Solo PR pros are well aware that valuing diversity among our colleagues is not just for multicultural clients and initiatives (duh) – and we have the relationships to prove it. It’s a fact that no two people have the same background, and those varied experiences shape our outlook and opinions (not to mention make life more interesting – can you imagine how boring the world would be if we were all the same?!). Embracing varied opinions is one of the keys to better PR and marketing, as we know.

You might not expect a post about diversity from a WASP-y southern gal like me, but perhaps that’s exactly why I need to write it. I’ve never done a “list post” before – they’re always subjective, and the odds are 100% that you’ll forget someone you meant to include. But with that caveat out of the way, here are some of the amazing colleagues who are impacting me each day:

Shonali Burke
Shonali, principal at Shonali Burke Consulting, is an award-winning, accredited solo PR pro and founder of Twitter’s #measurepr chat. Originally from India, she’s a leading speaker on the topic of integrated, research-based, measurable communications that support business objectives (and the fact that she loves Elvis is a bonus!).

Jacqui Chew
Jacqui is the founder and principal at iFusion Marketing, which specializes in helping media and Internet-enabled start-ups connect with their audiences. Co-organizer of TEDxPeachtree and a board member of the Atlanta Press Club, Jacqui is a dynamo whose energy never ceases to amaze me.

Mustafa Stefan Dill
Mustafa, known to regular participants in the #solopr Twitter chat as @MuslimNewMedia, is the founder of Ummah Relations. A former journalist, he specializes in media strategies for Islamic institutions/businesses, and has done so during some highly challenging periods in recent years. I greatly admire his ability to merge his passions with his business – something we can all learn from.

Wesley Faulkner
Wesley’s background is actually in technology, but his strategic smarts and engaging personality meant he was a natural to move into the marketing realm. A fixture on the social media scene since the very beginning, Wesley is now digital strategist for Snoball, a new company that makes social giving easy and fun. Social good has been a passion of Wesley’s for some time, and I’m proud of him for making his dream a reality.

Amanda Miller Littlejohn
Amanda, social PR strategist and online branding coach at Mopwater PR, never backs away from a challenge. In addition to being a Columnist at Black Enterprise, she’s also Co-Founder of the new organization, ColorComm: Women of Color in Communications.  Amanda is one of those generous people who sees a need and fills it, and she’s been an enormous inspiration to me throughout the Solo PR Pro journey.

Jami Reyes
Jami (rhymes with mommy), Principal at Jami Reyes & Co., is a Honduran-born, DC-raised, and Miami-adopted public and government relations consultant. Always one to add some fun to a Twitter conversation, Jami also takes her work seriously and knows how to get great results for her clients.
 

Stanford Smith
Having just recently (belatedly) discovered his Pushing Social blog, I don’t personally know Stanford, but I’m determined to change that. With a fun-to-read writing style and a wealth of knowledge I need to learn, Stanford has reminded me that there are always great new blogs and voices to discover. I can only imagine how good he must be at his day job as VP Marketing/Strategy at Fluency Media – maybe this blog post will be our introduction (if he’s not afraid of my stalker-esque stance!).

Dee Stewart
Dee is the owner of DeeGospel PR, where she merges her Christian faith with her business by specializing in supporting related publishers, music labels, musicians and authors. She started her Christian Fiction Blog in 2005, and under her pen name, Miranda Parker, Dee is the author of the Angel Crawford Bounty Hunter series of books. I love that Dee has built her business around what she finds most important (noticing a theme?), and she’s an amazing person to boot.

Karen D. Swim
As many in the Solo PR Pro community can attest, Karen, public relations and marketing communications specialist at Words For Hire, LLC, is not just a consummate professional, but also one of the kindest people on the planet. An extremely early adopter of social media, she engages in none of the posturing one expects from others in that crowd. Karen’s Twitter bio states she’s “quietly doing work I love for people/orgs I believe in and that inspire my respect” – she has my utmost respect, to be sure.

Dr. Natalie Tindall
Dr. Tindall, chair of PRSA’s Diversity Committee, is a professor in the Department of Communication at Georgia State University. You may be surprised to learn that she’s also hilariously funny (I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Tindall at an event at UGA in 2008, and her comments from the peanut gallery kept me cracking up the whole time). Dr. Tindall will continue to be one of the leading voices on diversity in public relations moving forward, so she’s definitely one to watch.

Tiffany Winbush
Tiffany Winbush is a NYC-based solo PR and Social Media Strategist with a background in media issues, having worked with Clear Channel Communications. She’s also the creator of Women Making Moves, which highlights outstanding achievements of women in their careers, communities and business. Tiffany has always impressed me as someone interested in helping other pros get ahead, and I admire her generosity.

