Do Your Own PR

2011-10-12T12:45:00.000+01:00

Blogging With the Sisters

Today I went to a breakfast meeting on Blogging at Lutyens in Fleet Street with Sisters from www.sistersnog.com. It was fascinating to see who had already embraced blogging, who was right up there with all the latest technical hints and tips, and who found even just the idea totally overwhelming.

Really getting my teeth into blogging is something I have wanted to do for a long time, and have been working with a web designer to create the sort of blog I really want. The idea of coming up with lots of content isn't phasing me too much, as I am looking forward to finally having more I can tweet about on Twitter.

2011-06-13T13:40:00.001+01:00

PR Courses For A Global Market

I've just started to rewrite my original PR course. There are a few reasons. It's been going a while now and needs an update. When I first wrote it I seem to remember that Facebook was hardly going, let alone Twitter or Linked In.

My other reason for giving the PR course a freshen up is that my audience and clients are fast becoming more global and I'd like to create a product that truly helps everybody, wherever they may be on the globe. It's an interesting project for me, as all my PR courses are very special to me, kickstarting my business as they did.

It's also come at an interesting time, as the fact that I have to take some time out, sit and think and write is just perfect for me, right now. Six or even two months ago it would feel like a bind, but right now it's perfect.

Watch this space and I will keep you up to date with how my updated PR course is going, but I hope to announce a relaunch very soon!

2011-06-11T15:47:00.004+01:00

The Pitch

This week I had the pleasure to sit in the audience of the UK part of The Pitch 2001, held at Nesta HQ in London. We had an interesting keynote speech from MP Mark Prisk who talked about a new government scheme for mentoring, which is about to be unveiled, followed by an interview with Mark Pearson from http://www.myvouchercodes.co.uk. I am sure it makes me sound so old to say it, but I can't get over how young he looked. The millionaires are looking younger and younger.

Anyway, to more serious things. Mark talked about how the Secret Millionaire episode that he recorded was a poignant time...now he has piqued my interest I will just have to watch it.

So, the shortlisted entrepreneurs we watched were:

Cara Sayer of www.snoozeshade.com
Bruce Balmer of www.ultramo-engines.com
Jon Rathbone of www.pourty.com
Christer Holloman of www.attyr.com and Chrispin Busk of http://www.kabutonoodles.com who came in at the last minute as another participant dropped out.

All the pitches were well thought out and professional. Cara in particular was very impressive with what she had achieved so far, without any previous business experience. My own personal favourite was the Kabuton noodles, as I loved the posh Pot Noodle concept, and always have a soft spot for any food and drinks business.

The judges deliberated as we networked over cakes and coffee, and I have to say it was a very smooth professional event in every sense, at a great venue.

Finally, after a very enlightening interview with Kate Bull, co-founder of The People's Supermarket, the winner was announced at Cara Sayer.

Cara and I had a chat afterwards - after all I am donating some PR coaching to the overall winner so I was keen to meet her in person. With a PR and marketing background herself, Cara bowled me over with her ideas and enthusiasm. Well done to Cara on the English Heat!

2011-06-05T17:36:00.002+01:00

I just loved this picture. My theme for the moment is stepping out of the shadows, both professionally and personally, and this just symbolises that for me.

2011-02-01T18:31:00.000Z

Just Ten People

One little exercise I try to do every year is to pick out the people that I really want to meet or I know connecting with will help my business. This can be as many as ten people but doesn't have to be that many at all.

I then try to work out what I need to do to either make contact with, or build up stronger bonds with, over the year. It's a strategy that doesn't take long ...just think about who your tragets might be and work out how to reach them, and at the same time, what they might appreciate from you (referals, joint ventures etc).

Top Tip: http://www.linkedin.com can really help you here!

It's a technique that one year brought me my publishers Bookshaker and my two books, Get Noticed and Do Your Own PR have been the result.

So, how are your ten people going to be?

Time To Get Noticed

2011-01-30T20:00:00.000Z

2010-12-07T14:55:00.000Z

Planning For 2011

Changing The Record

Going through the process of working our your own personal or brand message is an important one, but it's important to change it regularly. Just as it becomes hard to drudge up the enthusiasm to write a press release on another angle on the same old theme, it's just as difficult for a journalist to read yet another one of your offerings which sounds like old news wrapped up in a new bow.

I'm not talking about revamping the whole brand here, just taking a different approach to stop things becoming stagnant.

It's vital to keep your message fresh and compelling, to give you and your brand energy and vitality.

Here are some ideas on keeping that freshness:

Plan for a change in your PR every quarter, you and your staff will welcome the change and the new challenge
If an angle works particularly well, there's no reason why you can't come back to it at a later date with a fresh new approach.
Diarise dates where you and your team (or a mentor or buddy) can brainstorm new angles and ideas or use someone like me to consult with and give you bubbly easy to initiate activities and angles that will add a new lease of life.

2010-12-02T13:59:00.001Z

Snow Pause

I set out this morning full of good intentions. Glove, check. Thickest coat, check. Lots of layers, check. Hat, Check. Got a lift to the tube station. Lovely. And then find the Jubilee line is down. Bang goes my plans for swimming, meetings and my weekly Italian class.

Trudge half a mile to a coffee shop and text a friend who works from home. The end result is two hours of brainstorming and motivation over steaming hot cappuccinos and toasted tea cakes. I've got great ideas for my PR business...workshops I want to start next year, and an idea for a conference I'd like to run. She's at a crossroads in her own business and appreciated the time to think things through.

Sometimes it works out well when things don't quite go to plan.

2010-12-01T11:52:00.001Z

Getting The PR Mindset

It sounds a bit evangelical but I have had a bit of an epiphany. For years I have been teaching people the nitty gritty of how to do PR...all the nuts and bolts of how to write press releases, put together a media list, pick up the phone and contact journalists etc, but I have ignored one very important step...the fear of putting yourself out there.

It's something that binds many of my clients together and I can see manifest itself as procrastination, perfectionism and getting distracted by bright shiny ideas.

I have seen clients suffer from it when they see a hostile comment written about their product or service in a forum and their reaction is to want to curl up and die.

Why are we so scared of stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight? If we have the passion to start and the motivation to grow our own business, why do so many of us hesitate when it comes to really putting ourselves on the map? Why do so many of us accept the status of being the best kept secret around, even though we know that our products and services are, quite frankly, fantastic?

What is it that holds so many people back? It's something I've decided to investigate and I'd love to hear from you on what holds you back from coming out into the limelight...email me here. I would really love to hear from you.

2010-11-29T13:06:00.001Z

I've just had a great weekend at the millionaire bootcamp for women. I find taking time out to not only just think about my business, but also just disconnect from the day to day routine, really makes so much difference. I hardly took pen from paper as ideas started to flow...not only from the speakers, but also from myself as their words triggered off thoughts and desires of my own.

It was an empowering weekend, and I especially enjoyed the fact that speakers were happy to share their own personal stories, which were inspiring and made them very real and credible as human beings at the same time. Names which stood out for me were Bernadette Doyle (who have have worked with), Jennie Armato (whom I am about to work with!) and Money Magnet speaker Marie-Claire Carlyle.

Now I am off for much with my a good friend to discuss some of the things I have come up with. It will be interesting to get her perspective on it all.

For a free PR resource pack click here

2010-11-17T11:10:00.000Z

I spent yesterday at the Big Pitch Final at the Institute of Directors where I was interviewed live on stage about how to do your own PR on a shoestring. I was asked for my three main tips on getting going with your own PR and my suggestions were...

1. Pick up the phone and talk to the press and find out what they want..is it celebrity based stories, rags to riches, or Statistic rich content. Discovering their needs will make it easier to deliver them something they want and can use in future.
2. Look at your diary and plan your PR time. It's so easy to let PR gradually make its way to the bottom om the to do list so you need to keep this sacrosanct.
3. Get some help. If you are on a budget an obvious way is to take on an intern to help you. There are thousands of university students out there who appreciate that some experience and training will put them ahead of the game when it comes to getting a job so you can both be winners.

2010-11-02T12:43:00.000Z

Emma Champion writes about

5 Platforms from which to PR to the LGBT Community

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community are no longer willing to remain in the shadows when it comes to consumerism. They want to be counted and catered for, and so they should be. Raking in the so-called "Pink Pound" would be a valuable asset to any company's annual profit, whether firmly established or just getting off the ground. Target this largely-untapped niche, and you will be laughing all the way to the "Pink Bank".

Here are a few good places to begin:

1. Specialist Gay Networking Sites

The LGBT crowd operate almost as a community of their own, running adjacent to the common channels that heterosexual people might choose to communicate. For example, LinkedIn's gay equivalent is Jake (http://jaketm.org/ ), advertised as a corporate networking site "for gay men and women at the top of their game"; this site is aimed at the LGBT of the business world. Also, Facebook's gay equivalent would be the recently-launched Fabulis (http://fabulis.com/ ) for the exchange of gossip/celebrity news, etc.

Unfortunately, you will find upon your first foray into the world of gay websites that a lot of them are highly sexualised and borderline vulgar.
However, don't be put off by this. The LGBT community seem to have a networking site for every need and specification, and if you can find the one which mirrors the tone of the service or product you're trying to advertise, you'll be on to a winner. For instance, Connexion (http://www.connexion.org/ ) focuses on low-level political activity and news. OutEverywhere (http://www.outeverywhere.com/ ) puts its emphasis on real-world events and promoting venues. ManJam (http://www.manjam.com/ ) offers listings for rooms and houses for rent. Each one is different - find the one which suits your need the best, and make your company's presence felt there.

2. Gay Bars/Niche Nightspots

Electric Six single "Gay Bar", had lyrics which declared, "I wanna spend all your money!" The LGBT crowd love to splash some hard-earned cash on a good night out and you will want to absorb some of that disposable income.

If the venue has a high profile, like G.A.Y or Heaven - both based in London - the clientele are likely to be the type registered on Jake; young gay professionals looking to let their hair down after a busy week. Raising awareness in the vicinity of or affiliating yourself in some sort of sponsorship deal with a high-end gay nightspot like this will reach a high number of potential customers and raise your company profile simultaneously. However, the same strategy operated on a more local scale will have the same effect. In Milton Keynes, the hottest LGBT nightclub is Pink Punters, affectionately nicknamed Pink's.

Flyers handed out outside Pink's on one of their big theme nights go down a storm. Hand out free gifts, or promotional items like pens or t-shirts, and you'll have made friends for life!

3. Gay Magazines

Singer/songwriter, Tom McRae, once sang "every culture has its own magazine/and information takes the place of your dreams." He wasn't wrong. There is a specialist publication for every interest you can think of. The Gay community is no different. Magazines like Attitude (gay) and DIVA (lesbian) sell in their millions every month, and have pages and pages of classifieds towards the back cover.

Look for what I call the "cast list" near the front of the magazine - a list of staff members who bring the magazine to the stands. Look for the Features Editor - more often than not there will be an email address and telephone number listed for them - give them a call and pitch your idea to them; you might just get lucky.

4. University Societies

If it is the young and impressionable gay youth you are looking to target for your marketing campaign, then look no further than the nearest university.

Most universities will have a LGBT Society which students can join, who organise regular meetings and gatherings.

It is these societies that you should seriously consider joining forces with. Track down the president of the society and present your ideas to that person. Your company logo could soon be splashed all over the university website, posters around campus, printed in the uni newspaper, etc. It's a snowball effect which, once in motion, will continue to roll in your favour. Word of mouth spreads faster than wildfire amongst gossiping student desperate for a distraction from their monotonous reading lists and assignment deadlines.

Also, as mentioned before, never underestimate the impact of freebies - especially on a student audience; you will win their eternal loyalty.

5. Gay Television Channels

Television channels broadcasting programmes specifically aimed at the LGBT community are on the rise. 2005 saw the launch of the UK's first gay channel, called Faze TV. Out of hours, these channels often display static screens to fill the hours between scheduling in the wee-small hours. This would be a great place to advertise.

Contact a producer and pitch a competition prize on one of the shows or maybe even a documentary. Who knows - it might just be time for your company's close-up, and time for your target audience to adjust their screens and focus only on you.

Check out http://www.theprgym.com/ for affordable PR mentoring, requests from hungry journalists and updated contacts.

2010-10-22T15:25:00.001+01:00

London based PR company, Do Your Own PR, has launched the PR Gym at http://theprgym.com/ , giving business owners and companies access to the same invaluable resources PR agencies use every day, but at a fraction of the price one would normally pay for a PR campaign.

The service, which includes mentoring and tailored advice from PR expert and author Paula Gardner, offers access to media requests, contact information and other leads and news which make the whole process of building a profile much simpler and easier for UK businesses.

There is even a VIP level of membership for the severely time depleted, which includes having regular press material written and sent out on your behalf.

Recent media success of club members include Neil Simon, the Romantic Tenor, guesting on Radio 4’s Women’s Hour, assertiveness skills coach Shan Rees featuring in The Lady magazine, and The Successful CV company appearing in both The Sun and SHE magazine.

PR Gym founder Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed and Do Your Own PR. Gardner is confident that the PR Gym will help businesses interested in building their brand profile in the current difficult financial climate.

Standard membership fee for PR Gym is just 95 per month. To find out more visit http://www.theprgym.com/ or contact Paula Gardner on 0208 504 4557.

2010-10-12T14:03:00.000+01:00

The PR Gym launches

I have been running the Divine Publicity Club for almost two years now, and in that time many many clients have hit the headlines with help of the media request service and one to one coaching with myself.

But we've now decided to offer clients a bigger and better service....more contact details, longer PR clinic sessions of 30 minutes which clients can now prebook....in short, access to the resources of a PR company with the support of a PR coach and mentor to show them how to use them to build a PR campaign.

Find out more details at http://www.theprgym.com/

2010-09-23T17:10:00.001+01:00

Seven Ways to Create Awareness for your Online Blog

By Emma Champion of Do Your Own PR

It's all very well and good having a blog - we all pretty much know we need one of those - but how do you ensure that people read your blog? What can you do to entice readers and attract the right audience?

Use Social Networking Sites

A fresh post on your blog deserves lots of attention. Promote your posts by placing links to them on your personal Facebook and Twitter pages. Then, think about setting up a specialist page on both Twitter and Facebook for either your business or specifically, your blog, and place the links on there as well. Already, you'll be reaching your entire friends/followers lists, and any number of those people may mention what they read to others. Readers are inquisitive - once they start reading your blog, they will want to know more about you and what you do.

Fresh Content

As you acquire regular readers, keep them happy by making sure you post new content on a regular basis. You will keep your regular readers happy and will be more likely to attract new readers the more you write.

Post Comments on Other People's Blogs

Reading other people's blog sites can provide you with some good insight into how you can improve your own blog, but also, you can place comments on other people's blog posts and include a link to your own site. Try to track down similarly-themed blogs to your own - that way you will be tapping into your desired, target audience.

Blog Promotion Sites and Directories

There are a number of websites online on which you can register your blog. Readers can go to these sites, type in what they want to read about, and the site will provide a list of relative blog sites. Blog Promotion Sites and directories will also provide you with vital statistics which tell you exactly how many people are reading your blog. Some, like BlogTopList.com, have their own scoring system. Others, like ContentPromote.com, help you to distribute your blog content through various other channels, whilst placing a one-way text link at the bottom of each of your articles, and also include a screen shot of your blog site on your posts so people can visually familiarise themselves with you. They also syndicate your blog site on domains where the subject is relevant to your individual posts. Others, like BlogSkinny.com, will, once you register with them, will list a range of topics on their homepage, and readers can select what they want to read about. Thousands of readers check in with these sites every day, and if they happen to be looking for what you've just written about, then you will accumulate many new readers. Whatever you need, there is a site that will help propel your blog to the heights it needs to reach.

These sites are easy to register on - just follow the on-screen instructions, and you can begin to promote your blog within minutes.

