Perfecting PR Pros: A Michael Smart Profile
Published on Dec. 9, 2024 at 7:42 p.m.
By Victoria Donato.
While many people have made notable contributions to the public relations industry, Michael Smart is a name that truly stands out among others. A former journalist, passionate media pitcher and transformative teacher, Smart has dedicated his career to empowering PR practitioners to grow, thrive and excel.
Education and early career
Smart earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communications with an emphasis in public relations from Brigham Young University. Motivated by his passion for PR and his involvement in BYU’s student newspaper program, he began his career as a journalist for a newspaper in Salt Lake City, Utah, shortly after graduation, he said.
Yearning to contribute to his alma mater, Smart decided to leave journalism behind and turn back to his PR roots. He began creating public relations and marketing initiatives for BYU as the national news director for 14 years, which later translated into his newfound love for coaching and training.
Smart developed a true passion for influencing the lives of others while simultaneously working for BYU and speaking to aspiring PR professionals. He emphasized that most entrepreneurs often go through a trial and error phase in order to see if they will be successful.
“A pivotal moment for me was learning that when you start your own business, you don’t have to burn the boats and take out a second mortgage on your house, go into debt and hope that it works,” Smart said. “You can start a side gig and see how it goes while you still have your nine to five.”
Mastering the art of PR and today’s teachings
Through his 22-year-old business, MichaelSMARTPR, Smart has trained more than 9,000 PR professionals on how to increase their communication results. Specifically, he specializes in the art of media relations. From crafting the perfect pitch to enhancing PR writing and advising strong connections with news outlets and journalists, Smart can teach it all.
When Smart initially began his coaching, he would travel to meet with communication teams and train them in person for one day, which would turn into full time mentorship for companies. Soon after, he realized he had the ability to reach larger diverse audiences concurrently, which would result in a more widespread approach in the PR professional realm.
“I wanted a way that I could reach more people and extend the training over a longer period of time,” Smart said. “I started a subscription and group mentoring program called the Inner Circle, so individuals can subscribe for a monthly fee, and then they get access to my latest trainings that I deliver remotely.”
As a part of Smart’s Inner Circle program, members have the ability to watch hour-long monthly master classes and inquire in Q&A’s. He also invites members to ask him questions via a live webinar, where many participants will have him review their media pitches firsthand.
Samantha Wiscombe, director of operations at MichaelSMARTPR, who has a background in the technology PR space, has worked alongside Smart for nine years.
“Michael is the only one of his kind in the industry. His professional background and connections provide his clients with a thorough and deep understanding of trends in the PR and media space, with practical applications for pros in all verticals,” Wiscombe said. “He shares a high-level view and also breaks it down step by step so that pros can apply what they learn on a day-to-day basis.”
Additionally, Smart still offers the ability for in-person bookings. These live speaker topics include “Crafting the Perfect Pitch”, “Placements Without Pitching” and “The Realist’s Guide to AI & PR.”
Over the years, Smart has trained an impressive list of communicators from some of the most widely renowned agencies, brands and nonprofits, such as Edelman, Four Seasons and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Smarter suggestions
Having been in the ever-evolving industry for many years, Smart is an influential teacher brimming with valuable advice. Since many of his lessons consist of powerful pitching tactics and connection advice, Smart often hones in on the importance of fostering relationships with journalists.
“The best way to connect with journalists and stand out to them is actually something that a lot of PR interns and junior agency employees don’t get taught, and that is to pitch them one at a time, to reach out to them individually and customize each pitch for them,” Smart said.
This is important for PR professionals to grasp since oftentimes they obtain media lists with news outlet contacts and reach out to almost all at once. While some may be successful utilizing this method, Smart emphasized that there are more proactive ways in which professionals can land desired media coverage for their clients.
For instance, professionals can connect with journalists by engaging with them on their active social media platforms. While many have moved away from Twitter (X), platforms like LinkedIn and Threads are also effective. Thoughtfully replying and commenting on their posts can help establish a meaningful connection.
“Once you have hopefully built a little name recognition in their mind, then you can send them an email that does the same thing. You’re just reacting to their work, maybe weaving in some observation you have because of your vantage point in the industry that they cover,” Smart said. “Then, hopefully you position yourself to when they see your name in the sender field of their email, they’re going to open it, and that’s when you have a pitch.”
Smart also believes it is beneficial to teach PR professionals the importance of persistence. He shared a success story about one of his former students, highlighting their triumph in securing client media coverage regarding the same story in three different outlets over the course of several months.
Although some may doubt that such a result is possible, Smart explained that the success was due to the student’s three follow-up emails, a previously established PR-professional-to-journalist relationship and overall confidence.
“I asked them, why were you so confident and comfortable in following up with all three of them three times before they even replied, and they said, ‘Oh, I’ve worked with them enough that I know they’re gonna reply to me, even if it’s just to say I can’t fit this in right now.’ This is because they had already established those relationships,” Smart reflected.
Considering this, when asked for a piece of advice to offer aspiring younger PR professionals, Smart emphasized the importance of remaining ambitious, taking risks and being proactive in all communication efforts.
“It just stands out that much more, whether it’s trying to contact journalists or trying to network for jobs or trying to get career advice,” Smart said.
Smart’s journey as a PR mentor rightfully reflects his passion for empowering professionals and elevating the industry.
“Michael genuinely cares about PR pros and their successes, both professional and personal,” Wiscombe said. “He is dedicated to helping pros attain excellence when it comes to their PR skills, and empowering them to achieve goals related to work schedules and compensation.”
Through innovative training and a focus on relationships and persistence, Smart continues to shape PR practitioners’ successes, one pitch at a time.
