Solo PR Pro | Successful Freelance PR Consulting » marketing

Extra Costs, Website Leads, Summer Vacation & More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:15:59 +0000

During the May 18 #solopr Twitter chat, solo PR pros shared insight on adding mileage expenses into client contracts, building your own website, getting leads from your website, and taking a summer vacation. The following questions helped guide the conversation:

1. With gas prices going up, are you adding mileage expenses into your client contracts? #solopr

2. If you have a your own webstite, what tips can you offer on building one (tools, services, analytics, etc.)? #solopr

3. How many of you get leads directly from your website? #solopr

4. Are you planning a vacation this summer? #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!

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.

Avoiding Spam, the Definition of PR, & More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:15:38 +0000

During the March 9 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros touched upon avoiding spam, the definition of PR, partnering with non-profits, and marketing your services as a subcontractor. The following questions help guide the conversation:

1. How do you avoid sending spam emails when you need to blast news/reach a large audience?

2. Can a crowdsourced definition of #PR have any carriage & authority? What bodies do we look to for guidance in defining our work?

3. Has partnering with non-profits assisted your business development. If so, which ones?

4. How is the best way to market your services as a subcontractor to larger agencies?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for the full discussion. What’s your take on these important topics?

Thanks to Jennifer Spivak for compiling this post.

Considerations in Q4

Kellye Crane — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:35:42 +0000

With Q4 2010 well underway, this week’s #solopr Twitter chat covered some of the key issues we face this time of year:

1. How do you make sure clients feel comfortable when you’re out of the office (short term and long term)?

2. How do you mark the holidays with your network?

3. Are your clients in planning mode for 2011? What are you seeing re: budgets, emphasis, etc.?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for insights and advice from top PR professionals nationwide. What would you add to the discussion?

Holiday Pitching, Renegade Spokespeople, and More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:04:03 +0000

This week’s #solopr Twitter chat was once again a fast-moving hour full of useful tips from some of the top pros in PR consulting nationwide. We covered some timely topics this week, covering the following questions:

1. Is there a “dead zone” around the US 4th of July holiday (meaning, is it difficult to communicate during this time? Slow time for news?)? How do you handle?

2. Where are most of your new clients/prospects coming from today?

3. The Gen McChrystal interview scandal fallout continues, and the PR person who set it up has “resigned.” Has your spokesperson ever gone off message? What do you do?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for real-world insights on these topics that you can apply today. What are your experiences – let us know in the comments!

New Business, PR Timing, and More

Kellye Crane — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:55:19 +0000

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

1. When in between projects and working to gain new business, what are the best practices?

2. I graduated in December and am thinking of doing solo PR offering social media and other PR services. Good idea in this economy?

3. What’s the best way to space out PR communications (like press release etc.) to have all year coverage?

4. How often do you like to see posts on your favorite blogs? Is there such a thing as too much content?

Be sure to check out the transcript inPDF for tons more wisdom. What do you think — how would you weigh in on this discussion?

Thinking Big Picture

Kellye Crane — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:08:37 +0000

During the #solopr Twitter chat this week, we addressed questions from the community that centered around looking at the big picture for your business. The topics included:

1) How do you know when it’s time to start hiring staff and turn your solo practice into an independent agency?

2) How can I demonstrate my value/sell myself as a PR consultant without giving away all my secrets?

3) Any tips for how to think and act like an entrepreneur?

To find out what top independent PR consultants had to say on these important issues, download the transcript in PDF. What would you add?

What Are You?

Kellye Crane — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:39:19 +0000

During this week’s #solopr chat on Twitter, we had a lively conversation that included the pros and cons of the various labels we use for ourselves. Is it better to position oneself as a consultant, freelancer, independent contractor, or some other title?

This discussion made clear that there are many different perceptions and connotations, often changing based on your skillset or industry of specialization. Here’s just a sampling of the opinions:

@CaSuPe15: I think a consultant develops suggestions for a PR strategy, and a freelancer would take the next step and implement it

@rockstarjen: I see freelancers as more behind the scenes (don’t manage clients, etc.), supporting solos, agencies, etc.

@karenswim: “Freelancer” the label does have baggage, but see that changing & “consultant” is not always viewed favorably

@KCDPR: I think the word freelance has a stigma of “cheaper” attached to it as well. Consultant encompasses a lot of areas of expertise.

@ActiveIngreds: Often times I refer to myself as a partner vs freelancer or consultant because of issues with both that I’ve faced.

@Power_of_M: I think consultant is overused, and not specific, and freelancer implies creative trade… not lesser-skilled… A copywriting ‘freelancer’ as an example, is not a consultant. They are a doer. But a great one is highly strategic & billable.

@akenn: To me a freelancer is a sub-contractor; a consultant is the lead.

@PRProSanDiego: Sole practitioner is my preferred term. This is what lawyers call themselves. It denotes expertise worth paying for.

@KeeyanaHall: A consultant will offer strategic advice. A freelancer takes strategic advice & gets “down & dirty” w/implementation.

