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From Solo PR Pro to Agency and Back Again

In an ever-evolving industry like public relations, change is not just a constant; it's a necessity. A recent episode of That Solo Life podcast, aptly titled "Breaking Up the Band – Becoming Solo Again," taps into a topic that resonates deeply with many in the PR...

Boost Your Income Without Raising Rates

Raising rates should be a part of every Solo PR Pro’s toolbox. However, it is not always feasible to raise rates for your current clients. This can be challenging in an economic landscape that has been rife with rising costs, and client layoffs. If you want to enhance...

The Unspoken Mental Health Struggles in Public Relations

Mental health has been under the radar for far too long as many suffered in silence. The pandemic drove much needed change and mental health is gaining recognition as an important part of our overall well-being. Given the unique pressures of the public relations...

10 of Our Favorite Posts Published on the Solo PR Pro Blog in 2022

Hello 2023! As we kick off a new year, we took some time to reflect on all the content we published in 2022. Spoiler: It's a lot of great content, if we do say so ourselves! Top 10 blog posts published on Solo PR Pro in 2022 Here are 10 of our favorite blog posts...

6 Professional Pet Peeves That Rankle PR Pros

What is it about your work that gets under your skin? No matter the profession, we all encounter workplace pet peeves in our interactions with colleagues, clients, vendors, journalists — you name it! In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast,...

Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet J.W. Arnold, APR, Fellow PRSA

J.W. Arnold knows what makes for a good story.  It’s an innate skill, but also comes from his background as a public affairs reporter for a regional chain of newspapers in western Missouri.   Today, as principal of PR firm PRDC, J.W. can not only...

How To Evaluate a Client That Is New to PR

Picture this: You’ve set up a meeting with a prospective client, only to learn… they have never worked with a PR professional before. What do you do? Is this the right client for you? Clients that are brand new to the world of public relations can present...

How to navigate client planning for a new year

The new year is right around the corner, and, of course, you know what that means. It’s time to start thinking, if you haven’t already, about what’s in store for 2023. When it comes to planning for a new calendar year with your clients, every solo PR pro seems to...

How to Get Paid (On Time) by Your Clients

It's a scenario no solo PR pro wants to find themselves in: getting stiffed on client payments. It happened to two of my dear friends this year alone.  In both instances, these clients were referrals from trusted sources where personal relationships existed....

34 Business Tools to Lighten The Load and Level Up Your Solo PR Game

Solo PR Pros are always on the hunt for great business tools. As a solo PR professional, you are an expert juggler — you keep all of your clients, projects, pitches, emails and processes flying through the air at top speed. Your work is often time-sensitive and highly...

Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Ebony Vaz

Ebony Vaz’s path to PR was a bit untraditional. “I’ve had quite an interesting background, but it’s funny how it all comes together with what I do now,” she explains. In college, Ebony studied industrial engineering — an area she was inspired to pursue after watching...

Back to School! 3 Solo PR Pros on Becoming an Adjunct Instructor

For many solo PR pros, the idea of becoming an adjunct instructor at a local college or university can be appealing. "Being an educator keeps me on my toes and forces me to know the latest trends, tips and techniques for working in communications," says Kristie...

Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Ben Finzel

Born and raised in Washington D.C., Ben Finzel's interest in politics and current events began when he was just a kid.  “Growing up in D.C., I think you either hate all of that because you’re surrounded by it, or you gravitate toward it,” he says. “For me, it was...

Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Jen Peterson

Jen Peterson didn’t start her career with the intention of running her own PR business, but after nearly 30 years in the industry, she’s definitely proven she’s in the right spot. No stranger to change, Jen grew up moving a lot. She lived up and down the East Coast,...

Spotlight on a Solo PR Pro: Meet Daria Steigman

Two of Daria Steigman’s passions met at a crossroads during her college years. She grew up as the daughter of a U.S. diplomat, which meant her childhood was spent in several different locations around the globe, including the Congo, Libya, France, Nigeria and Gabon....

