The other day I got a note from Devon, the Spring intern. She was telling me how her summer and fall were shaping up work-wise and thanking me for the opportunity to work with me and learn on the job. Devon has lined up internships with two PR firms and is on her way. I’m so excited for her. Devon composed a letter for our readers and I wanted to share it with you.
My Internship Experience at Mopwater and MLMG
How much do you really learn when you copy your notes off a powerpoint presentation? A lot of students sit at their desks, staring at state-of-the-art projectors on the wall, without even attempting to grasp the concepts that their professors are trying to share with them. There is only so much you can learn from inside a classroom. Real, hands-on experience is the only way to learn the ropes of the industry and get a head start on your professional career. This became apparent to me during my first public relations internship.
In the classroom, I had written countless press releases and public relations documents for fictitious companies. In most cases, just writing the average inverted pyramid style news release was enough. As a student, it was easy to write a press release without worrying about the outcome. I mean, who was going to get hurt if I got a B instead of an A on that one assignment? The company did not exist and therefore they suffered no economic loss or failure due to my inability to sell their product or service.
My internship with Miller Littlejohn Media Group opened my eyes to the real pressures of the industry. I immediately panicked after I got my first assignment to write a press release for Amanda’s event in January, Twitch!: Public Relations in the Age of Social Media. This was no longer a press release that would be read only by a professor; instead it had to grab the attention of every journalist who glanced at it. I remember the first draft I wrote was plain to put it nicely. Amanda met with me after I sent her the first draft to explain the undeniable importance of an “angle”. “If you want a journalist to read what you have to say, then you better be giving them something that is essential to the lives of their readers,” she told me.
This was just one of the many invaluable lessons I learned while working for Miller Littlejohn Media Group. Sure, I had been told this in the classroom, but I never saw the consequences. The business world was no longer an image of my imagination, rather I was part of it and Amanda and her company were depending on me to complete certain tasks and to complete them well.
While working alongside Amanda, I gained knowledge of the skills necessary for the job, as well as how to find and keep a job in public relations. Most importantly, she taught me the importance of being able to sell “me”. While selling a product is extremely important, you must first prove that you are a valuable asset to a given company or firm if you want to survive and thrive in the PR industry.
Personally, I never learned these lessons from sitting in a classroom. The knowledge I have gained from working for a real company is the reason for my current success. I know that my education and my career would not be where they are today if I didn’t have this internship. I am grateful for the opportunities Amanda gave me and the lessons she passed on. If I could give any advice to other students out there, it would be to dive in head first and learn the industry from someone who has mastered it.
Looking for a PR Internship? I am looking for a few resourceful, mature, hard-working, social media savvy interns in various locales. Email info (at) millerlittlejohnmedia (dot) com for more information.
Sometimes when launching a PR consultancy you’re forced to adopt the strategy of “taking what you can get” in order to make ends meet. Whether you love the project or client, you learn to love it whether you’re passionate about the topic or not. But after a few years of consulting one must ask themselves a critical question:
Does the Work I’m Doing Reflect My Brand?
I personally asked myself this question, and my own answers required some changes be made. So I recently made the decision to retire a longtime client because the bulk of the work I am paid to do for this client doesn’t match what I want to be known in the industry for. I’d been with this client for over two years and the scope of my services had evolved over that time but due to the nature of the organization, we weren’t able to always tweak the contract to reflect how my suite of services had changed.
As other clients came on board and I launched the Twitch! series, and began doing more speaking engagements, social media trainings, etc. through Mopwater, I began to realize how much of a time drain this client was becoming on my business and creative energy. What if I could focus those hours each month on developing my social media trainings, or planning for events in other cities, or finding other clients who need and want what I offer?
I bounced the idea around to a number of people. Some said don’t throw away a guaranteed retainer that doesn’t require a ton of mental energy or work for the unknown. Others said simply “go for it”.
