PR Pros: Aimee Clark of Dotted Line Communications On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro
Consume content! In order to be successful at PR it is important to read newspapers, onlines, blogs, magazines, etc. as much as possible to get an understanding of what journalists cover. What is deemed newsworthy and what are the components of a story? What is the difference between landing a column vs. a feature? Which reporters are living and breathing the beats that your clients fit into? You will be infinitely better at your job and in guiding your clients if you know how to help them build a story that a journalist would write, and can clearly see how your client fits into the larger trends and storylines shaping the media landscape.
Have you seen the show Flack? Ever think of pursuing a real-life career in PR? What does it take to succeed in PR? What are the different forms of Public Relations? Do you have to have a college degree in PR? How can you create a highly lucrative career in PR? In this interview series, called “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro” we are talking to successful publicists and Public Relations pros, who can share stories and insights from their experiences.
As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Aimee Clark.
With her strategic thinking and keen media savvy, Aimee is a media relations guru and knows how to craft the angles reporters really want. Prior to co-founding Dotted Line Communications, Aimee sharpened her skills at InterActive Public Relations, a division of Porter Novelli International, Miller Consulting Group, and Paper Exchange.
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?
I had an interesting path to land in the public relations field. I actually had a degree in Athletic Training and worked at a college as a trainer for a year before finding public relations. I needed to work over the summer when school was not in session, and I got an internship at a technology PR firm in Boston. I absolutely fell in love with the profession and landed a full time job in the industry by that fall. I love the ups and downs and unpredictable nature of your days as a PR practitioner, the camaraderie of working on a team, the creative brain power it takes to find ways to tell a client story, and the thrill of landing an amazing piece for your client — especially those with the power to help move the needle for their business.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
I met my business partner, Darcy Cobb, in the late 90s — when we were both in our 20s — at another agency in San Francisco that launched startups in the height of the .com boom.
Dotted Line has been a virtual agency since the very beginning, outside of about a year when we did have a physical office. This was a decision we made to streamline overhead costs and also because we wanted to hire talent regardless of location. Being a remote team has served us well over the years. It has enabled us to have employees on both coasts to better support clients, find talent regardless of location, and allow employees to move if they need, without having to leave their job. Looking back, we always knew we were on to something with the virtual model, but now with COVID-19, Corporate America is also understanding the virtues of it. It is interesting to me that the way we started is now the trajectory of so many companies, big and small.
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?
I was terrified to go off on my own, but the thought and planning also exhilarated me. Darcy still teases me about this but — just in case, as a backup — I waitressed at a restaurant at night, as I didn’t have savings to fall back on. Turns out I didn’t really need to do that — we hit the ground running and are now over 20 years old. Starting Dotted Line continues to be one of my most cherished accomplishments. My learning now, 20 something years later, is to really believe in yourself and take the risk!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
We have some really compelling and exciting clients on our current roster that enable us to pitch very timely trends and themes, touching on varying areas of concern across the U.S. right now. Everything from remote work and productivity to inflation, supply chain issues, and the labor shortage. It is both interesting and rewarding to be working with clients that are trying to help solve some of the larger challenges affecting Americans.
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.
Empathy. I think empathy goes such a long way when leading a team and an organization. It’s important to not only listen to your staff, but to truly give them a voice. Your team is what makes your company successful — they are the heart of the organization. Value them and do little things that make them feel appreciated. Kindness goes a long way and when you are good to your employees, they pay it back in spades.
Be a team player. While leadership is absolutely paramount, I believe a great company is made up of the sum of its parts and the best leaders are smart enough to admit when they don’t know something, building a team around them that can fill those gaps.
Have no fear. It is really easy to keep the status quo and not work towards the next goal — but that is typically fear talking. You will never know what you can do if you do not go for it and try. Regret, for me, is a harder pill to swallow than failure because it means I didn’t have the nerve to try.
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?
There are several different forms of public relations. There is media relations, where practitioners are trying to get their clients in front of reporters, editors, and bloggers. Social media, which leverages social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, to share corporate updates and news. Crisis communications is a speciality form of PR where executives are tapped to help message and conduct outreach in a time of a crisis. Public affairs focuses more on government outreach to ensure its efforts are aligned with the public. And on top of all of this, there is also internal communications which is growing as a field, particularly now during the pandemic when organizations and teams remain widespread. It is becoming increasingly important to communicate to and with your internal team to ensure that employees know the company’s mission, goals, processes, and everything in between.
