We all need a little PR now and again
I did something I haven’t done in quite some time.
I spoke to a group of women on Friday with an ecletic background. Very few were authors, many were wellness consultants (that seemed to be the profession du jour), but al had one thing in common. They all need a little PR.
Now and again.
With their eager eyes and rapt attention, my audience of entrepreneurs at the annual “Women That Win” conference in Boca Raton were like sponges. For forty five minutes they pumped me for information and left me with a lot of ideas. The most immediate one being, 45 minutes does not a publicity speech make. I could have run on for the balance of the day.
But I didn’t and sat down to witness the wonderful world of Jay Berkowitz, online marketing guru extraordinaire. That’s another story. I inhaled so much useful information from his 45 minutes that I am sure I’m going to have to clone myself. Lord knows I can’t afford a slave, I mean assistant. Another thing I learned from Jay: online marketing is VERY time intensive. Unfortunately, you can’t just sit and hope it all will happen. There is a lot of fishing to do.
And, we need the patience of fisherman.
Back to my talk and the revelations that came from it. Learnnig how to promote yourself with pr techniques is key to all professions. The landscape is larger with the newer online component but the basics still apply. We all need to learn how to craft a story line, craft a story, find the appropriate media to share it with, approach the media with the story idea, follow up on it, learn how to communicate with the media and upon the good fortune of winning the story, learn how to turn it into another marketing bonanza piece.
With Kellie Cuecha at Women that Win event in Boca
A lot to do, I know. But in chunks, not so difficult. Like I was going to say, but forgot, in my talk, “it ain’t rocket science.”
My newest feather for my pr cap will be “Living Room PR Coaching Events” – For those who don’t have the hourly fee in their pockets to work with me privately, this is the next best thing. I’ll invite from 5-10 women to gather and work with me on an appointed topic. I’m thinking of these:
* General publicity overview
* Book publicity
* Platform building
* Composing your press release
* Pitching media
* Preparing for the media (media training)
* Creating a killer press kit
* Unknown ideas to come
So what do you think? Obviously, this will begin as a local effort. (Hey, who wouldn’t like to learn with me in sunny Florida in the dead of winter?)
PR is a game that anyone can play. Anyone who is comfortable with: rejection, working in intangibles, trying to control the uncontrollable, quantify the unquantifiable. But, I don’t think it should be something that only those with lots of discretionary income should enjoy. It’s lean times out there and in our Gucci bags. We must learn to be more self-reliant and therefore add the skill of pr and publicity to our palette of talents.
Give me some feedback, or better yet, scare me up a group. It’s gotta be fun.
Or I won’t do it!
Until next time. To all you budding publicists out there, may the force be with you and may you hold the media in the palm of your hand and have them dance your stories like a ballerina.
P.S. Note to boss…HCI got tons of promotion, women won HCI books and all want to buy hundreds of books each!!
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We first spoke eons ago, and as Life would have it I came across your blog this morning (via LinkedIn) and it couldn’t have been timelier. One of the toughest things I have found, since going back on a full-time basis with my freelance writing business, is working on my own collateral materials. When I was in the thick of publishing and marketing my own tome, “Why … THANK YOU!,” back in 1996/97, I found myself tuned in to marketing opportunities all the time. Now as I take a deep breath and dedicate myself to becoming the successful professional I envision myself to be today, I am delighted to find you again, Kim. I would love to participate in your first “Living Room PR Coaching Events” and would like to know more on what it needs to be coordinated on my end, i.e. preferred days/times, etc. I’m in the midst of a networking frenzy, and I know that there are many more individuals and business people who would appreciate your igniting spark of inspiration and guidance as we create and sustain our presence/brands and psyches in the South Florida market. Thank you!