5 Tips for Working with the Media in 2022

Journalism has changed a lot over the last few years, but you don't have to feel left behind.  One thing that hasn't changed? Media relations remain an important part of the PR world. You can still provide valuable, unique and timely information to journalists....

Get Your Empathy On

A Case Study in Using Emotional Intelligence to Diffuse an Organizational Crisis This is a guest post from Solo PR Pro Premium Member, Karen Couf-Cohen. This post first appeared on The Association for Women In Communications blog. What should an organization do when a...

The Opportunities You May Be Missing

In our work as communicators we always want to be strategic in how we use our client’s time to achieve the best results. This often means tailoring efforts to tasks, outlets and audiences that will deliver the highest ROI. However, this approach is not always the...

4 Tips to Get Newsworthy Topics Out of Clients

This is a guest post by Brad Shorr,  Director of Content Strategy at Straight North, an Internet marketing agency in Chicago that provides SEO, PPC and web design services. With more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience, Brad has been featured in leading...

Life’s a Beach for the Solo PR Pro

Hot temperatures and long days have us all longing to spend more time at the beach.  This month #solopr is  joining forces with #SMChat for a combo beach-themed Twitter chat on July 11 at 1 pm ET. Join us from your desk or deck chair as we discuss the topics below....

7 Surprising Things About Being Your Own Boss

This post was originally published on October 11, 2016 and updated on May 22, 2018. Independent work, once a mere fantasy for weary corporate warriors is a mainstream alternative for millions of people. In fact, independents make up 34% of the US workforce. The ease...

Public Relations and Activism

Is activism the new black? We are living in a time where activism - social and political - is more prevalent than ever. Fiery speeches and pictures of protests populate our social feeds as often as recipes and puppy videos. In these highly charged times silence is no...

Basic Guide to PR Planning

Strategic planning forms the cornerstone of what we do as communications consultants, and provides the foundation that allows us to gain consensus and chart a strategic course for – and with – our clients. What differentiates top consultants from others – including...

Self-Promotion is Not Evil

Many professionals have a hard time using their professional skills to promote their business. You are bold and confident when doing work for clients but uncomfortable putting those same skills to use to promote yourself and your business. By failing to do PR for...

Chaos, Capes and the Value of PR Pros

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity.” Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities Who knew that an opening line written in 1859 would so...

Goal, Set, Measure

Measurement is crucial to public relations, social media, and communication consultants. As Peter Drucker said, "you can't manage what you don't measure." In a profession that is often misunderstood and sometimes undervalued, it is more important than ever to be able...

Fear, Change and the Future of Communications

The press release is dead! The blog is dead, long live social media! Out with social media, in with mobile! Virtual reality will replace everything! Sounding the death knell on a communication tactic is as old as mankind and will likely never change. Today,...

Cultural Advocacy and Public Relations

Solo PR Pro is taking July off from our bi-monthly Twitter chats, however we are gathering on other platforms. On Wednesday, July 13 at 1pm ET, we invite  you to join our blab discussion with Solo PR Pro member, Aaamaal Abdul-Malik. This integrated communications...

10 Easy Steps to Set up Marketing Analytics [Infographic]

Measurement has always been critical to PR professionals, but has grown more complex with the overabundance of data available to us.  Xerago produced this infographic that can be used a quick and easy checklist to help you set up analytics for client campaigns. The 10...

Laid Off? Now You’re Free to Consult!

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us" – Joseph Campbell The first time many people consider PR freelancing or consulting is the day they learn their job is no longer. If you’ve recently been laid off,...

Are You Pretending To Be Busy?

We all do it on occasion. Sometimes we fool even ourselves, we're so good at pretending to be busy -- and independent consultants are especially vulnerable. It can be a form of procrastination (as in the illustration above). Or perhaps we just can't find the muse that...

Chat Recap: Rush Jobs, Dual Roles and PR vs Marketing 3.0

A savvy group of independent communication pros from across the country gathered for the May 7 #solopr Twitter chat. The group enjoyed a lively, fast moving chat as they discussed the following topics of interest: When you work w/a client on a project basis, how do...

