Blogger Spotlight: Marcel Klebba, MK

Although PR and advertising student Marcel Klebba only launched his blog in September 2016, his passion for social, PR and digital is evident through his writing style. His blog MK is aimed at PR students to give them a better understanding of the industry. Through his 4PRQs series, Marcel interviews prominent practitioners and social influencers. In this spotlight, Marcel Klebba chats to us about why people should read his blog, what makes it different, how he measures the success of MK and the key trends he thinks we will see this year in relation to how PRs create content.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you start writing your blog? I’m a final year PR and Advertising student at the University of Westminster and aspiring PR practitioner. I’m very much into social and digital. The main reason I started blogging was to sharpen my writing skills and become a better storyteller. I wanted to get a bit more under the skin of the industry and investigate further some of the topics that I’m into.

Why should people read your blog? What makes it different? I always try to bring value to whoever visits my blog. My blog tackles the industry from the student perspective and is aimed at PR students. I write about a variety of topics. I advise on networking, and how students should approach it. I do the write-ups from the event I attend. I also write about social media tips and tricks. What appeared to be really popular on my blog is the #4PRQs (Four PR Questions) series, where I interview some of the top thought leaders in the industry and ask them four questions about getting a job and excelling in the career.

How do you measure the success of your blog? All the views, shares, RTs, likes, and comments are important, but I believe it’s all about the people behind those numbers. I love to hear from others that they enjoyed the read or that the interview I’ve published was really valuable for them.

What has been your blogging highlight? It’s probably being constantly featured in Richard Bailey’s (Behind The Spin) highlights of the contest for #bestPRblogs in the #PRstudent community I’ve also heard some great feedback from some of the industry’s most inspiring people, which really motivated me to keep working on my blog.

What key trends do you think we will see in relation to how PRs create content in 2017? Video and visuals! Podcasts have always been around and I believe this format may make its huge comeback.

How do you keep your content fresh and up to date with current PR trends? I read blogs, listen to conversations within my social networks, listen to podcasts, read books. I try not to restrict myself to PR-related outlets, too.

What’s next for you? Will you be working on any exciting projects? I’m currently writing an undergraduate dissertation on personal branding of PR practitioners on Twitter. I will be graduating in May, and then I will be hopefully landing a job in PR. Incredibly exciting times!