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5WPR News · Published June 12, 2019

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Art of PR Consulting: Become a Leading PR Consultant

PR consulting is a rewarding and fruitful job; where else can one become a mouthpiece of corporations, firms who are looking for finely tuned communication abilities, or act as an expert at planning marketing strategies? However that comes with a lot of hard work, and requires informed strategies to communicate with the public on any number of topics. Here are some skills and requirements needed in order to become a leading PR consultant.

Experience with Media Connections

An essential part of being a PR Consultant is being familiar with the world of media. This can made easier with a background in journalism, media studies, or communications.

The way to best serve clients is by not only getting the public’s attention, but also knowing where to best market a client. It also helps to be able to connect with your client and genuinely want a client to succeed. Customer service and an easy way with people are essential traits that serve to help a PR Consultant’s career.

It also helps to have media connections. Contacting the media, whether it’s print, advertising, television, or the burgeoning market of online media is most of what a PR Consultant does for their job so it helps to have working relationships with either specific people or companies themselves. Knowing which media outlet works for the client’s message is imperative, especially when it comes to sending out press releases or participating in a media event.

Knowing the Niche

In order to streamline a consulting job, it’s best to find a niche. A niche can be finance, arts, IT, or news, and knowing the niche topic through and through makes it easier and faster to get work when clients in the niche are looking for a PR consultant in that field. As this article points out, “By getting to know one market in a lot of detail, you will also ensure that you are well equipped to manage your clients’ promotional affairs.”

Marketing

A sign of a competent and prepared PR consultant is their ability to market themselves. A client is not going to be interested in marketing themselves through a PR consultant that can’t manage their own reputation! Part of marketing means knowing the niche and knowing the market and clientele that the consultant is interested in - which means staying on top of industry trends.

Becoming a trusted PR consultant does not happen overnight. It takes patience and time all while looking for opportunities to accrue connections that will ease the process of getting a client’s message out to the public.

Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , his writing on AI communications and brand reputation is published on his personal site, and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. He continues that commentary on his own publishing platform , where he writes about reputation, crisis, and AI-mediated discovery. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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