I’m not an overly sentimental gal. I don’t like chick flicks, I hate syrupy pop songs, and I rarely cry without good reason. But one thing makes me breakout in sappy declarations on a regular basis: the Solo PR community.

Lately, I’ve been awash in mushy feelings toward the Solo PR band of brothers and sisters who help each other out on a daily basis on Twitter (using the #solopr hashtag), LinkedIn, Facebook, and elsewhere. What better time to celebrate this fact than Valentine’s Day? So avert your eyes if your squeamish: today I’m openly declaring my love for the Solo PR community.

Join in, and if you’ve been lurking, say hello in the comments! You’ll find a group of some of the best PR and marketing professionals in the world (yes, Solo PR is international), waiting to offer resources in advice. Regulars: what are some examples of help you’ve received from your fellow solos?

Photo credit: Hailynn

This is a guest post from Davina Brewer, principal at 3Hats Communications.

I have been meaning to write this for the Solo PR blog for months, figured it was about damn time I did it!

Arik Hanson recently listed some of the best LinkedIn groups for public relations professionals. While he struggled to find more than a few active, helpful groups, he wisely mentioned the Solo PR group.

Social media works. Period.

Not overnight, not on the shoddy, not without time, effort and a little planning. It’s about putting in the work, producing good content that is shared with the right audiences, sparks conversation and connects the dots.

It’s about Content

In a ranting mood, I wrote a post about spotting tire kickers and faux client prospects. The idea was to give readers and small business owners some clues so they can save themselves time and money, not waste effort working on bogus business leads.

It’s about Audience

In order to help others while helping myself to readers, I cross-posted my blog to Twitter and to the SoloPR group on LinkedIn. I figured this audience would identify with my thoughts, benefit most from what I had to share. It worked and sparked a nice discussion.

It’s about Connections

Spotting my post on LinkedIn was Amy Nolan (nee Hipp), a fellow Solo PR and LSU Tiger. She and I were both leaders in PRSSA back in the day, working hard, wearing the purple and gold, cheering G-E-A-U-X Tigers.

Amy read the post, liked it enough to pitch it to Shelly Dupre for the Southern Public Relations Federation’s 2010 conference. A few calls and emails later, I had a speaking gig.

Dots connected.

• Blog post to
• SoloPR LinkedIn Group
• From Kellye Crane to Amy to Shelly

So that’s it. How one blog post, shared with the right audience, on the right social media network sparked the engagement that lead to new contacts and business.

I put in the time, effort and it worked. How has social media worked for you?

Image credit: Despair, Inc.

Davina K. Brewer, solo PR of 3Hats Communications, wears all the hats helping small businesses with their marketing, public relations and social media, design needs. Means she spends her time blogging and tweeting, pretending it’s “work.” She shares her ideas on PR and social media via Twitter and her marketing blog.

All indie PR pros (and friends) are invited to a happy hour meetup, co-hosted by Solo PR and the PRSA Independent Practitioners Alliance (IPA), on Sunday, October 17, 6:30-8:00 p.m. at OneLounge in Washington, DC. Let us know if you can make it at http://solopr.eventbrite.com/.

The meetup takes place during the PRSA International Conference and is walking distance from the event, but you don’t have to be a registered attendee to join us. And if you aren’t independent yet, you’re welcome – bring your questions and find out more about this career path.

Many of us have formed real friendships via the Solo PR community – it will be great fun to experience the support and camaraderie offline. Hope to see you there!

Photo credit: Leana~

1.  How do you follow up with potential clients without appearing too pushy?

2. Has anyone used Sizzle Reels, and what formats work best?

3. Any ideas for a first time #solopr to begin to generate clients?

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for insights and fun. What do you think — any points 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. 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

We don’t have bosses telling us we need to go to a conference or seminar to get up to speed on new tactics. If a Solo PR Pro’s skills are lagging or one’s ideas are out of date, it’s unlikely anyone will say so — they just won’t hire you. Though conferences are just one source of education (it’s also important to read leading blogs, news of your industry, etc.), events can be an especially intensive way to immerse yourself in the latest thinking. Of course, not all conferences are created equal, but those with a high caliber speaker roster are typically worth the time involved (and many events these days are reasonable in cost).

While most of us enjoy our often solitary work environments, it’s important to occasionally come out from behind the keyboard. Tomorrow morning (Monday, November 9), I’ll be a guest on the “NO GURU ZONE” BlogTalkRadio show where we’ll be discussing this very issue – if you’re available, call-in and join in the discussion! Also, be on the lookout for coverage of PRSA hot topics in the coming days here on Solo PR Pro.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite conference or networking event that you never miss? How often do you try to engage in continuing education activities?

Photo credit: Adam Tinworth