I'm the sort of person that can't eat breakfast, lunch or dinner until I have settled on something good to watch while eating...to the point that I could be starving at times; yet not be able to put a morsel of food in my mouth until I've settled on something to entertain me. To me, if I'm not eating socially, the programme that I watch is just as much a part of the culinary experience as the food. It's the foundation, if you will.
PR has foundations too. In fact, one of the questions that I am asked most frequently by potential clients is "What do I need to get started with PR?" In other words, they want to know the foundational things that they need to have in place before they embark on their PR journey. If this is something that you've also been wondering, here's the tea. You need these 4 things:
#1 A Niche
A common mistake that entrepreneurs make when it comes to brand clarity is not niching down to a specific demographic because they are afraid of alienating people. They think that if they cater to everybody, they can help more people. What they fail to understand is that speaking to everyone is really speaking to no-one, especially when it comes to PR. This is because serving a certain demographic makes it easier to make sure that the platforms that you pitch to are relevant in terms of topics covered and demographics served.
Also, since editors and influencers typically work for a platform that serves a certain demographic- not only do they want to know that you are an expert in your field- they want to know that your expertise will actually suit the demographic(s) that they cater to and/or represent. Although you may not serve the exact same demographic it should be clear, from looking on your website, where your brands cross over- making accepting your pitch a no-brainer.
#2 A website that's optimised for PR
As alluded to above, editors (and potential clients, for that matter) tend to do their due diligence on you before deciding to work with you. They do this by checking websites and, possibly, social media profiles. Knowing this, your job is to make it as easy as possible for them to reach a (positive) decision. This will require you to put yourself in their shoes and do a quick audit of your website by asking yourself the following:
When you look at your website, is it clear who you serve? How you serve them? What the mission and vision of your brand is?
If it's not, your lack of brand clarity is sabotaging your ability to get visible, attract your ideal clients and, ultimately, get paid what you want. Not sure of the answer to that question? Click here (and scroll down) so that you can get brand clarity and transform your website into an automatic media attractor!
#3 A funnel
One of the ways to ensure that your website is optimised is by having a freebie present on it because when you are featured on somebody else's platform, that's exactly what it is- somebody else's platform. In other words, you have no "ownership" over the platform or their audience. Without access to their audience, you have no way of building the know, like and trust factor that is so important for getting people to ultimately buy from you. Freebies allow you to build this rapport by:
Creating good will with leads
Gaining greater access to them through their inbox
and ultimately increasing your profitability. You can find out more about how here. The system that helps with this process and automates it is called a funnel which, apart from PR and the freebie itself, should consist of a:
A) Freebie opt-in page
A web page that allows leads to sign up for your freebie, causing them to join your email list
B) Opt-in form
A form on the opt-in page which typically consists of spaces for leads to type in their first name and email address so that they can receive your freebie.
C) Nurture sequence
A series of emails (about 3-5) that are drip fed to people who join your email list on a daily basis, for example, in order to:
Create multiple touch points with new leads
Build that all-important know, like and trust factor
Persuade them (in a non-sleazy way) that you/your product or service are the solution to their problems, leading them to ultimately buy from you)
It's job is also to act as a filter by:
Repelling unqualified leads and leaving you with qualified/quality leads
"Moving [leads] slowly in a specified direction"- i.e. the paid product that it is your goal to promote
You can read more about both processes here and here.
D) Paid product
Literally what it says on the tin
Click here to learn about funnels in more detail.
#4 A media bio
When applying for a job you need a resume, right? Well, a media bio also works to help you demonstrate your expertise, experience and why editors would be mad not to accept your work. As such, it's one of the key features of an optimised website and can be presented in two ways:
#1 A press page
A press page does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a page on your website that is dedicated to showcasing your authority, expertise and credibility through:
Your media bio
Links to any PR that you may have had in the past (as an example of your work)
#2 A media one-sheet/one-pager
This page (typically a well-designed PDF) functions very similarly to the press page of a website except that, although past media features are listed, these usually just reference your most impressive ones and are not linked to. Also, because it's a single document, it contains additional information that would usually be found by navigating your website (e.g. your expert topics, contact information, social media handles and so on), like what I was recently able to do for and Kendra, Denisha and Belkis (swipe the IG posts below to see):
PR (when done correctly) should serve a dual purpose:
Making you more visible: Therefore exposing you to your ideal customers and brands for collaboration
Attracting your ideal clients and brands: Meaning PR should turn potential customers into leads and compatible brands into partners once they’ve been exposed to you
Having a niche, optimised website, funnel and media bio in place, before you begin pitching, will help you achieve exactly that.
Want more PR tips?
Click here to access my free Media Attraction Audit- the checklist that helps you to make sure that your website proves your expertise, credibility and authority so that you can be a #mediamagnet, attracting PR (and therefore clients and collaborations) on autopilot!