Press Release

Write a press release announcing your blog to the world. Treat it the same as the launch of an important product or service by your company. Once you have your blog press release written and ready for presentation, post it on as many sites as possible. Web sites such as Pressbox.co.uk, MediaSyndicate.com and PRWeb.com are perfect examples of places to post and distribute your press release to the masses. Some will ask for a small fee, others will allow you to post your press release for free.

Include Pictures in your Blog Posts

Sometimes the search for a picture in Google Images can rope in unwitting blog readers. Like-minded people may be searching for an image online to accompany their own blog post or article. If that person happens to be in a similar business to you, you may acquire an important contact that may prove useful to you in the future. If the picture you have incorporated into your text is thematic to your blog content, a click on your image will lead web browsers to your blog site.

Guest Blogging

Once you have tracked down blogs which are of a similar theme and nature to your own, contact said-blogger and request the opportunity to guest-blog on their site. You will have a credit on the piece which will make your name known to their list of established readers, and will eventually lead these people to you and your blog once it is in full swing.

These are all things you can actively be doing to make sure people are aware of your presence online. Sitting back and hoping that readers will find you may not be enough. These measures will guarantee results, and could win you valuable business. Utilise every tool at your disposal, embrace your inner-citizen journalist, and take pleasure in the results.

Shape up your PR with our PR Gym

2010-06-10T14:49:00.001+01:00

5 Things I have learned about PR

By Emma Champion of Do Your Own PR

PR Never Sleeps - But YOU have to!

The world of PR and promotion never rests.

That is what PR is like - once your business is out there, people can discover it or come to need it at any moment, day or night. However, as tempted as you might be to stay up all night and intercept these messages and acknowledge hits on your website as and when they come in, learn to "put it down", so to speak.

Your business will be on your mind, and you will be excited to learn of new developments, but you mustn't let it consume you. Learn to switch the computer off and force yourself to do something different in the evenings. The moment you find yourself thinking, "I'll just go back on and check for new emails" half way through Eastenders , is the moment you need to unplug. Set yourself specific time slots to check and attend to these things and stick to them. As long as you do this every day, you will stay on top of things.

Too much is NEVER enough

In PR, However much you think something needs doing, you must multiply it and overcompensate for it. An example of this might be posting articles. Have you found one website which allows you to post your articles online for free? Good. Now find twenty more. The more of your business there is to find, the more likely potential customers are to find you. Utilise every option ten fold, and then some - saturate every medium with your presence, and your message will communicate.

Another example might be inviting guests to an event your company is holding. You require twenty guests. In order to guarantee twenty attendees, it is likely that you will have to contact just short of one hundred people. Some will say no, some will have other appointments; some will pull out at the last minute. The more people you invite and secure confirmation with, the more likely your event is to be a success.

Mantra: Overcompensate and Saturate.

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

This one is fairly straight forward: if something works, then keep on doing it.

PR is very much about trial and error - some things will work and others will fail miserably.

Mistakes are an education; they tell you what not to do in the future and open your eyes to the better options and how well they work. This is why you must not be afraid to try new things - it is a process of elimination.

Trust me - the list of things which work that you end up using to your advantage every day will be far longer than the list of things which failed. But, remember to take those things that work and do them to death. The more you repeat a successful action, the more likely it is that success will be a regular occurrence.

The Internet is your friend

There are so many resources online which allow you to create awareness. Social Networking Sites are particularly good for catching people at a time when their minds are on gossip or catching up with friends. People will spend more time where they are happy , so this is a great platform from which to springboard your business into the customer's subconscious. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow those who take an interest to receive regular updates on you and your company, and will create a familiarity between you and your potential client that is not dissimilar to friendship.

Many sites offer the opportunity to publish articles free of charge; countless business forums allow you to trade information with like-minded entrepreneurs ...

Be Socially Adept

One thing the world of PR will demand of you is the ability to interact with people from all walks of life, and not just via email. You may hold events, have meetings, or speak with these people on the phone - either way, you will find yourself having to converse with all sorts of people, face-to-face or otherwise.

You must adapt to each person and communicate with them on a level which appeals to them. You might become aware that you speak differently with a journalist than you would with a client. This just shows that you are adapting to each individual situation in order to better relate to it, and to make it easier for the other party to relate to you.

Be bold, be confident and be ruthless, and you will be fine. Believe in yourself and others will believe in you too.

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-05-19T18:40:00.003+01:00

One person who is a great online communicator is business coach Judith Morgan. I have always admired how she sticks to what she enjoys when it comes to successfully promoting and marketing her own businesses, so this month I've asked her to reveal some of her secrets...

Judith, tell us about your business overall and your new project.

My new project is called TheMillionEntrepreneurs, T1ME for short.   www.TheMillionEntrepreneurs.com - its a global community/tribe for self-employed people, small businesses, start-ups, the newly redundant, the prematurely retired, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, those who have reluctantly chosen to work for themselves and those who wouldn't have it any other way.   Our mission is to provide free resources to members to help them become more successful at it fast, to offer a community to relieve the isolation and a peer group enabling you to feel "normal" and to speak with a voice to get us the recognition which is long overdue.   Just think what would happen if we all went on the dole!!

I know that you have quite an ambiguous feeling towards PR and that for a long time you weren't sure you even wanted to do it, what changed your mind and made you want to put your head above the parapet?

Social media marketing. The fact that we can take control by doing it ourselves.   As you know, Paula, my ambivalence was always about being instantly available to journalists who work to very tight and short deadlines and if I couldn't instantly free up the diary space, I'd missed my opportunity.   Also, I was aggrieved that we would often pay for PR and then the journalist or publication would not be able to attribute our contributions and sound bites by getting our URL correctly printed and appearing in the piece.   All that work and nothing in it for us.

Social media marketing changes all that and with Twitter, Facebook, blogging etc.. if puts the control firmly back in my hands.   If the link doesn't appear or appears wrongly, its all my own fault!

Tell us about the promotional and PR activities that you do. I already know you run an Internet radio show, for instance, tell us more about that..

I love audio.   I love meeting Entrepreneurs and listening to their stories and sharing them with a wider audience.   Since Internet radio is in effect a podcast, in 15 minutes online together you and your interviewee can create something which will work virally online on the web and turn into a quick inspiring/learning platform.

I love Twitter for how quick it is and blogging for how well it brings people to my website.   I love how instant the Internet is all round - you get instant results and feedback, no denying what you are selling is working or not.   I'm just trying to get my head round Facebook after watching The Virtual Revolution on BBC and discovering that Facebook is now a "country" with a population larger than the States so we ignore it at our peril.

How much time do you spend on promotional activities?

Every waking moment I am not actually delivering service to my clients.   Its the first equal most important thing I do in all my businesses. I have a marketing plan for each business and I focus on that very much.

What PR activities have you found work for you, and which ones don't?

I have worked recently with two women who told me they had both found a client through Twitter. I don't think I have done that yet but blogging this week has brought me three very useful contacts alone.   I'm too new into Facebook to know whether or not it's done me any good, but I am confident the time invested in learning how it works will pay off - with those numbers, its got to.   Twitter is the second largest referrer of traffic to my websites and that's so quick and easy to achieve.   Keyword rich blogsites on specific topics are starting to work well.   For instance I am somewhat knowledgeable about Lease Options and this week, that site has brought me three leads alone, and very valuable ones at that.

What do you enjoy least about PR and promoting yourself?

The somewhat grinding relentless of it never being "done", i.e. you can never rest; you've got to keep on keeping on.

What's been your highest point so far PR-wise?

RDF Television asked me to consider being on Secret Millionaire.   I politely declined and put them in touch with Gill Fielding instead. The rest is history!   Gill grabbed the baton and ran with it.

And your lowest?

Online forums and the horrible battering one takes on there from naysayers and negs.   I don't read it but I know it goes on.

What have you learnt about PR over the years?

What little I know about it, Paula, I've learned it all from working with you, interviewing you and reading your book, attending your workshop. I did also work with a PR company way back when I was an accountant.   These days PR is often spin.   I must say I am still mistrustful although I have seen our mutual clients do very well with it, just by following your book to the letter.   Good on them.

Can you link a rise in turn over with PR?

In one business, a small mention in a magazine which was read in dentists' waiting rooms years after the event - that stood us in very good stead and continued to bring us clients years for probably as much as four years.   You can hit pay dirt with it and a lot of the stuff which really works seems "flooky".   The social media marketing is very important to my business, vital really.   So the answer is an unequivocal yes because I don't do anything offline at all.

What advice do you have to give to someone starting to do their own PR and promotion?

Grab a copy of your nice pink book, read it tonight and put it into action tomorrow. Its what I really like in a book these days, i.e. you really can read it in one sitting of a couple of hours and use two or three ideas instantly and they will make an immediate difference to your PR strategy, enabling an immediate start for little or no cost. We can all do our own PR.

What are your plans for the future?

To build my community of one million global entrepreneurs and build a business which serves that market, helping, supporting, inspiring, connecting. To spend the winters abroad in the Caribbean and to write and speak more.

Many thanks to Judith for her thoughtful answers. You can listen to Judith's radio show here

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-05-19T18:15:00.000+01:00

The Do Your Own PR Guide to Men's Magazines

Ever wondered which magazine would best suit as a platform from which to market your product or service? Just because your target audience is male, that doesn't necessarily narrow it down. There are many men's magazine in the market today, and all are aimed at a slightly different type of man.

Men's Health (Monthly)

March 2010 Issue

Cover Price: £3.99

Tag Line: "100% Useful"

Cover Image: A Muscular Man

Cover Headlines: "Fight Fat and Win!" "Gym-Free Six-Pack Cheats" "Weight Loss Special" "Seven Simple Ways to Double your Salary!"

Competitions: No - but free grooming products offered with monthly subscription

Emma's observations

Appearance seems to be high on the agenda for readers of this magazine, with fashion domination the advertisements placed here. It is mostly for designer labels, with a slight smattering of high street for good measure. Societal status and physical build come second only to labels, with cars and body-enhancing health supplement ads also scoring high. Expensive watches are advertised here, as well as reasonably-priced gadgets, such as printers, indicative of a certain income level.

Men who read this magazine seem to put a high premium on looking the way say society dictates men should look based on media images, and Men's Health gives its readers all the tools to do just that. Large feature sections on nutrition and a sixteen-page weight loss special tell us that this magazine's main agenda is body image, and how to achieve a good physique. Whilst there are features on sex here, it is more in the way of the psychology of women - how to do well on dates and how to guess what she is thinking - rather than images which objectify the opposite sex. This is suggestive of Men's Health readers being more concerned with well-being and self confidence than anything else - because, whilst the magazine's main emphasis is on outward appearance, the magazine itself in its tone and its content choices does not come across as shallow.

Predicted Target Audience:

Age: 18-45

Annual Income: £18,000-£35,000

Main Interests: Physical Fitness, Appearance, Personal Image

Esquire (Monthly)

April 2010 Issue

Cover Price: £4.25

Tag Line: "The World's Most Upmarket Men's Magazine"

Cover Image: Actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, throwing the contents of a whisky glass at the camera

Cover Headlines: "Exposed! The Six Men who can Swing the Election" "Could Your i-Phone turn psycho?" "Noel Gallagher's the Most Overrated Man in History - by his brother, Liam"

Competitions: None

Emma's Observations

This magazine is a departure from all things humdrum and ordinary in life, with advertisement emphasis on luxury; twenty-seven fashion advertisements, all of which are designer labels (no high street brands) and six for expensive watches and computers are indicative of this publication's target audience being men with more disposable income than the average. Car advertisements also have a strong presence here too, suggesting the importance of societal status and self-image to the reader.

This magazine is all about the respect you hope to command in life, based on what you know, wear and own. There is much evidence here that this glossy is aimed at men who enjoy wealth and abundance, with features predominantly based on time off, adventure, fashion and art. Nudity is handled tastefully, with a feature on photographer, Rankin, and a new exhibition of his work opening in London.

Men of high stature are prominent here (wealthy actors, politicos, media moguls etc) - evidence that these are the sorts of men that readers of this magazine are expected to admire and aspire to. The tone of this magazine proposes that you must be a certain calibre of male to consider reading it.

Predicted Target Audience:

Age: 25-65

Annual Income: £30,000 - £100,000

Main Interests: Personal Image, Gaining Respect, Societal Status

FHM (monthly)

March 2010 Issue

Cover Price: £3.90

Tag Line: None

Cover Image: Model, Abbey Clancy, in a bikini on a beach

Cover Headlines: "Wet and Wild - Abbey Clancy's Island Adventure" "100 Great Adventures" "Just How Scary is Google?" "On the trail of the Storm Chasers"

Competitions: Yes - for items featured in review sections, such as aftershave, games consoles, mobile phones, fashion and plasma televisions

Emma's Obervations:

Fashion and cars score an equally low ranking here, with more emphasis on more everyday entertainment such as home movies and travel. This could be construed as evidence that FHM readers place a higher premium on experience than material possessions and what others think of them. Perhaps a contradiction then, that beauty and personal hygiene advertisements feature strongest amongst the ads; body-enhancing health supplements are present too, indicative of the importance of personal image to the reader.

This is a glossy designed for men who are more comfortable in their own skin, rather than concerned with how society perceives them. The features are largely based on travel and different culture abroad, plus a wide range of experiences the world has to offer. The absence of politics in this magazine suggests that its readers are men who don't take life too seriously, but appreciate the opportunities it presents. There is a noticeable absence of nudity in this publication, despite what the cover might promise. This is a read designed for and inquisitive, intelligent, yet laid-back reader.

Predicted Target Audience:

Age: 25-45

Annual Income: £15,000 - £30,000

Main Interests: Experiences, adventures, technology

Loaded (monthly)

March 2010 Issue

Cover Price: £3.60

Tag Line: None

Cover Image: Kimberly from pop band, The Pussycat Dolls, in her underwear

Cover Headlines: "Frank Skinner: "I still love a good k*** joke"" "Take Me Out girls Take 'em off!" Competitions: Yes - one, for item seen on this year's Celebrity Big Brother

Emma's Observations:

A distinct lack of advertising here - one might assume that this publication is not a preferred platform for companies from which to peddle their wares. Fashion advertisements score the highest here, but more for high street brands than designer labels. The other type of advert which is prominent in this magazine are those which advertise DVD's and magazine of a similar tone, again suggesting that this publication is aimed at men with a modest living budget.

Loaded's main concern is with female nudity, and the various provocative poses it can ask of it models. These images are not always presented in the best of taste, either, serving only to cheapen any additional content the magazine has to offer. Features on footballers and celebrities such as Vinnie Jones enforce the magazine's "lad culture" agenda - that is, the overtly masculine and almost thuggish tones which run through this glossy.

Predicted Target Audience:

Age: 18-30

Annual Income: £7,000 - £25,000

Main Interests: Sex, Celebrities, Football

Attitude (monthly)

March 2010 Issue

Cover Price: £3.99

Tag Line: None

Cover Image: Leader of The Conservative Party, David Cameron

Cover Headlines: "Dave, 43, Westminster - looking for Gay Love"

Competitions: Yes - for music, grooming products and DVD's

Emma's Observations:

There are no car advertisements here; this suggests more emphasis on the meaning of experience over status and self-image through material wealth. This is further enforced by the dominance of holiday ads and concert announcements throughout this magazine. Of the four fashion adverts, three were for underwear lines, indicative of a need to impress a potential suitor, which is backed up by the body/genital enhancement ads also featured in the magazine.

Travel, music and politics are the order of the day when it comes to the readers of Attitude. Aimed at a gay readership, the differences between this and publications designed for a straight male audience are subtle, and yet distinct. With ten full pages dedicated to Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, this is a mature, slick and impressive publication; informative and lively without being over the top. Whilst there are sexual connotations throughout this publication, unlike Loaded, this is sex without the sleaze - all handled tastefully, without any graphic vulgarity.

