Ohh, child, it’s been quite a while!! I’ve not been in this space to share some jewels with everyone in a bit. I can tell you how hectic things were but it’s going to be lengthy. Let’s jump into this blog post and its inspiration.

Recently, I tweeted asking the small number of followers that I do have (follow me on twitter – shameless plug) what they wanted to know from a publicist aka me. I got some responses and this topic was one that I got from my guy DJ Jel.

I got to thinking immediately and jotted down a list to work through. Of course, I cannot speak for everyone but these are my 6 Tools That Every Publicist Need in 2019 in no particular order.

  1. Gadgets – Cellphone, Computer etc.
    I feel like this is a given, after all, it is 2019 but maybe, just maybe it should be listed. I am just trying to make sure that we are all on the same page. Truth is, you require a smartphone for efficiency, the brand to me is not as important as your needs. Use a smart device that is able to attend to your needs. The computer is a given. I work solely on a laptop because it is what works best for me at present. Mine is lightweight because I am always on the go and pretty up to date as far as apps etc are concerned.
  2. Social Media
    I am on there either lurking, interacting or posting, truthfully, not the posting part is not as frequently as I should but it is happening. Now I use social media to listen to conversations about clients. Whether it is IG, FB, YouTube, Twitter or another platform I try to pay attention as closely as possible. You see, there is feedback on social media and it comes so quickly at times that paying attention is important.
  3. Media Monitoring / Tracking Tools
    Whether it is Google Alerts or another method it’s up to you. Truthfully, monitoring your brand’s or client’s reputation and influence, industry trends and news and other items is important. This helps me find information that I may not have seen/heard on social media on my own. There are millions of social media users and no real way for one human being to see everything. Now, I get emails when clients are mentioned anywhere on the world wide web. I feel like I need to know and I surely want to know. Truthfully, by knowing what people are saying gives you the opportunity to develop strategies and outperform competitors.
  4. Writing and Grammar Tools
    Let me just say, Writing is a big part of a publicist’s job. It’s not a requirement for everyone but it is quite helpful. The work we do as publicists sometimes require speed; quick emails and press releases etc and that means rushing. I know from experience that rushing can sometimes lead to errors being made and tools like these can assist with avoiding grammatical and other errors.
  5. Planning
    Here is an admission, in some instances, based if some things are not written down or scheduled they may slip my mind. I am both old school and new school so there are times when I write items down on my whiteboard. I erected it on a wall that is in my line of vision daily. In some instances, I use a planner where I physically write notes down. It’s 2019 and I am also about that technology life so I use an application on my phone for planning and scheduling and I also utilize my google calendar as well.
  6. Design Tools
    I am not a designer however there are times when I need to spruce up my blog and social media etc. There are some design tools that I use that has made life easier for me. With the tools that I use, there are templates that are sized, allow for tweaking and editing or you can create from scratch.I should also mention the numerous stock images websites that I utilize to create content in design apps or for posting on social media. Guess what? The banner for the blog post was created using a design tool, I’m no graphic designer.

Alright, there we have it. Simple and straight forward, hopefully.

Thank you again to DJ Jel for the topic suggestion and for the continuous schooling on Twitter. Remember I am on Instagram and Facebook if you wish to connect with me.