The basic HTML skills every PR professional needs

[Ed.’s note: This story has been updated.]

With the digitalization of PR, online communication is paramount. On occasion, this will require a bit more skill than the typical use of a keyboard and mouse.

That means basic coding skills can and do go a long way in equipping your client.

It can have a subtle origin.

Perhaps a client asks for an email to be sent out with a hyperlink embedded in the text. Then, maybe, you need to do some tweaking to an e-newsletter or embed a video within a pitch.

You become immersed within a new language of “hrefs,” “divs” and “p-aligns.” And if you want to continue moving onwards into digital communication, it’s a good idea to take the baby steps first—and by baby steps, we mean HTML.

Here are just a few of the applications of HTML in everyday public relations:

• Creating a unique landing page for a Facebook profile;
• Drafting and editing e-newsletters;
• Writing guest or corporate blogs;
• Tailoring a press release to be Web-friendly;
• Embedding multimedia items into pitches, emails, and other written content;
• Reworking a Web page with new messaging.