5 PR face-palm moments of mine you can learn from

Dear Lovely Business Owner,

Today, I’m sharing a five face-palm moments of mine which you can learn from.

They say that it is important to fail forward, or well you just stay where you are ? So true.

As you know if you have been reading my blog for a while, or know a little bit about PR; it is all about relationships and how you personally relate to the world and the media.

PR has the ability to get your message and brand out into the world in ways that facebook lives, or email marketing cannot. They simply cannot.

Here are my five face-palm moments...

One.. Sending an long email pitch. Last year I used to send out email pitches, which I know looking back now  were just far too long and would just been deleted. You see journalists are ultra busy people, who are often on tight deadlines and running very tight ships.

What this means is that they do not have time to read more than two short paragraphs; let alone five lengthy ones sharing your clients entire story, ‘tweetables’ and showreels. I know right? They literally scan and respond, ignore or just delete.

Can you guess how many responses I got? It does not take much to work out, very very few given the amount of emailings that I was sending, which leads me onto my next ‘face palm moment.’

Two: Sending my email pitch to the wrong person. I had spoken to this particular show, for a while and I was sure that I was sending my tailored, and lengthy pitches to the right producer. It turns out.

No. I had been sending my email pitches to the top producer, that producer of the show. This for a huge national show,  was a huge error.

This is because the top producer simply does not have the time, interest or bandwidth to actually even look at anyone’s emails; other than those of her team, which are largely filtered down by her assistant.

I discovered that for this particular programme that there were ” Features Producers,’ and ‘Women’s Producers,’ who I was better off targeting and even then; their assistants.

As most Producers have a team or ‘minons’ to support them with their work, whilst they are busy literally running the show.

Three: Making my pitches too much about my client’s  product or service. I cringe when I read this now, as I have learnt a lot since this still it sometimes I do slip up again with this basic error.

You see, given the PR is mostly a free option to promote your business in a way that gives your visibility on steroids, you need to  bear in mind that it has to be about what you can do for the publication or programme.

For example: If your book was about: ‘How to boost self-confidence,’ you do not pitch with  ” I have a book about how to boost self-confidence.”No.

You could pitch with ” Forgotten ways to boost self-confidence that every busy mum needs.,’ for a show or publications that busy mums would be watching or reading.

Or you might ‘newsjack,’ and look at something current happening like Brexit and pitch : ” How to remain calm before, during and after Brexit.” Can you see the difference? Good, so can the people on the receiving end of your pitches..

Four: Not watching the show you want to be featured on or not reading the publication. I know I am guilty of this.

For example: I remember being so enthusiastic about ringing up the BBC, that when I did actually speak to the  team for ‘The BBC Breakfast,’  i was not up-to-date with the show’s format nor the news either.

Still, failing my way forward, you guessed it, I now am very familiar. So remember that if  you really want to be featured on a show or in a publication to consume it, at least three times before you pitch.

Five:’ Newsjacking’ too late. To be clear ‘newsjacking,’ is when you go to the media, when the news is breaking and you weigh in with your opinion. The point of this though is that you have to be early, not late.

Earlier this year I was working with a client and I was far too late. The story had broke and the moment had passed.

When I rang up various radio shows like Talk Radio and BBC London, the moment had passed. It was painful. It was embarrassing and it was not my best moment.

Still, do I now know what to do? You bet. So, to be clear you need to pitch the relevant journalists when the story is breaking… in the moment and be very fast, as it will flash by and you will be having a ‘face-palm moment,’ otherwise, like me.

These are just a few of my many ‘face-palm’ moments for you to learn from so that you can when you are looking to do your own PR.

Alternatively you can work with me personally. I have just three places on my Heavenly VIPS programme, where I will work each on avoiding any ‘face-palm moments,’ so you can dramatically raise your visibility/ Here’s more information: http://www.theblondepreneur.com/spiritualpr

Or, I have just fifteen places on my Spiritual PR Membership club where you will have my guidance and monthly consult as well as for long-temr members you will gain access to all of my courses as part of your membership. Here’s more information. http://www.theblondepreneur.com/spiritualpr-heavenly-club/

Sincerely,

Love Carrie xx

p.s Remember before you know it will be next year, so if you are ready to finally shine, let me help you get in touch.