PR Pros: Dhanyasree M Of Markway Solutions On The 5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career As A Public Relations Pro
An Interview With Michelle Tennant Nicholson
Maintaining honesty and transparency, and saying ‘No’ to deceptive campaigns might hurt you in the beginning but can elevate your trust in the industry. My team always strives to provide accurate, and factually correct information to the journalists where they don’t have to research for any misinformation.
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 Dhanyasree.
A seasoned PR and digital marketing professional with over 17 years of experience in the media and communications industry, Dhanyasree is the Co-founder of MarkWay, aiding many global companies in achieving PR objectives through innovative strategies. Dhanyasree has worked on both sides of PR at a US PR agency and prestigious media houses in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and India. She has witnessed changes in these industries over the years working closely with the daily operations, editorials, and different cultures, to ensure quality, efficiency, and profitability for the companies she works with. Leveraging expertise in online PR and media coverages, social media, and content management, she optimizes digital platforms and campaigns, offering insights and recommendations to clients across diverse industries and markets, driven by a passion for delivering impactful results and advancing the PR and digital marketing landscape.
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?
It just happened! My career started with an online media company as a writer and I worked in the media industry until 2019. Having worked with major media houses in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and India, I was exposed to the trending developments in the global digital media scene.
I decided to use my experience in the media industry in an alternate way in 2019 to help the other side of the media industry. My initial clients were Tech Startups from the USA and it was interesting to see how certain PR tactics that used to pull me down as a media person were widely used to pitch the journalists.
Meaningful communication and an empathetic approach are the key practices in Public Relations, especially these days when the internet is flooded with information. I wanted to uphold this idea and started MarkWay Solutions with my partner who shared the same idea.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?
The most interesting story will be the base of my career henceforth. We all listen to the success stories of businesses and hardly pay attention to the struggles that go behind them. Even though I was prepared to face the challenges, the first year as an Entrepreneur tested me beyond imagination.
Clients didn’t sign up as expected, support didn’t come from the places that were supposed to be, we were all over the place managing multiple roles, and it was complete chaos.
However, all the hard work started to pay off by the end of the first year and as we have seen the rock bottom in the initial days, we are ready to brace for any challenges on the way.
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’m not sure if that can be called a funny mistake, but it was a mistake indeed. As mentioned in the above question, the first year was a real challenge. I wanted to wrap up this venture many times after six months and go back to the safety of a regular job. However, my Co-Founder was very confident in our vision and believed in us. He managed to instill confidence in me.
It seems like a joke once I look back and see that I was so impatient during those days. However, I learned the true value of a reliable business partner, how to trust my vision, and how perseverance takes you to your destination.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
We are currently working on some of the most innovative AI projects. Each of them is unique and we expect them to transform many industries shortly.
However, it’s interesting to see AI is something that is mostly mistrusted by journalists and end users alike. This is because a lot of misinformation has been spread in the name of AI. My team strives hard to verify the authenticity of the claims that each of our clients makes before pitching them to the journalists and getting the news out.
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?
- Be honest: One of the main reasons that we started MarkWay Solutions is after witnessing how many agencies promise stars and Moon to the clients and leave them drained towards the end. We are honest about what we can deliver and don’t take up projects beyond our capacities.
- Educating the clients: Our clients are from the tech background and not from the PR background. There may be differences in our ideas of PR even after we set clear deliverables. We always encourage our clients to have open communication with us so that we can set clear expectations and smooth campaigns.
- Being empathetic: We play different roles in a day as a PR professional and that is the key to our success. We always think like our clients on what they want to achieve out of the campaign out of us. We consider how the journalists and media houses how this story can bring more readers to their channels. Last but not least, we think about the end recipients of the campaign on how they will benefit out of the information about the specific product/project.
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?
Certainly! Public Relations as everyone understands encompasses a range of strategies and tactics for managing effective communication to create a positive public image. This includes content management in the form of pitches, press releases, blogs, thought leadership articles for authority-building, media relations to secure coverage for branding, social media engagement for direct interaction, crisis management for handling negative events, event planning for publicity, influencer collaborations for reach, community engagement for goodwill, internal communications for employee advocacy, and public affairs for governmental relations.
Markway Solutions essentially focusses on securing media coverages and content marketing with our decades of experience invested in both services.
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?
I believe, just like any other career, a young person who’s considering a career in PR should have the innate passion and talent for the same.
They can pursue a degree in communications or journalism, for a broad understanding of media, public relations, communication theory, news reporting, and storytelling techniques.
In addition to formal education, it’s essential to keep learning on new techniques and advanced technologies, gaining practical experience through internships, and networking with professionals in the industry.
I and many successful PR professionals I have met don’t have a professional degree in PR but succeeded in the career out of sheer passion and dedication.
You are known as a master networker. Can you share some tips on great networking?
Absolutely! Networking is about creating genuine connections and fostering them. I try to be as authentic as possible in my interactions, actively listen to others, and maintain our relationships professionally. All can help each other, but you must wait for the right time and role. Understanding others’ needs and being patient is essential as building a strong network takes time.
My advice is to approach networking with sincerity, patience, and a willingness to contribute, you’ll become a master networker, forging meaningful connections that benefit both parties involved.
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?
We have invested in excellent lead-generation executives and managers. However, we strongly believe that our happy clients are our best lead generators. We have retained 70% of our clients and they have brought in new clients to us as well. I must say, we’re growing big as a professional family.
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.
I believe any PR professional should adhere to the golden rules of ethical practices in PR to be successful in the long run.
Maintaining honesty and transparency, and saying ‘No’ to deceptive campaigns might hurt you in the beginning but can elevate your trust in the industry. My team always strives to provide accurate, and factually correct information to the journalists where they don’t have to research for any misinformation.
A creative mind and an aptitude for research are a ‘must’ for a PR professional as they should be able to analyze the trends related to each industry, correlate, and create compelling stories for the media.
As PR is all about communication, there is no argument that a PR professional should have a strong, professional, and empathetic tone in all communications.
As we are a global PR agency, I encourage each member of our team to adhere to relevant laws, regulations, and industry codes of conduct governing their work. This includes compliance with regulations related to advertising, media relations, data protection, and intellectual property rights in each country.
Last but not least, we give great importance to our clients’ confidentiality even after our collaboration period. We safeguard any proprietary information, sensitive data, and any confidential discussions or strategies shared with us.
In a broader realm, a PR professional should embrace the career realizing the implications that each of their actions will have on their organization, the clients that they work with, the media outlets that carry their news, and the society that receives the information. It’s a huge responsibility and a rewarding one if done right!
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. :-)
I would love to start a movement to create awareness of self-care and self-love. In the hustle and bustle of life, we always forget ourselves giving priority to others’ opinions, validating our existence and actions, and always seeking appreciation from outside. Life will be so beautiful if you can sit with yourself and listen.
This was really meaningful! Thank you so much for your time.
About the Interviewer: Inspired by the father of PR, Edward Bernays (who was also Sigmund Freud’s nephew), Michelle Tennant Nicholson researches marketing, mental injury, and what it takes for optimal human development. An award-winning writer and publicist, she’s seen PR transition from typewriters to Twitter. Michelle co-founded WasabiPublicity.com
