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how to guest post PR for small business

Guest Blog Posting: Nailing Down Your Stories

There are probably a million and one reasons why you should be guest blog posting, many of which we had a heart to heart about in this post.

I’m willing to bet there’s a billion more reasons why you’ve not already started.  I totally get it. Many of them are legit like what on earth would I pitch? How do I pitch so I don’t become the object of a nasty tweet or even worse, blog post railing against bad pitching?

Totally legit. You want to go pro, so let’s lay some groundwork so you can get going already.

Start at the beginning – before you can pitch, before you can write a post, you need a story.  And not just one your mama wants to read.

It needs to connect with real trends, issues, fears, while not being the same old, same old.

Your story doesn’t need to be revolutionary. But it does need to offer something unique.

That’s why you actually need to do a bit of planning now before you get into the weeds of pitching and posting.

Pulling Your Story Together with Grace and Style  

When it comes to PR in general, this is where a freak out is most apt to occur. It’s totally natural and entirely expected.

Storytelling is a process.  That’s why corporations spend thousands and sometimes millions of dollars on things like strategic corporate messaging and brand strategy. These are some fancy terms for learning how to create and tell stories.

Stories are what people engage with and attach to. Powerful, powerful, stuff, which is why you can’t skip this step.

But let’s get back to reality where you aren’t spending a cool million to hammer out your story. Back here in reality, let’s work through what may have you close to the edge. (I have Grandmaster Flash rolling through my head at this moment. I wonder if I can use a funk/disco reference every blog post.)

Here’s the three most common freak outs along with some practicalities so you can tell a kickin’ story with grace and style:

Freak Out #1: I Have No Story

If this is your deal, we need to talk. Take a deep breath.

Go back to the beginning.

Questions to Ask:  Why did you start your business? What do you do? Who do you serve?

Work through those points and you’ll start to see your story taking shape. This should not be the whole story, but gives you some clues as to where you should be heading. Read on for more on how to build from there.

Freak Out #2: What Do You Mean It’s Not New or Unique?

Know you aren’t alone, because this is probably one of the most common ones when it comes to storytelling. As an entrepreneur, we live in a bubble where we live, breathe and literally eat our own brand and value.

The result is the possibility of being so far up our own, ahem, derrieres, that we don’t really know what is going on around us. We don’t realize that our most common stories are O.V.E.R.

As you map out your story, do some homework to make sure your big idea hasn’t already been done to death or so two years ago.   Google it and then Google it some more.

Does every story you tell need to be 100% new? Definitely not, but it should be unique in some way.

Questions to Ask: What’s your unique take on this? What makes this different? What do you do better than anyone else? And what do your customers tell you?

Freak Out #3: I Have Story Overload

This may seem like a “good” problem to have, but this is a challenge as when you have too many stories it can be a clear signl that your business or ideal customer is too broad. The key for story development for your guest posting is to have laser-like focus.

Questions to Ask: What specific niche or even sub niche do I focus on? What specific types of people are my ideal customer? Who are my clients today and what type of media do they consume? What ideas resonate with them?

Your goal here is to pick two or three specific areas to focus on or types of ideal customers.

Take the rest of your ideas and park the other ideas in the “later” category.  That will give you freedom to get super clear on what stories will be impactful and timely for your customers.

Preparing to Tell Your Story 

Storytelling may not come naturally to you, but know that the stronger your brand and clarity around what you  do, things will be so much easier.  At the end of this you should have some broad story angles along with some audiences determined.  Write them out. Save them so you have them ready for when you start writing pitches.

Trust me, you want to nail this piece down so that you are able to figure out your next step…where should I guest post?  The pain of nailing this all down now will help you save time later and make you into a star that much faster.

 

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how to guest post PR for small business

Guest Posting: Getting Over Your Fear

Oh guest posting. The object of much discussion and even more stress by many an entrepreneur.

Pretty much every online course I’ve taken in the last year covers guest posting as a must-do marketing tactic.

It’s on the radar in a big way. But, I’ve noticed that there’s a lot of fear when it comes to guest posting.

Fear of wasting time. Fear of doing it wrong. Fear of not being good enough.