Free from the obligation of this great relationship that was amazingly nurturing and wonderful, but ultimately inconsistent with my brand, I have been able to focus on what I want the rest of this year to look like for me in terms of my business and clients. I already knew that I would be focusing on expanding my event series, making more time for speaking and writing opportunities and doing social media trainings. However I discovered that I want to spend more time pubbing what I love, so I’ve decided to focus more on the systematic pursuit of clients in the arts and cultural sectors as well as creative women business owners. This strategy has already yielded two new projects that are absolutely in line with my brand. I am more focused, and excited than ever before.
From What I Can Get to What I Want. Here are the steps:
DEFINE YOUR BRAND. Decide what you want to be known for. Fashion PR, Beauty PR, Small Education, Non-Profit, Business Marketing, etc.
Conduct a BRAND ALIGNMENT AUDIT. What services are you currently offering and to what organizations? Are you doing what you want to be known for or not? How can you get closer to doing more of what you love?
CREATE A TIMELINE to phase out the projects that aren’t in line with your brand and bring on projects that are. This may take one month, three months, six months or even a year.
IMPLEMENT. Just do it.
At the end of the day, in life and in business, there is a finite amount of time. Do you really want to spend your day working on projects that you don’t particularly love? If you are a public relations professional it may be time to make the transition from projects you can get, to projects you want. You totally deserve to love what you do.
Mopwater PR + Media Notes is proud to be a media sponsor and official blogger for the 2010 Vocus Users Conference in Washington, DC on June 10-11. I’ll be bringing you my take on the sessions and live tweeting under the #vocus hashtag. You can follow me on Twitter at @amandamogul.
If you’re not familiar with the Vocus conference, it’s a pretty big deal and boasts some of the biggest names in the PR 2.0/social media game namely, the man who coined the term and wrote the book (literally) on PR 2.0 Brian Solis and the lady wrote the book that made me fall in love with this facet of online communication, and wrote the foreword to my book-Deirdre Breakenridge.David Meerman Scott is also giving a keynote. Both will be playing big roles in the conference as they did last year.
A couple of the sessions I’ll be attending, covering, tweeting and blogging:
The New Age of Blogging and Twittering (a keynote address by Washington Post media columnist Howard Kurtz); From PR’s Past to Social Media Power;PR’s Role in the Integrated Marketing Process; and Integrated Marketing Communications: Engaging Audiences Online.
Branding yourself online can help you to find and be found. In response to the professional who still asks “Why Twitter?” that is one reason: to increase your visibility as a professional. The tweets and photos and status updates all create a massive digital footprint that tells the world who you are and in the case of business, tells potential customers what you do. Each time you post on your blog, update your status on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Slideshare or one of the countless other social sites available to you, you are creating yet another opportunity for someone to learn about who you are, what you do, and the services you provide. You are creating another opportunity for people to click on the link in your Twitter profile that leads to more information about you (why some people leave this critical opportunity to link to a purchase page, company website or professional profile at the least is still beyond me).
Anyway, I digress.
Remember, you are leaving your virtual trail of breadcrumbs, so this is your opportunity to add something to the larger conversation.Choose the conversations you want to be a part of and take the lead. Inform your contemporaries on the latest research in the field. Write analysis of the latest research or the latest news. Once you capture your audience, continue to inform them with helpful links to videos, articles, blog posts that they otherwise would have missed. Make your followers come to you for information and see you as a wire service. Leave behind information that you would want to stumble upon yourself. Be relevant and timely, and try to fill a need.
Here are five specific ways to create an online trail that not only helps people find you, but also brands you as an expert in your field.
Start a Twitterchat. Research a hashtag and make sure no one is using it, establish a time and begin promoting it. Successful chats occur weekly and are between 1 and 3 hours long depending on the time of day. I personally believe a twitter chat has no business being longer than an hour. The seminal Twitter chat for media pros is of course Sarah Evans’ #journchat, but there are others. Good chats that I like are #solopr with Kellye Crane and #prstudchat with Deirdre Breakenridge. But you can start a chat for any field and on any topic-not just PR.