Predicted Target Audience:

Age: 18-35

Annual Income: £12,000 - £35,000

Main Interests: Travel, Experience, Fashion

Nuts and Zoo (weeklies)

5-11 March 2010 Issues

Cover Price: £1.70

Tag Line: Nuts: "Britain's Biggest-Selling Men's Weekly!"

Zoo: None

Cover Image: Both magazines feature topless glamour models

Cover Headlines: Nuts: "I found Jesus in my frying pan!" "Big Brother's Sophie naked!"

Zoo: "Is your boss a bas****?" "Sammy Braddy - World's Best Boobs!"

Competitions: Nuts: Yes - text in a photo to win cash, and a subscription to Nuts comes with free stereo headphones, Zoo: Competition offering £5000 to an aspiring cover star

Emma's Observations:

With fashion and car advertisements noticeably absent from both magazines, we can deduce that these publications are not aimed at a particularly upmarket audience. That, however, doesn't mean that they don't have their uses in terms of promotion. Nuts takes particular interest in grooming products - hair styling products, etc - whilst Zoo readers are more interested in the latest DVD releases and new food products.

These magazines are specifically designed to provide topics of conversation amongst adult males when they congregate in one place, i.e. the local pub. Yes, they will discuss the nudity of the celebrities and the stories about strange occurrences, but they might also remember a well-place product or special offer whilst on the subject. Word-of-mouth advertising is still extremely effective, and, whilst these weeklies are not especially high-class, they are highly accessible to a young male audience.

Predicted Target Audience:

Age: 18-35

Annual Income: £7,000 - £25,000

Main Interests: Sex, Sport, Unexplained Phenomena

GQ (monthly)

April issue

Cover Price: £3.95

Tag Line: "News, Style, Adventure, Luxury, Comment, Women."

Cover Image: Actress, Gemma Arterton in underwear

Cover Headlines: "Hooked Up: The true story of Tiger's girls" "Future Shock: What will life REALLY be like under the Tories?"

Competitions: None

Emma's Observations:

An incredible amount of fashion advertisements are present in this publication (Mainly designer labels, with one or two high street names), telling us that fashion and outward appearances are of the utmost importance to the target audience of this magazine. Car ads are also particularly strong, showing a keen sense of status and a desire to gain respect. A high number of ads toward the back of the magazine for high-profile living locations reinforce this. Readers with more disposable income will find this an appealing read, with advertisements for expensive watches, jewellery and quality alcohol appearing. There are also advertisements for holiday homes, indicating a calibre of man who enjoys the finer things in life.

Politics, men of high stature, current affairs, food and interior design are all prominent in this publication. This is, in fact, the only men's glossy to feature interior design and property so highly - handy to know if the product you want to promote is related to this. This is upmarket without the snobbery; it's FHM for the slightly richer man. The tone of the magazine is not intimidating. It is accessible and interesting. With this in mind, this would most likely reach the widest range of readers.

Predicted Target Audience:

Age: 18-45

Annual Income: £15,000 - £100,000

Main Interests: Travel, Experience, Fashion

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-05-12T13:43:00.000+01:00

One of my clients, Yvonne Bignall, is organising the very first UK VA Celebration Day, organised in line with IVAD (International VA Day) and OIVAC (Online International VA Convention). The day will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Reading. During the day there will be VA specific presentations, with plenty of opportunity to network with other VAs and a great 3 course lunch. Whether you are new to the VA industry or established, it’s a great opportunity to share your VA highs and lows! If you are looking to expand your VA business, you may find a perfect associate. All in all, something for everyone. For further details please go to www.ukvaday.co.uk

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-02-11T10:41:00.000Z

Valentine PR Special : How To Get The Press To Fall In Love With You
Day Eight: Play Hard to Get

Sometimes it’s good to retain a layer of mystery. After all, no one wants to be seen as being too desperate. Whilst you do need to make regular contact with the press, you also need to have something worth contacting them about. Don’t just email or call for the sake of it.

If you Twitter, Facebook or regularly use public forums, regulate how often you go on. If you’re on there too much you run the risk of looking like

A. an addict
B. person with no work to do

I am not sure which is worse!

Make sure you are in the public eye for the right persons, and, when you are, you have something worth saying or showing.

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-02-08T15:37:00.001Z

Valentine PR Special : How To Get The Press To Fall In Love With You
Day Seven: Don’t wear the same perfume as everyone else

Remember the BIG perfume fads of the 80s when almost every other woman was wearing Obsession or Poison? I always wondered why on earth you would want to wear something that made you smell like everyone else?

When you approach the press (or, indeed, potential clients), it’s nice to have something that makes you stand out. This could be a great story, your brand image, or indeed the fact that you are selling something so unusual they will remember it anyway.

Take a look at your competitors and work out where you are different. If it feels right, push that and use it as they key to getting people and press to remember you. In short, wear your own unique perfume.

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-02-06T17:08:00.001Z

Valentine PR Special : How To Get The Press To Fall In Love With You

Day Six: The Ones that Get Away

There will be some publications that aren’t interested. In fact, there will be many that aren’t interested. Would you chase after someone who just isn’t interested? NO? Does the thought that they are just not interested now change anything?

I had a chat with a client recently. We talked about the fact that her target market was pre-teen and young teen girls, and their parents. She had Junior magazine down on her target list and I queried this.

I wasn’t sure if they covered the pre-teen age and suggested she should make a quick phone call. Asking them straight out would clear up the matter. If the age group wasn’t right, she would be wasting time contacting them, and it would be far better to take them off her list now. It’s not worth chasing someone you know will never be interested.

There were other magazines she had approached that hadn’t yet shown an interest, but these were worth keeping on her list as there was still an opportunity that given time, some great stories, and a bit of phone rapport, the curiosity would come.

If you’re not getting anywhere with a publication, stand back and ask yourself if you are barking up the wrong tree here and wasting time on a publication you have no chance with, or is it worth persevering because someday their heart may melt?

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-02-05T14:00:00.002Z

Valentine PR Special : How To Get The Press To Fall In Love With You

Day Five: Flirt, flirt, flirt

When you speak to the press you need to be up. I don’t mean giggly, girlie or just overly schmoozy. These are things that would put most potential lovers off.

What we want is confidence and sassiness. Don’t be afraid to be cheeky. Beginning your call with this may be cheeky but is going to get their ears pricking up a lot more than I sent you a press release last week and..

And I should know. I cheekily asked a company for a job in just a way, and got it!

Find out what works for you and gets you in the zone. One of my clients makes sure she goes for a run first thing in the morning on her phone days, and she stays up for hours afterwards. Another finds that rewarding himself for a great morning of calls works better. Here are some other ideas that work for my clients

Making a few networking calls before hand, to get in the mood
Paying a VA to do it!
Playing my Black Eyed Peas album for ten minutes before I start calling
Clearing my desk space of clutter
Exercising
Imagining/visualising the call and what I am going to say
Writing a script and practising
Having a glass of wine. I wouldn’t quite recommend this one, but it works for him!

Finally, one important part of flirting is remembering whom you talked to. I suggest making notes about each person after a conversation. You’ll never remember that the news Ed of the regional daily likes you to just get on with it, but the girl from Chat likes a bit of small-talk before-hand. Again, if they touch on anything personal, write it down and use it in your next conversation. They’ll be amazed at how good your memory is!

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-02-04T07:53:00.000Z

Valentine PR Special : How To Get The Press To Fall In Love With You

Day Four: Tap Into Your Network

Friends are often eager to match-make. If you ask (and sometimes if you don’t), at least one of them always knows someone who will be perfect for you. And most people are keen to pitch in with opinions and suggestions.

So, tap into your network in the same way. If you’re launching something, tell people about it in a friendly personal (this is very important!) email and ask for help. Who do they know press-wise that you could contact? You’d be surprised what turns up – who has a brother who does the engineering for the Vanessa Feltz show or a wife who works for the local evening paper.

At the very least, who has a blog or a newsletter that you could contribute an article to?

And, to take match-making that step further, consider joining our Divine Publicity Club where journalists put out requests for experts, case studies and lifestyle stories. We also send out a bi-monthly list of our members to a large press database, as a reminder that you are available to write articles and feature in publications. Currently under twenty pounds a month, this is probably the most useful low-cost PR investment you can make (and will bring you a better return than a dating site!)

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-02-03T09:38:00.002Z

Valentine PR Special : How To Get The Press To Fall In Love With You

Day Three: Look the Part

Okay, a friend says so and so will be perfect for you. What do you do next? It’s quite likely you’ll check them out on line. You maybe Google them, see if they’ve got a Facebook page or maybe see if they Tweet on Twitter. This isn’t stalking, just getting a feel for them. And we all do it.

And it’s just what a journalist will do if you come onto their radar and they want to know more. They’ll check out your website. They’ll tap your name into Google. They may even go so far as to track you down on Twitter or Facebook if they’re really serious.

The point is that you have to try to make all your public material as cohesive as possible. Tweet under your business name, not your own (unless you are your business, of course!), and do everything online with your brand in mind.

It’s worth investing money to make the brand look attractive, whether that’s getting a logo designed, having a professional portrait taken, or going on a course to learn how to take great shots of your own products. It may seem a fag at the moment but it will pay off in the long run.

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-02-02T14:05:00.001Z

Valentine PR Special : How To Get The Press To Fall In Love With You

Day Two: Don’t Waste Your Time Flirting With Everybody

Lets’ face it, you’ve got a business to run, and a life to lead. You can’t devote every second to your PR campaign, which is why it’s important to pick and choose who you want to woo.

I encourage many of my clients to have an A list of their top publications. These are the ones that they know will make a significant difference to their business. These ate not necessarily the ones that their egos would like them to be in.

You may be lusting after a feature in She or the Daily Telegraph but a high quality Internet write-up with a direct link through to your site might bring you more sales.

Again, a regional business, however exciting, is much more likely to be picked up by regional press. If you spend your time chasing after mainstream national press, you may find that wasted time. You wouldn’t waste time chasing after someone you know isn’t going to be right for you, so don’t do it with the press.

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-02-01T11:12:00.000Z

Valentine PR Special : How To Get The Press To Fall In Love With You

Day one: Managing Expectations

It takes time to build up a relationship. Just like approaching a potential mate, or even making a friend, be prepared to take it slowly. There’s a certain etiquette involved. Break it and you’ll come over as a pain in the proverbial, or just plain unprofessional. Or even, god forbid, a desperate stalker.

You’ll have to work at it. Be prepared to get on the phone and introduce yourself. Chat to them to find out what they actually need, not what you think they need. Listen carefully and you might find out that all they want are products or pieces with a celebrity angle, or that their editor won’t include anything unless it quotes serious surveys and resources.

Be patient. One press release is not necessarily going to bring in forty press enquiries and an invitation to Loose Women. One of my clients, Julie Woodard of http://www.maroque.co.uk sent out a press release about her latest import, giant couscous. Almost a year (and many press releases and product shots later) it was featured in Woman and Home. This is not unusual. Have faith, keep wooing, and it will happen.

For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service click here

2010-01-12T17:08:00.000Z

Tell Us A Story

As part of my work I do a lot of conferences, and meet a lot of people. One of the moments which stood out last year for me was listening to founder of Temple Spa, Liz Warom, tell the story of how she came to start the business. I'm not going to go into it here, but it was an inspiring tale of self-belief and pure determination and impressed the hell out of me. It made me think how important stories are - from getting people to bond with your brand, to attracting the attention of that Features Editor who thinks your story is so interesting it's worth carrying in the next Women In Business section.

There are big stories - we've all possibly heard of Richard Branson being chucked out of the car at the age of four so that he could find his way home. But there are also smaller stories - our own stories of how we decided we were no longer going to cow tow to that bullying boss any more and start our own business instead, or, for one recent client of mine, how she was determined to resist the lure of big money in a banking career and follow her dream and start her own jewellery business.

One exercise that could be very valuable is to take time out with a cuppa and think about your own story. How did you get here? And why? The bullying boss story is mine by the way, and I have found it to be a common one amongst business owners. And especially common in PR, I hate to say.

Are you following your dream? Was it a light-bulb moment? How did you come up with your business name? If you're in a partnership, what's their story? Is your story a triumph against odds, an ode to hard work - or an example of great luck? Who else might play a role in your story, for good or bad?

If you want to do this properly, write your story, in third person and consider adding it to your website, or using in your press material.

Go on, tell me a story...

Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free PR resource pack and ten day trial of our media request service follow the link...

http://visitor.constantcontact.com/optin.jsp?v=0018aaLHdu4GfSgHuhbQI8XADfgnJ0W-pKZ

2010-01-03T12:47:00.002Z

The 2010 Do Your Own PR January Sale

It's that time of year again, yes, the Do Your Own PR sale is now on. I've been doing this for the last three years, but for the first time I am discounting some courses 50% - completely unheard of before. Why so much? Well, I believe that now is the time, more than ever, that our businesses need PR. PR is one of the cheapest ways of reaching potential customers and clients ( especially if you do your own PR), and has the wonderful added bonus of third party endorsement. If the press say you are good then people sit up and take notice. It adds both visibility and credibility.

You can see the full range of courses here, or look below for those that suit you best. All courses include email feedback and suggestions from yours truly.

The 30 Day Ecourse

This was my very first ecourse, and is now the Do Your Own PR signature course. It takes you through planning, and implementing a PR campaign that will work for any business. All courses include interaction with me, and this one will give you my ideas on what you can do right now to get things moving. I will also look at your press release and give you feedback and suggestions on where to send it. The course also covers practical subjects such as how to talk to the press, do a radio interview, hold a press event or photo call. Usually, £199, this course is £99 in the sale.
Buy now

Build A Cult Newsletter Course

This is actually my favourite course, as I believe that having a regular newsletter is one of the most important things you can do to increase business. I get most of my business through my newsletters Get Noticed and Building The Buzz, and I know that many of my clients find their own mailing lists just as important.

This course is designed to get your newsletter up and running (with subscribers!) within a month, and covers both the creative and the practical side of writing newsletters. We'll talk about how to
sell your wares without being too pushy, what makes a good read, what makes a good writer, referrals and testimonial, pop-ups, giving it chance to evolve and how to get people to write your newsletter for you. And of course, how to build that database.
Usually, £99, this is £60 in the sale.
Buy now

Promote Your Business By Writing and Selling Articles

There are two ways of using article writing in PR. One is by using your articles as many places on the Internet as possible, the other is to write articles for publications - and perhaps even get your own column. This course covers how to do both, and even how to earn money from the latter!
Previously £145, the course is £75 in our sale.
Buy Now

Write Copy That Makes People Buy

This course takes you through the principles of copywriting, whether it's for a web page or brochure. Be warned, this is not the hyped-up high pressure one-page sales approach, but more about finding the type of copy that suits you and your business long-term.
This course was £75, but is now £45 in the sale
Buy Now

Double Your Clients Through Networking

I've spent a lot of money and time getting networking right. And love it, or hate it, it's something most of us need to embrace in our businesses, whether it's face to face or online. This course takes you through overcoming barriers, essential tools (mental and practical), exercises for working out what works for you and your business, and how to build and manage your own network.
This was £40, now £25.
Buy Now

The Cold Calling Crash Course

This will get you over your fears and anxieties and really learn how to use cold calling to enhance your PR and marketing activities. It consists of a combination of a short sharp ecourse plus a practical telephone session with me.
This was £99, sale price £50
Buy Now

And finally...

How to Write a Press Release

This does what it says on the tin. You'll finish the course with not only a press release, but a formula for producing a release over and over again. And, of course, ideas from me on where to send it.
This was £75, sale price £45
Buy Now

Hopefully, you'll find something there to enhance and really get your PR activities on full-speed in 2010!

