Since Megan first started performing public relations for non-profit organizations in 2004 and small businesses in 2011, nearly all of the 75+ press releases she has drafted have been picked up by local, regional & state newspapers. She has also fed editorial boards information that led to the publication of editorials, which can influence public policy. What are the keys to this success rate?
1) Understanding the reporter. Megan knows what it's like to sift through a pile of press releases, drawing on her training at the Elkin Tribune, The Cary News, Greensboro's News & Record, and North American Congress on Latin America's Report on the Americas. She also has a B.A. in English, Writing & Editing from North Carolina State University.
2) Understanding the reader. Readers are drawn to stories involving local points of interest, familiar faces, and uplifting anecdotes. Megan is particularly familiar with the viewpoints, passions and concerns of those in the Western North Carolina mountains, as her work has taken her to the nooks and crannies of the region since 2000.
3) Understanding the background of the client. The non-profit sector is like all specializations: the ins-and-outs can be complicated, and jargon is prevalent. Megan's job is to pull out the critical pieces, translating the organization's work so that the public not only digests it, but also digs it. She draws from her internal "encyclopedia of sustainable agriculture and conservation," which she's developed since entering the field in 2001. She also has interest and knowledge in holistic medicine, alternative education and the arts, especially dance and other forms of movement.
Megan also submits articles to magazines, and directs youtube videos for her clients.
