Meet Megan Bennett, the CEO of Light Years Ahead, a national boutique PR agency dedicated to helping businesses, particularly small entrepreneurs, craft and elevate their public image.
Megan has earned a reputation in the industry as a tireless advocate for her clients. She is known for her ability to transform lesser-known brands into significant market players. A prime example of her expertise is how she propelled a small Kansas City company to achieve a remarkable quarter-million-dollar increase in sales after securing them a feature on foodandwine.com.
But here’s the best part: Megan is rolling up her sleeves in this interview to share some insider tips and tricks that you can start using right now, even if you’re not ready to hire a PR firm.
Check out our full interview with Megan Bennett below!
How did you get started in the PR industry, and what inspired you to start Light Years Ahead?
Megan Bennett: I started in the PR industry when I was in college. I had a few internships that I really liked in the public relations category. After college, I had one job working in PR that didn’t really turn out to be what I expected, so I left. I started working for Bette Light, who was the former owner of our agency, Light Years Ahead. She was my mentor and taught me everything I needed to know.
I have loved working there so much that after 18 years, I took over the company and purchased it with my business partner.
Can you share the story of how you helped the small Kansas City company achieve a quarter million-dollar upswing in sales?
Megan Bennett: We started working with KC cattle company and garnered them some incredible, high profile press that did drive sales, like the New York Times and the Today Show, however, Food and Wine is what really helped make the meter move.
I pitched one of the editors at Food and Wine about the company’s new Wagu beef hot dogs. They were interested and were doing a hot dog roundup story, so we sent samples. A couple of weeks later, after extensive follow-up, the client called and told me that the sales were going off the charts. They sold over 1/4 of a million dollars in hot dogs because Food and Wine ranked them as the best beef hot dog. It was a real success.
What are some common PR mistakes you see small entrepreneurs make when trying to build their image?
Megan Bennett: I think some entrepreneurs start their business and their outreach too soon before their website is completely developed and without bugs. It is highly important to make sure you have all your ducks in a row in terms of being able to sell and show your product on your website because that’s the first place that people will look.
Other problems occur when entrepreneurs want to focus solely on themselves instead of the product. There are so many entrepreneurs out there trying to get coverage that you have to have a majorly different story and a very interesting brand. Sometimes, the entrepreneurs need to remove themselves from the micromanagement of the pitch and just let us refine the story in the way that works.
How has the PR landscape changed since you started Light Years Ahead in 1995, and how have you adapted?
Megan Bennett: The PR landscape has changed immensely in a number of ways, but these are the most important: When I started, I used to “smile and dial”, where I would print out a list of all of my media contacts and call them all individually. That has completely changed to the point that now the media does not want to talk on the phone unless you are a personal friend, and they will call you if they want to talk to you. Everything is done via e-mail and text messages, except in some specific situations.
Another thing that we didn’t have back then were affiliate programs with the media. Most of the digital media now requires that you have an affiliate with a big website so that they can get a commission on sales when they write about your product.
Also, another big change is that print magazines are starting to dwindle down and it’s very difficult to get media coverage editorially in them unless you advertise with them. We focus much more on digital at this point.
What are some cost-effective PR strategies that small businesses can implement on their own?
Megan Bennett: If you’re trying to do public relations on your own, I recommend using a service like Muck Rack or Cision to help you get lists of the right editorial contacts. It’s very expensive but if you’re willing to do all the work yourself then you need a database to get those contacts.
You also need to be willing to be rejected, write weekly pitches on your brand that are very provocative, and continue to reach out to the media regularly until they are interested.
Can you explain the concept of “earned media” and why it’s important for businesses?
Megan Bennett: Earned media is important because it is based on 3rd party media editorials. Whereas advertising, you pay a media outlet to guarantee that they will cover your brand, with public relations, we as publicists reach out to our media contacts and offer them samples but with no guarantee that they will cover the brand.
Then, it takes extensive work on the publicists’ behalf to continue to follow up with the media in hopes that they will cover it with their own personal beliefs and opinions. That is earned media.
How do you approach crafting a unique PR strategy for each of your clients?
Megan Bennett: We always have an hour-long exploratory call with our client when we first start and ask for all the relevant information to create a really good introductory pitch, backgrounder, and short paragraph about the brand that we can use for submissions.
If we have criticism or critique about different situations that we think will or will not work, we definitely let the clients know. And then, once our pitch is created, we start aggressively reaching out to the media.
What role does social media play in modern PR, and how can businesses leverage it effectively?
Megan Bennett: We use social media to leverage public relations. We don’t focus on social media, but we always send links to all of the media coverage that we’re getting to the social media person who works with the brands that we are working on so that they can share our coverage on the different social media outlets.
What are some key metrics businesses should track to measure the success of their PR efforts?
Megan Bennett: The main metric is brand awareness. If you see more people reaching out to you about your brand or saying that they heard about you on the Today Show or some placement that they saw that your publicist got you, that’s how you know.
We can never guarantee ROI, but we can guarantee that we will help build your brand awareness with consumers and the media.
How important is storytelling in PR, and what tips do you have for businesses to tell their story effectively?
Megan Bennett: Storytelling is highly important. You need to make a very compelling but a short paragraph about your brand that you can send to anybody in the media.
I highly recommend getting in the strongest message in your first sentence and having a very provocative subject line that will get the media to open your e-mail.
What advice do you have for women entrepreneurs looking to build their personal brand alongside their business brand?
Megan Bennett: I think it’s important that the entrepreneurs should know that the main hook should be their brand for whatever product or service they’re selling and that their story should be secondary. But it is important if they have a compelling story because it does help sell the brand.
We always weave in the experts into the pitch and then focus directly on the brand. Make sure that you have a good story that will interest the media because it will help sell the product if it’s not just a product and that there are more layers to your overall mission.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in your career that you’d like to share with our audience of driven women?
Megan Bennett: My most valuable lesson is not to take no for an answer! If a media contact tells you no, reach out to somebody else at the same outlet or try that contact again six months later. Eventually, they’re going to remember you, and when they have a relevant story coming out, they will know exactly who to contact. I don’t let rejection get me down. I use it to motivate me to work even harder.
Lastly, is there a specific mantra, quote, or affirmation that you hold close to your heart?
Megan Bennett: Do not take no for an answer. Don’t let rejection get the best of you, use it to empower you to succeed period.
Learn more about Megan and Light Years Ahead PR here.
Emily Sprinkle, also known as Emma Loggins, is a designer, marketer, blogger, and speaker. She is the Editor-In-Chief for Women's Business Daily where she pulls from her experience as the CEO and Director of Strategy for Excite Creative Studios, where she specializes in web development, UI/UX design, social media marketing, and overall strategy for her clients.
Emily has also written for CNN, Autotrader, The Guardian, and is also the Editor-In-Chief for the geek lifestyle site FanBolt.com