Get PR tips and ideas sent direct to your inbox here

2009-11-19T21:59:00.003Z

Exciting News

January 2010 sees the launch of Eat Love Sleep PR, my new PR company specialising in the hospitality industry.

I've been out of the traditional PR business for a while, and while I've loved helping SMEs and entrepreneurs learn how to do their own PR, now that my eldest two children are in secondary school, it's time to get back to doing it myself.

The business plan has been written, I've got staff in place and ready to work with me, and a website up and running. Of course, it needs work, but it's coming together. And it's exciting!!!

2009-11-11T11:29:00.003Z

PR and SEO

Now and again I work with a client that's in the middle of a huge Search Engine Optimisation overhaul and, to be frank, it's always a bit tricky. I remember when I worked with an SEO expert on the www.doyourownpr.com site. He was convinced that the way forward for me was to use "PR company North east" in my text as much as possible because not only was that a highly used keyword, it also had little competition.

The fact that it wasn't likely to bring in my target clients didn't register with him. Neither did the fact that it wouldn't actually make sense to use it. No, what was on his mind was getting my site higher on searches. Not what my prospective clients - or press - needed to see.

Okay, I'm not trying to diss SEO here. What I'm saying is that you need to use common sense and consider if the text you are using is attractive and compelling enough to keep possible clients and press reading.

2009-11-04T10:01:00.002Z

Thinking of Starting Your Own PR Company?

A couple of years ago I launched the Start a PR Company Programme. Since then I have worked with a number of very interesting PR people, all intent on creating and moulding a company that suits them.

Now, after eight years of showing people how to do their own PR, I have plans to launch my own PR company, and am more than interested in going back to these people - and interviewing new ones - and finding out what particularly worked for them.

You can see the results in my new blog Your PR Company where you can read the stories of their success!

2009-11-02T11:50:00.003Z

Journalists on Twitter

www.prblogger.com has put up a great list of journalists on Twitter here

There's also another site here that could be of use.

The big question is, how should you use it?

I never pitch to journalists on Twitter, instead I

* Contact them in response to a Tweet they've put up - but only if I have something relevant.

* Read their Tweets to guage what they are working, what they would be like to approach offline and what news is catching their attention at the moment.

* Look at who they are following - who do they think is influential?

* Sometime re-tweet a media request that they might have put out.

You can follow me on twitter @doyourownpr

2009-10-28T10:41:00.002Z

PR, Advertising and Coffee

I've just come off a phone call with an electrical contractor who told me had had just spent £800 on advertising which had produced absolutely nothing at all for him in the way of work. As a PR person I'm naturally a believer in PR over advertising, mainly because it tends to take repeated exposure to adverts before they make a difference - unless there is something really new.

I'm always banging on about how your PR needs to have a newsworthy hook, but I would say that the same applies to advertising.

This was brought home to me by a survey I recently took part in. It asked me which coffee brands I had noticed advertising on TV and on buses in the last month. There was only one - kenco - that i could think of, and I had remembered that only because they are bringing out new foil packs of coffee. See - it's new and newsworthy so it caught my eye.

Whether you are advertising, marketing or publicising via a PR campaign, always think - what's new and newsworthy here?

2009-10-22T10:52:00.003+01:00

Inject a Little Charisma Into Your PR

On Monday 23rd November I will be holding an informal networking evening with vocal coach Susan Heaton Wright of Executive Voice. You might think that charisma is something you've either got, or not, but Susan believes that charisma is actually something that can be worked and she'll be giving us some tips on the night.

Whether you are picking up the phone to speak to a journalist, or taking the stage at a networking do or even conference, Susan has some advice to help you sparkle.

Our event takes place at Dion, a St Pauls's wine bar, easily accessed by the tube, and will run from 6-8.30pm. There's no fee, but places are strictly limited. If you'd like to come along please email me on paula (at) doyourownpr.com, letting me know your contact number and number of people attending.

There will be plenty of opportunity for networking and to chat to Susan and myself and I look forward to meeting lots of new and familiar faces.

Paula Gardner's PR workbook Get Noticed, How to Boost your Business Profile in 30 days or less provides you with lots of actions and less theory that will really make a difference to your visibility. Available from Amazon here

2009-10-20T12:19:00.009+01:00

The Secret of Media Requests and Finding Freelance Journalist Contact Details

Yesterday I met for coffee with Susan Heaton Wright of NSN Productions and Executive Voice.

Susan is a past consultation client and has been a member of my Divine Publicity Club for many months. I took the opportunity to catch up with how media requests were working for her.

Some of the titles that she has got into since joining the club have included Essentials, Prima, Leith FM, The Secretary, a number of trade hospitality publications and an over 60s publication.

Whilst some of these were short sound-bites, others have been articles that are directly reaching her target market.

How has she been doing it?

Susan has been replying directly to media requests - requests for case-studies or just regular information and stories that journalists put out.

Susan has been doing well, but she admits that it's been a bit of a learning curve. "I started off only approaching smaller titles, but I've learnt that you have to just pick up the courage and go for it."

Susan's Tops Tips on Making Media Requests Work For You

* Put the fact that you are replying to a specific request clearly in the subject line of your email.
* See what you can add - what's your story and how is it unique?

I have another client, Kate, who hardly ever responds to specific requests. She has been using media requests to gather a fantastic list of freelance journalists that she now communicates with via tips and press releases. She admits that it would have been hard and time-consuming to come by her list any other way.

How Can You Find These Media Requests?

They are often posted in forums on the Internet, both business and specialist forums. Sometime networking groups are approached by journalists looking for case studies and the networking group passes it on, or just suggests a relevant member.

How About Freelance Journalists? How Can I get hold of their details?

Some groups of journalists like Travel Journalists, or the Circle of Wine Writers, have their own association and you can buy a list of journalists or members for a fee.

If you see something written by a person you think is a freelancer, Google them. Freelance Journalists are business people just like you and I and most of them have their own website, Facebook page or something similar.

Look at the Publications. Some publications, especially national newspapers, actually do print a freelancer’s email address at the bottom of an article. Often it’s a generic paula.gardner@telegraph.co.uk but it’s better than nothing.

Etiquette?

* If you're replying to a specific media request, keep to that subject and don't be tempetd to say "I also do.." Keep that for another time. Journalists often have to wade through hundreds of replies so they need yours to be succinct and concise.

* Time is of the essence. You need to act straight away. Journalists don't sit around thinking "I'll wait until I've got 200 replies and go through them then". If they find one in the first ten they can happily delete all the rest.

* Leave the photos and attachments off. Keep what you want to say in the body of your email.

* If you're not sure about adding a freelancer to your list, ask them. Give them a quick call or drop them an email. Would they be interesting in hearing about...? If they don't cover that kind of story you are saving both their time and your own in not adding them to your list.

The Divine Publicity Club

I can make this easier for you, you know! Our Divine Publicity Club sends media requests into your inbox twice a week. In the past few weeks we've had lifestyle requests, business magazines, Manchester TV, requests for fitness people, wedding planners and gadgets and gifts for Christmas.

We also update you on new publications, blogs and websites you can add to your press lists. It costs £19.99 a month and - best of all - you get 15 mins of PR coaching with me once a month during our regular PR clinics.

You can find out more here, or give me a call on 0208 504 4557.

2009-10-18T11:27:00.006+01:00

The Federation Of Image Consultants

I spoke to the Federation of Image Consultants last weekend at the beautiful Beaumont House in Windsor.

My subject was Building the Buzz and I was talking about how identifying whether your strengths lay in speaking, writing or networking (or moving and shaking as I prefer to call it,) will make a huge difference to the profile of your business and the success of your PR campaigns.

Now, I'm always slightly nervous before a talk. It starts about an hour before and feels nothing more than a strangled feeling in my stomach.I look upon it as a good thing - it sharpens my edge, and I know that five minutes into most talks I've found my feet and relaxed a bit.

Last Saturday was different, because not only was I giving my talk to a group of fifty strangers, they were all Image Consultants who would all be looking at me and - I thought - passing judgements on what I was wearing. The nerves started as soon as I wondered what to wear that morning!

When it came to the day, nothing could be further from the truth. Or at least if it wasn't they didn't show it! In fact I ended up talking to a group of some of the smartest, most supportive women I had ever met - and yes they were all women and they were all very smartly dressed. But strangely, I didn't feel intimidated at all.

It was an extremely enjoyable hour and a half, the high point of which was Janet Malphus of www.bforb.co.uk giving us an impromptu speech on how Toastmasters had changed her life. I also got to catch up with an ex client of mine, the lovely Sue Donnelly. Fanstatic!

To book Paula Gardner to speak at your conference, networking event or organisation, please call her on 07941 244343.

2009-06-06T18:30:00.003+01:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Do Your Own PR by Paula Gardner

New DIY Public Relations Book “Could Be Doing The PR Industry Out of a Job” - But Author Unrepentant

PR professional, Paula Gardner, is sharing her insider secrets on what it takes to get cost-effective media coverage in her new book, “Do Your Own PR”.

Jamie Oliver, business writer for The Telegraph and Financial Times has praised the book saying, “Paula Gardner is doing herself and the rest of the PR industry out of a job!” However, his words have caused concern for some PR professionals worried about the damage a book like this could do to their lucrative business.

Paula, who cut her teeth in the glamorous world of showbiz PR, working with the likes of George Michael and Bananarama and restaurants like Bill Wyman’s Sticky Fingers, says, “I’m sure some PR professionals would rather I hadn’t published this book, but during these tough times businesses need all the help they can get to promote themselves as effectively as possible.”

She continues, “The issue isn’t so much about putting PR professionals out of a job but providing those without the budget to hire us to do whatever they can to grow and promote their business as cost-effectively as possible during a tough financial climate.”

“Do Your Own PR” provides readers with a complete A to Z of time-tested and cutting-edge publicity techniques to promote businesses, events, books, music, causes or anything else.

To those thinking such a book is entrepreneurial suicide, Paula asks them to take a long-term view saying, “Once prospective clients see the impressive benefits of effective PR they’ll often seek out to improve their results by bringing in expert help anyway. In essence we’ll all be working with better educated, wealthier clients who value the service we provide.”

So, is her book a boon to businesses faced with dwindling or non-existent marketing budgets or a threat to the PR business? You’ll have to read it and make up your own mind!

~~~~
“Do Your Own PR: The A-Z of Growing Your Business Through The Press, Networking & Social Media” ISBN: 1-905430-60-4 is available at Amazon and all good bookshops from May 2009
~~~~

ENDS

PAULA GARDNER

Paula Gardner is the founder of media coaching firm, www.DoYourOwnPR.com and author of two books including: “Get Noticed” (2004) and her latest title, “Do Your Own PR”

Before starting her own business she led a glamorous showbiz life working for a number of PR agencies that handled musicians and groups like George Michael and Bananarama, restaurants like Bill Wyman’s Sticky Fingers, along with video and film companies.

Paula says: “It was in that glam world that I cut my teeth in PR.”

She later decided to go it alone and start Paula Gardner Public Relations (later changing its name to Divine Publicity), working with everyone from top West End restaurants to local family businesses.

Funnily enough, the glamorous side decreased rapidly and she learnt, over the years, what it means to work hard to build up a company by working on long term press and publicity goals.

She also learnt how important it is to keep your own passion for your business alive, and how you can use that enthusiasm and spark to fire up the press, and communicate your story to the world.

Paula uses a combination of her PR skills and knowledge of running her own businesses to help start-ups, small businesses, authors and individuals to take control of their own publicity.

2008-12-09T17:14:00.002Z

Energy

I've been mulling over what things energise me, and what things just drain me. When I first started networking I loved the buzz of "doing the room", and never knowing who you might meet. Now, I just find that draining and resent the time spent away from work. But I do enjoy a good coffee or lunch with a strategic contact and find that can be much more enjoyable and effective.

It's something that I suggest you look at on a regular basis when it comes to doing your PR. What are the energisers and what just makes you think "ugh". If you really can't stand something I like to put it through the D-test - do you want to Delegate, Ditch or just (grit your teeth) and Do it?

You might hate cold calling journalists but it's got to be done - unless there's someone else in the office who could actually do it better than you. Likewise, if you find that the amount of writing you have to do in your campaign is literally draining you, then think about getting a copywriter in to help you move things forward.

Think about what energises you and make sure you get to do these jobs - I love writing and can't imagine delegating that part of what I do. It flows naturally and helps my clients get a feeling for my voice and my approach to PR training.

This is an efefctive exercise that I recommend putting in your diary once every six months. You may find that you can't get rid of all your energy drainers all at once, but you can certainly put together a plan to work towards it.

2008-12-08T12:08:00.003Z

Millionaires

It seems that millionaires are everywhere at the moment. Of course, we've had the BBC dragons for a long time, but now even more of them have crept onto the TV. My 12 year old son and I are currently watching The Last Millionaire on BBC3. The premise is that a group of millionaires are thrown into different cities and different situations with the task of making money. In a twist on the traditional reality show, those who make the most money get to go home. No one wants to be the last millioanire left.

It's been shocking how little business sense some of these very successful people seem to have, and for two weeks running the winners actually only got to go home beause they had asked for some money upfront - and had the cash even though it could be said that they hadn't fulfilled their part of the deal.

Still, it's great TV.

It's inspired me to dig out my Millionaire MBa cds that I bought a few years ago. While I can't say that they've made me a millionaire yet, it's been interesting revisiting them - and good timing as it's giving me a good dose of enthusiasm and motivation for next year.

Paula Gardner
www.doyourownpr.com

2008-11-22T11:10:00.001Z

The First UK PR Club for Small Business Owners!

This Autumn sees the launch of the first UK PR club for small business owners – The Divine Publicity Club (www.divinepublicity.com). Started by PR expert and trainer Paula Gardner of www.doyourownpr.com, the club has been created to make doing your own PR easier.

Members receive regular media requests from journalists looking for case studies and experts for articles, radio or TV appearances, alongside a monthly publication bulletin on that helps business owners keep their media lists up to date and informs them of new or closing titles.

Like any club, there is the opportunity for socialising and networking at regular networking events. But what turns it into a real community are the monthly teleclasses and one to one PR clinics – a chance for members to talk over their own PR questions and issues with Paula Gardner or one of her team of coaches.

Members are already noticing the benefits:

“Just wanted to say thanks for this. I listened to the recording "PR is a state of mind" which was brilliant. It touched on a few points that I had experienced, so very insightful. I look forward to the next.”
Robyn West, www.pogopack.co.uk

"Paula - Thanks to you I have a book deal! Your insider knowledge of PR and media requests have helped me to 'Get Noticed' much quicker than I thought possible. I was on a bit of a roll with the PR and have started to get some articles published. Had an interview with My Baby radio today too!
Mel McGee, www.supermummy.com

Paula Gardner has been showing businesses how to run their own PR campaigns for over 7 years. She is also the author of Get Noticed, how to boost your small business profile in 30 days or less, available from Amazon. She is a prominent speaker on PR and contributes to a number of small business publications.

Business owners can find out more here, as well as book online at:

http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/divine_pub.asp

For more information please contact Paula Gardner on 0208 504 4557.

2008-04-11T16:01:00.000+01:00

And the rest of them...

7. Okay, I've sent it, what next?
---------------------------------

Wait 2-3 days and then get on that phone. It's often by speaking to the press that you galvanise them into reading the release in the first place. If you possibly can it's worth rounding something up that you can then send onto the press as a next step (after enquiring by phone if they'd like to receive it first)..This could be a sample, review copy, invitation to a press event or just some ideas for articles that you could put together for them.

8. I can't really be bothered. Can't I just phone them and have a chat?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes, you can, and it's great that you're prepared to do that. But even if you charm the pen into their hand they'll still want to see a press release and better to have one already written and to hand than to have to conjure one up under pressure.

9. Can I send it to more than one person at the same publication?
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Yes, yes, yes. That's common practice and no one will raise an eyebrow as long as you target well and don't bother people with things they don't cover.

