I was privileged to get in contact with the best of the best in the PR world. Megan Lawler is the Vice President and Partner at Dittoe Public Relations. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism; Minor in Marketing, Public Relations and Marketing at Indiana University, Bloomington. Due to her busy schedule, i could only interview her via e-mail, and she was happy to answer all my questions. Her busy schedule goes a long way to show how busy a typical PR professional is. Here is an excerpt from the interview:
- What’s a typical week like for you?
One of the things I like most about my career in PR is that no week—or even day—is the same. There is always something new being thrown my way. On a daily basis, I spend the majority of my time corresponding with various media outlets, ranging from local to trade to national, and communicating with my clients about the work I’m doing for them. I’m always on email and the phone corresponding with someone. When I’m not talking with the media or clients, I’m normally writing, whether it’s a new press release, case study, byline, pitch or award nomination. Another chunk of my time is spent focusing on research and finding new media contacts to cover my clients. The research is one of the most difficult aspects of the job, but it’s also one of the most important. Without research, I’d be waiting for the media to come to me with new opportunities, which doesn’t work when your clients don’t have big, highly recognizable names.
- Tell me about a project you worked on that you are especially proud of.
Most recently, I handled the local public relations for the 2012 BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, the biggest golf tournament to come to the Indianapolis area since 1991. We helped lead the BMW Championship to record ticket sales for the 2012 tournament and secured more than 1 billion media impressions promoting the event. My biggest media placements throughout the promotion of the tournament were with the Associated Press, which I was very proud of. Following the tournament, I received accolades from the PGA TOUR for our impressive work on the tournament, which meant a lot to me. Our success with that tournament resulted in a new client we’re working with—the Web.com Tour, which will be another large-scale golf tournament in Indiana.
- What do you do to keep current in the PR industry?
The biggest thing I do is talk to my colleagues. We’re always sharing information with each other about changes in our industry. I also read blogs, PRSA websites, e-newsletters, PR Daily news feed and stay tuned to a variety of media outlets to make sure I’m in the know.
- What do you wish you would have known before starting your career in PR?
I was fortunate with my timing when I started at Dittoe PR more than six years ago as an intern. I had no prior internship, and only had the experience of classwork and projects to prove why I’d be an asset to the team. Thankfully, I was able to land my first internship with Dittoe without having a previous internship. Nowadays, it’s very rare that we hire an intern who hasn’t had some experience before applying to Dittoe. Basically, it takes an internship to get an internship in today’s PR world. So, it’s important to get that experience as early on as possible.
- How important is writing in your career?
Incredibly important; as I mentioned above, every day I’m writing whether it’s a press release, byline, case study, pitch or award application. Beyond just being a good writer, it’s important to be a versatile writer, and understand how to change your style based on the type of work you’re producing. I see a lot of strong writers come through here, but many struggle with the tone to use in a press release vs. a case study. The best way to get comfortable with these various styles of writing is to read, read, read.
- What three tips would you offer someone just starting out in PR?
1) Be proactive: The interns who move their way up quickly in our company are those who go beyond just completing their assigned tasks. We want interns who take the initiative to bring their ideas to the account executives without us asking. For example, if an intern comes across an award opportunity that they think would be a good fit for my client, I want them to bring the idea to me. I want them to be forward-thinking enough to know how I could use their assistance without always having to ask.
2) Stay late: PR is not a 9-5 job. I’m always working; always responding to emails; always taking calls. I like to see interns who do the same. More often than not, I’m the last one to leave the office. My favorite interns are those who are still here well after 5 p.m.
3) Be a good pitcher: Always personalize every pitch you send out. Spend time getting to know each reporter you’re taking a story idea to. Read his or her most recent stories, and make sure you understand the type of story ideas they want before reaching out. You never want to end up on a “blocked sender” list for sending out an ill-fitting pitch to a reporter.
- When your company is hiring for an entry-level PR position, what makes a candidate stand out?
Someone who:
1. Has experience working with the media
2. Is a good writer and has examples to prove it
3. Is confident
4. Is well-spoken
5. Has experience working directly with clients
6. Is comfortable using social media
- How does technology affect your daily work?
Social media is a big part of my job. I’m always tweeting and posting on Facebook and LinkedIn. Also, with the evolution of smartphones, if you’re in PR, you need to expect to be on call 24/7. There’s never an excuse for not responding to an email when you get them delivered to your phone. That’s definitely a challenging part of the job, but that’s the reality. If you want a job that ends at 5 p.m. every day, don’t go into PR.
The uncertainty of what to expect as a PR professional makes the job more exciting for me. Taking cues from Megan’s experience, my entry into the PR business would be more eventful. The thought of spending most of my day at work might not sound very exciting, but it is going to strengthen my work ethic in the long run.