Paula Gardner's diary will allow you to:
* Attract new customers and clients
* Raise your professional reputation and credibility (and so be able to able to charge more for your products and services!)
..and all through the power of PR. Just visit:
http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp
If you're still planning your business it's not too early to start thinking about your PR. Here are my ten top tips on things you can do to start getting your PR right from the very beginning.
Top Ten PR Tips For Planning Stage from Paula Gardner of Do Your Own PR
Identify your target market. Who are they? What’s their age, gender, type of work? How much available income do they have, and what would they spend it on? Really get to know who you will be PR-ing to and you may even find it useful to give them a name so that they become a real person – to you at least.
If you can’t break it down so precisely think of a few different customers and give them all different names.
What would this customer read? What newspapers would they buy – and what sections of it would they read/? What radio stations would they listen to and what TV programmes would they watch?
When you know this only then can you start subscribing, buying and watching or listening to the relevant media.
If you don’t know, commission a market research survey to find out – this information will be vital when it comes to marketing and PR-ing your business.
Start to keep an eye on the media coverage that your competition is getting. Pull it out and keep it for future reference. Remember, you will have to do better.
PR involves a lot of copy-writing – articles, press releases, media tips and so on. If you haven’t got a copywriter on board, or don’t feel happy about doing it yourself, now is the time to source one that understands your industry and your vision.
Start thinking about your business and yourself – your past experiences and personal history. Is there anything PR-able that you could draw upon in the future?
If you’re planning to use a PR agency start asking around at networking functions to get a good idea of who covers your area and who is respected and proactive.
When you’re putting your business plan together don’t forget to include freebies for journalists, competition prizes and exhibition give-always –all vital in today’s media marketplace. Very Best Wishes,
Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:
by Paula Gardner A growing percentage of my clients are businesses that have already been using a PR agency, and either finding them ineffectual, or just unsure as to whether there's any real connection between the coverage they are getting and the sales they are making.
While the first problem is something that has to dealt with on a case to basis, the second is something that actually needs addressing before you take on a PR agency, or even embark on your own PR campaign. It's about putting in systems to measure PR from the very beginning - or as soon as you possibly can.
How to Evaluate The Amount of PR Coverage You're Getting
1. Get access to your web stats. It's amazing how many small businesses don't know how many people are clicking through to their site and from where. This is such a vital step when it comes to planning and growing an online PR campaign. If you don't know how, ask your web designers or hosts to sort it out for you. Look at where people are clicking through from. Have you particularly targeted these websites and, are they bringing you new customers?
2. Asking where people heard about you. This can be in the form of a question on your contact form, or just something you naturally ask new customers.
3. Running specific offers with specific publications will help you gauge whether it really is your target market. If someone is writing about you, see if you can also add on a reader offer (most publications are usually delighted if they are already doing something on you anyway) to actually see if the people who read your PR are also taking the vital step to buying from you.
How to Evaluate Whether that Coverage Is Working
Now, as a PR person I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but sometimes PR isn’t the Now, As a PR person I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but sometimes PR isn’t the answer. answer. Sometimes, the results you get out from it really aren’t worth the effort you put into it, or the money you spend on it.
Don’t get me wrong. I do believe that it’s important, and I would never advise anyone to give up on it, but sometimes you just have to take a step back and consider how much time you should be spending on it
Whether you are a one man band doing everything from designing to making to delivering products and planning and carrying out your own PR and marketing, or a large organisation employing specific PR people or an agency, re-evaluating your PR is something you should do on at least a quarterly basis.
Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:
If you're anything like me you're probably keen to take all the free advice and help that business organisations can offer you, and why not?!
And, having had my fair share for Do Your Own PR I was really pleased to be invited to take part in the Addmore scheme which offers London based businesses up to £1000 worth of PR training. Here are the details:
Are you a London based private sector business employing 20-249 people? Are you keen to take advantage of PR training and raise the profile of your business? Do Your Own PR has been chosen to be a provider for the Addmore Leadership and Management Programme. Funded by the LSC and managed by Business Link for London, Addmore will help to develop your business by refunding the cost of engaging Do Your Own PR to enhance your Public Relations skills.
The programme entitles you to a maximum refund of £1000 on any pre agreed spend with Do Your Own PR. Our services include PR ecourses, PR coaching and mentoring on a monthly basis, and full PR consultations, which provide everything you need to PR your business. The scheme is open until 2007, but is run on a first come first served basis. For more details contact
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, or 0208 504 4557.
Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:
The first few days are always the most intensive and we've got stuck straight in with three separate press releases cum invites - for the women's and general press (national dailies for instance), the gay press and the bridal press.
My assistant Julie and I have also had to contact each publication individually to check up on the names and contact details of the features and fashion Eds. I am familiar with many of them already, but as the media is such a fast changing world it makes sense to make sure that all details are up to date and correct on a regular basis.
So, the first few weeks have been a flurry of writing, editing, compiling a master media list for Bo and, finally, getting the invites off in the post.
Because Bo has such a visual product it makes sense that her most desired targets receive their press release and invite not only via email, but also through the post. I leave this to Bo who produces an exquisite and attractive package that will hopefully tempt them to either come along, or cover the new range of jewellery.
Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:
The first step when working with any client is the initial meeting. So, I wander up to Bo's attic studio cum office and spend a good two hours discussing the prospective press release cum invitation and who we are going to be sending it out to.
The event is the launch of the men's and bridal collection and is being held at The Boardwalk in Soho at the end of the month. It's a good central venue that's both trendy and reliable and within walking distance of many London based publications (location of venue is of vital importance when organising a press event.)
We discuss a good list of the women's, dailies, nationals, bridal and gay magazines and it's now my job to go away and put together a contact list of features and fashion editors, along with anyone else that may be interested in jewellery such as wedding planners for the bridal collection.
Although I generally spend most of my time teaching small businesses how to do their own PR, I do occasionally take on clients and do their PR for them. And, with my latest client, www.bobangles.co.uk, I've decided to let you into everything that goes on during our time together (6 weeks) so that you can get a glimpse of how PR really works - and the process that it takes should you decide to do your own pr.
First off, let me tell you about Bo Bangles. Bo came to me a couple of years ago for a one-off sit down mini consultation. The idea was to give her PR some structure and also put together a press release that she would be able to use for her business on an on-going basis. Since then I've been incredibly impressed with Bo - not only is her hand-crafted jewellery gorgeous (which always helps), but she is also one of these people that really goes it for it and takes action. Over the last couple of years she's been in Time Out, OK magazine, Closer magazine and even been commissioned to the do the wedding jewellery for GMTV's Claire Nasir- and all under her own steam! A star client if ever there was one!
It's a fact that however fantastic your designs or products may be, in today's fast moving IT orientated world there is little point in contacting the press unless you have a website to show them your wares. And whilst it would be fabulous to be able to buy from this website, a brochure type set would at least be something to get the ball rolling.
My speciality is in coaching and mentoring my clients to do their own PR and promotions and it's amazing how many of them come to me without a website, for various reasons. And I'll give you the gist of some of them here - and my solution!
Money
It ca be expensive to set up a website I know. But there are relatively cheap stop-gap solutions. The company www.oneandone.co.uk provides template websites (you choose the design and colour and add your own text and pictures) for £4.99 a month, and they even have a higher package which has a shopping facility.
Time
Handing it over to someone else can be a relief but do make sure that you get the ability to go in and edit your own website with a content manager system. This means that whenever you want to add something, or even change a typo, you can just log on and edit it as if it was a word document. It may be a little more expensive at the beginning but in the long run will be much cheaper than getting the designer to make changes every month - and part of promoting yourself in the long term is to make things like websites look fresh and varied.
Perfectionism
Perhaps you've got the beginnings of a website but aren't going to unleash it on the world until you've got it perfect. My advice? Just do it - get it out there and move onto the next thing. Make a note to re-look at it on a monthly basis and come to it with a fresh eye then.
The Friend Trap
It happens so often - an eager friend who happens to know a bit about website offers to do you a site. You both begin full of excitement but after a few weeks it trails off and you're left with a half-finished site and a friendship that dangles mid-air between not wanting to annoy your friend and frustration at them for not finishing what they said they would? My advice - ask them if they could finish it by a deadline for you - scrounge some money (or barter) to pay them something decent for doing it - and move it to a professional for the future.
These are just some of the problems that hound people who want to promote themselves and their products. If you'd like to really take your business up and a gear and feel that you would benefit from some PR coaching and mentoring do get in touch with me via www.doyouronwpr.com.
Three years ago the thought of going on stage in front of a hundred people would have terrified me - today, well, to be honest, I still don't love it, but I know that it's a great way to bring in new business and raise profile - and you never know who's in the audience.
