3 Tips to do your own PR

Today I am going to give you some tips on how to do your own PR, as a few of you have come back to me, saying that you do not know where to start.

Right, so let’s be clear; the intention behind PR, is to raise your visibilty so that you are heard on a much bigger level. This inevitably requires you stepping outside of your comfort zone hey? Yup,

Firstly, I would suggest you consider where you would like to be featured? For example: If you help people with feeling better through a particular product, such as helping them to become much more energised? Then you could look at women’s magazines, lifestyle and health and well-being sections of daily newspapers, or even those sections of radio shows,or television shows.

Secondly, once you have identified them, I would suggest you invest in them, ie buy them for at least three months, or even get the current copy and get past-issues to look over even through your local library.  Don’t be overly pedantic about this, ie if it is a daily publication, do not stress about getting to look at three months of it before taking action and pitching.

You need to spend time looking over where you want to be featured in, so that you can see where you would fit in, as otherwise the journalist or producer will just delete your email and you mostly would be none the wiser, as they rarely have time to acknowledge your pitch or even respond sadly.

Thirdly, you need to put together a pitch. Now, think of it like this.. If you have a book to promote and you put ” Pitch email : I’ve a new book coming out about rabbits for you to review.”

This subject line in an email is far too salesy, and would put them off. If your book is about rabbits, and the publication, or show talks about pets or even rabbits that you know of, you cannot just put that in the headline as it is unclear how it helps them.

If you put ‘ How to stop your rabbit biting through your fire again… or Is your rabbit biting everything? Here’s how to stop it before it becomes rabbit stew?

Can you see the difference. You have to come from the place of ” What is in it for me.” which is how the journalist will be looking at your pitch email from.

Then you put two or three lines about who you are and what you do. Keep it brief as journalists are typically time-poor.

Hi  Journalist,

I am wondering if you would like to do a feature on how to stop your rabbit biting everything?
I saw your column recently when you sharing about the new sprays that you can spray on things in the home to stop them biting, well I have a few more tips which your readers might be interested to learn about.

I’ve been practicing rabbit therapy for x amount of years and I have a book called: ” How to domesticate your rabbit, yes even that one,’ in just a month.

Sincerely,

Rabbit Therapist.

Got it?

Remember it is a back and forth game PR, just because you do not hit it out the park and get featured straight away does not mean that you never will. You have to keep on pitching and building relationships on Social Media with the journalists and producers where you want to be featured on which to be honest is mostly on Twitter/ Find them and retweet them, and support them, be known to them so that when your email lands in their inbox they will at least know who you are and also know that you have been actively supporting them, which will bode well for you.

If you want more help from yours truly….. get in touch,

Love Carrie x