10. How Can Do Your Own PR help?
--------------------------------

We can write your release for you - take it off your hands and make sure that it gets done. Alternatively, we also run a 7-day email course on how to write your press release course. You are taken through, step by step, putting together your own release, and then send it to us to get our feedback. For more details visit:

http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/how_to_write_a_press_release.asp

You'll be learning a skill that will benefit you and your business for years to come.

2008-04-06T20:36:00.002+01:00

The Sixth Most Frequently Asked Question About Press Releases

Should I include Some Quotes?

The answer is yes, but it's much better if they are not from you - unless you are imparting some vital information or bits of advice.

What doesn't go down well are business owners who talk about how fabulous their product is, or how excited they are. We don't care!

What the press does like though are customer sound-bites or, even better, third party experts and celebrities. So, get your thinking hat on and ponder who you know...

Do Your Own PR offer a 7 day how to write your press release course, where you're taken through putting together your own release, and send it to us to get our feedback. For more details click here

2008-04-05T15:48:00.004+01:00

The Fifth Most Frequently Asked Question About Press Releases

How Often Should I be Sending Out A Press Release?

Large companies like L'Oreal or ICI may be sending out a few a month but for most smaller businesses once a month or every six weeks is a good goal to aim for.

The best way to go about this is to block press release days into your diary, where you write up your release (or commission someone to write it for you)and get it out to the press. If you glance at your diary and see that one is coming up more likely than not your subconscious will get to work and by the time you've sat down at your PC it will have come up with some great ideas.

Do Your Own PR offer a 7 day how to write your press release course, where you're taken through putting together your own release, and send it to us to get our feedback. For more details click here

2008-04-03T13:49:00.003+01:00

The Fourth Most Frequently Asked Question About Press Releases

How Do I Send Them - post or email?

When I first started in PR we didn't have email. It was only fax and I used to spend one day a week just standing by the machine and faxing...faxing...faxing...and at least one other day stuffing envelopes. We don't have to do that any more and that's great. But the problem is that everyone else can email too and journalists often get one hundred plus emails per day in their inbox. no wonder it's hard to get yours to stand out.

Again, if you've got great photos, putting them into an email might look good but may get your email blocked by a fire wall and presumed to be spam.

So, if you've got anything visual - where people need to see the photos to go "wow" I suggest that you email and post your release. It may cost more but it will be increasing your chances considerably of getting it seen and read.

Information type releases can be just emailed, but remember, keep everything in the body of the email (say photos etc are available by request) and follow up with a call.
Do Your Own PR offer a 7 day how to write your press release course, where you're taken through putting together your own release, and send it to us to get our feedback. For more details click here

2008-04-02T17:34:00.003+01:00

The Third Most Frequently Asked Question About Press Releases

Who Do I Send Them To?

You can buy lists from organisations like www.romeike.com, you can make up your own with The Guardian Media Directory and a few days, or you can get us to put one together for you. But nothing beats actually looking at the publications yourself and working out which parts of a newspaper or magazine are right for you. And don't just buy one copy - start reading a few and get a feeling for language, target market and what you have that will suit it.

You rarely send things out to the editor (unless the publication is very small). It will probably be the features editor, news editor or perhaps a shopping, homes, health or women's editor. Remember, nothing works as well as reading the publication to see who's who. And, even then, you'll need to pick up the phone to find out if they are still there (vital in a publication that could have been written 4 months previously) and their correct email address.

Do Your Own PR offer a 7 day how to write your press release course, where you're taken through putting together your own release, and send it to us to get our feedback. For more details call 0208 504 4557.

2008-04-02T11:18:00.003+01:00

The Second Most Frequently Asked Question About Press Releases

Can't I just have one press release and keep using that?

Press Releases are meant to be about news - either something that's happening within your organisation, or something that happening out there in the world that you can tie a story to. A stale release that gets used again and again is going to get noticed...and for all the wrong reasons.

That's not to say that you can't use some of your material in each release. The information on you and your business - how and why it started - will probably stay fairly stable, which means that you can re-use that and pour your energies into creating something eye-ctaching and compelling for the first few paragraphs.

Do Your Own PR offer a 7 day how to write your press release course, where you're taken through putting together your own release, and send it to us to get our feedback. For more details click here

2008-04-01T17:26:00.002+01:00

10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Press Releases

I talk to a lot of clients about press releases, whether we are writing them for them or helping them write their own. In fact there is such a hazy aura around the whole process I thought I'd put together a selection of the questions I come across most often.

1. What is it and Why Do I Need A Press Release Anyway?

A press release is more often than not a one page sheet that's sent out to press, either vie email or post. It's designed to catch their eye with some news or something unusual about your or your business. Whereas years ago all you had to do was send a press release out and you could be pretty confident that at least part of it would be reprinted, today that's very unlikely.

Nowadays, a press release is more of a tickler - something that alerts the journalists to what is going on in your business. If it's of interest, they'll follow it up and more often than not write their own piece or use a snippet of yours inside a larger piece.

And yes, it is a good idea to have one. Even if you're great on the phone and plan to seduce the press with a great phone story they'll more often than not want that encapsulated in a press release. So it makes sense to get one written before you phone.

Do Your Own PR offer a 7 day how to write your press release course, where you're taken through putting together your own release, and send it to us to get our feedback. For more details click here

2008-03-31T21:34:00.003+01:00

We've been doing a bit of media list updating for some clients. We haven't done this for a while and it's been depressing to find out just how many publications have closed - including Supernanny magazine, First and New Woman - and I remember the very first issue of New Woman magazine all those years ago.

Now in magazine world it's not unusual for publications to come and g. It's obviously not pretty for the staff that lose their jobs when it happens, but it also means that PR opportunities are decreased, and what ones there are having more hungry people circling for them.

You have been warned!

2008-03-28T15:50:00.001Z

Once again we're taking a look at a business owner who has successfully done their own PR. This month it's Beverley Knowles of www.beverleyknowles.com. Beverley had a Get Noticed consultation with me getting on for three years ago now and I've been keeping in touch with her via her very readable newsletters ever since.

Beverley, tell us about your business
I run a contemporary art gallery in Ladbroke Grove that specialises in women artists. We've been in our current location for just over two years.

How much time do you spend on PR? (press releases, blogging, newsletter, tips, articles etc)

Probably about a day a week not including website work.

PR is often a matter of trying things to see what works for you, so, what have you found most successful?

I think the best thing has probably been the writing, which Paula suggested I start doing in the first place. I get quite a lot of feedback from the newsletters we email out and it seems to get passed around from one person to another. The more I've written the more pleasure I've got out of it too and it's become a way of getting featured in publications in itself which of course is good for PR.

Getting in with local glossies has also been helpful. We're lucky in Ladbroke Grove because there are a few and they always seem interested to hear what we're up to and are happy to be supportive of local initiatives.

I find it difficult to know sometimes what is working and what isn't. Who was it who said that only 5% of their marketing produced any results only they didn't know which 5%. It feels like that a lot of the time.

Sometimes it's just a matter of luck. Somebody I knew happened to know Antony Gormley from art college days. My friend's wife had some work in an exhibition here so Antony Gormley came to show support for his friend, so the private view snaps had Antony Gormley, so the local magazine featured them in the party section. Quite a few people came down to the gallery after that purely on the basis of that and we made quite a bit of business as a direct result. But I couldn't have planned that. We just got lucky. On the other hand it's useful to be aware that personal or personality endorsement is a big thing, particularly when you're selling expensive and sometimes enigmatic things like art.

Only 2% of my business last year came from passing trade. It's all word of mouth and endorsement and pr is a part of that.

Where are you now with your relationships with the press?

Not bad. I'm on good terms with the editors and arts page writers of all the local glossies and a few journalists from the broadsheets. I need to step it up a gear now and start calling up the scarier journalists, the more academic art writers from the weightier publications. Endorsement from them means a lot in the art business.

What do you enjoy least?

Ringing round I suppose, not so much because I'm nervous of speaking to the press because I'm not really any more. I've finally figured out that they're just people like you and me. More because it's such a waste of time in terms of the amount of time spent not getting through to the person you need to speak to. Either they've moved jobs or they're "away from their desk" (what a ridiculous phrase that is, as if usually they're chained to it.)

What's been your highest point so far PR-wise?

I suppose it depends what the definition of highest point is. Results driven or satisfaction driven? Results are difficult to measure so I'd say what I enjoy most is seeing my own written work in print and especially getting feed back about it.

The goalposts are constantly changing aren't they? The first time we got into the times I thought I was going to burst with excitement. Now when we get into the times I'm like great and what else has been going on?

And your lowest?

Nothing so far really. I had an arrangement with the Mail on Sunday online to write a series of articles for them. There seemed to be some communication problems and out of the blue I'd suddenly get emails saying - where's the latest copy, why haven't you submitted it, when nobody had asked me to submit anything. That was a bit frustrating. But they're all busy and have deadlines and nine million other things to be doing so I can't complain too much and they were very good to give me the coverage anyway.

What have you learnt about PR over the past few years?

PR doesn't necessarily translate directly into sales. PR is very useful but selling still has to be pursued in its own right. Journalists are human (most of them!)

What advice do you have to give?
I'd say try to make your press releases personally engaging; anecdotes and quirky things grab people's attention far more effectively than reams of geeky product information. Remember that it's a person who is reading it not a computer and they receive hundreds of releases every day. The best way to get noticed is to reach out to them in a personal way.

What did you find helpful about your work with Do Your Own PR?

Everything really. I didn't have a clue before that day. I'm not sure I do now but the results seem to be coming along slowly but surely.

You can check out the gallery's website at http://www.beverleyknowles.com/ and it's situated at 88 Bevington Road, London, W10 5TW

2008-03-10T17:47:00.003Z

So, today I handed the manuscript of my novel over to my agent Jacqueline Burns. The handover took place in Carluccios in St Christophers Place. I had a stinking cold, the weather was predicted to be the worst storm of the winter and Jacq had a tummy bug - what a combination! But it was a great feeling to finally pass it over and two cups of hot chocolate and an almond macaroon made the winter weather just melt into the background.

My manuscript's in Jacq's hands now and I'm just waiting for her feedback - nail biting time. So, once again my focus is formly back on the PR. It's dwindled a bit recently, and I know that's because I haven't nurtured it. Now I'm ready for some new clients and to revisit some old ones...and quite looking forward to it. Bring it on! Check out www.doyourownpr.com to see what I'm up to!!

2008-02-28T10:35:00.001Z

Forget press coverage, Internet PR rules!!
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Inevitably new clients come to me stating that they want to get into the Sunday Times, Cosmo, The FT or some other popular publication. However, sometimes what would be more effective, especially if they have limited time, is to build a PR campaign around the web. Unlike traditional PR where people either have to remember your name and Google for your website, or snip out the piece about you, online PR means that all they have to do is click through to you. It might not be as glamorous, but it can be much more effective.

So, here are ten ideas for getting your Internet PR campaign running
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1. Kick it off with some market research to find out what sites your current clients visit, or get a student or Virtual Assistant to do some research on your behalf. Check your stats - where are people coming from? This could even be other from people's commercial websites; it doesn't have to be a traditional publication.

2. If time is short decide what will you concentrate on. Perhaps it will be articles - offering them to other people's sites, online publications and syndication sites.

3. Or maybe competitions which are great for building interest in a particular product. If you manage to get the entrants details you can email them with a "sorry you didn't win but here's a special offer for you."

4. Press releases - post them on press sites such as www.pressbox.co.uk or www.prweb.com (small fee)and get them off to target online publications.

5. Set up your own blog. It's worked spectacularly for some of my clients and you can easily set up a free one at www.blogger.com in less than half an hour.

6. Comment on other people's blogs. Include a link back to your own site - great for search engine optimisation too.

7. Have a newsletter in place so if people come to you but aren't ready to buy there's at least something you can offer them.

8. Get into Social networking - whether it's Ecademy, Facebook, Bebo or whatever, the trick is to choose one and do that properly rather than half hearted attempts on a number of sites.

9. Have plenty of content on your own website - articles, case studies, think pieces - the more the better, and the more they are updated - even better!

10. Whatever you put out, make sure that it contains the right keywords for your business and keep putting new content our regularly. This is one area where quantity will really make difference.

I also love the way that the web is so much more instant than traditional publications. You can update your website almost instantly (if you have a content management system that is. If you're still relying on a web developer to fit in for you then you need to rethink this). You can post up a press release in a day and if one of your articles goes on a syndication site it can quite possibly be seen by millions of people.

Livening Up Your Web content
----------------------------

The more you have to offer to go with your copy, the better, think about..

1. Photos - of you, the product, a case study, whatever.
2. Your logo.
3. A resource box of helpful info that people will appreciate.
4. A blurb - who are you and what can you do for your customers.

Remember that web copy is different to offline copy. Articles are much shorter and broken up with headings, paragraphs and bullet points. I prefer them to be around 500-600 words max as I know that I hardly ever read anything longer than that from a computer screen.

Paula Gardner of www.doyourownpr.com specialises in PR coaching. We
work with people who have established their businesses, but now want to build on that, and create a strong off and online presence. For more information visit here

2008-01-10T12:13:00.000Z

Boost Your PR with your 2008 PR Resolutions from Do Your Own PR

This is naturally the time of year when we make plans for our businesses and their future. Paula Gardner from PR Training company Do Your Own PR has put together some suggested resolutions to make the whole process much more painless and many times more effective.

1. Trim Off Some Fat

If you’re going to make 2008 the year you do some serious PR and promotion, and the reason that you haven’t actually done it up until now is that you’ve been too busy, you need to trim off some fat. And by fat I mean pointless wasting of time (my particular waste of time is Spider Solitaire). But sometimes wasting time can come in much more respectable packaging, like spending your time packing goods and carting them to the Post Office when you could easily pay someone to do that for you and devote the freed up time to PR. Or taking part in meetings and networking events that don’t really bring in the results to justify the effort. Take a look at where you are wasting time and work out what you can cull to make way for time spent on PR.

2. Take Some Exercise

Just as one session a month at the gym isn’t going to deliver results, one marathon PR session per month won’t either. You need to devote regular and sustained effort and attention. But the great thing is that done persistently and consistently most forms of PR – blogging, articles, press releases, tip sheets etc – will deliver results.

3. Read more

You wouldn’t believe how often I get people coming to me who want to get into the papers or magazines and yet look down their nose at actually picking one up and reading it. Forego getting your news fix from the Internet and start reading a daily newspaper. Not only will it will do your business and networking credibility no end of good to have all the latest news and gossip at your fingertips, but you’ll get ideas for stories, news of surveys, ideas for articles all delivered to you in one neat package every day. Vary what you read and make it a mission to once a month buy something you really wouldn’t usually consider, whether it’s Vanity Fair or Accountancy Age. Pinch ideas, get inspired – the more you read the more you’ll find yourself brimming over with creativity.

4. Think About the Big Picture

Hooking your press releases onto events that are going on in the outside world can make them much more pertinent. Clients often ask me where they can find a list of special events and PR orientated weeks that they can hook into for their press. One of the free ones that I’ve come across is Count Me In where you can access a whole year’s events and even post up your own. More details here

5. Stop Smoking

We don’t want smoke, we need fire. Rediscover your passion, your reason for doing what you do in the first place and connect with that. Find out why your clients and customers choose you and use that as a driving force of your campaign. Half-heartedness just doesn’t work.

Do Your Own PR offers a range of PR courses to help you learn about running a Pr campaign for your business. Written by Paula Gardner, the author of the small business PR guide Get Noticed, available from Amazon, these courses cover Do Your Own Pr, Building A Cult newsletter, How To Write A Press Release, Writing Copy to Sell and Double Your Clients Through Networking and more.

