Looking for a freelance press officer? The press officer: spokesman of the company

Enterprises, whether public or private, need to be represented. One person is in charge of keeping in touch with the public, and especially with the media: the press officer. As a spokesperson, the freelance press officer must know everything about the company and its latest innovations. He must be able to answer questions that are sometimes sharp. He must follow the information he creates and must be able to convince his interlocutors when necessary.

The freelance press officer, in permanent liaison with the media. Press attachés, also known as press relations advisers, are present everywhere. Companies, but also public administration or public figures need these people making the link between them and the media. Whether for the announcement of a concert or for the launch of a product, or even simply to react to news about the company, the press officer is there.

For this, he addresses the various media (TV, radio, print media, web and agencies). This can be done via press releases or by voice. In the second case, this is often done during events punctuating the life of the brand: trade shows, forums, etc. In any case, the freelance press officer has a strategic role for the company, since he is largely responsible for the image of the company to the public. This image depends on the strategy he chooses to adopt to attract the attention of the media.

The missions of the freelance press officer. The job of press officer comes in three missions:

• He gathers the information. He is interested in everything the company does, not hesitating to go into technical subjects when necessary. And at the same time, he is interested in the media and their evolution ("What topics are the press of my sector at the moment?"). Thus, the press officer reads specialized newspapers and magazines daily.
• He processes information and ensures its dissemination. He writes all press releases to the press. He organizes conferences for journalists when useful. He also ensures that the visuals emitted by his company, such as reports for example, are well received.
• He has a consulting function within the marketing strategy. Indeed, the press officer brings a fresh look, because if the marketing experts know how to captivate a customer, the attaché knows how to catch the eye of the press. His advice is therefore useful before designing the visuals.

It is not uncommon for the attaché to be under the direction of a communication director. Finally, in the case where the company has subsidiaries, it may be led to lead a coordination between the various companies of the group.

The qualities and skills of a freelance press officer. The press officer is a journalist in the service of a company: he must have the qualities of the journalist. His writing skills and his taste for contact with the public must obviously be irreproachable. Needless to say, a press officer may be called upon to speak to a large audience or specialist in his field. English is very likely to be indispensable, and other foreign languages ​​may be a more significant.

On the side of the company, it is necessary to know how to work in team and to know the workings of the company. As a freelancer, this is the reason why we must expect long missions: a time of adaptation and training is sometimes necessary.