Solo PR Pro | Successful Freelance PR Consulting » blogger relations

Generalist/Specialist, Image Consulting, & More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:15:05 +0000

During the October 12 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed bad PR stories, image consulting, & more. Specifically, the following questions were addressed:

1. Is it better for a #solopr pro to be a generalist or a specialist?

2. Recently, a PR pro got caught using f-bomb, etc. re: blogger: http://bit.ly/ospMji Do these stories make us all look bad? #solopr

3. What place does image consulting have in PR world, or how closely does it relate to PR? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

The #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern – is a weekly ritual for some of the most savvy Solo PR Pros on Twitter. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to participate – see Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter to find out how!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

Blogger Outreach, Klout Scores, & More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:15:06 +0000

During the September 21 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros shared insight on blogger outreach programs, Klout scores, the Netflix saga, & more. Specifically, the following questions were addressed:

1. When you build a blogger outreach program and compile lots of info (Alexa Rank, Page Rank, etc.) how much do you share w/client? #solopr

2. Can Klout scores be a way to help clients show competency/authority? #solopr

3. Have you been following the Netflix saga? How would you have advised a company to behave differently? #solopr

4. What should a company that wants to break apart its business do from a PR/branding perspective? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

Blogger Outreach & Earning What You’re Worth

Kellye Crane — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:30:32 +0000

During the September 7 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros shared insight on blogger outreach strategy and getting paid what you’re worth. The following questions helped guide the conversation:

1. A major PR firm recently lured food bloggers to an “exclusive supper club” and fed them frozen food http://bit.ly/nUkMvv Is it ever OK to do something like this? Did they just misread their audience? #solopr

2. If you feel like you’re working too hard & not getting paid, what can you do? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that the transcript is in reverse chronological order.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

Blacklisting, Dropbox, & More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:15:44 +0000

During the July 6 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed media blacklisting, internal vs. external PR, social media & PR for new brands, & Dropbox’s recent change in terms of service. The following questions helped guide the conversation:

1. Post by @vanessacamones said “Say No to Silicon Valley’s Bully” http://ow.ly/5y1Xv re: M. Arrington- thoughts re: blacklisting? #solopr

2. Do you think that PR and social media generated internally are most often more successful than external contractors? #solopr

3. What’s the best thing a young brand can do when starting a new regimen involving traditional PR and social media? #solopr

4. Dropbox changed their terms of service, giving them sweeping rights to access your docs (h/t @cloudspark) http://blog.dropbox.com/?p=846 They also have had security issues. If you use, have you changed? Other tools to rec? #solopr

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. Note that our previous transcript service is down, so this week’s transcript is in reverse chronological order. We’re working to find an easier to read format.

If you weren’t able to join us this week, please let us know how you’d respond to the chat questions below!

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

Blogger Research, Expectations, and more

Kellye Crane — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:54:27 +0000

During the #solopr chat on Twitter this week, top pros in PR consulting offered insights on a wide-range of topics, addressing the following questions:

1. Media and industry publications are quick to use the term “PR disaster.” In your experience, what really constitutes a PR disaster?

2. Would you charge for work that brought results below your own expectations?

3. How do you find bloggers to target?

Download the transcript in PDF to learn some new tips and tricks. What advice would you add to the discussion?

New Tool for Media Relations Collaboration

Kellye Crane — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:20:20 +0000

Those of us who’ve worked at agencies remember joining forces with co-workers to develop combined pitches before conducting media relations for feature coverage. Pitching a trend is much more meaningful when you have three or more spokespeople from different companies available and ready to discuss the topic at a moments notice. As journalists continue to find their resources shrinking, doing as much legwork as possible for them becomes even more important.

But lining up this kind of turnkey story becomes more challenging for independent PR consultants and boutiques. We all foster a network of fellow PR pros that we can tap into for media opportunities (or you should!), but what if you don’t know of anyone who fits a particular requirement, or you need additional resources quickly?

Pitch with Me is a new service designed to help public relations professionals connect with additional resources to generate more effective pitches. It’s the brainchild of Heather Whaling, @prtini on Twitter (side note: we recently co-wrote the post 5 Tips to Keep in Mind When Going Solo for the PR Breakfast Club blog, in case you missed it). Heather told me why she chose to launch this service now, after just recently becoming a Solo PR Pro:

“I come from an agency background and was used to brainstorming with my co-workers about opportunities to package clients in pitches. Now that I’m out on my own, I don’t have as much access to those kinds of resources. That got me thinking about ways solo PR pros, small businesses and nonprofits could team up. I’m a big believer in collaboration. Working together, I think we can develop stronger pitches, which should lead to better results for our clients. At least, that’s what I hope to see happen with Pitch with Me!”

I took a look at the simple online tool (which operates similar to HARO, but filling a different need). You submit a request through the Pitch with Me Web site, along with your contact information, a general description of the media outlet, an overview of the pitch and the type of resource you’re looking for. It is then displayed publicly on the site, as well as via @pitchwithme on Twitter – an automated feed of submissions. (You may want to use a special email address for submissions, to avoid receiving spam on your main account from bots who might be trolling the Web looking for email accounts.)

To me, a wise aspect of Pitch with Me is the fact that you control the opportunity (and how much information is revealed) when you submit your request. We all know PR can be a competitive business, and there are bad guys out there who might try to “go around” you if they had all the information on your plans. The tool is setup so you can mitigate that risk by being highly specific about the resources you need, but vague about who and how you’re pitching. I also like that I can see who is making the request. If you find one of your Solo PR Pro buddies looking for help, you’ll likely jump at the chance to work with a trusted colleague.

This tool looks like it has potential to help independent PR consultants improve their efficiency, and perhaps their media relations results. What do you think?

Blogger Relations – from a Blogger’s Perspective

Kellye Crane — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:52 +0000

Blogger relations is an activity only growing in importance for PR pros as the media landscape continues to shift. When bloggers speak on the topic, we often hear cranky pronouncements about the uselessness of PR people, which can too easily be written off as the self-important whining of big egos. But most bloggers are entirely reasonable folks like you and me – what do they have to say about the role of PR people?

After speaking on Kami Huyse’s panel on “Building Relationships with the Digerati” at the recent PRSA International Conference, Matthew Henry of Child’s Play x2 (one of a growing group of Dad bloggers) was kind enough to sit down with me. According to his bio, Matt’s been “chronicling the highs and lows of parenting twins since he knocked up his wife in 2004.” I approached Matt after the session because (in addition to being funny) I found him extremely reasonable, with a message PR pros need to hear:

Does the fact that most bloggers make little to no money from their endeavors impact the way you work with them? How are you working to avoid the no-nos, and what have you done that’s resulted in success?