Sara Lynch Of ProfileTree Takes Part In An Interview with Authority Magazine - 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro

BELFAST, COUNTY ANTRIM, UNITED KINGDOM, December 22, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sara Lynch works in Digital Content Writing and PR at ProfileTree. She manages the in-house PR activities for ProfileTree, and the associated internal brands, ConnollyCove, Amazing Food and Drink and Amazing Cars and Drives — ensuring that their brand reputation is valued and promoted within their respective industry.

Below is the transcript of her recent interview with Authority Magazine.

"Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?"

"My Undergraduate Degree was in Communication Management and Public Relations, so I have had an early interest in managing brand reputation and learning the intricacies of Public Relations.

Although before that, it was actually a particular episode in Mad Men, the one where Don Draper sends an open letter that cuts their ties with tobacco companies. I found this episode fascinating and it encapsulated the impact of PR. I didn’t have the word for it then, but I knew it wasn’t typical advertising.

Although I don’t plan to do anything similar to that in my own career, it did ignite a passion for PR and I’m glad I am able to pursue that interest everyday."

"Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?"

"The most interesting thing that has happened to me was probably my very first time landing our news story in a local newspaper. Although it seems like a small milestone looking back, at the time it felt like an incredible achievement, especially given the fact that I had not built any relationships with journalists, it was all cold pitching. But it paid off and gave me the reassurance that my PR efforts yielded results."

"Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?"

"One of my early mistakes in PR was probably writing long press releases that just weren’t interesting enough. If I read them back, I would probably shock myself that I ever sent them!

I was too focused on minor details, instead of writing in such a way that made it easy for journalists to quickly determine whether or not they wanted to talk about our company news. I have since learnt that if I give a journalist too much stuff to read, it will only inconvenience them and ultimately, make the story appear boring. Now, I religiously cut my press releases down to 300 words, any more and you’ve already lost them."

"What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?"

"We are currently working on a PR campaign that will establish our company as an industry leader in using AI tools for digital marketing. It’s a relatively new concept, so much of the PR strategy is about simplifying and demystifying the intricacies of AI technology for our target audience. It’s an incredibly exciting project, especially given the fact that there is so much buzz surrounding AI.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is a powerful trait that can inspire and motivate a team. I’ve found that when I approach tasks and challenges with genuine enthusiasm, it tends to have a contagious effect on those around me, and it encourages a genuine willingness to get involved in P.R. based activities.

Authentic

Authenticity lies at the heart of everything related to PR. I firmly believe that embracing authenticity as a fundamental trait is what infuses our PR activities with depth and inspiration.

When authenticity is at the forefront, PR efforts become not just meaningful but also profoundly impactful. It fosters genuine connections, trust, and resonance with the audience, making it a cornerstone of our PR campaigns at ProfileTree.

Optimism and resilience

These traits work hand in hand, and I have spent a long time cultivating them. When P.R. campaigns don’t land how you intended them to, it can be disheartening, but learning to be resilient and evaluate what you can do the next time around is fundamental for P.R. success."

"Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. For the benefit of our readers, can you help articulate what the different forms of PR are?"

"Local P.R.

This is what I consider to be reaching out to local journalists and news outlets with stories that are relevant to your business or impact the local community. It could be things like recruiting new staff, appointing new CEOs, etc, but ultimately they are more personal to your business activities.

Widespread PR

Widespread PR is a strategic approach aimed at establishing your business as a leading authority within your industry. It involves actively participating in industry conversations, sharing valuable insights on current trends, and ultimately, shaping the narrative in your field.

By consistently contributing to discussions, providing thought leadership, and offering expert opinions, your business not only gains recognition but also earns trust and credibility among peers and stakeholders.

Events PR

Events PR is a specialised facet of public relations. It focuses on strategically organising or participating in high-profile events such as conferences, webinars, awards ceremonies, etc., to enhance a brand’s reputation and foster positive associations.

This approach leverages the power of in-person interactions and media coverage to create a lasting impact and it’s something we have placed a huge focus on in the last year or so. Events P.R. allows you to generate a buzz around your brand, and showcase your position as an authoritative voice within the industry."

