Are your PR efforts feeling as flat as a pancake? Try these 9 tips to add to your mix.

Dear Lovely Business Owner,

Are your PR efforts feeling as flat as a pancake? Try these 9 tips to add to your mix!

1. Review what  you are doing. For example: are you actually pitching to the right person?!  I know this might sound very simply but sadly, time and time again I know that this happens. When you pitch and you follow up and suddenly, realise that the reason that you have not heard anything AT ALL, is because it was to the right person!
2. Follow up faster By this I mean, ensure that when you see a story breaking or you follow up with a #journorequest on Twitter, you do it fast; as otherwise you will miss the opportunity!
3. Make it about them, not you. I see this all. Small business owners and entrepreneurs focussing too much on them, and not enough on how you can help the journalist with whatever they are doing. The more you can make it about helping them, to make them look good to their editors or producers and their audience, the more likely you will be to be flipping successful!!
4. Spend time on Twitter. Twitter is where every news story breaks, yes before facebook. I recommend that if you are really serious about becoming successful with your ‘flipping PR,’ that you start hanging out there, for 15 minutes every day. By doing this, you will start to see patterns in how news stories break, you will start to see how journalist within seconds of a story breaks, post for help for something that they are researching, for example.
5. Start to build relationships with the media on Twitter. Yes another Twitter request but you know the fact is that the media are literally on twitter the most, out of any kind of social media, so it makes sense for you to be there too. If you have not already, you need to get yourself a Twitter account. Then you need ti identify where in the media your audience, not you, your audience hang out. Once you know this you can start to follow the Twitter accounts for people who work for these publication. I recommend that you follow the general account such as the general account for say Red Magazine but then you also follow the features editor too, for example.
6. Consume the media you want to be in. Journalist are not stupid, within seconds of your email pitch, they know if you have ever watched their show, read their article or listened to them!
7. Personally acknowledge their media  By this I mean, in just a few sentences; share that you know what they do, especially that you are up-to-date at their latest piece, the more likely they are to take notice of you, and actually respond. Again, I know this is very basic, yet it so often overlooked as people believe that that would be able to help the media so much with their book, their opinions, their message and of course their business. Honestly, think of it this way; the media are human beings, and we all need to be acknowledged, to be seen, to be valued and to be heard, so pay them a little bit of attention before you put together your pitch and in your pitch!
8. Play the long game. To be quite honest, PR is not a cure-all or a magic-pill that some people believe it is. Of course it has it amazing benefits, it is a one-of-its-kind authority-builder. Absolutely. Yet this takes times, it takes effort, it takes energy!  So, do not be put off by early rejections or failures you just have to keep plugging away! It will start to pay off, like with anything with the right amount of patience and persistence, so hang in there!

Help the media, Sometimes, you are simply not the person who can help the media, as it is just not your area. This happens! So, I recommend, during your 15 minutes a day, for example that you check out #journorequest and you see how you can help the media, by retweeting them, or  tagging in someone you know to help them, or even tweeting them saying :” I might be able to help you, can you DM me more info?” Then, saying someone you know could help with this. This is not only good karma, but it means that you will be on their radar in the future, which is a real win/  win!

If you need more support with  ensuring you PR efforts are not ever again flat as a pancake, sign up to my newsletter to the right of the screen as I am launching a brand new three-tiered membership club very soon, so you will be the first to know!

Sincerely,

Carrie ) x

p.s For the record, the only way to ensure that you become more and more successful is to do it! So, what are you waiting for!! Flip those pitches!!

Pancakes on white plate. Selective focus.