7 underrated PR skills

You don’t necessarily need to be an expert in these topics, but you should be familiar with them. Take heed, PR newbies.

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For example, here are seven underrated skills that all upcoming PR pros and journalists should grasp:

1. Basic HTML knowledge

And I mean basic. There’s no need for PR pros to know how to code websites, even though it could be helpful. There is a need to know how to post a blog post using WordPress, Blogger, or Posterous. Understanding simple HTML commands for headlines, body copy, bold, italic, bullet points is HTML 101.

Here’s a free resource for building that knowledge: w3schools.com.

2. Video editing

Again, video editing can be a daunting task to learn. I’m not saying everyone should be fluent in Final Cut Pro or Avid, but every marketer and PR professional should have some familiarity with iMovie, Animoto or Jaycut. These are simple video-editing programs that allow you to upload and edit videos, often in a matter of minutes.

3. Excel

Creating simple spreadsheets and tasks in Excel can be a daunting task for newbies. While it may be a tough program to master, you should still learn it. Trust me; you will use it a lot more than you think.

4. Writing skills

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