I know that it’s meant to be rated as one of the scariest things you can do, but when I see someone speaking confidently and expertly on their subject my respect for them increases tenfold. It puts you into a bracket than non-public speakers never reach. And, what’s more, speaking to the collected occupants of one room is so much more effective than networking through it, person by person. You have their undivided attention, and you can get your point across without fear of being interrupted.
And it's a great way to show off your wares, your designs with a chance to say exactly what you want about them - and not have to respond to someone else's questions.
So, how do you do it?
If you haven’t spoken publicly before think about what you do and what prospective clients or customers might find of interest. You need to strike a balance between providing something that is value to them, and showing yourself to be a credible and trusted authority in your field.
2. When you’ve worked out what it is you have to offer give yourself a trial run at a local networking group that uses speakers, a women’s group or even the local PTA if it’s relevant.
3. If you enjoyed that and decided you’d like to learn more then a Toastmasters (http://www.toastmasters.org) group is the next logical step. I’ve had many clients who tell me that Toastmasters has boosted their confidence and helped honed their presentation skills.
4. When you’re ready, contact the trade organisations or networking groups for the type of customers that you want to attract and offer to speak to them. Ensure your sales information, brochures and contact details are readily available, and before you finish, make your audience a limited offer that will (if they are vaguely considering using you) provoke them to get in touch with you NOW!
5. Finally, don’t forget to invite the press to hear you speak – a must for anyone running a PR campaign.
Of course, you’re never going to be able to do all this in a week, but, whatever stage you are at; you can take the next step. If you’re a complete novice you can think about what you can talk about. If you’ve done a few speeches and feel like taking it further, then you can contact your local Toastmasters.
I hope you'll forgive me today but I'm so excited about my new book.Called "Get Noticed: How to Dramatically Raise Your Small Business Profile in 30 Days or Less", it's a PR workbook that puts PR into a workable strategy rather than just leaving it as a nice idea.
The main thing people want to know is how long it took me to write and, to be honest, the whole thing didn't take more than three months. What I did was look at my clients and how they actually put my PR suggestions into practice. And the ones that had the most success were the ones who allotted time for PR and got stuck in there on a regular basis. I've re-created this in this PR workbook, giving people a structure and deadlines to work to - something I'd advise doing on any campaign, whether it's PR, marketing or advertising.
The reviews have started to come in and they are very nice! Here are a few:
This book is a must for aspiring small businesses. You'll love seeing in very simple steps how to build big company profile without spending big company bucks. It will pay for itself many times over." Caspian Woods, Author of the UK's best-selling start-up guide, 'From Acorns', www.fromacorns.com
"If you want to attract new customers and build your business, you won’t do better than follow the advice in Get Noticed! Its wall-to-wall practical approach will help even the most daunted small business owner get to grips with PR in an easy, manageable and fun way." Ros Jay, author of The White Ladder Diaries, and co-founder of The White Ladder Press, www.whiteladderpress.com
"I enjoyed the ebook immensely. It's written in no nonsense terms and really helps you to motivate yourself to do what you know you ought to be doing. You can give yourself a daily dose of common sense PR and if you do all the exercises Paula plans you can't fail to come out of it without achieving a big step forward in promoting your business yourself. I've used Paula's courses before and have found that the results were there to be had, if only you can make time and courage to Do your Own PR." Caroline Creasey, www.sillyjokes.co.uk
You can read more about how you can improve your business profile in 30 days here:
Setting up your own press room, or press page, on your website is to be recommended. It makes you look good (as though the press drop by and peruse your site on a regular basis) to press and clients alike, and provides a helpful resource should any browsing journalist come along and explore your site. And, you’d be amazed at how often great PR moments are just stumbled upon by a journalist surfing the internet and picking up on an interesting site.
So, what is a press room?
Basically, it’s a page or area of your site where you can post your press release or include links to it as a downloadable PDF.You can include contact details of key press contacts so that journalists can go straight to the person in know (or your own mobile number if you’re a one man operation) as well as links to or examples of any press coverage that you’ve had in the past. Do be aware however that you need to get permission before reproducing the whole or part of a published article and be careful to include their copyright.
Finally, you can also provide links to other sites or mention books or resources that might be of interest to journalists writing an article on that area.
Don’t forget that sometimes one of the biggest and most simplest networking steps you can take is becoming part of your local community. This can mean anything from becoming a school governor, to taking on the role of treasurer in your own Residents Association to coaching a women's football team. From a publicity angle you are getting your name out there amongst local people who may well be keen to help you and school, community and local charity events often get reported by the local press, helping your name become recognised in the local area.