For more details please visit

2008-01-07T08:56:00.001Z

Happy New Year to you all. In true January fashion, we've a sale on at www.doyourownpr.com, with a whopping (as they in the ads) 20% of all of our ecourses. You can browse our courses and see if anything takes your fancy here

2007-12-27T11:59:00.000Z

PR goals for 2008

Just like a dooctor often fails to take his own medicine, I rarely get time to think about doing my own PR. In fact, I've been very lazy at it for the whole of 2007. My mailing list has reached a level where it's self generating and often writing a newsletter is enough to bring me enough of an influx of new business to keep me busy so I haven't really had to pay it much attention.

But I've grown increasingly aware that I can't rest on my laurels. Whereas a couple of years ago I was the only person specialising in this area of helping small businesses put together their own PR campaigns, there has recently been a few others joining me in the market. Admittedly, their main job is actually doing rather than teaching PR and this addition to their business seems more of an afterthought or sideline, but I can't let myself become complacent.

So, now that I've got a bit of a breathing space over the holiday period, I'll be taking myself through my own PR consultation. This involves looking at goals for 2008and setting myself mini targets so that I can reach them. The aim is to keep things manageable but also fun, because if they are not, I won't necessarily keep them up.

One of the big questions for this end of year pondering is what have I learned from my promotional efforts over the year. One thing I did do, which I have never done before, was to employ someone to do direct marketing for me - approaching associations and organisations to offer myself as a speaker and trainer, and also approach restaurants about my restaurant orientated PR consulatation.

While the results have been ok, it's made me realise that actually what I have been doing for the last five years works best - showing what I know about PR and basically going the expert route. It's much more of a softly softly approach, attracting the people that will be right for you. It can take longer, and is a lot more work that just packing someone off to put together letters and emails on your behalf, butI believe that it's this form of marketing and PR that will build up the strongest and longest lasting bonds with your clients, and it's this I intend to focus on for 2008.

Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit here

2007-12-19T12:20:00.000Z

Blogging and PR

At every PR consultation I at least discuss the clients' thoughts around blogging - are they attracted by the idea, do they think they could keep it up etc? Coming up with ideas is always one of their worries so it was with a wry smile that I came across this site. It's now on my favourites!!

Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:
http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2007-12-18T12:16:00.000Z

Planning Your PR for 2008

A recurring question my PR coaching clients have is where can they get hold of a calendar of events that they can tie their own PR campaign into - you know the sort of thing that lists national baldness day and stuff like that. In the past I have subscribed to an expensive yearly event planner but I recently came across this site. which will also list your own event if you submit it. Well worth a browse.

Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit here

2007-12-17T20:08:00.000Z

THE DO YOUR OWN PR TOP 7 WAYS TO FIND IDEAS FOR A PRESS RELEASE

1. Keep it Current

Keep up with what's happening in the news, whether its by reading a daily newspaper, listening to a new talk show or keeping up with the internet news. I don't mean just top headlines here - smaller news items, local, and regional titbits can be just as rich in ideas. When you find something that you can tie in with your business, use that topic as the starting block for your press release to bring it right up to the minute.

2. Name Dropping.

Learn how to use the power of celebrities. We all love to read about celebrities and the press know that it's a great way hook readers in quickly. So, keep an eye on what's going on in the celebrity land so that you, once again, can tie a press release into it.

3. Plan Ahead.

Look at the calendar and take note of special days in the year. It's probably a good idea to avoid big occasions like Mothers day or Valentines day as you'l be competing with everyone else, but are there other smaller special days that you can use a hook?

4. Invent an occasion.

Make your own special days or even weeks up - why not - everyone else does it. There's a fish and chips week, doughnuts week so why not a week of your choice!

5. Surveys

Look in the press for details of recently published surveys or do your own!

6. Events.

Make a public appearance and put together a release around that.

7. What's new with you?

Launch or revamp a product or service, or announce a new client win.
There are more ideas, plus the oportunity for personal feedback from myseelf on your press release, in our Write Your own Press Release ecourse here:

2007-12-10T09:37:00.000Z

A Day With the Stars

It was one of my Xmas treats on Friday - lunch with the stars at the Mayfair Hotel with www.sistersnog.com. I was sat on the Gemini table, with The Restaurant stars twins Jess and Laura who were in every way as lovely as I had hoped. The setting was gorgeous - very Stylish and sassy - indeed very Sister Snog - and I met loads of great women, all with interesting stories to tell. And then the next day we got our tree - what a fantastic way to start Christmas.

And, on the Christmas note, I've removed postage and packaging from the price of my PR workbook Get Noticed, so you can now buy and have it delivered to your door (or someone else's door if you want to get them a great Xmas gift) for the cover price of £12.99. Check it out here

2007-12-05T20:07:00.000Z

Do Your Own PR Top Five PR Resources
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Here at Do Your Own Pr we're always on the look out for great (on a budget) resources to help with your publicity and here are the top five we are always recommending to clients.

1. The Guardian Media Directory.
Published every year this gives you a pretty comprehensive list of UK newspapers, magazines, radio stations and tv companies. Available from Amazon.

2. http://www.blogger.com/www.mediauk.com
A similar theme but a free website. Not quite as good as the book, but enough to get you going.

3. http://www.blogger.com/www.expertsources.co.uk
Register yourself as an expert in your field and watch the media requests come in. the trick is to separate yourself and make yourself unique.

4. A good PR Book.
Get Noticed, How to Boost your Business Profile in 30 days or less provides you with lots of actions and less theory that will really make a difference to your visibility. Also available from Amazon here

5. Reading Habits.
Read a daily newspaper every day (varying them) and, if you product or service is mass market, also a celebrity gossip mag once a week (eg Closer) to keep up with who's in and what stories are making the press at the moment.

2007-12-04T13:38:00.001Z

Boot Sale Anyone?
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I am doing a novel writing course at the moment. Surprisingly (or not!) it seems to be full of PR people and journalists who all want to write the great novel! I sit next to the beauty editor of a top national women's magazine and, interestingly, she confessed to me that she often does car boot sales with all the samples she gets sent. This just confirms what I have been telling my clients for years - never send samples out on spec, unless they are just little gifts and meant to be just that.

So, how do you get a write to taste/sample/review your product?

The answer is to make them want it. Send them a press release they can't ignore, speak to them, talk it up and then ask them if they'd like a sample. And tell them you'll be calling to see how they found it. Show them that you're a professional and that you expect them to do their job like one too.

Paula Gardner
www.doyourownpr.com

2007-12-03T14:45:00.001Z

A couple of weeks ago I gave a talk to a group of Wedding Planners. It was an unusual occasion, as everyone in the room did the same thing and could, potentially, be the next person's competition. Hmm.tricky. So, as part of the proceedings I asked everyone to talk about their USP, why they are different - and really make everyone else in the room grasp their brand. It was a fascinating exercise, as it soon became obvious that everyone was unique. Some times these differences were geographical, sometimes they were due to target market, or that target market's budget, and now and again they were just down to personality.

But it emphasised how important it is that you stand out from all the rest, both to potential clients and customers, but also to press.

But, how, exactly do you do that? Here are some suggestions.

1. Look at your competition. Access as much info on them as you can and start a folder on them. Look at their websites, brochures, or even mystery shop (or get a friend or colleague to do it for you) so that you can experience them first hand. One of my own clients owns a chain of Indian restaurants but still eats at one of his competitors venues at least once a week. Of course they know him now, and they know that they are being judged, but it does help him to keep an eye on what the competition are doing, and make sure that he's staying ahead.

2. What do you do differently? What do customers remember about you, and indeed why do they choose you above your competitors in the first place? Is it strong enough to become the crux of your press campaign?

3. What can you do to make that difference stronger, or, if it's just not enough, what else can you do? Find your strengths and embrace and shout about them. There are other people offering PR training as well as myself, but many of them aim at the corporate market, whilst others do it as aside to their day to day business. My difference is that I work with small and growing businesses and this is my main business, not something I've tacked onto something else. When I tell this to the press they can see a difference straight away, and it works.

Very Best Wishes, Paula Gardner
http://www.doyourownpr.com
http://www.divinepublicity.com

Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:
http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2007-06-18T16:38:00.000+01:00

I had a pretty empowering weekend, having spent the whole of Saturday at a seed workshop with the impressive Lynne Franks of http://www.seednetwork.com. Of course Lynne has been a great inspiration to me ever since she worked on the magazine Petticoat and I wanted to be a journalist. I sort of fell into PR just at the time that her agency Lynne Franks was in its heyday and she was a fantastic role model to look up to. So, meeting her and working with her on saturday was fantastic and a dream come true. I'm about to write an article on it for www.chicklit.co.uk so watch this space and I'll let you know when that's up.

Whilst I'm not a workshop junkie, it was great to spend a day not only out of the office but out ofd everyday life. It helped me make a lot of decisions about where I go next. After all, I have been running www.doyourownpr.com for five years now - and anybody in a normal job would have moved on by now. So, once again, watch this space!!

Paula Gardner
www.doyourownpr.com

2007-06-11T20:19:00.000+01:00

Personal Branding

We had our latest teleclass today with Dawn Winder of http://www.i-define.co.uk/. It was an interesting look at how personal branding can really help with and boost PR. Dawn took us through a process that identified our unique skills and passions and then encouraged us to find a way to communicate them to our audience. As a result of the class I've decided to change my website home page to communicate more of me and my story. I'll make the changes and leave it for a few months to compare any changes in traffic and, most importantly, sales.

I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

Paula Gardner
www.doyourownpr.com

2007-06-07T09:57:00.001+01:00

It was a triple firing on the Apprentice last night and what a fantastic episode that was. Sir Alan played Katie at her own game and made her bow out of the show to reveal her for the game player that she really was. And now we only have Simon and Christina left. Both of them are great candidates - Christinia is competent, confident and well rounded, whilst Simon is keen, fun and still at that satge where he can be moulded.

Who would I chose? Dificult one, but probabaly Christina. Yes, Christina from The Apprentice would make a great PR. She can take the knocks and doesn't let them get to her, she's easy going, gets on with everyone and talks sense. She's also fabulous at sales and you need to have a bit of that killer instinct in you to make a great PR, or just do a good job on your own products.

Paula Gardner
www.doyourownpr.com

2007-06-06T10:05:00.000+01:00

I've been out of the business networking loop for a while. If you're anything like me you'll notice that it goes in cycles and sometimes you're ready and up for it, and other times it's the last thing you feel like doing. I've been taking some time out to write, get in the habit of going to the gym and to the pool and I'm happy to admit that I can't do everything at once. Something had to take a back step for a while and that was networking.

Now, I feel ready to get back into it and notice that everything is getting very expensive. Many neworking organisations are charging a couple of hundred pounds plus to even let you in as a member. And again, on the the premise that I can't do everything, I'm having to ponder what is worth my time and money - should I become an Ecademy black star PR should I focus on local women's groups? Currently I belong to www.sistersnog.com which is great - very laid back and funky - a perfect place, and I'm looking to add another to my list. I've noticed that you get what you pay for and the events that are free are often full of start-ups who are keen to sell sell sell and haven't really learnt the networking ropes yet.

Yesterday I had lunch at the new Loughton sector of http://www.wibn.co.uk/. It was lovely - very relaxed and yet still formal enough to be productive. At the moment this is pretty high on my list, but I am also feeling a little overwhelmed by all this networking with women ! I'll keep you informed!

Paula Gardner
www.doyourownpr.com

Want to learn more about strategic networking ?

2007-06-05T08:03:00.000+01:00

My colleague Hulya Erdal has been invited onto The F Word this afternoon, to compete with other female chefs from around the country for the chance of cooking with the Great Gordon himself. If only she needed a helper .....

2007-04-18T16:31:00.000+01:00

The Secrets of Writing a Non-Fiction Book

People often ask me about my book. How long did it take to write? How did I find the time? What impact has it had on my business? Today I’ve decided to write about writing a non-fiction book as a way to boost your credibility, income and publicity.

Deciding What To Write

Almost all of the clients I see have a an idea for a book in there somewhere, often bubbling just beneath the surface. But, similarly, sometimes when they describe their great idea I’ve got a funny niggly feeling that I’ve heard it before ..and I probably have. So the first thing that you should do is check out the competition. What other titles are there on your chosen subject and how do they compare to the book you want to write? If there aren’t any then it’s either time to start rubbing your hands with glee or give up on the idea altogether as it may mean there’s little or no market. Investigate further!

Cheat A Little

I must admit that I was very lucky when it came to writing own book Get Noticed
http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/the_get_noticed_workbbok.asp

As I had about a year’s worth of newsletters that I could use to give structure and content to the book. What I had to do was turn my material into a realistic and practical course that worked as well as made sense. The good news is that if you’ve been writing newsletters for a while you probably have got a lot of ready-made material for your book already. Now, does that seem less scary?

You Don’t have To Do The Whole Thing At Once

Publishers often don’t want to wade through the whole book initially so if you’ve got a couple of chapters and a synopsis already then you can get things moving and get those out to publishers and carry on with the rest of the writing whilst you wait.

Get Inpsired

Although I’ve never tried this myself (I’ve never had to, I’m very lucky and I find writing itself very easy) many people swear by Julia Cameron’s idea of Morning pages as shown in The Artists Way.

Put it into Ebook Format

This is what www.bookshaker.com initially did with Get Noticed before publishing it as a paperback. It means that you can test the market, can gauge reactions and change the book a little if necessary and you can sell the book from your own website and keep all the profits. Who needs a publisher anyway!

Blog IT!

Blogs aren’t just for PR or writing about what you had for breakfast you know. Blogging is a great way to get your thoughts up there and out in the world and disciplining yourself to write regularly means that you’ll not only be boosting your business, helping search engine optimisation but also helping build up material for your book – and this works with fiction just as much as non-fiction.

Buy your own copy of Get Noticed at www.doyourownpr.com

2007-04-16T10:57:00.000+01:00

Today i'm going to post a PR Success story.

Sue Donnelly of www.accentuate.me.uk initially came on a workshop that I did with media coach Joanne Mallon in 2004. She then went on to complete a Do Your Own PR 30 day ecourse and has regularly been in touch with updates on her PR successes which include:
Style writer for Health Plus with regular paid features and a monthly Gorgeous Clinic column (alongside Bharti Vyas, Jo Fairley and Daniel Galvin); regular contributor for Peterborough Evening Telegraph, Stamford Mercury, Norwich Evening News, ESP and Embrace magazines and articles in Psychologies, Essentials, My Weekly and Prima. I also was invited onto the Trisha show and have been quoted on BBC Radio Leeds and the Daily Mail.

Sue, how much time do you spend on PR?
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I'd like to say that I have a regular weekly slot to do PR but, in reality, I tend to have splurges when something captures my imagination or if I feel I have to something to contribute. This usually tends to occur every quarter rather than every week. I have 3 books published and they have provided me with great article ideas relevant to their subject matter and whatever might be happening in the media at the time. I am aware that I need to work in advance so I will plan Christmas and summer holiday articles at least 2 months before they actually occur.

What PR activities have you found that work for you?
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My first PR successes did not centre about what I do - Image Coaching - but what drove my decision to become one. I wrote articles about my change of career in my mid - 40's and the why, what and how this had come about. Magazines at the time were interested as '40 is the new 20' was in vogue and I was featured in 2 or 3 national women's magazines.
As a result, I was offered the column with Health Plus. I've kept this in mind when contacting the media. It's not what you do but how you can inspire their readers that counts. You need to think outside the box. I always look at different magazines and try to gauge their typical reader and the type of articles they would like to read. I also keep my eye on the news and make sure my article is relevant and topical. My knowledge as an image expert gives me credibility but it's not always the main focus of the story.

My exposure in the press gave me recognition within my own industry and I was invited to become an Executive Director for The Federation of Image Consultants. In turn, this has also lead to further PR opportunities as one of their spokespeople.