"Where should a young person considering a career in PR start their education? Should they get a degree in communications? A degree in journalism? Can you explain what you mean?"

"For those starting out, I would recommend undergoing a degree in a communication related field, especially for building a strong foundation of communication skills and industry knowledge.. But ultimately, industry experience is unmatched. We live in such a fast-paced world right now and you need a hunger to stay on top of P.R. trends if you’re going to make it. If you’re finding it difficult to get work experience, I would recommend starting a blog, which is pretty easy to do. This way you can practise your writing skills and experiment with different platforms to get that hands on experience."

"You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?"

"LinkedIn is your best friend. I recommend connecting with P.R. professionals that you admire and media outlets that you hope to land a story in. Investing even 20 minutes a day on LinkedIn can help you build relationships and connections, and understand the type of content that your favoured journalists tend to talk about. Remember that journalists only want to receive stories that are relevant to them, so you need to understand their interests and what type of news will captivate them."

"Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business. Can you share some of the strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?"

"I primarily conduct my P.R. outreach via email campaigns. We also invested in an email monitoring platform so I can now track who opened sent emails and whether or not they clicked on the embedded links. This has been a great indicator of what type of stories are grabbing journalist’s attention and where we need to focus our efforts. It has allowed me to refine our P.R. outreach and land good leads with those who have a genuine interest in us."

"Based on your opinion and experience, what are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” and why."

"1. Find the right story

More often than not, I have to tell clients that a specific story they have in mind isn’t necessarily the best one. A major part of PR is to unpick what your client is doing and bring attention to the stories that matter.

Once you do a bit of digging, you’ll typically find that clients tend to overlook news stories that are run of the mill for them, when it has the potential to land them in a notable publication.

2. Summarise your story in under 300 words

I cannot overstate this point enough. As a PR professional, you need to understand the sheer amount of emails that journalists have to sort through. They actually get around 30 cold pitches everyday, and they simply don’t have the time to read through all of them.

If you can’t grab journalists attention in under 300 words, your story is unlikely to get picked up, simply because you have already given the journalist too much work to do.

3. Don’t be afraid of cold pitching

Cold pitching can be daunting, especially when you feel as though you are writing into the void and getting little results. But keep on pitching, and keep on trying, start by saying something like, “I see that you typically cover (x) related topics” — It will show potential journalists that you value their work and voice and that the story you are proposing will be of interest to them.

4. It’s ok to follow up

In the beginning of my PR career, I was initially hesitant to follow up with press releases, it felt like I was being too pushy or too desperate for my story to get out there. However, I have long forgotten that concern, and I can’t tell you how many successful press stories I have had on the back of following up with them.

Journalists are busy people and as long as you’re respectful, and don’t over do it, they typically don’t mind a follow up email, especially if the story is an interesting one.

5. Nurture your P.R. relationships

Once your press release has been picked up by a specific journalist, you need to nurture that relationship, but that doesn’t mean sending them every press release you write. Be sure that you are respectful of their work, and give them stories that they would be interested in publishing. It might sound harsh, but remember that journalists don’t actually owe you anything just because they may have published a couple of your stories in the past."

"Because of the role you play, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)"

"I would inspire a movement focused on providing comprehensive AI training courses for both adults and children. As AI technology continues to advance rapidly, many individuals are struggling to keep up with the latest developments and understand how to use it safely and responsibly. Traditional education systems often lag behind in incorporating AI education, and there’s a pressing need for accessible and up-to-date training.

By offering AI courses, we can empower people of all ages to harness the potential of AI, navigate its complexities, and make informed decisions about its use. This movement would bridge the knowledge gap and ensure that individuals are well-equipped to embrace AI technology in various aspects of their lives, from education and careers to daily interactions with AI-powered devices. It’s a way to democratise AI knowledge and ensure that its benefits reach the widest possible audience while mitigating potential risks."

"This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time."

Sara Lynch
ProfileTree Web Design and Digital Marketing Agency
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5 Things You Need for a Successful Career In PR | ProfileTree | Public Relations Tips | PR Careers

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