STACI T SMITH
PR
I've been in the PR & Marketing business for 15 years - long enough to remember when blast faxing was a technological advancement. When I get press, I'm having fun - which means my clients are getting results!
I got my start during my sophomore year at NYU when I interned at a small agency and began pitching stories and writing press releases out of the gate. Following this experience I became an intern at a pharmaceutical PR company which turned into an Account Executive Assistant position before I graduated. Since then I've been a full-time employee and a contract worker at many dynamic small to international PR companies.
I've done PR for everything from Pharmaceutical and Technology to Non-Profit and Book Publishing clients and have worn many hats, having handled full-scale PR projects, SEO campaigns, and event management. The thing I love about PR is helping my clients tell their story to the world!
First and foremost in my approach is being truthful. I speak with you in-depth about not just your business, but your personal goals, interests, and achievements (and those of the people you work with). Most importantly I truly LISTEN to what you say in order to assess the potential of your project. This way I can honestly level with you about the likelihood of getting press and give you suggestions on how to make your venture more newsworthy if necessary.
Next is coming up with as many interesting ways to tell your story as possible. Many people still think publicists just open their contact list and ask favors over and over again. However, with the 24 hour news cycle and so many more news outlets out there, you can't just rely on favors. The media constantly needs something new. This is where you need people like me. I've done PR for a wide variety of sectors and that gives me the ability to see a business differently from what people who only know that field might see. This helps me figure out multiple ways to frame your story.
Following the attention I place in listening to you and coming up with fresh ways to tell your story - the next most important step in my approach to public relations is RESEARCH.
My main talent as a hired-gun at PR agencies is the ability to successfully pitch a story even if I don't have any contacts in that particular field. I am able to do this because I do exhaustive research on what media contact would be most receptive to your story. I feel that the lion's share of landing a story is pitching it to the right person and outlet!
Finally, my experience working in SEO makes me very comfortable with building PR strategies that work synergistically with your SEO and Online Marketing team's outreach.
Overall, I want to hit it out of the park for my own sense of professional pride and because I want my clients to be happy with my work. This means I listen, do my due-diligence, and come to the table with enthusiasm and creativity so that it will be a WIN-WIN for everyone.