These are just a few of the literally thousands of diverse leaders in PR and marketing who influence me each year. Who are some of your influencers?

1. We’re almost at 2011 half-way pt. How is everyone doing on their business goals? #solopr

2. Are you using a referral system or relying mostly on ad hoc efforts? #solopr

3. How do you refer to yourself: small biz owner, consultant, entrepreneur, other? #solopr

4. What are your “red flags” to walk away from a client or project? #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.

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

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!

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?

Like an old Looney Tunes cartoon, there are throngs of pros about to stampede by and leave you in their dust. I wanted to offer up one final tough love post on the importance of social media, because for PR consultants no one else is going to tell you this – they just won’t hire you.

We’ve talked before about diving into social media, and how being online and using tools like Twitter are important to your business. As yet another example of the critical role social media is playing in public relations today, a national survey recently found that an overwhelming majority of reporters and editors now depend on social media sources when researching their stories:

• 89% said they turn to blogs for story research
• 65% to social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn
• 52% to microblogging services such as Twitter

So, even if you consider yourself a traditional PR person targeting traditional media, social media has invaded your turf. We can’t look at social media as “someone else’s problem” – if you don’t use and engage with social media, you’re putting yourself and your clients at a distinct disadvantage.

This blog (like most other PR resources) will continue to cover social media information and tactics, but there will be less remedial information included to provide you with background. No one knows everything there is to know about social media and where it’s going, but we all need to be out there learning and experimenting.

Are you one of those who’s realizing that 2010 is here and you forgot to learn about social media? No time like the present! Here are a few resources you may find helpful:

• The Modern PR series (on this blog)
• Luckie’s 30-Day Social Media Makeover
• Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff (book)
• The New Rules of Marketing and PR: by David Meerman Scott (book)
• Social Media Trends for 2010, by Jeremiah Owyang (excellent slides for intermediate and advanced social media “learners”)
• What the F**K is Social Media (PG-13 rated slides)

What role do you think social media will play in public relations (agree or disagree)?  What resources would you add to the list?

While many of us (myself included) have yet to find our Twitter List mojo, many independent consultants are finding them very useful. Some of the top tips include:

• Twitter lists allow you to watch tweets from a given demographic (a client’s industry, for example) without having to follow each person
• By researching the Twitter lists of others, you can easily find large groups of tweeters relevant to a particular project to follow. As Kristie Aylett notes, use “Search or Find People to find one or two that fit the project. Then review the lists they’re on.”
• See what lists you’re on to get a feel for how you’re perceived by others on Twitter
• Third-party clients, like TweetDeck, are adding support for Twitter lists so you can see the Tweets on screen, alongside your established groups

Be sure to check out the full transcript (here in PDF) to learn more about how leading PR professionals are using Twitter lists (Q1). In addition, the transcript also includes helpful discussions on the following:

Q2: Has anyone used a podcast for PR strategies? If so, how?

Q3: Besides blogging, what types of self-promotion or thought leadership do you (as a solo pr) do?

Q4:What are you doing for holiday gifts for clients?

(Note that this transcript, via Twitter search, is in reverse chronological order.)

What do you think about the Twitter list tips, and what insights would you add? Do you have any experience with podcasts you’d like to share? Let us know your two cents on these and the other topics in the comments, and mark your calendars for the #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern!

Be sure to check out the transcript here in PDF, or online, for astute insights from the wise and experienced Solo PR Pros who participated in the chat. A key takeaway: the most effective means of distribution and outreach will vary depending on each client’s specific needs. Another example of why there’s no substitute for savvy PR counsel.

This week also included advice on how a marketing pro could start seeking more PR contract opportunities, as well as tips on how to find useful, free Webinars. A special thanks to this week’s top contributors:

@VirtueIMC

@ruthseeley

@cherissef

@BettyEllis

@AlexisDias

@mdbarber

@jetsnow

@marketwire

@REVOLUTIONpr

Next week we’ll take a break for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. But make your plans now to join us for the December 2 chat.

What was your favorite chat takeaway? How would you weigh in on these issues? Let us know in the comments.

Unfortunately, due to some technical difficulties, we don’t have a full transcript of the entire session in one place. What the Hashtag has the second half of the chat available (also here in PDF), and for historical purposes I’ve attempted to cobble together the first half using screen captures from Twitter Search (available for download in PDF). I suppose this is a good reminder to all of us not to take the  transcripts for granted – join us live if you can. Anyone with a Twitter account is welcome to join us each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern!

A special thanks to this week’s top contributors:

• @mdbarber
• @krisTK
• @PRProSanDiego
• @ShaneKinkennon
• @VirtueIMC
• @BettyEllis
• @LScribner
• @csojda
• @RobinMarie

What do you think about this week’s topics? Let us know in the comments.