What does a PR Account Executive do on a typical day? I decided to find out, so I asked Oliver Smith, Sarah Fleming and Amy Macfarlane to tell me about their roles and what they get up to.

Oliver Smith, Account Executive at KRPR

8:30am – Brew in hand, computer on, I work my way through emails and read the national newspapers looking for PR opportunities.

9:15am – It’s time to clip coverage for our clients. Some great results including a couple of radio and TV interviews for one of our food brand clients.

10:00am – After a short team meeting, I start off with a press release for one of our new clients who is launching a new barbecue brand in the UK. Our objective is to raise mass consumer awareness of the brand but also to promote the brand to buyers in the retail sector.

10:55am – Press release completed, proofed and sent for approval, I move onto my next job pulling together a campaign proposal where we need several costs for the client. So it’s a case of calling different suppliers and producing a cost outline.

12:15pm – I log in to our media software to see what journalists are asking for, and if there are any potential opportunities for our clients. ITV’s This Morning is looking for barbecues for a piece they are working on, so I contact them with details of barbecue client’s product range.

1:00pm – Lunch time, I live just a short drive away from the office so I head home.

2:00pm – Back in the office, I head into a team meeting where we are coming up with new ideas for a national campaign, aimed at repositioning a food brand to a younger audience.

3:30pm – Meeting complete, we’ve pulled together some great ideas, including some brilliant PR stunts,  now it’s down to me to research how we make some of those ideas a reality.

5:00pm – Heading off early today, to get ready for an awards party tonight. One of the campaigns we’ve developed for a client has been nominated for an industry award, so fingers crossed!

Sarah Fleming, Earned Media Executive at Hallam Internet

7:00am – As nerdy as this sounds, I normally scan my email first thing in the morning for any coverage that’s appeared. Oh, and you’ll always find me scrolling through the BBC app on my tram to work!

8:30 am – Routine tea fix – milk, no sugar. My number one priority in the morning is to reply to any emails from journalists. Today I’ve received one from The Sunday Times Driving – I quickly ping my client a call and draft up a response.

9am – Emails aside, I consult my monthly to-do list and review/monitor total links and coverage I’ve achieved for my clients in the month so far. I plug in a playlist and prioritise tasks for the day.

9:30am – I attend a meeting with our client strategist team to discuss building a case study for one of my e-commerce clients based on a gifographic I created for them with our design team.

10am – Brainstorming content sesh – I head down to our townhall with my PR team to discuss content ideas for a new client. These sorts of collaborative meetings usually consist of scribbling on a whiteboard and throwing creative ideas around a table.

11am – Back at my desk, I focus on some content marketing creation – this piece involves a lot of Google Shopping and TV show research ie. Friends and Stranger Things. I always try to fill my days with interesting work!

12:00pm – Early bird catches the microwave at lunch – and if the weather isn’t too British, my colleague and I normally stroll around Nottingham’s lovely city centre and nearby parks.

1pm – I’ve booked out a room to prospect editors and discuss outreach tactics with my PR team for my clients’ upcoming content marketing pieces. There’s nothing worse than emailing irrelevant editors!

2:30pm – Received a journ request from Small Business Online for an author by-line from my client – it’s emails like this that make you drop everything.

3pm – I always take time in the day to chat to my colleagues and get feedback on releases I’m currently pitching. I’m always trying and testing different outreach tactics they recommend!

4:15pm – News and social media scroll – I always stay up to date with current industry news and I’m constantly monitoring industry influencers relevant to my clients.

4:30pm – Deep breath – it’s home time, and I couldn’t be happier working in such a fast-paced environment!

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Amy Macfarlane, Account Executive at Herd

08:15am – I arrive at the office after a slow journey to work by car. I greet my colleagues, we discuss what we had for tea the previous evening and I fire up my machine.

08:30am – My day starts with emails, catching up on anything I need to action that came in overnight. I load any necessary software I’ll need for the day, Spotify is a definite, we can’t work in a quiet office and I’ve been trusted with the role of ‘Office DJ’.

08:45am – I line up what I’m working on, I outline my main tasks and decide which clients will have my focus for the day. I have a quick scan of our social media channels and view today’s news headlines.

09:15am – Time to crack on. Throughout my morning, I am continuously monitoring ResponseSource for any opportunities that are relevant to our clients. Many mornings consist of chasing journalists, campaign planning and general office assistance.

1pm – Lunch time! We joke about what I’m having to eat – it’s either toast or… toast, exciting! I spend my time catching up on my favourite TV series and chit-chatting with colleagues.

2pm – I return to work and in a similar structure to my morning, I’ll check my emails and work out my tasks for the afternoon.

2:30pm – I have complete control over any campaign activity, we usually have one or two running at a time for various clients, so I’ll usually spend my afternoon working on the next stage. This could be writing a press release, sourcing experts to work with, planning content or assisting with any landing page creation!

4:00pm – My drinks round. I don’t drink warm drinks, but I’m happy to keep the team energized none the less.

4:15pm – I’m beginning to ensure my main tasks are all wrapped up for the day. I make sure our clients are happy and I’ve delivered everything I promised.

4:45pm – I check my ResponseSource inbox one last time to make sure I haven’t missed anything important. I make sure the team are happy and offer any assistance before we close.

5:00pm – That’s a wrap! After an exciting and fruitful day at work, we wish each other a relaxed evening and a safe journey home, then I begin my commute!

Are you an Account Executive too – how does your role differ from the days of Oliver, Sarah, and Amy?