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?
While a degree always helps — and many of our employees have degrees in PR, communications, and journalism — it’s not necessarily a deal breaker if you don’t have one. Take my trajectory for example; a degree in Athletic Training and here I am owning and operating my own agency for more than 20 years! I really believe working in the field is the best experience in PR. While it’s certainly important to embody some of the key characteristics that go into successful PR (strong writing skills and attention to detail are paramount; it also never hurts to be a self-proclaimed ‘people person!’) — the PR landscape is ever-evolving and what you learn on the job can often be as critical, if not more, than what’s taught in a classroom.
You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?
I think a big part of being successful with networking is about being intentional. Be clear on what you are trying to achieve. Do you want to build new contacts for a new job, for a new client, for an organization you want to be a part of? Do your research, be relatable, and bring up topics that you believe will be of interest to the person you want to get to know better. Also always be willing to make introductions to others.
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?
A big part of our qualified leads are from referrals and repeat clients. Over our 20+ years in business, we have worked within several industries and sectors and made a lot of amazing contacts along the way that have brought us into new ventures, introducing us to new executives and stakeholders as their own careers change and shift. Referrals are such wonderful leads because we typically know the referring client/executive well, have worked with them in the past, and already have a good working relationship in place. As I like to say, birds of a feather flock together.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. 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. (Please share a story or example for each.)
Consume content! In order to be successful at PR it is important to read newspapers, onlines, blogs, magazines, etc. as much as possible to get an understanding of what journalists cover. What is deemed newsworthy and what are the components of a story? What is the difference between landing a column vs. a feature? Which reporters are living and breathing the beats that your clients fit into? You will be infinitely better at your job and in guiding your clients if you know how to help them build a story that a journalist would write, and can clearly see how your client fits into the larger trends and storylines shaping the media landscape.
Precision. It is important to be precise and clear in your communication in the field of public relations. Businesses need clear key messages and they must be developed and honed and spoken and written. It is a true skill set to be able to take any interview question directed to you and turn it around to deliver a message you want to give.
Trust. I think this goes without saying with any job, but being honest and building trust with your coworkers and clients is of great importance. A lot of PR firms get a “bad rap” with clients because they feel they were led on, or burned. This is a perception we fight a lot in this business. Be transparent. Tell your clients what kind of coverage you think is possible and why or why not. Do not “yes” them if you truly do not believe the end goal is possible. If you have your reasons and can back up your points, they will respect you more for your honesty and good counsel you in the end.
Be a team player. We have a motto at our agency, coined by a former colleague — “teamwork makes the dreamwork.” It really is that simple. Be the person on the team that everyone knows they can count on, think about the entire team’s best interest — not just your own — and celebrate everyone’s successes.
Tenacity. Determination is very key in this business. You have to believe in the story and you often have to keep chopping away at it until you finally get it. There have been many days where we have pitched stories that we have struggled to place and then all of a sudden, we figure out how to alter it — or perhaps we find a new reporter to try that is a fit — and boom, we land it! You have to love the chase in PR. I love when I get a call from a colleague that starts with, “GUESS WHAT? GUESS WHO WANTS TO TAKE THE STORY?,” or “GUESS WHO I JUST GOT AN INTERVIEW WITH?” 21 years later, it is still one of my favorite parts of the job.
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. 🙂
In the business world specifically, I truly think the ‘teamwork dreamwork’ philosophy is so crucial to the success of every single person on the team — from the still-in-school interns all the way up to the CEO or Partner level. Sadly, PR can often be considered a pretty cut throat industry; but it doesn’t have to be that way and, in fact, agencies with this mentality don’t always operate as successfully.
So, what does teamwork look like at our agency? It looks like the newly hired account executive editing a press release I wrote. It looks like one of the agency Partners jumping in to send pitches and make phone calls when the team needs a little extra help. Essentially, it looks like everyone getting their hands dirty and the organization as a whole (and our clients) being far better off for it.
It all boils down to support and empowerment. Every member of our team supports everyone else — in any capacity that’s needed — which naturally allows all of us to feel more empowered — to speak up, to dive in, and to win as a team. I really think if more people followed this philosophy — in both life and work — we would all be much more equipped to reach our full potential.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your mission.
PR Pros: Aimee Clark of Dotted Line Communications On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.