What those with a PR and marketing career learn from dating apps
By Catherine Hunter, Account Director, Energy team
Our CEO talks of starting his PR career when printed and posted letters were how editors were contacted, and I’m assuming love letters were also all the rage at the time. And as life has moved on in work, it’s also moved on in love. So, what can someone with a modern-day PR and marketing career learn from spending time on dating apps – and it’s got to be more than accepting rejection at work and in love!
Know your audience
Any good campaign starts with putting your target audience at the heart. And that’s also no different on a dating app. The question is probably slightly different though. It’s less about “who is the target audience for this campaign?” and more, “who do I want to attract?”. But the foundational principles are the same. If you’re not highlighting the parts of your personality that you want a partner to enjoy, you’re probably not going to be attracting the right options from the apps.
Tailor your opening
Once you’ve curated a profile that really sings to who you are – you need to make sure you’re delivering an opening line that really speaks to a potential partner. And the best way to do this, is to show you’ve read their profile. And this is the same as journalists, when developing a pitch around an interview or article. You want them to know you’ve read their recent stories and are tailoring your approach to them too.
Follow up with caution
This one is possibly a bit of a trickier gauge with both PR and dating lives. Journalists all have their preferences when it comes to follow up – and this is usually best learned over a coffee. Unfortunately, dating apps aren’t going to be able to follow the same rules here. But there are a few things to assume that work for both. If you’re contact has been ignored twice – for either party – you can probably safely assume they aren’t interested in a follow up. There’s also merit in knowing timing. On a dating app, or to a journalist, a nudge within the same hour is probably too soon, unless this is an urgent, breaking news need. And so, from both sides, we should take caution in following up too soon.
Of course, there’s more to being a PR and marketing career pro than honing your skills through what a dating platform can teach you. But that’s not to say it should be discounted as a means to sharpen some aspects of the wider communications craft. You’ll be assessing people for if they’re going to be interested in joining your life story, rather than publishing your news; practicing a great way to open a pitch and peak their attention for you, rather than your client or idea; and refining the way to deliver a thoughtful follow-up. But rest assured creating a hinge profile or tinder bio isn’t an essential first step into a communications career. Find out more about our opportunities here.
