Welcome to Voices in PR! Today’s guest is Shekinah Monee, founder and Senior Brand Strategist of Perfect Vision PR. Shekinah Monee is a Brand Strategist, Blogger, and Influencer. This international MBA recipient is a former Executive Director of two preliminaries for Miss America, and is now serving on the Miss NY Board of Directors and the Booking Director for Miss New York’s Outstanding Teen. Shekinah has a vast amount of knowledge in what is required for a Beauty Queen to build a brand. We sat down with Shekinah, where we discussed her achievements, social media, and tips for those entering the PR field.
How did you decide to start your own PR firm?
I didn’t know anything about PR when I was going to school. I was a part of the Miss America Organization, working as the media trainer for Miss Brooklyn where I was approached by their PR person who asked me to assist her and her company. From there, I learned a lot about what PR was from hands-on experiences. A few years later, I decided to just break out on my own and start my own PR company.
What do you think is the one thing that is the most important to get a publication placement?
The most important thing to get placement for your client is to know their goals, where they stand in media and what media is looking for. You always want to have something that is exciting and a fun story. But also know what is best for your client. I know some people like visibility and to be everywhere. Ultimately, when you are building a brand it’s important to know what your goals are.
What media win are you most proud of?
I would say getting a client on a major television show or landing a major interview. That is something that I am proud of. I had a client in Self magazine along with different magazines that had different features. Each one was a big deal because I deal with fashion, beauty, and pageants. Also, each client is mostly faceted and has something different and special. I have a client, who is a fitness model and runs their own fitness brand. It was fun getting her in a fitness magazine but also helping her launch her brand and watching her get different celebrity clients and connect with companies that can help her brand as well.
What was it like working with Miss New York?
So, I am a former pageant girl. I had a little courtside in Miss New York USA and Miss Georgia USA systems. As well as the Perfect System, where I had an international title. They always say that pageants are like a sport because there is a lot of training that people don’t see. Most people just see these women show up on stage with nice bodies, looking beautiful but you don’t see the things that go on behind the scenes like interviewing skills and their ability to give back to the community. That is one reason I love the Miss American Organization because it’s about scholarship and service. She can be beautiful, but we want to make sure these women are going to serve their community in their title and after when they no longer have that title. There is a lot that goes into that where I think it is something that every woman can benefit from. From my knowledge, most of the women that have been the most successful are former pageant girls. You think about Orpah, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Barbara Walters, who are all former pageant girls. There are certain skills that you get from being a pageant girl that can translate into every area of your life.
What is the one thing you think is most important when dealing with social media?
My Instagram was hacked early in the summer, so I’ve been working on rebranding and rebuilding. I think that this process has taught me so much about just being true to who I am and genuine because people buy into that. Not necessarily having something that I’m putting forth that I feel people want to see or know but people want to know you and what you are doing. And I guess like the more fun that something looks or the more entertaining it is, is what people buy into. I also find that I think about the long term. Even when I work with clients, I think about what their ultimate goal is and when I am posting and doing things and I think about what my ultimate goal is. I ask myself, is this something I am going to be proud of next year or five years from now? Even with my personal and influencer side of my social media, is this something a client can look at and want to be connected with. I think about those things when I post and when I build certain relationships with brands. Also it is something I always am conscious of as a business owner and an influencer.
What tips would you give to brands who are looking to increase their social media presence?
One thing I go over with my clients is looking at their engagements. You look at the days and times that people engaged with you the most. It is also important to look at what people like. I have learned that most of my followers like when I am dolled up, glamorous and living life in New York City. For my Instagram stories, my followers prefer when I am sharing my everyday life. That is something I realized I have to be more consistent with as far as myself. But as for my one client, who is a stylist and image consultant, her followers like when she is on site, styling someone, doing makeup and looking fabulous while making someone else look fabulous at the same time. So just knowing what works for your followers but also keeping in mind who you are.
I wouldn’t say I swear by this but one other thing I do think that everyone should have is a content calendar. It makes life that much easier to plan things out. I am a planner and have to-do-lists, forever. I still have a paper planner and a calendar to know what is coming up as far as holidays or special days like ‘Oreo Day’ or ‘Apple Day’ and things like that. So, if you don’t have anything personal coming up, you have something else to plan for in regards to the special days that are coming up. If you have, say an eye lash brand that I’m working with and they want me to post for Black Friday. I can make that work with the things that I have already scheduled so I can just put that in and make sure that different campaigns don’t overlap as well. You want to make sure that you read everything that the campaign wants. Also make sure to have everything detailed and itemized and just go from there.
What’s your daily life look like?
I would say that no day looks the same. Like today for instance, I woke up, I exercised, and was on the phone with clients. I was reading through my email and going through all those things. I made sure that everyone has everything that they need to post for the holiday season. I also got a couple things from different opportunities for them, so I emailed those things out. Then I went to get a mani pedi because it is the holidays. And I just wanted a mani pedi. I did that for myself. And now I am talking to you. So, no day kind of looks the same. I do start everyday with some form of quiet time even if it is meditation or prayer. I even like a quick stretch or exercise or affirmations. I try to start with that. And then I kind of dive in depending on what my schedule is.
How has 2020/COVID 19 impacted your line of work?
I still have been pretty busy due to the pandemic and different movements. A lot of my clients, who are people of color, have had more opportunities to either get their voice out there or to become faces of different brands or campaigns. I haven’t personally been affected financially by the pandemic but I am very aware that it has affected a lot of people. I am very, very blessed to just be doing what I do and what I love and having a season of increase. It has been really, really good.
Have you seen changes in how much the media is responding?
I would say, they are responding more. Certain clients have had a lot more opportunities like television shows or reality tv. The media has seen more opportunities and responses because people are switching where they work, or moving from online to print or print to online. Some people are moving from tv, or cities or even countries. My media list of contacts has changed a bit but as for opportunities, they have been steadily coming in.
As an industry leader in the field, do you have any advice for those new to PR?
If you are new to PR, make sure you can write very well and have thick skin. Not everyone is going to say yes everytime you pitch something or like your client. It is important to do your homework. You need to know how someone fits; you need to know how to fit your client. You need to also be aware of what that person has done before and after. And know what your client has in store up to 6 months and what their goals are. Also, know what they are working on, you should always have an up to date media kit for yourself and clients. Just stay the course. Do not get discouraged from how things may be and be prepared that some people can be short. But stay focused on your goal and be willing to learn. I have learned so much just from hands-on situations. Hitting the pavement and figuring it out. It was a big change being Junior PR under someone and then running your own business. There is so much that you don’t consider when running your own business. From finances and paperwork along with different things like that. Lastly, I say just be open, organized, and ready.
Currently, Shekinah is guest speaking at colleges, pageants, and workshops sharing her journey to building her own brand. Shekinah has taught Perfectly You at America’s Elite Miss pageant, Crown Con and Albright College, and will continue to share how to be perfectly you throughout the country.
To learn more about Shekinah check out: www.perfectvisionpr.com and www.diaryofaprsocialite.com.
About Voices in PR:
Voices in PR is a platform where we discuss relevant issues regarding PR and social media. We get insight from influencers and PR leaders about useful and trending topics. Check out our video as well, linked to this blog. If you like this program, or would like to share your thoughts, please comment below.
Headquartered in New York City, Bao Communications is a full-service bilingual PR Agency specializing in social media, media relations, content creation, and influencer marketing. We serve local, national, and global clients in the United States and China.