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?

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!

We’ve all been there: one day we look up, and we haven’t done our professional networking in a while. But if you haven’t spoken to a contact since the last millennium, what excuse can you use to reconnect?

Of course, if you have a great relationship with one of your former clients it’s easy to pick up the phone and chat. But when it comes to networking with the less well-known contacts, even the most extroverted PR professional can feel a little shy.

Fortunately, there’s usually no need for a hard sell – the key is to just maintain contact and say hello from time to time. You want to remind them of your existence, which will make them think of you first the next time a project comes up. Try one of the following “excuses” to reach out – it works!

1. Your contact details change – When you have a change of address, email or phone, it’s the best excuse in the world to reach out to your contacts. Avoid sending potential clients a blanket notice and instead use the opportunity to initiate a real conversation.

2. To say you’re available – Don’t shudder at this thought. A simple note letting contacts know you have availability can yield big results.

Sample wording: Thought I’d reach out and let you know that I have some availability right now. If you have any projects come up that might be a fit for me, please keep me in mind – I’d welcome the chance to work with you again.

3. Your contact got a promotion – If you hear through the grapevine (or see on LinkedIn) that someone you know received a promotion or a new job, send them your heartfelt congrats. You can also ask what they’ll be working on in their new role, but don’t say anything about working together (which will make your note self-serving) – this particular outreach is strictly to keep in touch.

4. Their company/department had news – Send a note of sincere congratulations when you see that your contact’s organization had an important news event – it will help them think of your services the next time they have a news event!

5. You begin offering a new service – It can be anything from social media to media training – as you work as a Solo PR Pro, you’ll continue to advance your skillset and offer new services. Make sure your contacts know about them.

Sample wording: I wanted to let you know I’m now handling X for many of my clients – let me know if you have any needs in this area where I could be of assistance.

6. Introduce yourself to someone who replaced your client contact – When someone new comes on board, make sure you email to say hello/welcome or you may get lost in the shuffle.

Also, don’t forget to follow-up with your existing contact wherever they land. This is a critical step in growing your business – like an amoeba, your one potential client has just become two.

7. Ask if they’re going to any upcoming events – If there’s a big conference or networking event coming up in your area that you’ll be attending, ask your local contacts if they’ll be there (or if they are going to any other upcoming events). This is an excuse to connect by email, and you could end up strengthening your connection in person.

8. They’re now on Twitter – If you’re on Twitter (and you should be) and you see a former colleague has joined, reach out and say hello. Twitter is the easiest social platform for this, because the person doesn’t have to “friend” or “accept your connection.” It’s a low key way to say hi to long-lost contacts.

9. Connect on LinkedIn – LinkedIn can actually be a great excuse to reach out to those you haven’t spoken to in a while. Just make sure your invitation to connect is customized to your relationship.

Sample wording: I’m updating my network and realized we aren’t connected here yet. I hope all is going well with X product and I’d love to hear more about what you’re doing. Let’s keep in touch.

10. They have a blog – If one of your potential clients has a blog, you are in luck! Be sure to read it regularly and try to comment at least once a month.

Next time you encounter the networking equivalent of stage fright, ask yourself: would I be annoyed if someone contacted me in the same way? It’s highly unlikely that you would be, so just do it.

What did I miss? Do you have any tried-and-true excuses for reconnecting?

1) What are your favorite productivity tools?

2) Assuming many #solopr folks work from home, how do you manage interns and assistants? Where/how do they work?

3) Is it acceptable to apply for an internship in order to gain more exp for your own freelance goals?

4) In this economy, are you seeing more situations with clients flaking out on you (not paying, changing agreement mid-stream, etc.)?

Be sure to download the transcript in PDF for the wise responses to these questions. And stay tuned for an upcoming post detailing productivity tools – a sequel to “44 Tools for the PR Consultant’s Toolbox” (one of this blog’s most popular posts ever).

What do you think — do you have any favorite productivity tools to add? Any other suggestions to add to the discussion?

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!

1)  How do you handle vacation, maternity leave, sick days, etc.?

2) What do you do when you get TOO much work? Touchy subject given the economy?

3) Do most solos have their own logo?

4) Would you enjoy a Solo PR Pro Facebook page?

See the full chat transcript in PDF for key insights from top solo PR pros on how to handle these situations.

How have you handled issues related to your own downtime or workload? Any additional bits of advice you can share?

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!

But this month, I’m issuing a call to Solo PR Pros to participate in an upcoming Twitter event called “Help a PR Pro Out” day. (#HAPPO for short), designed to help PR job seekers locate the growing number of PR jobs that are finally becoming available.

So, why is an independent gal like me participating in this “real job” event? First, it’s being organized by Arik Hanson and Valerie Simon, two great people who have recruited HAPPO champions for all regions of the U.S.

Second, and most importantly, we solos tend to have a full rolodex of contacts at agencies and in-house PR/marketing departments – often many more than our traditionally employed brethren. Many times, we’re the first to hear about open positions and it’s not unusual for us to refer qualified folks to fill them. We’ll just be doing what we’ve always done, but on a grander scale!

On Friday, February 19, from 11 am – 3 pm Eastern time, PR pros nationwide will be tweeting  both job openings and their status as job seekers. Job seekers are encouraged to write a blog post pitching themselves to potential employers and share it on Twitter during the event on Feb. 19 using the hashtag #HAPPO.

“HAPPO Champions” are available in different regions to retweet info and help hook people up – be sure you’re following these folks, so you can know what’s available in each area:

• Jeremy Porter (Atlanta)
• Kellye Crane (Atlanta)
• Doug Haslam (Boston)
• Jennifer Wilbur (Southern CA)
• Gini Dietrich (Chicago)
• Lauren Fernandez (Dallas/Fort Worth)
• Richie Escovedo (Dallas/Fort Worth)
• Justin Goldsborough (Kansas City)
• Arik Hanson (Minneapolis/ St. Paul)
• PR Cog (New York Metro)
• Deidre Breakenridge (New York Metro)
• Valerie Simon (New York Metro)
• Heather Whaling (Ohio)
• Adrienne Biggs (San Francisco)
• Danny Brown (Toronto)
• Mike Shaffer (Washington, DC)

Also, if you’re secretly seeking employment, or if you’re an employer who doesn’t want to be inundated with job seekers, feel free to use Twitter Direct Messaging to contact any of these champions for confidential handling of your information.

What do you think of this idea? Can we, as independents, play a special role in helping play job matchmaker?

Image credit: Andrew and Hobbes