Have Some Press Won't You?

December 4, 2008

In one of my last posts, the one about the Economy took quite a bit of time to write.  I did not want to come off negative, yet I wanted people to be realistic.  I know it's not vogue to sometimes tell it like it is is - but I think that is a trait an Entrepreneur needs to have.  I was honestly surprised not have seen more negative, if not combative responses or comments to my post.  I did get a nice comment from someone that asked about PR though, and that I can help with;

"One of my weaknesses is PR; I've never done it and have no clue how to go about getting press coverage for our products. Can you share some advice on this subject as well..."

                                                                                                                CarolMatisak of The Monogramed Divas

 Good at Getting Some Press

Getting press is a trial and error for the most part. The process is just as much about the end result as how you got there.  Sometimes it is who you know, sometimes it is just being the right place at the right time - and other times it can change your business (that would be when Oprah has you on her show and you sell 10,000 widgets in 10 minutes - ya that can change things).  Though I am not an expert I have had some amazing press and some incredible luck (not Oprah luck, but luck).  You can go to my website if you want to see the press we got - or if you are as tired of it as I am, please read on:

Who Am and What Do I do?

You need a good elevator pitch abut your product or what it is you do.  A quick one, that is one or two sentences.  Sarah Jane, of Sarah Jane Studios has a great one on her site.  Own that pitch, be able to announce it to a group of strangers, type it into an email when asked what you do - memorize that baby!  You can always elaborate and or condense but you have to own it.  Nothing is more frustrating then getting a 3 paragraph description from an Entrepreneur explaining what she does, why she does it and how she does it.  No one cares that your daughter ruined your prototype and that your fubbly wubbly husband wuvs you to death, no one - sorry.  The people that really don't care - journalists.

Journalists are very busy people and expect you to get to the point quickly.  Face it, if you are pitching them you are one of maybe a dozen or 3 dozen people.  Get to the point quickly, and if you have memorized the pitch then you can do it quickly.  Even if you do not get the piece, or get interviewed do know they will be more than likely to talk to you again than to old Ms. Crafty McCraftperson who's email was 4 pages long description of how she dries her flowers using the sun and her mother's special recipe.

But What is Your Story?

Second you will need a story about how you started your business or why you started or how you came up with this great idea.  Put this story on your website!  If your story is lame (I saw it on line and decided I could do that too) you may want to re-think your business model.  Also, throw some "human interest" into it.  For years anything written about a Mompreneur, Mommypreneur,WAHM (work at home mom) got instant attention.  You almost did not even have to try very hard to get a reporter to listen to you.  Now, I would say that story is kind of.....dead.  Don't shoot the messenger  - but the story has been played out.  Find an angle and own it - do your research, see what other stories resonate with you.  I am not saying lie, but make your story worth reading , write (or speak) well.

Second, you need to be able to adjust and massage your story depending on who you are speaking with.  An editor from Woman's Day and a journalist from Entrepreneur Magazine - different spin.  One wants the feel good warm and fuzzy 'I am a Mommy and I work" story, the other - facts, numbers, statistics.  Carrie Weir, a friend and another entrepreneur who was once a journalist claims your story is just as important as your product. 

Love the Limelight

One more important piece to this press puzzle - you need to love the attention.  And that is not like, I mean LOVE the attention - really, really.  You have to be a good spokesperson, have a good photo you can email in a heartbeat and like to smile while you talk about your baby...er business.  If you do not like talking about yourself or your company - press is not for you.  It has to be something you enjoy doing.  Also do not be too hard on yourself - know that you will fail, not everyone will write about you.  However, you just never know what may happen - if you talk to everyone you know something may happen to you and your business.  If you never talk about it, you won't make any good connections.

Be Realistic about the Outcome

Press and publicity is not the end all to the success of your business.  It can help, it gets your name ou there but it does not equal sales.  Trust me I know this from experience and from other women that have had a lot more press than me.   People magazine featuring your product does not guarantee sales, Ellen holding up your ornaments on National TV does not guarantee sales either.  Sometimes all press does is over-inflate the head and ego of the person, so be careful.  Once you are out there - you are out there, and your life is public.  Just make sure you are okay with that.  There are no alias's for running your own business.

Comments

[sarah jane]

great post jaime. wow. I am bookmarking this one. you really know how to get right to the point, and I love it! I have been working on my press kit for a while, and it just seems like there is so much to consider. Thanks for the tips, and for mentioning my site. I can't remember if I actually put my pitch online, but I need to. enojy the rest of christmas crazy season! xoxox

[Sharon]

A pleasure to read, as always. You deliver the truth with a positive tone in your own no-nonsense style. You always leave me with a lot to think about.

[Melissa Fischer]

I always can't wait to see what you are going to say in your post! I wish I had a touch of that "no nonsense kind of girl" in me- good for you! Your post always leave me with something to think about!
Melissa

[Carol Matisak]

Wow Jamie! Like Sharon, you've given me a lot to think about. Although press and publicity is not the main object of our business plan, it can still play a big role in the marketing of our products. Obviously, good press has the potential ( and I fully understand it is "potential") of impacting our sales, hence my request for help in this area. As always, you've put it in an easy to understand, no-nonsense (no b.s.) manner. Thank you so very much!!!

[Carrie_in_TN]

Hey, girl...Excellent as always and gracias for the mention. I have a section called Media Whore on my site. Here's an old post:
http://tinyurl.com/6cpj4c
Some things have changed as newspapers chop staff and news hole, but persistence can pays.

Also, remember: "Three is a trend." Find a few friendly competitors to team up with to spotlight/pitch your trend. We've done that with great success.

And my constant and harping bit of advice to women kicking off businesses: Go after magazine and newspaper stories, even tiny ones. Why? They're free, they end up online and they end up in doctor's offices for months! Don't get trapped into paying bloggers for reviews, or sending them product, unless they've got the readers and stats to make it worth your while. (Magazines send your product back. Nice.)

Good luck, all.