VGPR #011: This Could've Been an Email
Introverts in PR, Facebook Gaming is kind of a big deal, and more dos and don’ts
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[Hi, I'm Lizzie Killian, founder at FIFTYcc PR. You're reading VGPR, a newsletter featuring interesting developments and topics impacting public relations in the video games industry. If you’re enjoying this newsletter, please consider subscribing or sharing with a friend or colleague. Send feedback, questions, and ideas to vgpr.insider@gmail.com, or drop me a note on Twitter.]
In this issue: introverts in PR, Facebook Gaming is kind of a big deal, more dos and don’ts, media updates, and PR jobs!
Making the Jump: Who’s a Good Fit for PR?
A few weeks ago I was having a discussion with a woman currently working in media who was considering moving over to PR. She told me she was interested in the work, but thought she wouldn’t be a good fit because she’s an introvert. As a big introvert myself 👋 (introversion is why I decided to make VGPR a newsletter vs., say, a podcast), I was excited to tell her that, yes, introverts can be a good fit for PR! A lot of people tend to think PR is:
only done by “Type A” personalities
about networking, events, and parties
shouting from the mountaintops about the brands we represent
There’s no doubt that extroverted people can be happy working in PR, and plenty of situations where extroversion can be an advantage. Even so, not only is introversion not a barrier, IMO it’s full of unique advantages in games PR:
Introverts tend to prefer that attention is focused on others, rather than themselves. In PR, it’s all about putting the attention on your client, and never yourself, so the role overall is a natural fit.
A lot of PR happens behind the scenes (which is part of why PR can be so poorly understood by those outside of it) — during those times we are often writing, planning, and thinking through all possible outcomes. This kind of work requires processing a lot of changing information in a slower, forward-looking way. This style of thought is a hallmark of introverts, making them a great fit for this part of PR work.
It might seem like PR people are always socializing because that’s pretty much the only time you see them 😂. But for every hour of intensive socializing that you might see at a launch party (remember those?), there are hundreds of hours of planning work getting done either solo or in small teams. A lot of PR work can be done on your own, whether that’s writing, researching, or monitoring and analyzing coverage. That work is less visible and memorable than seeing people at live events, but that’s always the biggest percent of your hours in a week.
As an industry, gaming seems to over-index on introversion. Being an introvert can help developers or introverted journalists/media feel more comfortable around you, and help you to understand their natural reactions and preferences (like emails vs. a call!).
Other introvert biases that are useful in PR: good listeners, thinking before speaking, being worse at banter and small talk but better at developing more meaningful, long-term connections.
Facebook Gaming: 1 Billion Hours Watched in Q3
In games PR, it’s easy to stay focused on Twitch with its gaming-first approach, high-profile creators, and ability to sort by viewership to track which games are on top.
Even so, there are great PR opportunities on other streaming platforms, and developing early relationships with a developing platform’s creators can lead to great opportunities both now and in the future. YouTube and Facebook’s massive overall platforms + the growth of the category mean YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming continue to grow at a fast pace. Facebook Gaming’s growth in particular may also be fueled by their partnership with Microsoft to help former Mixer partners and streamers transition to the platform this past summer.
Points to Ponder
Evolve PR’s Tom Ohle recently asked a familiar question, and got some good discussion in the replies.
Top recurring themes in the responses include: unevenly distributed embargo timing, and preferences on asset formats. There’s also good discussion about email etiquette, traditional media vs. content creators, and more, so check out the whole thread.
VGPR Discord Update
Was very happy to see all the interest in last week’s invitation to join our Discord. I’ve been adding new people slowly over the past week, but as an update for anyone that hasn’t gotten their invitation just yet, I’ll be continuing to add people in small batches over the next weeks and months.
In the Media
Tom Orry is now Editor-in-Chief at VG247
Marcus Stewart is now Associate Editor at Game Informer
Blake Hester is now Digital Editor at Game Informer
The Kotaku Splitscreen podcast returns
PR Jobs
2K - PR Communications Manager, Americas - NBA 2K (Novato, CA)
Bethesda Softworks - Public Relations Manager (Rockville, MD)
PUBG - Director of Public Relations (San Ramon, CA)
PUBG - Senior Public Relations Manager (Santa Monica, CA)
Skybound - VP, Marketing (Los Angeles, CA)
Square Enix - Senior PR Manager (London, United Kingdom)
Ubisoft - Press Relations Assistant - Internship (Montreuil, France)
Ubisoft - Public Relations Manager (Montreuil, France)
I feel attacked
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The last tweet is so relatable! Haha!
I have has the same assumption which you have so carefully and easily deconstructed - I imagined PR people to be the ones that fill the room, to be the center of attention. Once again my assumptions proved wrong and there is much more background work that gets unseen.