Get over it. Guest posts are good for you and even better for your biz.

Time to get out of denial and get to work.  What’s the alternative?

Instead, you’ll toil inside your business and hope that people show up.  Hide out on your own blog and wait for the traffic.  Stay safe in your bubble.

Good luck with that.

Guest Posting Isn’t Some Jacked Up Scheme

Not convinced yet?  Then I want to share something with you.

Guest posting is not a crazy scheme that Internet marketers cooked up in some jacked up mastermind. It’s a legit tactic that PR people have been using for decades, even before the birth of the interwebs. Back in olden times we called them contributed articles, pitched them, wrote them, sent them off to magazine and waited months for them to be printed. (Oh PR olden days I do not miss you! That’s a post for another day.)

The Straight Goods: Why You NEED to do This

Guest posting is a strategy recommended over and over again because it bloody well works. Corporations have implemented  it as a key part of media relations programs.  It works, it serves many goals and is super cost effective.

Got a laptop? Got ideas? You are good to go with guest posting. It truly is that simple.

Here’s the lowdown on why you should be doing guest posts:

  • reaching new prospects

  • street cred/social proof

  • building your list

  • traffic to your site

  • building reputation as an expert

  • preparing you for mainstream media

  • improving your writing skills

Should I go on?  Few marketing/PR tactics are going to deliver this much awareness and credibility with so little time or money invested.

 

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PR for small business

Media Outreach: Summer Slowdown is your BFF

summermediapitching_maggiepatterson.comSummer, however fleeting, can be an entrepreneur’s BFF when it comes to working with the media. Regardless of when your summer is or what hemisphere you are in, it is a sloooooooooow time of year for the media.

Think about it. Any organization that has big news tries to keep it for when people are engaged and they can get eyeballs or viewers.  In 15 years in PR, I’ve experienced this phenomenon, well, 15 times.  News dries up and people sit on stories waiting for summer to end.

From the perspective of a writer or producer, the wave of pitches slow to a trickle. They suddenly have to hustle to find good stories.

This, my entrepreneurial darlings, is where you come in.

Less competition means this is your time to let your light shine.  More opportunities for you to pitch and secure a spot on your local TV station’s morning show or be part of a feature story in your city’s daily newspaper.

So, What Should you Pitch?

A natural fit in the summer months are stories about summer.  A lot of times, these are going to be general interest stories that can run anytime during the summer.  Here’s some pitching examples:

  • Health coach = strategies for avoiding vacation weight gain

  • Yoga teacher = moves to keep you cool in summer heat

  • Relationship expert = five fun summer dates

You get my drift. Short, fun and summery angles that appeal to a broad audience. That’s not to say if you have a more serious topic, this isn’t a good time to pitch it either.  Just nail your story angle, do some research on your target outlets and go from there.

Not Sure Who to Contact?

  • At TV stations look for producers or assignment editors, or even general pitching or news emails.

  • For radio, research the hosts (and possibly producers) of shows

  • For print publications, find the section that is most relevant to your topic and look for a section editor, managing editor or beat reporter.

A quick note, for this type of seasonal, quick turnaround story, avoid magazines as they work months ahead of time and are likely working on Fall or even Winter issues now.

Just remember, their news hole is your opportunity. Never assume your pitch is a slam dunk, but be clear on what you are offering and how it will benefit their audience. Plus, establish why you are qualified as an expert on this topic.

Go Local, Even if you are Online

Even if you run a mainly online business, local papers, radio and TV stations are great targets for you to do media outreach to support your business.  It’s an ideal way to build your credibility as an expert while practicing your message and preparing you for the national TV segment you are dreaming up.

Consider this a warm up for your 15 minutes of mega stardom while building some social proof in the process. Win – win for everyone. And hey, you may score a new client or two in the process.

Go forth and pitch. Go send that email now!

Grab your (free) Summer Pitching Cheat Sheet. (No opt-in, no nothing. Just solid PR strategy.) 

P.S. You need the report below to help you get ready your web site ready for your fame!

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business storytelling

Your Authentic Voice: Why You Need to Give a Crap About It

authenticvoicepost_maggiepatterson.com

Sometimes it seems like authentic is a bit of a buzzword, especially in the world of online entrepreneurs. While there’s always a risk of a word being overused and abused, some words are so perfect, so apt, that there’s just no other way to express the concept.

