Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
By Stacy Aboyoun, Senior Account Executive at Bolt PR
One thing about working in PR is that my schedule can look completely different from one day to the next. As a Senior Account Executive at Bolt PR, I’m typically balancing several client accounts at once, so my day can include anything from media relations and writing to client calls, content creation, research, and internal meetings.
Social media is also a big part of my role. Throughout the week, I’m drafting content for clients, posting across their social media channels and handling daily engagement, all while keeping up with what’s changing across various social platforms.
Since we’re a remote firm, I will typically work from home, which gives me the flexibility to create a workspace that fits my routine and allows me to stay focused throughout the day. My dog is often nearby, so she’s become a familiar part of my work-from-home setup.
Here’s what a typical workday looks like for me.
I like to start my morning by first getting settled on my couch before changing up my scenery around my house and ultimately ending at my desk in my office. I enjoy watching the news first thing in the morning, NBC’s Today Show specifically (big fan of Hoda Kotb when she was on and of course, Al Roker) to catch up on any big headlines of the day and any pop culture updates that may or may not be relevant to our clients. While listening in on the morning report, I’ll begin figuring out exactly what I have going on that day.
The first thing I usually do is check my email and Slack messages. It’s important to see if any clients have sent updates, if a reporter responded to my outreach the day before, or if my team needs anything urgent from me when I log on since I’m on the East Coast.
After that, I’ll check my Google Calendar to see what meetings I have scheduled and then head over to Asana. I use Asana constantly throughout the day to keep track of assignments, deadlines and what needs to be prioritized across my accounts. When you’re working on several clients at the same time, it’s very easy for your to-do list to grow throughout the day. I try to look up what actually needs to happen that day rather than treating every task like it has the same level of urgency.
We also track our time in Harvest. I like to keep a Google Doc log of how much time I spend on a certain task for a client and will track my time usually by the end of the day. If my day gets too busy to track time that day, I’ll make sure everything is logged in correctly.
Since we work remotely, my dog is my co-worker and will make quite a few appearances during the day.
Once I know what my day looks like, I start working through my priorities. A lot of my job involves media relations, whether I’m writing or reviewing pitches, building a media list, researching reporters, following up on outreach, or looking for new opportunities for a client through platforms like Qwoted, HARO, or SOS.
Muck Rack is another platform I regularly use for media research. If I’m building a list, I’m looking at what reporters have written recently and making sure the story I’m pitching actually makes sense to send to them. It’s also important to check the outlet’s website and conduct manual research on what reporters have written as well. Sometimes, they may have changed beats or moved on from an outlet and Muck Rack may not always be up to date on the minute with this information.
When it comes to pitching, I would much rather pitch to a smaller group of reporters who are a good fit than sending it to a huge list just for the sake of reaching more people. Taking the extra time to research who you’re reaching out to makes a difference.
Like in the morning, I’m also checking the news throughout the day. Sometimes there's a story or trend that makes sense for one of our clients to comment on, and that can quickly become something we need to work on.
I may start my morning thinking I know exactly what I need to accomplish that day, but PR has a way of changing that pretty quickly.
Meetings are usually sprinkled throughout the day, both internally with my Bolt teams and externally with clients. Our internal meetings are a chance to go through what’s happening on our accounts, talk about upcoming projects, and brainstorm. Sometimes we’re figuring out a new media angle, while other times we might be talking through social content, an influencer marketing opportunity, or an upcoming client announcement.
Then there are client calls where we share updates, talk through current projects and discuss what’s coming next. It’s important to keep our internal call notes and external Status Report document up to date so clients can check in on our progress for pitching, events, and reporting at any time.
One thing that has changed as I’ve grown into the SAE role is that I'm thinking about more than just my individual assignments, but the account as a whole. What are we trying to accomplish for the client? What else could we be doing? Is there an opportunity we haven’t considered yet?
In this role, there have also been more opportunities for team mentorship. I’ll sometimes review projects a teammate is working on, answer questions, or help brainstorm a social idea. As I continue to grow at Bolt, I’ve really enjoyed this specific part of the job because I’ve had people help me throughout my career, and now I get to do more of that for others.
Our team culture at Bolt makes that collaboration easy. Even though we work remotely, we’re constantly talking throughout the day on Slack and Huddles. It makes it easy to ask quick questions or bounce an idea off someone without having to put another meeting on the calendar.
