Diary of an Insurance PR: Full Circle’s Kirsty Plank

Monday

Tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen… or rather, stumble out of bed and tumble to the kitchen when I lose my footing on the stairs, just the kind of high-adrenalin start to the week us PRs love.

I have two press releases to send out this morning, one new product launch and one new senior appointment. This type of stuff is our bread and butter, which reminds me, I haven’t had my tea and toast yet.

I have a weekly call with one of our international clients. This is a busy account with a lot going on, so we like to jump on a call for half an hour each week to update on actions and plan our content for the upcoming weeks.

Throughout the afternoon I look out for coverage from this morning’s releases, updating our clients on where their story has been published. They love this part, and it’s really fulfilling for me to see them being talked about for all the right reasons.

Tuesday

One of my biggest daily tasks is to manage the social media accounts of some of my clients. I log in and check their schedules, ensuring content is drafted and ready to post at agreed times. 

I monitor their latest engagement and activity, commenting on replies and shares to make sure they’re seen as friendly and responsive. Managing social media has always been one of my favourite tasks, even in my previous in-house role, I love the challenge of finding a delicate balance between friendly and formal, detailed yet succinct, getting the tone and delivery right is essential for building engagement and presenting your brand as approachable, welcoming and knowledgeable.

It’s a social media-heavy day. As we’ve just passed month-end, I also need to compile comprehensive reports on social media performance for our clients, but before commencing an afternoon of spreadsheets and data, I grab my first Pepsi Max of the day (okay, maybe third), loading up on that sweet, sweet caffeine to keep me going.

Wednesday

I try to work from home on Wednesdays as it’s one of the nights I volunteer for a mental health charity, I don’t want to risk hitting Lizzie Line delays. So it’s a short commute for me. I plod into my spare room and light a nice candle to put me in a happy headspace.

Working from home gives me the calm I need to focus on some chunky bits of writing without any distractions. I fire up a recording of a call with a client last week in which I interviewed them about their views on technological evolution in the London Market and how attitudes towards AI in underwriting are changing.

I briefly wonder what the ‘me’ of 20 years ago would make of the topics I write about now. It’s not for everyone but I’m always surprised at how much I love these conversations and enjoy shaping my clients’ words into blogs and articles.

This afternoon I’m sitting in on a press interview for one of my clients. I jump on a call with them 15 minutes before the interview to recap the topic, questions, and allay any concerns or fears they have about being interviewed. 

Though I’ll sit in on the interview to give my client a measure of comfort, I know they won’t need me to interject – they’re in safe hands with today’s reporter. After the call, I give them a quick ring to check-in and see how they felt, though a little nervous to start, they tell me they eased into it quickly and felt confident talking about their subject.

Thursday

I’m back in the City today and it’s a hot one.  I’m happy to reach the air-conditioned sanctuary of our funky office space in Spitalfields. I think I’ll stay indoors today. No exploring the food stalls on Petticoat Lane at lunch – my mission is to keep cool.

This afternoon I’m hosting a webinar for the MGAA along with my colleague Jordan, not used to public speaking, I spend the morning trying to shoo away the butterflies in my tummy.  

During the webinar, I turn journalist, interviewing Insurance Post’s legendary Jonathan Swift about what makes for good publicity and how to build strong relationships with the press. I think it goes well, it’s a good opportunity to champion the benefits of working with PR experts.

Friday

I log on for (hopefully) the final time this week and go straight to LinkedIn. I spend 30 mins or so each morning scrolling through my timeline to see what the market is getting up to, and more time combing through the daily news bulletins. 

Proactivity is so important to our clients, if there are any opportunities for them to comment on, or share their perspectives on emerging industry and global news, I want to find them. 

I spot a couple of stories about the faltering rollout of Blueprint Two. I know none of my clients will directly want to write about this, but I like to flag stories that I think will interest them, and learn their views for my own continuing education.

Lastly, I check my schedule for the week ahead. It’s going to be a busy one with lots of meetings. But that’s for next week, right now, I grab a cool G&T (Hendricks please) and power down for the weekend.