the sales team to identify the sales performance and adjust project management plans as needed. A Public Relations Account Associate handles brand communication to various media platforms and ensure that the methods lead to client success and satisfaction.
Public relations account executive responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real public relations account executive resumes:
- Manage LinkedIn communications with former PRSSA members.
- Create and effectively manage department and store/corporate events, which includes conceptual design and ROI.
- Manage Facebook account promoting events to students across campus
- Manage public affairs and media efforts including writing and placing op-eds and mobilizing editorial campaigns.
- Experience with social media and blogging.
- Handle casting, blogging and all social media.
- Edit promotional material for promos and YouTube videos.
- Create and design flyers, develop and maintain company twitter page and website.
- Create YouTube repository of content.
- Advise on opportunities for reputation management and SEO improvement.
- Facilitate digital initiatives for clients including Google SEO policies.
- Run digital advertising campaigns, including Facebook advertising and other channels.
- Serve as a company spokesperson, operations manager and liaison to investor relations.
- Designate company spokesperson, primary point of contact for journalists and supervises media interviews with senior leaders.
- Compile data from monthly reports to prepare directors' and executive management Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to board members.
Public relations account executive skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Public Relations Account Executives are proficient in Press Releases, Digital Marketing, and Fact Sheets. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, and Problem-solving skills.
We break down the percentage of Public Relations Account Executives that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Press Releases, 18%
Handled all media relations including coordinating press releases, arranging interviews and delivering information to media outlets.
- Digital Marketing, 7%
Worked directly with Senior Account Executive on implementing digital marketing campaigns.
- Fact Sheets, 5%
Formatted and disseminated key press materials (press and news releases, fact sheets, bios, newsletters).
- Biographies, 5%
Obtained speaker biographies and coordinated forum handout materials.
- Client Accounts, 4%
Pitched and secured interviews and feature coverage for client accounts with prominent trade, local, and national media outlets.
- Wine, 3%
Sustained relationship with vineyards in Spain to translate Wine information from Spanish to English to accurately offer their product in Texas.
"press releases," "digital marketing," and "fact sheets" are among the most common skills that public relations account executives use at work. You can find even more public relations account executive responsibilities below, including:
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a public relations account executive to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "public relations specialists deal with the public and the media regularly." Additionally, a public relations account executive resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "partnered with the event planning class to increase student involvement by creating strong interpersonal relationships. "
Organizational skills. Many public relations account executive duties rely on organizational skills. "public relations specialists are often in charge of managing several events or communications at the same time, which requires excellent skills in coordinating arrangements.," so a public relations account executive will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways public relations account executive responsibilities rely on organizational skills: "manage website, facebook, twitter and other social media create and produce in-house/organizational flyers, calendars and other communications materials. "
Problem-solving skills. public relations account executives are also known for problem-solving skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to public relations account executive responsibilities, because "public relations specialists sometimes must explain how a company or client is handling sensitive issues." A public relations account executive resume example shows how problem-solving skills is used in the workplace: "secure new clients by creating new business development campaigns and presenting customized search-marketing solutions. "
Speaking skills. public relations account executive responsibilities often require "speaking skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "public relations specialists regularly speak on behalf of clients or their organization." This resume example shows what public relations account executives do with speaking skills on a typical day: "represented mcdonald's restaurants of south florida, by coordinating special events and press conferences. "
Writing skills. Another crucial skill for a public relations account executive to carry out their responsibilities is "writing skills." A big part of what public relations account executives relies on this skill, since "public relations specialists must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases, speeches, and social media posts." How this skill relates to public relations account executive duties can be seen in an example from a public relations account executive resume snippet: "perform market and competitor analysis assist in writing print and web content aligned with marketing strategy. "
See the full list of public relations account executive skills
The three companies that hire the most public relations account executives are:
- Matter54 public relations account executives jobs
- Highwire PR26 public relations account executives jobs
- Wpp Us Holdings Inc11 public relations account executives jobs
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Compare different public relations account executives
Public relations account executive vs. Publicist
Public Relations Supervisors are responsible for implementing the media and public relations strategy of an organization. Their duties include developing public relations campaigns, organize public relations events, assist in emergency response planning, updating documentation, monitoring media, improve management of press office, and manage media databases. They are responsible for assisting with journalistic content writing, refine internal processes, and track public relations activity performance. They help prepare reports as well as undertake competitor and market research.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between public relations account executives and publicist. For instance, public relations account executive responsibilities require skills such as "digital marketing," "wine," "facebook," and "account executives." Whereas a publicist is skilled in "publicity materials," "fiction," "press junkets," and "press clippings." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Publicists really shine in the media industry with an average salary of $52,774. Comparatively, public relations account executives tend to make the most money in the media industry with an average salary of $56,416.publicists tend to reach similar levels of education than public relations account executives. In fact, publicists are 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Public relations account executive vs. Senior communications specialist
A senior communications specialist is primarily in charge of developing communication strategies in the company. Their responsibilities revolve around ensuring the smooth flow of internal and external communications, coordinating various departments, managing campaigns and event schedules, devising social media strategies, and supervising media relations. A senior communications specialist must also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly. Furthermore, as a senior specialist, it is essential to lead and assist the junior specialists, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that public relations account executive responsibilities requires skills like "digital marketing," "biographies," "client accounts," and "wine." But a senior communications specialist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "project management," "strategic communications," "patients," and "corporate communications."
Senior communications specialists may earn a higher salary than public relations account executives, but senior communications specialists earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $85,027. On the other hand, public relations account executives receive higher pay in the media industry, where they earn an average salary of $56,416.senior communications specialists earn similar levels of education than public relations account executives in general. They're 3.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for public relations account executives in the next 3-5 years?
Stefanie Leiter
Assistant Professor of Public Relations, Anderson University
Public relations account executive vs. Communications specialist
A communications specialist takes charge of addressing the public by coming up with various strategic campaigns, newsletters, public correspondence, press releases, and advertisements. Their primary role focuses on promoting, shaping, and enhancing a brand's image through public relations. Furthermore, a communications specialist is responsible for handling any complaints or issues, devising and conducting damage control to resolve bad publicity should there be any. It is also essential for a communications specialist to adhere to the company's policies and regulations at all times.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, public relations account executives are more likely to have skills like "digital marketing," "biographies," "client accounts," and "wine." But a communications specialist is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "patients," "project management," and "graphic design."
Communications specialists earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $59,589. Public relations account executives earn the highest pay from the media industry, with an average salary of $56,416.Most communications specialists achieve a similar degree level compared to public relations account executives. For example, they're 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Public relations account executive vs. Communications consultant
Communications consultants are responsible for preparing media releases, whether through print, video, or email. They perform varied tasks that may include working on complete projects such as media analysis and branding, creating strategies to reinforced communication among clients and employees, and providing guidance and recommendations to a company's public relations team. Communications consultants may also conduct training on best practices for other employees. Some employers prefer someone with a bachelor's degree in communications, public relations or journalism, previous work experience in a related field, and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Types of public relations account executive
Updated January 8, 2025