Blog Blog Blog. And Tag Blog Posts. If you want to be considered a thought leader, you have to have to have a blog. Especially if you provide a service that entails you giving counsel to your clients; your blog can really help you stand apart from the others who do the same thing you do when a potential client is conducting a preliminary internet search. So much of our personalities can shine through in our writing; why not showcase that and show a prospect who you are and what it would be like to work with you? Get those blind date jitters out of the way early. Write about the area of which you have expertise and position yourself as the expert on the subject.Once you blog, make sure you tag your posts with keywords to improve your search engine optimization (SEO).
Start a LinkedIn Group If you are already talking about issues and drawing people into a subject about which you are passionate, you may consider starting a LinkedIn group to organize professionals around this topic. Note: this works better for topics and issues rather than products and services. However, you can start a group and establish yourself as an expert on an issue or topic (healthy eating and access to healthy foods) to find people who may like to purchase your products and services (healthy eating seminars, healthy food recipes, etc.)
Tag Your Tweets with Keywords. Don’t quite have time to set up a twitter chat? Tag your tweets with words that communicate what you do and what you want to be known for. If you don’t have self-authored blog posts to tweet, tweet news articles you’ve read about important happenings around a topic of interest or your expertise. Since I make my living as a PR and social media expert, I also post articles and tag them #PR and #socialmedia. But I advise my clients to find their 3-5 core tags and use them to tweet up a storm. My tags: #DC #PR #socialmedia #media
Get Into Video. Start a regular videocast where instead of writing; you talk about the issues about which you have expertise. Add your personality and make it your take on the problems facing your industry. Or you can interview experts in the field and create your own web talk show. A fantastic example of this is Fletcher Prince’s brilliantly produced Conversations in Public Relations. I remember when I first saw it, I thought “why didn’t I come up with that?!” But now I’m just waiting my turn. I want to be a guest!
Do you dream of combining your passions for travel, languages, culture and public relations? Like me, you may be interested in public relations work for embassies.
But how do you make it happen?
Of course it’s best to have some connection to the country you are approaching if you want them to take you seriously. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to be a native or have family ties, but if you have visited or lived in the country, can speak and write the language and are enamored with the art, cuisine, etc. you are in a much better position to sell yourself and skills.
Matt Francis is Government Relations Manger for Tourism Australia, and he served as the Counsellor of Public Diplomacy for the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC from 2002-2006. He offered these tips for approaching embassies to carry out public relations work.
Be Flexible There may well be project-based opportunities rather than ongoing consultancy arrangements for public relations practitioners. Many embassies in Washington are small in terms of staff resources, and not all have a designated public affairs or communications staff. So they may require public relations services on an ad hoc basis for particular publications or campaigns. Their needs will differ from country to country so it’s probably worth being flexible in your approach and expectations, and tailoring what you have to offer for each different country.
Pitch the Ambassador’s Number Two. When approaching embassies, try pitching to the Deputy Chief of Mission or most senior official after the Ambassador. Some may have designated press or information counselors. A good guide to consult is the Official Diplomatic Directory, which includes listings and contact information for all diplomatic missions in the United States. Also, look out for the Washington Diplomat newspaper which covers the diplomatic community in Washington. It’s a good way to keep up to date with the names and movements of key embassy personnel.
Stay Way Ahead of the News Curve in Both Countries. One thing I tried to do when I was working at the Embassy of Australia was to keep ahead of the news curve in terms of placing media about Australia. Try and get a sense of the issues these countries are dealing with in Washington and ways in which you could perhaps offer your expertise to help them meet their objectives whether it’s through the publication of printed materials, newsletters, media releases etc. My experience has been that a lot of embassies are not very well plugged in to the communications and public affairs business in this town, so if you take a proactive approach you may well get results. Visits by government leaders, major international meetings and other events may provide a good platform to pitch a proposal (ie. country x’s national day / anniversary of relations with the US / major political, economic developments in that country etc.)
Research the Country’s Key Issues. It’s crucially important to do you research before approaching the embassy – show that you know something and understand their issues or circumstances. I was always amazed at the number of pitches I received from people who should have know better but failed to do their basic research on an issue involving Australia before they came to us and tried to persuade us to spend money with them.