Authentic.

The word alone makes me happy, because it’s been a long road for me to find my own voice as a writer. After spending a 15 year career writing for everyone else, I finally get to use my own voice which has been seriously curbed, lent and at times, abused by a need to get the job done for clients.

Do I regret that? Not for a single second. It was the right thing at the time.

But now, that I’m totally “out there”…it’s a wonderful mix of super empowering and scary all at once. It’s easier to hide behind someone else’s byline than to have my own out there.  I’ve been working through this and started on my own guest posting, and it’s given me a lot to think about in terms of the mechanics of this whole guest posting deal.

So, this is going to be the first of many posts on guest posting and everything you need to know. It’s a wild blend of my own personal experience along with many years of running these programs for my clients.  (Did I tell you about the time that I secured 50 posts for a client in six months? Yep, that’s the definition of hard core.)

Let Your Freak Flag Fly

Guest posting is a proven way to build your list, your reach and your street cred. But when it comes to writing guest posts, I think a lot of us get stuck. Marred in the fear of being rejected, judged or dismissed.  Especially when we use our truest voice and share our authentic self.

Here’s the thing.

While the temptation may be to reign it in, you need to let YOUR voice come through. Not a carbon copy of how the blogger writes or the latest guest post on their site. It’s important to know the difference between embracing the style of the site you are contributing to and simply letting it take over your post.

I say screw it. Let your freak flag fly. Take a stand. Write a manifesto. Just be you.

The simple truth is that the blogs you are targeting for your guest posts, likely are being pitched day in day out with tens, if not hundreds of other consultants/coaches/experts who want to place a guest post too. The simplest way you can set yourself apart is with your authentic voice. Your experience. Your special little something, something.

Reality is a cruel bitch. They may not read your email, they may simply not like the real you, or it may just not be a fit at this time.  But you can stand tall in that they actually rejected you and not some lame ass, dulled down version of you.

Pick yourself up and try again. Harden the f-up and just keep moving.

The results will come. The opportunities will happen.

Most of all be patient. Trust this PR chick. Things while they can happen overnight, they usually don’t. But they will be worth waiting for.

P.S. Want to know why that picture freaks me out? Hello, that’s the real me. Uncensored, totally out there…and so NOT corporate. Feels good…but I’d be lying to say that it doesn’t scare me just a bit. My corporate clients rock and honestly, they’d probably be glad to know I’ve got some sassy personality packed away.

 

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PR for small business

Listen Up Entrepreneurs, PR is NOT Dead

whyprmatters_maggiepatterson.comThink you don’t need PR?  That PR is dead?  Think again.

As an entrepreneur, PR is one thing you simply cannot afford to ignore. In a world driven by content, PR is hands down one of the best ways for you to build awareness and credibility. It leverages everything else you are doing and helps you build social proof and share your business.  It’s low cost and highly effective. So what’s not to love?

Here’s what most entrepreneurs don’t love about PR. They think they know PR so they do the type of PR that sucks and they don’t get results. Or they are simply terrified to even try for fear of “doing it wrong.”

Time to get real. I’m throwing down the gauntlet. After 15 years of corporate PR, I’m on a mission to teach entrepreneurs how to bootstrap their PR, go DIY and help them live out their red carpet dreams in the process.

No more crappy PR. No more hoping those guest posts will do themselves or a conference organizer will simply call. And most of all, no more overpaying for something you (or a super smart VA) can totally do.

In my view, there has never been a better time for entrepreneurs to truly go DIY with their PR.  You just need the tools and know-how and that’s where I come in.   I’ll help you get your message out, and become the expert you truly are with smart, sassy PR strategies you will have fun with.

This little slice of the web is where I’m going to:

  • Break down your biggest fears about putting yourself out there. 
  • Share behind the scenes tips and tricks that PR pros charge the big bucks for. 
  • Empower you to use PR in a way that makes your business shine. 

Are you ready to become the superstar you were meant to be?  Let’s start by sharing your PR challenges in the comments below. What’s on your your mind?