How To Turn a Disaster Into Something Special...

Running your own business can be a real rollercoaster ride. One minute things are going swimmingly, and the next you're served a curve ball, that if you let it, can really set you back.

Take my first ever PR stunt for instance. There I was, six weeks into my new job at a creative PR agency, on a train to Blackpool. The idea was to have a large-scale sand drawing of a Monsters Inc. character on the beach with the infamous tower in the background. I'd spent 13 years working as a Journalist, so had no clue how to make everything piece together. You could say I was well and truly out of my depth….

Nicola Rowley15 October 2019PR reputation, PR persistence, patience in PR, PR practitioner, PR win, PR for small business owners, PR Storytelling, PR for entrepreneursComment

Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway...

I remember when it came to bringing out my first children’s book. I searched high and low for a PR expert who could help me get more visible, and make those all-important parents aware of my story and the messages it contained.

I reasoned, that even though I had several years PR experience under my belt, I’d never publicised a book before and so surely it was better to work with those who had.

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To Press Release or Not - That Is The Question...

As a small business owner if you’re looking to leverage awareness around what you do - should you write and distribute a press release? My answer to this would be probably not.

A press release by its very nature is to announce news and unless you have a book coming out, or have won an award or something similar, it’s best to keep approaching Journalists separately with potential feature ideas.

Nicola Rowley18 July 2019press release, press release writing, writing press releases, PR practitioner, PR for Female Entrepreneurs, PR Storytelling, PR for small business owners, Fempreneur PR, NJRPR, Nicola J Rowley, Nicola J Rowley PR, Local media, national media, local media near me, media contacts near meComment

Why You Need To React Fast If You Want To Secure Coverage...

Journalists work to deadlines.

So if you get approached and asked for a comment and PR is part of your visibility strategy, please find a way to be able to write a quote or speak to them straight away.

I get that life can be busy, but getting yourself and your business known requires you to make the most of any opportunities that come your way.

Nicola Rowley27 June 2019Reactive PR, PR for small business owners, PR for Female Entrepreneurs, Reacting fast, News agenda PR, Fempreneur PR, NJRPR, Nicola J Rowley PR, Nicola J Rowley, Securing PR coverage Comment

How To Maximise Any PR That You Secure...

I get asked a lot what is the best way to maximise any PR opportunities that come your way.

There are the obvious things like posting on social media, but your audience and potential clients should be left in no doubt that you have secured coverage somewhere. Because let’s face it, you will have already done your research and know the media they like to consume, whether that be radio, podcasts, magazines, TV or online, or a combination of all of them.

Nicola Rowley18 June 2019PR Storytelling, PR for small business owners, PR for Female Entrepreneurs, NJRPR, Nicola J Rowley PR, Maximise your PR winsComment

What Journalists Are Looking For And How You Can Help Them...

Journalists get inundated with emails - some of them receive up to 800 a day, so if you really want to stand out from everyone else you need to think what would make them stop scrolling and click on yours. A catchy subject line is always a great starting point.

Then, instead of waffling about who you are and what you do - try and think about what they’re looking for. When I trained as a Journalist we were always told to write a story with the key components of Who, What, When, Why and to offer How further down if it was relevant.

Nicola Rowley12 June 2019Journalists, What Journalists Want, PR Storytelling, PR for Female Entrepreneurs, Understanding PR, PR for small business owners, Nicola J Rowley, Nicola J Rowley PR, NJRPRComment

Getting Started With Your PR...

You already know that PR can help improve your brand’s awareness levels, attract more opportunities and if done correctly, can get you in front of your ideal clients. But knowing where to start and how, can often be a real stumbling block.

It can also be a really big thing to even contemplate putting yourself ‘out there’ and trying to get your story featured.

Nicola Rowley5 June 2019Getting started with PR, Doing your own PR, PR for Female Entrepreneurs, PR for small business owners, Female entrepreneur PR specialist, Brand PR, Storytelling, Not sellingComment

Why Patience And Persistence Are Key To Securing Coverage...

There have been so many times over the years when I’ve been asked whether there would be a guarantee of coverage for a PR story that I’ve devised or overseen. The answer is always the same. There are never any guarantees, but when you get it right, the results can surpass even your own expectations.

PR expertiseNicola Rowley22 May 2019NJRPRpatience in PR, Persistence, Publicity, Journalists, Journalism, Red Magazine, Entrepreneur PR, PR for Female Entrepreneurs, Publicity for SME, PR for small business owners, NJRPR, Nicola J Rowley, Nicola J Rowley PRComment