I have a joke in my house. Were you networking or “notworking”? Basically, when you were out last night at that reception, were you gathering contact information with no plan of action for putting it into use later on? Having a plan of action for the day after a networking event is crucial. Once you gather a stack of business cards, or enter those names and numbers into your Blackberry, you must find a way to efficiently and systematically keep in contact with your new contact.
It could be as simple as connecting on social networking sites so that you are both ambiently aware of each others comings and goings; it could be as sophisticated as entering your new contacts into a database after which they would receive periodic updates from you or your company about new promotions, publications,etc.
I reached out to Brian Sarff, a marketing consultant out of Kansas City, Missouri who writes the Marketing Bull Blog. He shared a few tips about how to close the circle of networking and make networking work after the in-person part is over. Here are some of his insights:
Gaining permission from a prospective client is the best and only way to effectively build relationships [after meeting in person]. There have been a number of books on this subject, but they all boil down to the same basic principles.
Get Permission: Having permission from the prospective client is imperative. So after the initial meeting, send them a kind note of thanks and mention that you have a blog, weekly email, monthly newsletter, whatever it is that you have, and subscribe them to the service. The first step in the service is to ask them to opt-in to your email campaign. Then you are free to begin building the relationship.
Tailor the Message: Now what to send to your prospective client? That’s a good question and one that is easily answered, but not all at once. Through an online email service like Constant Contact, iContact or myEmma, you can build in surveys to go out after the 5th or 10th or whichever email makes sense in your process. Just ask questions that can be easily answered and will provide you more insight into the mind of your prospective client. Once you have this information about the prospective client, then you can mold your periodic email to address the topics that are of most interest. Now, should you have a prospect that you really want as a client, look for things that only they are interested in, “clip” them from the internet using Snagit, and send them a direct email with a note. “Hey Tyrone, I ran across this on the internet and thought you would really enjoy reading it. Sue.”
Be Consistent: This is the one step that is usually violated. Consistency or Discipline. If you are going to publish every Thursday or on the third Wednesday each month, then make sure you never miss a date. If you promise content on specific subjects- make sure you deliver. Consistent messages, emailed over a period of time, addressing items of interest to your clients, will pull them closer to you. They may not be ready to purchase the day after they meet you, but by staying in contact, and by calling or emailing on a regular basis (every 90 days or so) then over time you will become their go to for information. And one day, when the need arises, they will hopefully ask you for your product or service and not your competitor.
Bryan Sarff is an infopreneur, entrepreneur, ghost writer, and business owner. He has worked as a consultant in the financial services industry for several years and coaches financial advisors how to consistently attract more clients.
Autumn is my favorite season of the year. It’s not just the high drama of the fiery foliage, leaves crunching underfoot, the wind whistling through the trees, acorns thumping down on the pavement below (while I do love all of this). It’s also a time of great reflection and preparation for the coming winter months. Like any other mammal, I’m readying for the cold season–fretting here and there getting my cave ready for a sort of professional hibernation.
When it comes to business, this certainly means generating leads to last me through the colder months. I do some of my best prospecting in the fall. Because the season is ripe for events of all kinds, I find myself on the circuit more than normal, so it’s a great time to network. This greater movement coupled with the biological need to prepare for a physical and seasonal slow-down, I’m motivated to get out there and get some business to last me at least until the next thaw.
This September, after a busy summer of working with one of my main clients on our big annual project, I got to work reaching out to prospects who I thought might be a good fit for my services and followed up on a number of leads. I received an overwhelming number of positive responses. One response that stood out to me most was from a national cultural organization that I was *dying* to work with. The contact told me that my timing was “excellent” because the organization is gearing up for it’s ten year anniversary next fall. So they will definitely start the process of working with a public relations consultancy much like mine very very soon.
I think fall is a busy time for most of us because of the back to school season, gala season, etc. And the holiday season is busy in its own way. But the very end of the year and the very beginning of the new year can be rough for some PR pros, especially independents, who are between contracts. My advice? Look forward, towards “the thaw”.
