Many PR firms and individual PR professionals have areas of specialty within the larger world of public relations.

1. Media relations: Public relations managers who specialize in media coverage often send press releases to newsrooms with the goal of getting coverage in newspapers, magazines, and television programming. Well-crafted news releases can lead to free marketing for a new product or increased awareness for a small business.
2. Digital media specialists: Some public relations professionals focus on digital content marketing. They often build relationships with online influencers to promote their clients' brands or causes to a target audience. Digital marketing professionals often monitor trending subjects and help clients develop multimedia campaigns to tap into those trends.
3. Government relations: Government relations professionals craft PR campaigns aimed at influencing politicians and regulatory agencies. PR strategies in this arena include press conferences and special events highlighting businesses and nonprofit organizations that may be seeking government funding or regulatory approval.
4. Corporate communications: Some public relations managers work exclusively with private corporations, as opposed to governments or nonprofits. Their goal is often to influence the general public and cultivate a positive image for the corporation.
5. Crisis communications: This specialized form of public relations helps companies with crisis management. For example, an energy company might face a crisis due to an oil spill, or a nonprofit might face a public image crisis if its donations are mismanaged. Crisis communications specialists work on mitigating these problems and preserving an organization’s reputation in the aftermath.
6. Internal communications: Some public relations work is done within organizations. Internal communications specialists focus on communicating company-wide updates with internal employees and stakeholders. These communications can involve new policies, rules enforcement, notice of mergers, and notice of layoffs.
7. Community relations: Some public relations practitioners focus on public perception within local communities. They help craft messaging that resonates with local stakeholders such as neighborhood associations, trade unions, religious leaders, and small business owners.
8. Financial public relations: Often based in financial hubs like New York, these PR practitioners specialize in the realm of banking, markets, and corporate finance. Their intricate knowledge of finance lets them articulate messages that general PR professionals might not be able to.

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