And while local press may seem small fry to you, there are advantages to courting it. If you're new to the business of PR it's a great way to build confidence and find out what works in getting your own business noticed, and the contacts you forge may come in handy in the long term - that rookie you talk to on the local Gazette may one day move onto the Guardian or She magazine.
And, of course, by giving to your local community, you’ll really be helping to make a difference. But, only do this is if it appeals. There’s no point in forcing yourself to this you're not going to be able to keep it up.
So, consider this:
You must be genuinely interested in what you are doing. There’s got to be some passion there as it can and will get pretty tedious at times.
Realise that this is a long term strategy.
Make sure that you can give the time and energy the position needs. You will do more harm than good (to you and them) if you have to back out later because you’re spreading yourself too thinly.
If you’ve got a way with words one of the cheapest and most effective ways to get coverage for your business is to write an article.
Once written, you can use it in so many ways – post it up on your website as sticky content to draw visitors back, post on forums and offer to send it to interested parties who might then go on to become potential customers, or use the offer of a free article as an incentive to get people to sign up to your mailing list. You can, if you’re very lucky, get it published in a magazine or trade paper and even get paid for it, or you could offer it as free content to any number of websites in return for a link to your site.
It also helps set you up as an expert in your field – always a good thing!
The trick is to make it helpful and informative without being a blatant sell – but still selling enough to make it worth your while.
If you’re not a good writer then write the bare bones that you want to get across then pay, beg, or barter with someone who can write to fluff it out, fill it out or polish it.
If you’re writing for the web stick to short punchy sentences and intersperse your article with headings and bullet points to make it easy on eye.
And, the beauty of it is that you can often use one article over and over again. It’s one canny piece of D-I-Y PR that the experts don’t want you to know about!
PR trainer and author Paula Gardner of www.doyourownpr.com offers ecourses in How to Do Your Own PR, networking, Cold Calling, Writing Copy To Sell, Building a Cult Newsletter and Writing Articles to Promote Your Business.Not only are these subjects broken down into easy to understand and implement segments, but you personally receive Paula’s ideas and suggestions for your own business for the duration of the course.For more information please check out http://www.doyourownpr.com/products.asp for more info.
If you've been watching the Dragons' Den, that BBC TV programme where hopeful entrepreneurs have to present to a panel of self made business people (millionaires the lots of them) in order to get funding for their business, you'll have heard “PR” bandied abound a lot. Quite often the Dragons have come up with the advice to "Get some PR and then look for investor". But taking on a PR agency can easily cost upwards of £2000 a month - outsourcing to a freelancer is slightly cheaper, but still a hefty wedge of cash that guarantees absolutely zilch.
The alternative is to do your own pr, building your own brand and credibility, and learning a skill that will benefit you in all areas of life and work. So, what I hope to do over the weeks, is to give some some practical ideas that you can get on and implement.
But, just to get you going I'm going to suggest that you forget about the media for the moment and concentrate on the people that you know. This sounds an easy task but until you've mastered selling yourself to your friends and family, you're not ready to take on the press. What I suggest you do is to go through your address books old and new, as well as your email address folders, and put together a list of 100 plus people you may not have contacted in the last few months.
Now think about something you'd like for your business- some referrals, marketing advice, or just to remind them that you’re around. Then write to them and ask for what you want. You don't have to be rude or pushy about it - "As you know I run Gorgeous Boutique. Things have been going well but we're really determined to make it big in 2005 - and wondered if you'd visit our website to give us some feedback on the new look/ know any press or media that might be useful to get in contact with?”
What you say is up to you - but it's an exercise that not only builds up confidence but also helps with the general "buzz" - and you'd be surprised how many of my clients who do this suddenly come across friend with a brother who works in television or a sister who is the features editor of a glossy monthly magazine.
Even if only 5%-10 % are able to help you, look at how much you will have achieved - and all the others have been reminded of you and your business.
So, what are you waiting for?
PR trainer and author Paula Gardner of www.doyourownpr.com offers ecourses in How to Do Your Own PR, networking, Cold Calling, Writing Copy To Sell,Building a Cult Newsletter and Writing Articles to Promote Your Business.Not only are these subjects broken down into easy to understand and implement segments, but you personally receive Paula’s ideas and suggestions for your own business for the duration of the course.For more information please check out http://www.doyourownpr.com/products.asp for more info.