Think Spring. For your existing clients, already start thinking and talking about great campaigns for spring. Especially if your contract is up at the end of the calendar year, let your current clients know that you see yourself on their team past the winter months. Don’t give away all of your great spring ideas, of course, but let them know that you enjoy working with them and look forward to continuing the relationship and are hoping to renew a contract at the beginning of the year.
Prospect 2-3 Years Out. To do this, you can study calendars and conference schedules. If you’re looking to build a relationship with a new, dream client, keep your eyes peeled for large conferences that may be coming to your city. You may be able to help an organization facilitate a nice reception for local leaders on the ground. Large conferences are generally booked 1-2 years in advance, sometimes more, so you have time to develop your pitch. If a large event isn’t coming to your city until 2011 or 2012 even, you have time to get your ideas together, research the proper contacts and even do some targeted in-person networking before you pull the trigger. Obviously, if you want to land a good client for 2010, you need to have started yesterday. But there is still time. There are a lot of great conferences happening towards the end of the year. Find out when and where they are and whether or not you can help out on them.
Keep an Ear to the Business Ground. An organization’s launch, anniversary, etc. is obviously a great opportunity to introduce yourself to a public relations prospect; many times the organization or business that’s having the anniversary isn’t in planning mode, so it’s up to the enterprising to capitalize on insider knowledge. So keep your ear to the business streets by knowing what business projects are in the pipeline of your industry. I read the Washington Business Journal’s business leads section for general ideas about what’s going on behind the storefronts-who’s applying for business licenses and liquor licenses, who just registered a business, etc. As long as it’s not another PR firm, there’s a chance they could need PR, right? So just ask yourself the questions that pertain to the kind of PR that you do. What restaurants will be opening in a few months? What art galleries will be hosting the work of a prominent artist in the spring? What organization will be releasing an important study and will need help putting together a press conference? Now is the time to begin the big PR push.
Stay Way Ahead of the Prospect. Whatever your field of interest, always be a few months ahead of the potential client so that you can approach them before they even realize that they need you. When they do realize they need you, they may value you even more for your timing and instincts.
Eleventh Hour Requests: Turn it down or turn it around?
Ah the constant considerations and mental multi-tasking that make up the ever-evolving job description of the public relations professional. We’re the unofficial keeper of the company brand. The assessor of image and public sentiment. But we also keep up with the daily duties that must be made systematic; the tasks that without our thinking must become second nature, commonplace, routine.
Long-range and short range pitching and planning. Searching for angles, securing opportunities for spokespersons, leveraging excitement around campaigns/seasons/holidays. The list goes on. Yet all of these tasks fit neatly into a package that clients and the public will eventually see as a finished, polished product.
But how do we get there? And how do we handle those eleventh hour requests from would-be clients who think it’s so easy to get there?
How many times have you been approached by an amazing potential client with an amazing story or an amazing product for which you could create an amazing pitch except this would-be client gave you absolutely no time to do your job? As in, one week to pull off a campaign? Or better yet two days? [Yes, this has happened to me.]
While this may fly at a large agency that has minions working around the clock, you may be dealing with 2-3 people max when you are working with a smaller firm. As PRos, we have to ask for, no, we have to demand time. And this may mean explaining that hey, when you work with a smaller firm you’re not dealing with layers of bureaucracy, or dozens of junior staff members. You’re dealing with a greater attention to detail, a higher level of customer service, and of course a lower overhead.
Don’t be ashamed to turn down a project because there isn’t enough time to turn it around. Believe it or not, just because you are a public relations pro, doesn’t make you a magician. As with anything else, it takes time to do a thorough job and produce professional results. Clients expect nothing less than that from you. Demand that same level of professionalism from your clients.
When you are running your own consultancy, it’s easy to get caught up in how to get clients, keep clients, and how to get more out of clients. The client chase as I like to call it, is probably the number one consumer of a consultant’s time, outside of doing actual consulting work. We’re so obsessed with getting and growing that we sometimes fail to take the time to think long and hard about the people who we have supporting us.
