Inspired by the fabulous Lilian Sue’s episode from last month, we jumped feet first into chatting about all things PR and visibility this month. What it is and what that might look like, how we do it for our own businesses, some of the common pitfalls but also what it does for us and we hit you with a whole bunch of resources you can check out at the end.
If getting visible is on your agenda over the next year or so, then you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode for all the inspiration!
What we talk about
We figured exploring some of our own experiences with press, publicity, PR and visibility might be a good starting point – we’ve each had quite varied attempts! But of course being us, we meander round some interesting tangents along the way too.
With that in mind, here’s a (not exhaustive) list of some of what we cover in this episode!
Local businesses & independent voices vs the big PR machines and huge companies that are a default setting for comment. Surprising things we’ve been asked to be on the radio or in the press for (energy bills or granny trolleys, anyone?!).
Storytelling, of course – more discussion about that balance of personal & private and what to share from your life. The challenges of sharing without oversharing or boring with too much detail (but giving enough detail for someone to get the gist if they’ve never come across your business before).
The changing landscape of press & PR, traditional press gatekept by employees and the rise in podcasts, online events & being able to get your own story out yourself to some platforms.
Unsurprisingly, a discussion about how important words and pictures are to being more visible – and how to make sure you have these to hand as part of your strategy.
Collaboration, mutual referrals and building relationships – it’s much easier to ask someone you already know and interact with who trusts you to put a story out, and it’s also much easier to get hold of someone in a crisis if you have already established a relationship and trust.
How the perception of PR has evolved and is still changing. Managing how external people perceive your business (the definition of brand!) and influencing that through your PR strategy. The importance of doing your research to avoid unexpected negative press – especially if you are approached rather than the other way round. It’s not always the case, but often a publication will have an angle it wants to fill and that may not match what you want to portray publicly.
Being true to yourself and authentic as far as possible, cautious about your media coverage (in the sense that ideally all of it will be good for your business) and the need for a thick skin or to avoid reading the comments on pretty much any newspaper’s article featuring you.
Thinking about summits, speaking & collaborative events, which are all also PR. The difference between marketing & PR, and how they fit together and influence each other. Connecting with journalists and PR opportunities through a variety of platforms including industry-specific groups on Facebook and LinkedIn (and/or other social media platforms). The domino effect when you do get featured, and the sometimes difficult task of tracking any impact.
Building relationships and trust within your industry and the media, and then building your own reputation & expertise to deal with any public speaking anxiety that may be lurking (we’ve all experienced it, you’re not alone!).
Links you’ll love
We mention in various places and a bit more coherently at the end, that we’ve had some other wonderful guests on the podcast who have talked about topics related to this – here they are if you’d like to have a read/listen!
- Marianne Cantwell on using your uniqueness (S3 E3)
- Melissa Hobson on getting PR smart (S5 E11)
- Lisa Russell on introverts in business – because this stuff is often extra scary for introverts! (S4 E6)
- and of course Lilian Sue last month who inspired this chat!
We hope you found something new to take away and implement from this epsiode – and that PR is now at least slightly less scary!