@jillvan: I once used the term “freelance” with a client, and he freaked b/c to him, it implied I wasn’t going to be around much.

@IndigoSevenPR: I think it makes you more credible when you say you are a consultant than a freelancer when competing with PR firms.

For dozens more fascinating comments on this topic, be sure to check out the chat transcript. The key is to know what your clients are looking for in the solo PR pro they’re seeking. If you’ll be providing copywriting services, “freelancer” might be the right description. But if you’ll handle their PR in its entirety, “consultant” could be a better fit. Regardless, it’s enlightening to know about the different perceptions and keep in mind there’s not just one right answer.

Also during the chat, we discussed whether you can be a Solo PR Pro right out of college. Though many thought it would be too difficult to pull this off effectively, a few of our participants – including @zakmo and @SoloDovePR – said they have done just that.

The fact that some entry-level PR pros (not those noted above) are being asked to accept “full-time freelance” positions, sans benefits, was disturbing and noted as illegal by several on the chat. For additional background, @PaulaJohns shared a CNN article: Auditors crack down on ‘independent contractors’.

What do you think – are there any advantages or pitfalls to the various Solo PR Pro monikers we didn’t discuss? Have you learned any lessons around the way you position your business? Please let us know in the comments!

On a side note, I’m happy to announce that I’ve created a Solo PR Twitter list, and on Tweepml you can now follow the members of this list with one click! If you’re not on the list and would like to be, just let me know.

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!

Photo credit: Marco Belluci

@PaulaJohns shared a CNN article: Auditors crack down on ‘independent contractors’.

Parting Ways with a Client, and More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:36:46 +0000

As part of this week’s #solopr Twitter chat, PR consultants offered insights on a variety of important issues, including the following:

1) Do you provide a client with a variable rate sheet, or just say “this is what I charge?”

2) How are other #solopr pros creatively using their Web sites for self promotion?

3) What do you do when you’ve become bored with a client?

4) How do you resign a client?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for interesting insights and discussion on these topics. What do you think — any points to add? Let us know your two cents in the comments!

PR Consulting Clients Want Specialists

Kellye Crane — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:30:08 +0000

This is a guest post from Kevin Dinino, Founder & CEO, KCD Public Relations Inc.

I started out like many in the PR field, as a generalist Account Executive at a mid-size PR agency pre-Internet bubble. Once the sky started to fall and clients such as Neopets.com disappeared overnight, I was moved to start supporting large financial firms involved in venture capital and leveraged buyouts.

It was a rewarding job, working with these masters of the universe and becoming immersed in the financial media and learning how no news sometimes was a good thing. Two years later, I was lured to the wonderful world of Wall Street, working in PR for a large brokerage firm, promoting financial advisors in their local markets. It was great to travel across the country and drive media interest in local markets help build their brand.

A move across country to sunny San Diego allowed me to head the PR department for a similar brokerage and help craft PR campaigns with some of the larger and reputable independent financial advisors in the country. No one expected the great financial collapse of 2008 and before I knew it, my position had been jettisoned.

Eager to continue my love affair with the financial media, my former employer and I agreed that I would hang out my own shingle and offer my PR services to their clients. I was always an entrepreneur at heart and slowly started the process of founding my new firm, KCD Public Relations.

What I learned early on was that I had a very unique network of contacts and a former employer that was willing to market my business. These factors led me to the easy decision to position my firm as a specialty shop, working directly with financial services firms (and financial advisors) on PR campaigns, leveraging my 10+ years of industry experience. I have found that clients want to work with a specialist vs. a generalist – so every marketing piece for my agency (Web site, social media, brochures, etc) is geared to appeal to a financial services firm.

The results have been tremendous – KCD PR has grown from two initial clients to close to 10 and I’ve been able to leverage more industry expertise to work on behalf of the firm. In some ways it might sound counterintuitive that the more you specialize the more success you find, but that’s certainly been my experience. Find what you do best and then reap the rewards.

What have you found in your own business? Are the benefits of specializing worth the perceived risks?

Do You Have Ugly Stuff?

Kellye Crane — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:35:22 +0000

We’ve all seen them: unappealing logos, lame business cards printed out on the home printer, and remedial PowerPoint presentations. PR consultants often focus so much energy on our content, too often we suffer from “ugly stuff” syndrome.

But design plays an important role in establishing credibility — especially important for independents. You’ve heard the expression “perception is reality?” This is actually backed up by research, with one study confirming that people expect visually appealing Web sites to contain better information than Web sites that are less appealing.

Many designers say that you shouldn’t assume you can’t afford professional services. They suggest giving a designer a call and say “I’d like to beautify this proposal, but all I have is [$150] to spend – what can you do for that?”

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Atlanta-based Rand Cabus, of Privateer Design, on first impressions, templates, and the need for PR consultants to banish ugly stuff:

What have you done to make sure you don’t have ugly stuff? Any suggestions for improving your image on a budget?