Because at one point or another, you will come to depend on the services of a freelancer or subcontractor to help you with your client work. While you’ve heard me talk about the kind of clients to avoid, there also quite a few subcontractors to avoid, too. Here are a few subcontractors to steer clear of:
The Diva Don’t let the feminine title fool you: a diva can be male or female. It’s the attitude and behavior of this dangerous contractor that will clue you in. Divas are generally very inexperienced and lack business acumen; they don’t understand the ins and outs of running a business so their actions and attitudes indicate as much.
The diva wants to do all of the glamorous things-attend red carpet events, get photographed, hook her friends up with VIP tickets, mix and mingle with the client or worse yet, the stars. But the diva does not want to do the simple tasks that keep the firm afloat. The diva does not want to be told what to do; the diva wants to tell you what she’s going to do.
There are service-oriented divas. The copywriter who can’t stand to be edited.The graphic designer who refuses to grant client requests because said requests will diminish “the integrity” of his “artistic work”. Whatever the case may be, all divas have similar core characteristics: they think that somehow they are above instruction or menial tasks. They think you’re an idiot, and that they should already be running the show.
The Ditz Don’t we all know a ditz? This lovable character somehow makes it past even the most stringent screening processes and finds him or herself at work in the best firms. You know the ditz: you have to repeat everything to him 3 times. You spend so much time explaining a task that you wonder to yourself, would it have been faster to have just done it yourself. Continue Reading
So…a few people have mentioned to me that they would be freelancer by now if they only knew how to make it happen. I’m here to tell you, there’s no magic formula: but talent and persistence will certainly get you far.
I was inspired to post this by one particular PR pro who I know is going to light the Midwest ablaze as soon as she figures out how awesome she is. If you’re looking for help getting started with a new business idea, or as a freelance copywriter or marketing/public relations professional, you may benefit from my experience. It’s certainly not a road map for everyone, but for those looking for a little direction, it may be a start.
I am of the mindset that subcontracting is not just an economic means to an end, but more of an opportunity to learn on the job, and contribute to a worthwhile project that you wouldn’t have otherwise gotten the opportunity to work on. So my philosophy is not subcontracting=side hustle/extra money. To me, subcontracting is more akin to a paid apprenticeship that you should use to bolster your career profile. The experience you gain from subcontracting should be leveraged to get the next job or project.
But sadly, I know many wildly capable public relations professionals who ride the subcontracting train for far too long. As I mentioned in How to Subcontract Your Way to Success, subcontracting is a great way to get your feet wet and gain experience in a new industry. But there is a time to do it. And there is also a time to quit.
Just like those unfortunate “consultants” who go out on their own way too early, there are also those who linger on the train way past their stop. Instead of jumping off, they hide behind the larger, more confident personalities of those who aren’t afraid to be number one. And these talented but fearful professionals seldom if ever get paid what they are worth. Continue Reading
Ah, the cheapskate client. How do I loathe thee? You may know him/her well. S/he masquerades as a serious prospect and raises everyone’s hopes. S/he requests a full-on proposal with no intentions of pulling the trigger. Or the worst: s/he orders the work and signs a contract, but never pays the invoice.
While seemingly harmless at first glance, the cheapskate client is quite dangerous. The CC wastes inordinate amounts of time and resources. Heaven forbid you have team members you have to pay (graphic designers, admin help, copywriters). Dealing with a cc, you could even end up in the red.
But during a recession, everyone wants to believe in the promises of the CC, because we’re all chasing that elusive (perhaps fictitious) pot of gold. We all want to believe in good intentions and the upfront promises that (my personal favorite) this will lead to “more work later down the road.” But since the CC can end up costing you in the end, it’s better to steer clear altogether. Here are a few ways to spot them. And once you spot the CC, please run. You were warned.
