Expert Digital PR Insights: A Conversation with Pearl Kasirye

I am pleased to introduce Pearl Kasirye, Head of PR at Pearl Lemon PR, who has shared valuable insights and experiences in digital PR and marketing.

In this interview, Pearl talks about her journey into the field, the essential skills and qualities for success, the challenges she faces in her role, and the strategies she uses to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments.

She also discusses how she develops and executes successful PR campaigns, measures their success, and leverages social media platforms to achieve her goals.

Let’s dive in!

Can you tell us about your journey into digital PR and marketing?

I studied Communications & Media Studies and worked with a fashion brand in Milan, a non-profit in Switzerland, and eventually started working at Pearl Lemon PR.

I decided to pursue a career in digital PR because my career started in early 2020 when the pandemic hit, and many businesses started relying heavily on online marketing to get new customers.

The pandemic presented new challenges and opportunities for professionals to grow in the marketing industry.

What are the most important skills a successful digital PR professional should possess?

The number one most important quality is strong writing skills.

Writing compelling press releases, crafting effective pitches, and using written language to make brands look good is very important.

I developed this skill from an early age when I took writing classes at age 12 and gained more experience in writing for marketing purposes at university.

What are the most significant challenges you face as Head of PR?

The biggest challenge I face is managing client expectations.

Digital PR can be very impactful for brands, but tangible results can take a few months to materialize. Of course, this differs from one campaign to another, but working with clients who expect results within 5 business days is challenging.

I do my best to be transparent about the PR process. However, for clients to see the best results, digital PR takes a few months.

How do you stay current with the latest digital PR and marketing trends and developments?

I read a lot about trends and news in the PR and marketing industry. \

I also try to read about trends in the journalism industry so that I’m aware of factors impacting both the PR and journalism industries.

I highly recommend reading the annual Muck Rack reports and signing up for Cision, Vuelio, and PR News newsletters to stay up-to-date.

Can you walk us through your process for developing and executing a successful PR campaign?

It starts with a strategy meeting I have with the client to have a deeper understanding of their campaign goals. This helps me and my team know what to focus on.

We do market research, brainstorm on PR angles, and narrow down which publications we’ll target. Then, once we launch the PR campaign, we measure its success based on the objectives we agreed on with the client.

That can be the number of impressions, engagement, published media features, etc.

What role do social media platforms play in your digital PR and marketing strategy?

Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok can be handy when we work with fashion or beauty brands.

However, social media is less relevant when managing communications for fintech companies or finance firms.

It depends on the type of brand we’re managing and the audience we’re targeting. Those factors help us determine how to leverage social media to achieve our goals.

Can you talk about a particularly successful digital PR or marketing campaign you have worked on?

Yes, we managed a successful PR campaign for a tech company in London that was successful because we set clear objectives from the start and achieved all of our goals.

The experience taught me the importance of managing client relationships to ensure we agree with the strategy, objectives, and goals.

How do you collaborate with other teams, such as content or SEO, to ensure your PR efforts align with the overall marketing strategy?

Pearl Lemon PR works alongside our organization’s SEO and lead generation team.

We have a team of SEO experts that support our efforts and can help clients improve their Google search rankings. Digital PR, link building, content marketing, and SEO work hand in hand at Pearl Lemon PR.

What tools and software do you regularly use to streamline your work and stay organized?

Every PR team should have media request tools that keep you updated on what journalists are looking for. This can help you tailor your pitches and PR campaigns to what journalists are writing about.

I recommend using Response Source and Dot Star Media.

What advice do you have for aspiring digital PR and marketing professionals?

You should spend as much time familiarizing yourself with how the media works, how journalists work on their stories, and how marketing for different industries works. This will make it easier for you to work in the field.

Work on your writing skills, use social media to connect with journalists, and be open to trying out new technologies to streamline your processes.