The Tecmark 10 – with content promotion specialist Hana Bednarova

Content promotion specialist Hana Bednarova joined Tecmark in September 2015. Czech born, her career has included a spell at a TV station before her focus switched to PR and outreach. Follow Hana on Twitter.

1. What does your typical day look like?

It’s typically busy … but I enjoy that. My usual ‘to do list’ is filled up by planning features for our clients, gaining coverage on the back of clients’ campaigns and generally making sure that our clients’ press releases and visuals are put in front of the correct people such as journalists, bloggers and website owners. And last but not least, writing press releases and helping as much as I can to make our clients’ campaigns more attractive.

2. What’s the most satisfying aspect of your work?

Seeing our clients’ campaigns being successful, and press releases or features being published in national media.

3. And the best thing about working at Tecmark?

The fab atmosphere, great team, and gorgeous view out of the windows. I can’t help but take a picture of the sunset every day. That’s only in the winter, though – I’d have to stay at work until about nine o’clock to see the sunset in the summer!

4. What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned over the last 12 months?

Be patient. It doesn’t matter if it’s waiting for information that’s needed for a feature or release, or an article that’s just about to be published. Sometimes it helps just to leave the desk and make a brew for the team, instead of refreshing my emails every few seconds.

And, speaking of the very useful stuff I learned over the last 12 months, it’s how to use digital analytics and other SEO tools to help me getting new and relevant ideas for clients press activity.

5. And what do you expect to be learning over the next 12 months?

Having some of the UK’s best SEO professionals in the office, I believe that I’ll gain more and more knowledge and experience in that field.

6. Any tips for someone wanting a career in outreach and PR?

Get out there, make sure you attend PR and digital marketing events – and if you’re studying PR or marketing communications, make sure you take full advantage of CIPR and PRCA memberships. And definitely read all the relevant publications such as PR Week, Marketing week, The Drum, and Prolific North.

Attend careers days if you can, and follow all the PR agencies and PR professionals you like on Twitter. Make sure you do internships, too.

Don’t hesitate to contact the agencies yourself by sending out your CV. Don’t wait for them to advertise internship opportunities, because then there will be a lot more people applying for the same position.

Also, create your LinkedIn profile; you never know who’s searching through and looking for new talent.

7. What’s the strangest story you’ve ever worked on?

We recently did a story with a current client about the fact that they’ve built a Space Shed to celebrate a release of a Hollywood sci-fi movie – we all know which film I am talking about. It was published in the national media and local press. This turned out to be a very quirky story, and you can see it here.

8. Your career started at a Czech TV station, which must have been exciting. Did you enjoy it?

I did enjoy it, it was a great experience. It was all kind of coincidence. I got in touch with the chief editor and asked for a two-week internship. She opened my email just because my name and surname is the same as her daughter’s, and because she found it quite funny she called me and invited me for an interview. I did my two weeks’ work experience, then stayed for another year and a half.

I met some great journalists and learned a lot, especially how to keep to deadlines, because if the news is on at six, no one will run your story unless you submit it at five. This taught me that if I have journalist’s deadline, or I promise something to be delivered by certain time, I need to keep my promise or let them know that I can’t send it over soon enough.

9. How does Manchester’s food compare to the Czech Republic? Eccles cake or Trdelník?

Believe that or not, English dishes are much heathier than the Czech ones. I do miss my favourite dish, which is dumplings with slow-cooked pork and cooked cabbage, but invite me for a Sunday roast and I won’t reject it.

As for Eccles cake or Trdelnik… Eccles cake in the summer, and Trdelnik in the winter with mulled wine – you should try it.

10. And finally… we reckon you’re probably the only member of the Tecmark team to feature in a billboard advertising campaign. How did that happen?

I can’t believe this information leaked out!

Long story short, my legs were famous once as I posed wearing jeans for a denim clothing company. It happened a very long time ago, and it’s literally a picture of my legs and bum. I don’t think it will happen again and, if it does, I’m not telling Gemma James as she can’t keep any secrets!