They Hint About Brokeness: If you’re interviewing a potential client and they actually use the words “We don’t have a lot of money” or “We’re waiting for a grant to come in…” or worse yet, “We’re just starting out , so our budget for this is small….” please run. A lack of funds at the onset of a project probably means there will be a lack of funds when it’s time for you to get paid. And remember that blood is thicker than water: if an organization or company is financially struggling, they’re going to make sure they pay their own in-house staff before they take care of the consultants. That’s just how it is. Continue Reading
Many Type-A personality types find their way into entrepreneurship, lured by the idea of being the boss. And given the detail-oriented and creative nature of the public relations profession, PR entrepreneurs find themselves at the mercy of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, our Type-A /take charge/make it happen personalities allow us to get tons done. But our somewhat control-freakish entrepreneurial tendencies also hinder us: we often keep our projects on a short leash.
But keeping projects close doesn’t serve us in the long run because we end up spending loads of time on mundane tasks that we can’t bill for.
Lately I’ve been pondering the subject of growth, and what’s needed to make growth a reality for a service-based entrepreneur. For many public relations and marketing pros, and now social media specialists, not only are we charged with managing client projects from start to finish, but we’re also responsible for handling the day to day operations of running a business. We’re the mailroom, accounting department and janitor. We are the community relations person and publicist for our practice, and it falls on our shoulders to get the word out about the business. Continue Reading
I had lunch with a PR colleague last week and we did what we PR folks always do: talked shop, dished about our clients and ultimately built each other up. I have these sort of sessions often with my brothers and sisters in the public relations and marketing world, but for independent practitioners especially, I find it’s almost a required activity.
While lunching with my colleague, she said the most insightful thing. One of the reasons our professional lives are filled with so much anxiety, aside from the fact that our jobs are built on countless uncertainties–the impossible to guarantee media coverage, the unforseen bad weather on the day of an outdoor event–is because we’re always trying to silence that annoying little voice in the back of our heads that says we’re only as good as our last project.
You know the drill. You do a great event, then another and another. But inevitably, you’re working on a project that was the victim of the organization’s poor planning, unrealistic expectations, or both. The budget runs short and time runs out. You have to jerry-rig your way through, and you do, but you’re left with that unsavory taste in your mouth because as a PR professional, you take the good with the bad. You take full responsibility for the slightest mishap; and you’re understandably unnerved when the small details don’t quite come together.
But you are not your last project, or even your next. Your career will not be judged on a tiny mistake, nor will it ultimately be gauged by a singular success. And since the big picture is so hard to see from the eye of the storm, here are a few ways to calm your nerves and boost your confidence when you’re in the middle of a public relations or marketing maelstrom.
Review the Home Runs: Every now and then, it does the ego good to glance back over your portfolio and take a gander at those projects that exceeded you and the client’s expectations. Own that success and give yourself a pat on the back. Continue Reading
A lot of you are transitioning from journalism or another industry to public relations, and are wondering how to gain the experience that will help you land your next gig. Some of you have volunteered as much as you can afford to and need to start bringing in the money while you continue to gain experience.
Subcontracting, or offering a specific service or skill on a project under another person/company’s contract, is a great way to break into the industry and make money without the added responsibility of being in charge. You may not be ready for prime time but that doesn’t mean you can’t work under someone who is.
So how do you go about subcontracting? Where do you find projects and how do you convince someone to hire you? If you’re a recent graduate who’s looking to get a PR gig, or a mid-career professional who wants to make the leap over from another industry, here are some tips to guide you.
Take Stock. Identify your strengths as well as your weaknesses. I recently discovered that I’m not really the party planner in terms of making an event look visually beautiful. I am gifted however, with event scripting and planning how an event will flow from moment to moment. So if I got a lead on an event planning project, I would not bill myself as the expert in floral arrangements or banners. But remarks? Run of show? I’m your girl.
My point is, take stock of what you’re really good at, and use that to get your foot in the door. During your subcontracting gig, you’ll invariably learn new skills to add to your repertoire. Build your skill set with each project so each time you approach someone, you’ll have more and more services to offer.
Create a Portfolio. I recommend creating a portfolio and posting it online, and adding the hyperlink to your e-mail signature. But this document should also come in an easy to email format (preferably an easy to e-mail pdf). When you’re pitching yourself, you will inevitably hear the words “Send me something,” so be ready with samples of your best work. If you’re a great writer, have your best clips handy. If you’re a graphic designer, your most beautiful creations. If you’re an event planner, create a portfolio that visually captures the essence of your most memorable events. Done a little media relations? Mock up a case study or two that includes your pitch and resulting coverage.