Where are you now with your relationships with the press?
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I have really good relationships with the local press and they often come to my home to interview me and take photographs. I'm also used for quotes on a frequent basis. Embrace magazine used my face as their cover (a nice surprise!) and as a result, I was recognised in the street on more than one occasion. It's strange when you're having a coffee in a local cafe or at your local gym and your face is staring back at you from the magazine rack!

What do you enjoy least?
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Making that initial call. I've always had a real dislike of any kind of cold calling and believe the recipient will think I'm a nuisance or unnecessary distraction. I've got over this a little but I still chicken out on occasion and send a letter or an email instead.
You can check out Sue's company at www.accentuate.me.uk.

Cold Calling Crash Course
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If like Sue you tend to put off cold calling journalists then this week's featured ecourse will help you get over this and build strong relationships with members of the press. The cold calling ecourse features 5 days of course work followed by a telephone one to one session with me where we work on your pitch so that you feel calm and comfortable when talking to the press. For more details see here:

http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/the_cold_calling_crash_course.asp

2007-04-04T15:01:00.000+01:00

Today I received an invitation to appear in Channel 4's wife swap. It's not for me, but if you fancy the idea of revealing your life on screen here are the details:

Calling all busy mums!

Are you a busy working mum? Do you juggle a successful career with children, a partner, home life and friends? Do you sometimes wonder how you cope? Could you teach another woman how it’s done?

If this sounds like you and you are interested in appearing on a Channel 4 documentary series looking at family life then contact Melissa on melissa.waterson@rdfmedia.com or call 0207 013 4514

2007-04-02T12:29:00.000+01:00

Do You Really Need a PR Company?

By Paula Gardner of www.doyourownpr.com

Facing facts

PR and marketing will help your business become more successful. But the obvious downside of a successful business is that you personally will no longer have as much time to devote to PR and marketing.

But handing it over to someone else is a risk - how can you be sure that they'll communicate the passion that fired you up to start the business in the first place?

Your choices

As you grow and find yourself in this position you really ultimately have four choices.

1. To grow but still retain control, personally, of all your PR and marketing. It may sound great but this is very stressful and if you're planning on doing your PR full time, then why aren't you running a PR company? It's not impossible, but to carry out this option successfully you'll need to be extremely disciplined.

2. To hand over PR and marketing responsibilities to another member or members of staff, and train them up to be responsible for this area.

3. To bring in a PR professional in-house.

4. To employ outside help from a PR company or practitioner.

Let's take a look at what doing your own PR long-term actually involves. Whether you are planning to outsource your PR or not, this will give you a breakdown of the different tasks involved. You may find that you feel you and your business will be able to handle them no problem, or it may send you into a cold panic where you realise that you'd better start looking around for a PR company pretty damn quick!

Research

This involves keeping up to date with newspapers, websites, trade and professional publications, magazines, radio shows and TV.

Planning your PR strategy

This includes market research into what image you need to project to your potential customers and devising a plan with a suitable timescale. To be honest, even if you have a PR company you'll need to be on top and driving this one.

Building relationships with journalists and editors

This could involve lunches, networking, and going to trade events where you know they will be covering stories. The beauty of doing your own PR is that these contacts are yours and won't be with-held by The PR company or leave with them when an account executive goes onto their next job.

Writing PR material

This could include web pages, press releases, articles for inclusion on your own and other websites (in exchange for links), articles for the press, newsletters and regular tips and hints for editors. Sometimes the clients still end up doing this even if they have a PR company.

Day to day PR

Chasing up press releases and phoning journalist with a story; giving interviews; following up past "bites" or interviews to see when article are being published; arranging for photos, links, photographs etc; placing competitions; buying publications and organising cuttings to most effectively impress potential clients.

And, of course, co-ordinating all the above so that they run smoothly!

Pros and Cons

Learning How to Do Your Own PR (either individually, or as a team)

Pros

* You retain control of the way things go.
* The contacts you make are your own and you can build relationships with the press.
* You can portray the passion behind the business much more effectively than someone who is being paid to do so.
* You and your team will learn skills and unleash abilities along the way that will benefit other parts of your business.
* This is often the cheapest option.

Cons

* Time consuming!
* If you suddenly thrust PR responsibilities on a member of staff who didn't sign up for this when they started it can cause bad feeling.

Bringing a PR Person In-house

Pros

* You'll get all their abilities, contacts and skills - just for you.
* They can immerse themselves in company culture and product much more easily and hopefully be able to communicate that better than someone on the outside.

Cons

* Cost plus all the other risks associated with taking on staff.

Hiring a PR Person or Agency

Pros

* You have access to their contacts
* It frees up your time.

Cons

* This can be a very expensive option and fees can run away unless you watch them carefully.
*You could competing for their time with higher paying clients.

My own opinion?

I firmly believe that small businesses, while they are small, are the best people to do their PR. It's easier for them to inspire the press with excitement and the skills you pick up can be phenomenal. And once a relationship with the press has been built it's more effective to bring in more people into the business to carry that on, and keep it yours, than hand it over to an outside party.

Do Your Own PR shows small businesses how to plan and run their own campaigns. Check out their 30 day PR ecourse here:
http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/do_your_own_pr_ecourse.asp

2006-07-04T16:46:00.000+01:00

PICK UP THE PHONE - A HOW TO PITCH TO JOURNALISTS WORSHOP 26th July 2-4.30pm, Canary Wharf, Docklands, London.

Again and again I hear that one of your biggest worries is picking up the telephone and actually talking to the press. Whilst you can get away with just emailing out to the media as part of your PR campaign, things will happen much faster and much more powerfully if you face your fears and learn how to build rapport and relationships with journalists.
This two and a half hour workshop will help build phone confidence and show you how to build relationships - naturally. You will learn:

* How to face your fears.
* How to minimise the chances of rejection and how to cope with it when it does happen.
* The best way to approach the media..but at the same time do it in away that feels comfortable for you.
You'll also be given the opportunity (but not forced) to role play calls to the media to boost your confidence.

This workshop will be delivered by Do Your Own PR founder Paula Gardner and Hulya Erdal, an experienced PR and marketing practitioner. All participants on this workshop will also receive the 3 day ecourse "Pitching To Journalists" after the day.
Call us on 0208 504 4557 to book by telephone, or visit:

http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/pitching_to_journalists_workshop.asp

2006-07-04T16:18:00.000+01:00

Continuing our list of the top 10 PR activities this week we move onto tip sheets.

Tip sheets are short snappy advice based emails, which are excellent for helping you build your profile and status as an expert. I started really using them a few years ago when one of my clients drew up her list of top 10 publications - which included the financial pages of the Sunday Times, Daily Mail etc. Unfortunately she announced that she found the thought of getting on the phone to these people just too overwhelming. Despite all my coaxing and coaching she just wasn't ready. So, we launched monthly tip sheets on her target area and guess what, within a couple of months (yes, as quick as that) they were calling her! By getting valuable professional advice out regularly she had proven that she knew her area and could be approached for expert comments and advice.
Tip sheets, and examples, are covered in more depth on our PR ecourse but here are 5 things you should about tip sheets.

1. They are great for people and businesses that need to raise their profile as an expert - not so great if you're selling a product - although it can be done.

2. It's the persistence that matters most. You need to prove that you are a reliable source of advice.

3. Unlike press releases tip sheets don't really need to be chased up.

4. You can if course recycle your content and use tip sheets in your newsletter, on your blog etc.
5. Write six months worth of tip sheets in advance and all you have to do is send them out on a regular date, say 2nd of the month.

If you want to see samples and read more about how to put a tip sheet together, check out our 30 day Do Your Own PR ecourse at:

http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/do_your_own_pr_ecourse.asp

2006-06-27T12:23:00.000+01:00

Client Success Stories From Do Your Own PR

Amanda Alexander of www.coachingmums.com will be in the July edition of Your Family magazine. Coaching client Colin Jervis of www.kineticconsulting.co.uk has been mentioned in the Business section of the Telegraph.

And this week we had this lovely email from Audrey Boss of www.beyondchocolate.co.uk

"Since doing your PR course we have been in the press nearly every month in some form or other. We have been quoted in features for Cosmo, Natural Health & Beauty, Top Sante and Harpers & Queen thanks to our Tip Sheets which we send out every month to all the journos on our contact list (as you suggested!) and have a whole feature on Beyond Chocolate coming out in The Express next week!"

Isn't feedback grand!

2006-06-22T17:42:00.000+01:00

It was my turn to host a workshop yesterday - this time it was Your PR Campaign Made Simple at Canary Wharf - lots of fun as usual meeting varied people from varied backgrounds. Also at the workshop were PR people from two top London restaurants which was very interesting and one of them brought along vouchers for free meals for everyone. Freebies always go down very well!

What I enjoy most about workshops is when everyone suddenly starts feel confident and relaxed to join and it's no longer just me up there spouting off my knowledge about PR, but everyone is contributing their own stories of what works and what doesn't. It's magic when that happens and that's what people get a lot out of.

Went to a networking event at The Hub (www.hubworking.net) was is quite a nice venue for meetings and workshops just 5 mins from Liverpool Street. Topped the meeting off with a drink at the pub and the Argentina game in the pub a few doors down. What a nice wind-down after delivering a workshop!

2006-06-20T14:21:00.000+01:00

Continuing the Top 10 of PR Tools

Next on the list is articles. Articles are a great way to build up your credbility - especially if you're a service based business - and here are five things you need to know about using articles as part of your PR campaign..

1. Don't even think about writing the articles first. Always contact your target publications before hand to "sell the article" in as they want a completely different style or angle. And you don't get discouraged because you've spent two weeks writing this thing no one wants. You approach publications with a synopsis of your idea, plus give them an example of your writing style, as well as any relevant qulaifications which means that you're the best person to write the article.

2. Despite the kudos of writing for traditional printed publications it may be easier and more effective marketing wise to focus your attention on online destinations for your work. Many websites have a problem getting hold of good content which makes your job easier from the start, plus people can easily click through to your own site, instead of having to remember your name and web address.

3. Having good photos to go with an article can mean that it gets more space....great for you. it aslo adds that slightly more professional look too.

4. Don't, whatever you do, write about more than one thing under one name. You may have more than one business but setting yourself up as an expert on too many things just makes you look like a dilettante (hope I've spelt that right!). Just use a different name!

5. Recycle. Tweak articles to make press releases and then use them in your newsletter, break them down to go out as tips to the press and use them on your own website too. Why do all that work and not eek every last crumb you can out of it!!!?

For practical help and advice on using promoting your business by writing articles check out our ecourse at:

http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/write_and_sell_articles_and_promote_your_business.asp

2006-06-14T20:01:00.000+01:00

Spent a lovely morning at a business balance workshop run by www.everywoman.co.uk. usually it's me giving the workshops so it was a great chance to sit and participate. Even better I touched base with the ladies from sister snog which I have been intrigued about (but never actually managed to make it along to) for ages. Now, I have no excuse not to go along to one of their events whatsoever!

2006-06-13T15:39:00.000+01:00

Last week I met with Graeme Marsh of www.aegistraining.co.uk - one of the fastest growing personal training companies in the city. Graeme has been providing me with technical info for some articles and is already making major inroads into PR with a regular fitness column in The Daily Express as well as a number of other regular writing spots. I asked him how he'd managed to start writing for such a big publication and, not surprsingly, it was through someone he'd met just at the right time- so, you know what you have to do...go on and get out and meet people..you never know what will come of it!

Very Best Wishes,
Paula Gardner
http://www.doyourownpr.com
Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days.For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:

http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2006-06-12T17:13:00.000+01:00

I had coffee today with the lovely Linda Zack of http://www.sleepcare.co.uk/.

It's a fascintaing business that Linda's has just launched but, coming from a health care background, Linda is finding PR and marketing a novel experience. We talked about Linda's newsletter - which she's in the process of getting going - and I suggested checking out www.constantcontact.com - as a way of adminitstrating the newsletter simply and easily. Many of my clients use it and sing its praises.

Very Best Wishes,Paula Gardner
http://www.doyourownpr.com
Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days.For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit: http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2006-06-07T15:02:00.000+01:00

Your PR Campaign Made Simple - Subsidised PR Workshop Docklands, Wednesday 21st June 2pm-4.30pm

Do Your Own PR has teamed up with Business Advisors Cute Dog Consulting to offer this Masterclass to businesses and organisations looking to gain an overview of their PR strategy from 2pm - 4.30pm on 21st June at the Reebok Centre, Canada Place, in Canary Wharf, Docklands.

The Masterclass is available at the heavily discounted price of £35.

Perfect for businesses that really need to raise their profile in the media to attract new clients, this workshop will show you to how build a realistic PR machine that will get you coverage on a budget. At the end of this two and a half hour workshop you will:

* Know where to focus your efforts and what form of media and publications will give you maximum impact.
* Learn the techniques that build credibility as well as visibility.
* Learn how to build relationships with the press and attract the press to you.
* Learn cost effective ways to build a media list and communicate with them.
* Put what you've learned into a realistic and achievable framework.
Places are £35 per person and to book your place via credit card please call 0208 504 4557, or

Visit:
http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/product-105-71-71.asp
This workshop is presented by Do Your Own PR, recently featured in The Times Online, which has been offering PR Training for over four years.

Enquiries: Paula Gardner on 0208 504 4557

2006-05-24T17:57:00.000+01:00

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE TARGETING THE RIGHT CUSTOMERS THROUGH YOUR PR?

1. Ask existing customers what publications they read and media they use and target accordingly.
2. When you get a good response from one publication, concentrate on getting into it again before spreading the net further.
3. Approach the advertising departments and ask for a media pack which should give you a run down of their readership and you can cross check that this is the same as your target market.
4. Look at where your competitors appear. Let them do the work for you!
5. Make regular research trips to newsagents, reference libraries and Internet sessions where you look for target media.

Very Best Wishes,
Paula Gardner
http://www.doyourownpr.com

Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days.For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit: http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2006-05-01T21:14:00.000+01:00

.....isn't it always the way that when you plan to go away and tidy up things before you go - you become much more in demand. I had planned tomorrow - my last working day before I head off to Venice for a week - to be spent sitting in a cafe with my team going over alst minute details of what work needed to be done, and tucking into pain au chocolate and coffee mochas. Now I've got a list of five potential clients, a new project for a long term client and a bag of euros to hunt down (I've looked everywhere!!). Still, I'm not complaining, it's a great problem to have and when I look back on those days of worrying because there just wasn't enough work coming in, they just seem so far away.

2006-04-30T16:42:00.000+01:00

HOW TO WRITE A PRESS RELEASE - HEAVILY DISCOUNTED WORKSHOP

Do Your Own PR (http://www.blogger.com/www.doyourownpr.com) has teamed up with Cute Dog Consulting to offer this Masterclass to new and start-up businesses (trading less than 2 years) from 3-5.30pm 18th May at the Reebok Centre, Canada Place, in Canary Wharf, Docklands, London.
The Masterclass is available at the heavily discounted price of £35. Perfect for start-ups and cash-poor businesses that really need to raise their profile in the media to attract new clients, this workshop will show you how to put together a press release that will help your business get noticed. At the end of this two and a half hour workshop you will:

* Have decided upon the hook for your release.
* Have a skeleton of a release that you can polish at home.
* Know what to do with it when you have written it.
* Learn how to apply this to future press releases over and over again - saving you time and maximising your efforts.
* Get feedback from other participants on PR for your business.

Places are £35 per person and to book your place via credit card please call 0208 504 4557, or order online at the link below:
http://www.doyourownpr.com/products/product-105-71-71.asp

Very Best Wishes,
Paula Gardner
http://www.doyourownpr.com/ and http://www.divinepublicity.comPaula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days.For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2006-04-28T20:50:00.000+01:00

How Do You Read It All?

The Independent Media Section (on Mondays) recently ran a collection of interviews with journalists on what they thought about PRs and their techniques. Apart from hating it when people phoned up just to check if they'd got the release, their pet hate was being approached by people who really hadn't bothered to read the publication.

