Karyn Martin, Public Relations Senior Account Director at 451 Marketing, was recently featured as a contributor to PR News’ Media Training Guidebook, Vol. 4 with her piece, “Prepping for a Phone Interview: A Step-by-Step Action Plan.”  Receive $50 off the Guidebook cover price when you enter the code “mediabook” at check out.

 

How did you start your career in public relations? 

I started with a PR internship at The Castle Group when I was in college. It was such a great experience that I knew I wanted to make PR my career. Clearly, I made the right choice – I’m 10 years in and still loving it!

 

What is the most rewarding aspect of working in public relations?

The ability to help a client reach their goals and gain visibility in their key market. It’s nice to feel like you’re part of building something. Also, forging and maintaining meaningful relationships, whether it’s with the press or our clients.

…there are exceptions to every rule – it’s how you handle those exceptions that reveals your talent for PR.

 

What have you found to be the biggest challenge in public relations?

Managing client expectations. Unfortunately, time and money constraints often limit the ability to execute on strategy. That can be very frustrating for the PR team and for the client.

 

What is your advice to people that are starting out in public relations?

Start building your own brand as soon as possible.  Define who you are today and make sure that all of your online communication channels reflect that (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). You represent brands, but you are also a brand yourself.

 

You were featured in PR News’ Media Training Guidebook, Volume 4 where you discuss strategies for prepping for a phone interview. With the cultural shift towards online communications over the past 15 years, what value do you think you gain by maintaining traditional communications with media?

Meeting in person and talking on the phone is the best way to maintain a valuable relationship over time. While new media is a great way to create new relationships and help you maintain a relationship in between meetings. Eventually you have to connect in a more traditional setting to take the relationship to the next level.

 

You recently went to the 2011 BlogHer Conference in San Diego where you got to meet one-on-one with thousands of online influencers.  What surprised you most about that experience?

The high demand from the bloggers to have an interactive experience with the brands at the show was surprising. Attendees didn’t want to just visit a booth, they wanted to engage with the brand in multiple ways. I’m used to driving demand from the brand side – at the conference, the bloggers drove demand! It was refreshing and a good indicator of how brands looking to grow are going to have to take their message to the next level.

 

What is the most common mistake you see people make in PR?

Living by rules without flexibility. For example, I’ve heard some publicists say, “you should never pitch someone on Twitter.” A good publicist recognizes there are no absolutes. Of course there are best practices, but there are exceptions to every rule and it’s how you handle those exceptions that reveals your talent for PR.

 

Have any questions for Karyn?  Ask in the comments section below!