Analyze the News for Buried Leads-Pun Intended. This may sound like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating anyway. You should always read the paper and follow the business section, your town’s business journal and any industry publications that pertain to you. Look for interesting events, developments and projects that will be coming down the pipeline in the coming months. Do some digging to find out who is doing the PR for a particular project so that you can approach them with your portfolio. Continue Reading
I recently received a query from a Mopwater PR + Media Notes reader. A regular networking reception attendee, this reader wanted to know how people were handling that awkward space between just meeting someone in person and trying to get to know them on-line. Particularly when the in-meeting was professional in nature, it’s tough to always know how to follow up, how much to follow up and when following up is considered pestering.
After meeting promising leads in person, this reader says she immediately sets up Google alerts for her new contact’s clients and/or projects so she can send a note that says, “Hey I saw this and it was great” or “Thought this may interest you.” But what else are people doing?
I went to the experts to find out.
Reno Lovison, author of Turn Your Business Card Into Business told me that he sees networking as more art than science.
“It’s difficult to come up with a one size fits all follow-up approach,” he writes. “It begins at the point of contact. I try to learn something unique about the person I meet so that I am seeing that person as an individual not just another face with a business card. In my email follow up I try to share (as best as possible) some information that is pertinent to that person. This helps us both to remember what was meaningful about our encounter.”
Lovison says that lately when appropriate, he’s started blogging some information about his new contacts as as a way to better connect him or her with his network. This gives him a chance to follow up with an email that drives new contacts to his site and also demonstrates that Lovison is really interested in referring business to them.
” In some cases this becomes the beginning of an ongoing dialogue… It is time consuming but the idea is to be personal and sincere and not treat people as a generic commodity.”
Elaine Masters is a yoga instructor who regularly attends health expos where she captures e-mail addresses in order to inform people if they’ve won a prize through her raffle. She follows up with her newsletter Drivetime Yoga Notes, which offers tips on taking the stress out of driving.
“I follow up once or twice a month with another that has special offers on my book and cd, plus one or two very brief items on staying stress free or other interesting notes related to life behind the wheel,” Masters says. “What do I get out of it? A few sales, great testimonials, forwarding to friends, list-building that’s going to be leveraged into affiliate programs and joint ventures. It’s not always the immediate ROI but I’m servicing the clients and it does surprise me once in awhile with offers to present or better. The business is small but growing.” Continue Reading
The other day I got a note from Devon, the Spring intern. She was telling me how her summer and fall were shaping up work-wise and thanking me for the opportunity to work with me and learn on the job. Devon has lined up internships with two PR firms and is on her way. I’m so excited for her. Devon composed a letter for our readers and I wanted to share it with you.
Many Type-A personality types find their way into entrepreneurship, lured by the idea of being the boss. And given the detail-oriented and creative nature of the public relations profession, PR entrepreneurs find themselves at the mercy of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, our Type-A /take charge/make it happen personalities allow us to get tons done. But our somewhat control-freakish entrepreneurial tendencies also hinder us: we often keep our projects on a short leash.
I had lunch with a PR colleague last week and we did what we PR folks always do: talked shop, dished about our clients and ultimately built each other up. I have these sort of sessions often with my brothers and sisters in the public relations and marketing world, but for independent practitioners especially, I find it’s almost a required activity.
A lot of you are transitioning from journalism or another industry to public relations, and are wondering how to gain the experience that will help you land your next gig. Some of you have volunteered as much as you can afford to and need to start bringing in the money while you continue to gain experience.
I recently received a query from a Mopwater PR + Media Notes reader. A regular networking reception attendee, this reader wanted to know how people were handling that awkward space between just meeting someone in person and trying to get to know them on-line. Particularly when the in-meeting was professional in nature, it’s tough to always know how to follow up, how much to follow up and when following up is considered pestering.