This is a clear signal that we need to know what we're talking about before we pick up that phone but, with all those media opportunities out there, how do you find time to suss them out, and what are you looking for?

*Break your target publications down - a magazine a week, a niche a week, whatever you feel is unrealistic and not daunting.

* Build reading into key times of the day - during your train ride, over a cappuccino first thing in the morning for instance.

* Read it twice - once for content and once with a PR eye.

* Analyse each publication - we go over how to do this in the How to Write Articles To Promote Your Business ecourse.

* Read more than one copy of each publication.

* Follow individual journalists and what they write.

* Subscribe in advance so there's no excuse for not getting round to buying a copy.

* If you work in a team share out responsibility for titles between you.

Very Best Wishes,
Paula Gardner
http://www.doyourownpr.com/ and http://www.divinepublicity.comPaula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days.For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2006-03-29T12:25:00.000+01:00

SUBSIDISED PR COACHING!!

I am training up new Do Your Own PR coaches and so am offering our usual coaching programme, but with myself and a trainee coach (two for less than the price of one!) at a fantastic figure.

If you've been half-heartedly battling with your PR and marketing, coaching is a great way to put together a structured campaign and have an experienced PR person at your side with ideas, suggested publications, contacts and specific advice on how to go about your own PR. Our coaching clients have found that it's an effective way to make sure PR gets done as we help you break down big PR gaols into small actions and take you through them, month by month.
In fact one of my coachees, Lucie Storrs of www.periodfeatures.net has just left coaching as she is so successful with now 5 members of staff as well as being featured in every publication on her target list. Could this be you in six month's time?

PR coaching with Do Your own PR is normally priced at £165 per month but if you'd like to take advantage of this opportunity and also get two PR people on the case (one of my coaches is an experienced PR practitioner, the other a successful business woman who has done her own PR), then I'll be offering four training sessions over 2 months for an investment of £480.

Places on this are limited as they won't be training for long so do get in touch with me at paula@doyourownpr.com or on 0208 504 4557 if you'd like to talk about it, or you can read more about our general PR coaching here:

http://www.doyourownpr.com/prcoaching.asp

2006-03-28T14:56:00.000+01:00

Today I’m going to be talking about when customer service crosses over into PR. It’s been on my mind a lot recently, mainly because I seem to have come across a lot of bad customer service and just downright bad manners that reflect back on not only the person in question, but also the company they represent.

It’s something that, now I work with a team, I’ve had to think quite carefully about and have come to the conclusion that without this in place your PR is going to be a waste of time.

Let’s talk about one instance a few weeks ago. I was working with one particular client who obviously used a call answering service. The problem was that he was never around to receive any calls and the call answering service wouldn’t tell me this, but instead kept me hanging on the line until I finally gave up – and on three occasions. Not even a "I can’t reach him at the moment, do you want to leave a message?" which should have at least left me feeling I’d achieved something. Needless to say if I had been a journalist calling I would have moved straight onto the next person on my list.

And then I have the beauty clinic story that always amuses my friends – having recently moved to the area I’m of course trying out all the local beauty clinics to see who does the best aromatherapy massages, waxing etc – as you do. I’d worked my way through the list and been pleasantly surprised with most of them but I’d left the best until last – the most expensive, the (from the outside) most glamorous one that you had to beg to get an appointment with.
Hmm, where on earth should start?

My first point of call was the toilet that smelt of dead mouse! My facial was conducted to the sound of someone arguing on the phone in the office for the first ten minutes and then, just as I had breathed a sigh of relief and started to relax I realised that the beautician hovering above my face was chewing gum – over and over and over again. Okay, call me picky but I really didn’t feel like spending that amount of money to have someone chew within a couple of inches (it’s my equivalent of nails on a blackboard) and plucked up the courage to ask her to stop (hated doing it though). And yes she did stop chewing but still hovered there with the gum in her mouth. I could almost feel the tension as she forced herself to keep her gums stationery.

Oh dear, I do feel like I’m complaining a bit this week but the point is that I’ll never go back there and although you haven’t got a clue where I’m talking about, I have told my local friends who are more than likely to remember that next time they book something up. And even if the salon got a great and glowing write up in the local newspaper, I’d still remember cow girl and her peppermint cud. So, just remember if you haven't got the right customer service and staff attitudes in place then PR is more likely to focus bad attention on you than good.

Very Best Wishes,
Paula Gardner
http://www.doyourownpr.com/ and http://www.divinepublicity.com
Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days.For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2006-02-02T07:21:00.000Z

Let me tell you a story. As many of you know I also run Divine Publicity, where we do PR, as opposed to teaching and training on the subject. And for the past three months I've been contacting this features editor of a well known and high profile magazine. I can't say she's been a delight to talk to, as at times she's been intimidating and always, always gives out "I'm busy" vibes.

But this week she actually called me when she'd finally had time to look and digest the bits and pieces I've been sending her. We're now going ahead with something but the whole process has taken at least three months - and involved me phoning or getting in contact in one way or another at least once a week.

That's very nice you say, but why is she telling me this? For a few reasons actually.

* It shows that perseverance is important.
* Illustrates that however busy or aloof a journalist can sound it is still worth persevering as long as they don't give you an outright no.
* It's a cautionary tale of how long the process can actually take.

But there is a fine line between being persistent and being a pain in the proverbial. So, how can you make sure that you stay on the nice side of the tracks?

* You don't always have to call - just emailing something over as a little reminder can sometimes do the trick.
* Never call or email to check if someone has "received the press release". Argh!
* Whatever you do, always offer something. It could be case studies, an article, an invite to a press event, a freebie or a competition prize.
* Whatever they say try to always end on a bright and breezy note. It's good for your self esteem at the very least.
* Develop a thick skin!

Very Best Wishes,
Paula Gardnerhttp://www.doyourownpr.com/http://www.divinepublicity.comPaula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days.

For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2006-01-17T18:17:00.000Z

THE TOP THREE WAYS TO EVALUATE YOUR PR

A growing percentage of my clients are businesses that have already been using a PR agency, and either finding them ineffectual, or just unsure as to whether there's any real connection between the coverage they are getting and the sales they are making. While the first problem is something that has to dealt with on a case to basis, the second is something that actually needs addressing before you take on a PR agency, or even embark on your own PR campaign. It's about putting in systems to measure PR from the very beginning - or as soon as you possibly can.

How to Evaluate The Amount of PR Coverage You're Getting

1. Get access to your web stats. It's amazing how many small businesses don't know how many people are clicking through to their site and from where. This is such a vital step when it comes to planning and growing an online PR campaign. If you don't know how, ask your web designers or hosts to sort it out for you. Look at where people are clicking through from. Have you particularly targeted these websites and, are they bringing you new customers?

2. Asking where people heard about you. This can be in the form of a question on your contact form, or just something you naturally ask new customers. 3. Running specific offers with specific publications will help you gauge whether it really is your target market. If someone is writing about you, see if you can also add on a reader offer (most publications are usually delighted if they are already doing something on you anyway) to actually see if the people who read your PR are also taking the vital step to buying from you.

How to Evaluate Whether that Coverage Is Working

Now, as a PR person I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but sometimes PR isn’t the Now, As a PR person I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but sometimes PR isn’t the answer. answer. Sometimes, the results you get out from it really aren’t worth the effort you put into it, or the money you spend on it.

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe that it’s important, and I would never advise anyone to give up on it, but sometimes you just have to take a step back and consider how much time you should be spending on it

Whether you are a one man band doing everything from making to delivering goods and planning and carrying out your own PR and marketing, or a large organisation employing specific PR people or an agency, re-evaluating your PR is something you should do on at least a quarterly basis.

Very Best Wishes,
Paula Gardner
http://www.doyourownpr.com/
http://www.divinepublicity.com

Paula Gardner is a PR and media coach and the author of Get Noticed: How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 days. For a free weekly newsletter on how to attract new customers and clients and raise your professional credibility and visibility visit:
http://www.doyourownpr.com/subscribe.asp

2005-12-21T09:38:00.000Z

Do Your Own PR has been neglected slightly while I launch our sister company Divine Publicity, where we do traditional PR for clients, rather than teach them ourselves.

It's been a manic couple of months but a fabulous experience working with clients once again and building up a team of fantastic people. You can see our new website at www.divinepublicity.com

Paula Gardner
www.doyourownpr.com
www.divinepublicity.com

2005-11-08T14:28:00.000Z

I've got an opportunity for you to benefit from some free PR training if you fall into the right category.

Are you a London based private sector business employing 20-249 people? Are you keen to take advantage of PR training and raise the profile of your business? Do Your Own PR has been chosen to be a provider for the Addmore Leadership and Management Programme. Funded by the LSC and managed by Business Link for London, Addmore will help to develop your business by refunding the cost of engaging Do Your Own PR to enhance your Public Relations skills.

The programme entitles you to a maximum refund of £1000 on any pre agreed spend with Do Your Own PR. For more info contact Paula@doyourownpr.com.

Paula Gardner
www.doyourownpr.com
www.divinepublicity.com

2005-06-22T17:23:00.000+01:00

Well, I did my talk at the Everywoman conference. It was great to meet so many newsletter readers there - and it was fabulous to be speaking at the same event as Ann Summer's Jacqueline Gold and broadcaster Jaqcui Harper. What actually made it quite funny was that I went to University at Canterbury, not far from the conference centre where the event was held. This meant that I had to take one of those stop-at-very station trains that I haven't had to get on for about fifteen years, bringing back lots of memories. And it was strange to imagine what my University self would have said about my speaking at the conference - at that time I was more concerned about getting an interview with New Kids on the Block for the University magazine!

My next speaking event workshop will be for The National Business Innovation Centres on the morning of July 5th. You can read more

here:http://www.nationalbusinessinnovationcentres.com/index.php?cc=1&page=shopping&shop_cat_id=61&itemsperpage=4&pageno=1

Paula Gardner of Do Your Own PR is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-05-20T07:53:00.000+01:00

Blimey, we're more than half way through May already. It's unbelievable. (and ten days since I last wrote, bad girl!). When I decided to set up this blog I had a bit of a half formed idea about why I wanted to do it. As a PR I naturally thought about the PR opportunites it opens up but I've now decided to take a much more relaxed approach and just see what comes out of things.

In fact my last newsletter was about blogging as a PR tool- the fact that it works beautifully for some, and then sees more like a chore for others. This morning I opened up my outlook express to get two very different messages. One from a woman who has just started her own business and finds blogging a very grassroots and effective way to promote her home-made soaps, and another, a coach, who finds the whole discipline involved gives way to a feeling of guilt when she doesn't manage to keep her blog up to date.

I've also come across a PR company that is going to offer its clients a blogging service - where it blogs on your behalf. Whilst blogging can be effective as PR, I find this idea absolutely bizarre. I'm very much a believer that blogging has to come from the heart and not the wallet!

Paula Gardner of Do Your Own PR is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-05-05T14:33:00.000+01:00

I haven't written much for a while. It's been very busy here - not just with PR consultations but also the http://www.chicklit.co.uk/ site which was re-launched a few weeks ago. The response has been amazing and we've doubled the visitors to the site in less than two weeks. Admittedly, we've also doubled the number of pages but sometimes attracting visitors to your site can be just as simple as that - more content so more chance of it getting picked up by the search engines.

Which means that if you're considering a website, choosing one with a content management system that allows you to increase the size of your website as you wish is a good investment. And you don't have to write all the articles youreslf. Often you'll find people keen to offer you free content in return for a link and some blurb - make use of it and have more on your site to invite visitors back.

Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-04-14T16:43:00.000+01:00

I had a consultation on Saturday and because my usual venue, The Institute of Directors, was shut we ended up having a very civilised lunch at Cafe Rouge in Hays Galleria. Now I don't usually do restaurants for consultations, all that eating and menu balancing seems to get in the way, but this worked out well and made me wonder whether the atmosphere of the IOD is quite right for me.

I will have to check out alternative venues, but my criteria is that it must be quiet, easy to find, with good food available (and I must admit the IOD does the most gorgeous of Cappuccinos), with maybe some kind of quirky or arty twist. At the moment the members gallery of the Tate Modern looks promising - although I'm wondering how busy it gets.

Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-04-11T08:09:00.000+01:00

Some good client news coming in. Period Features http://www.periodfeatures.net/got mentioned in The Observer this Sunday - and owner Lucie hasn't even finished her PR ecourse yet!

Mini Gallery ( www.minigallery.co.uk ), are holding their first exhibition of affordable Art. Featuring an eclectic mixture of the artists that exhibit on Mini Gallery, this will be at Brighton Race Course on 4th and 5th June. Check out http://www.minigalleryexhibitions.co.uk/index.aspto find out more.

Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-04-09T08:59:00.000+01:00

We had a bit of a disappointing Easter break (everyone was ill..but not at the same time so it seemed to drag on forever). In between fluey bugs we did manage to sneak in a lovely weekend pottering around Richmond. We stayed at this lovely B and B http://www.doughtycottage.com/and had the best cooked breakfast that I've had in a long time.

Also caught up with a bit of popular culture and read (finally) The Da Vinci code by Dan Brown. I thoroughly enjoyed this and forced my (devoutly Catholic) husband to read it straight after just so that I could talk to someone about the plot! Being a Godfather story fan I was also interested to see that there's a new book (Not a Mario Puzzo) called the Lost Years. I haven't read it yet (dithering over ordering it from Amazon) if anyone has read it I'd love to know what you think.Finally, also got to see Constantine with Keanu Reeves. Interesting film, very different from your usual run of the mill thriller, and enjoyed that immensely.

Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-03-22T09:18:00.000Z

Last night I went see Fiona Harrold (http://www.fionaharrold.com/) talk. It was an interesting evening - not just because of what Fiona Harrold said - but also because how I reacted. Rather than listen and absorb every word as I would have a few years ago, I found myself watching her - noticing the way that she stood, the way that she used her voice, the way that she held, or didn't hold her audience's attention. In short, I felt as though I was examining her for what I could learn from her - or not, as the case may be.

Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-03-20T09:48:00.000Z

Oooh lots of client stories this week. Wealth coach Nicola Cairncross was on CNN breakfast news talking about how internet entrepreneurs are making money after the dotcom bubble burst, image coach Sue Donnelly takes on the role of style expert on a panel of experts for Health Plus, Ariana Gee, coach and co-author of Be Your Own Love Coach is featured in Prima, and fine art finder Beverley Knowles has opened her gallery 30 seconds walk from London Bridge tube station at 4 Bedale Street, SE1. Beverley specialises in women artists and you can see some stunning examples at www.beverleyknowles.com

Finally, I received this lovely email from Vivienne Warman of Beautiful Kitchens (VivienneKitch@aol.com)"I have just returned from a photo shoot from The Essential Kitchen Bedroom and Bathroom Magazine - Wow........It's been really hard work with lots of rejections on the way but I'm thrilled to bits. .I have used lots your tips but the main one was not giving up..it should be in the June/July Issue."

Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-03-13T17:40:00.000Z

I've started work on our franchising/licensing programme. Our aim is to expand Do Your Own PR from a consultancy to a business, promoting a group of experts PRs nationwide. Once again, it's exciting business and the chance to work with a group of people, helping them build their own lifestyle business, or expand and grow their own consultancy.Watch this space for more details!

Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.

2005-03-12T13:05:00.000Z

At last our sister site http://www.therestaurantprcompany.co.uk/ is live. Just like our own Do Your Own PR ecourse, the Promote Your Restaurant ecourse is a 30 day ecourse that is designed to help you raise the profile of your restaurant, bar or hotel. It's taken from years of experince with restaurants such as L'Escargot and Al Basha, and is a great investment that will help you basically get more bums on those seats.It was a joy to put together and I'm excited now that it's being let loose into the world.

Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed: Boost your small business profile in 30 days or less.