One perk of working from home is that I don’t have to sit in the exact spot all day. If I’ve been at my desk for a while, I’ll sometimes grab my laptop and move somewhere else in the house. I’ve found that changing where I’m working can be helpful, especially if I’m writing something and feel like I need to reset.
There are also definitely coffee and snack breaks throughout the day. Sometimes getting up for a few minutes and coming back is exactly what I need, especially if I’ve been staring at the same paragraph for too long.
A good portion of my afternoon tends to be focused on writing. The type of writing depends completely on the client and what we have going on. One day I could be drafting a media pitch or press release, and the next I could be working on a blog, contributing article, or thought leadership commentary.
Working at an agency with various clients has made me really comfortable switching between different industries and writing styles. I can finish something for one client, then immediately reset and move into a completely different topic for another client.
A big part of my day is also dedicated to social media content creation. For several of my clients, I’m regularly drafting social copy, creating social images using Canva, posting content, and handling daily engagement. That means I’m not only thinking about what we want to say, but how it should sound on each platform and what will connect with that client’s audience.
We use HeyOrca to help manage social media planning, scheduling and approvals, which makes it easier to keep track of content across different clients and platforms. Because social media changes so quickly, I also regularly attend HeyOrca’s social media seminars and webinars. They’re a great way for me to keep up with platform updates, trends, new features and best practices that I can apply to connect the content I’m creating for clients.
For me, staying current with social is important because it’s something I’m working on every day. What performed well six months ago might not be what works today, so I’m always looking for ways to improve what we’re creating and bring new ideas to our clients.
Depending on the account, influencer marketing can come into play too. That could mean researching potential creators, looking at partnership opportunities or helping with content around an existing collaboration.
At the same time, I’m usually still keeping an eye on media outreach. If a reporter gets back to me, I want to respond quickly, especially if they’re working on a deadline. It’s pretty normal for me to be drafting an Instagram caption one minute and responding to a reporter the next. Being able to switch between those different types of work is a big part of my role.
Managing several accounts at once definitely requires organization, and over time, I’ve figured out which tools work best for me.
One thing that has made a big difference is keeping separate browser windows open for each client. Anything I'm actively working on for that client stays in that window, whether it's a Google Doc I’m writing in, research I'm referencing, a media list, or another project I need to come back to. It keeps it much easier for me to switch from one client to another without having a million unrelated tabs open in the same window.
It sounds simple, but when you’re moving between multiple clients and projects throughout the day, it helps me stay focused on the account I’m working on at that moment. When I switch clients, I switch windows.
I also rely on all of the previous platforms mentioned. I’ll check off assignments in Asana or move them around if needed, and of course, keep an eye on Slack rather than letting everything pile up until the end of the day. These might be small habits, but they save me a lot of time.
My biggest tip, though, is to figure out what actually needs your attention first. I can have a long list of things I want to accomplish but if a reporter emails me and says they need something within the hour, that moves to the top. The same goes for social. If there is something timely happening that a client should be part of, I need to be able to shift my attention to it.
I also try not to pack every second of my day. Having some flexibility makes it much easier to deal with last-minute requests without feeling like my entire schedule has been thrown off.
Before I log off, I usually do one more check of my email and Slack to make sure I haven’t missed anything important. I’ll also make sure any social posts scheduled for that day are good to go. Then, I’ll go back to Asana and check off what I finished and see what I have coming up in the next few days.
Once that has been completed, I’ll close my laptop.
Some days I spend a lot of time pitching and doing media relations. Other days are heavier on meetings, writing, social media content creation, daily engagement, or research. Most days are some combination of all of them.
That’s probably what I like most about being a Senior Account Executive at Bolt PR. I’m always working on something different, and I've gotten to learn about industries and topics I probably never would have been exposed to otherwise. There is also something really satisfying about seeing a project all the way through. An idea that starts during a team brainstorm can eventually become a pitch, a piece of content, a social campaign or media placement for a client.
At the end of the day, there’s never really a “typical” day in PR, and I think that’s what keeps it interesting. There’s always a new story to tell, a new idea to work through, or something happened that wasn’t on the calendar that morning. For me, that variety is one of the best parts of the job.
Not sure where to start?
Contact our team to start the conversation around a customized marketing campaign dedicated to your personalized business goals. From PR to content creation and digital marketing, you tell us how far you want to take your brand, and we’ll do the rest.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
.png)
