Building Your PR Reputation...

If you’re just starting to secure some PR for you and your business the likelihood is that you will need to start small before you land some bigger coverage.

I often suggest for those at the start of their journey to aim for lesser known titles and then build up your body of work until you’re able to secure larger, national publications.

Be prepared to be thinking about providing tips or comments for pieces that are around the subjects that you want to be known as an expert for. Then, when you’re feeling braver you can approach titles with suggested guest posts. Confidence can be a real game changer in terms of what you’re able to achieve.

Don’t get me wrong, you may well be able to secure some great national coverage straight away. But it will usually land because Journalists are looking for a particular case study and you’re a great fit, or what you have to say will work within the news agenda. Or of course, you could have an amazing story in which case it is likely to go everywhere.

What you have to remember is that PR is a strategic way of placing you front of mind with your ideal clients, and should be approached as such.

And if you get a knock back, it’s rarely to do with you.

It’s just that right now the Journalist isn’t looking to write about a female entrepreneurial story or to feature what you have suggested. Please just re-group and start again.

It still happens to me. Sometimes I call Journalists and they’re just too busy to talk so I make sure I get off the phone quickly and send them an email instead.

If what you have to offer works for them, they will respond quite quickly once their initial deadline has passed.

If not, and if after chasing you’re still not getting any joy, then you have to assume that approach hasn’t been successful or doesn’t appeal to them.

At all times please don’t feel disheartened. Your next piece of publicity is just around the corner, but like I say it’s a long game that you’re playing to raise that awareness and get the fame for your brand that you would like.

Spending just half an hour a day focusing on your PR efforts could yield great results for you.

Just keep going because you never know what you can achieve when you put your mind to it… x