Marcom, Free Work and Spotting the Fakes

This week highlighted that, as an independent pro, you not only get to color outside the lines but decide where the lines are drawn. During the March 26 Solo PR chat, independent communication pros discussed the following topics of interest: What's the difference...

Chat Recap: Measurement and Outcomes for PR and Social Media

This week we had a double dose of smarts as we joined forces with the social media-focused #SMchat community during our regularly scheduled #solopr chat hour, for a combined sharing of ideas. The topic was Measurement and while what is measured may vary by area of...

How to Handle Losing a Client & More

During the April 10 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed experiences working with business coaches, dealing with losing a client, and becoming a more effective delegator. New and established PR consultants alike offered insights on the following...

When to Go Back to Traditional Employment & More

During the April 3 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed remedies for spending too much time on Facebook, how to know if it's time to go back to traditional employment, ways to deal with loneliness as a solo PR pro, and how to compete against larger...

Travel Tips, Client News, & More

During the March 13 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed travel tips, new business, and client announcements. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: As travelers, do you have any pro tips for dealing with jet lag (also works for time...

When Things Don’t Go According To Plan & More

During the January 16 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed unexpected client issues, time tracking software, & Lance Armstrong's PR crisis. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: When something isn't going according to plan, do you...

Referrals, Personality Traits, & More

During the January 2 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed asking for referrals, the most important factors for clients, personality traits of a PR pro, & goals for 2013. In addition to the downloadable transcript in PDF, the following highlights...

LinkedIn Premium, Holiday Schedules, & More

During the December 5 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed LinkedIn Premium, the impact of Klout scores, clients' holiday schedules, & more. In addition to the downloadable transcript in PDF, the following highlights some of the most popular tweets...

The Most Valuable Social Media Tool & More

During the October 24 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed new business research, the most valuable social media tool, and how to market your product. In addition to the downloadable transcript in PDF, the following highlights some of the most popular...

Walmart PR, Moving Up the Value Chain, & More

During the June 20 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed the recent Walmart PR fiasco, making time for social media, moving up the value chain, and more. In addition to the downloadable transcript in PDF, the following highlights some of the most popular...

Conference Call Services, Mistrust in PR, & More

During the March 28 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed working with clients who got "burned," preferred conference call services, and mistrust in the PR industry. In addition to the downloadable transcript in PDF, the following highlights some of the...

Solo PR Pros Make the PR Industry Stronger

When PRSA asked me to participate in their series “12 Trends That Will Change Public Relations in 2012,” I saw it as an opportunity to expose the uninitiated to the benefits of working with a Solo PR Pro. In “Solo PR Pros — The Profession’s Secret Weapon,” I lay out...

Bookmarking Tools, References, & Holiday Greetings

During the November 30 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed online bookmarking tools, client references, & sending holiday greetings. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1. What tool, if any, do you use for online...

Solo For The Long Haul, TechCrunch Drama, & More

During the September 14 #solopr Twitter chat, which was guest moderated by Amy Sept of Nimbyist Communications, independent PR pros discussed handling former clients, being solo for the long haul, the current TechCrunch drama, and interesting uses of PR. Specifically,...

Blogger Outreach & Earning What You’re Worth

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...

Blacklisting, Dropbox, & More

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...

Subcontractors, PR Competitions, & More

During the June 29 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros shared insight on finding subcontractors, entering PR competitions, & using group auto-sharing tools. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1. Have you used eLance or similar sites to...

Social Platforms, Tricky Client Situations, & More

During the June 22 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed social platforms, tricky client situations, and innovative PR techniques. The following questions helped guide the conversation: 1. With the growing number of online/social platforms, how do you...

Measurement, Monitoring, & More

During the June 1 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros addressed a variety of monitoring & measurement topics, including AVEs, low-cost tools, & time management tips. The following questions helped guide the conversation: 1. What is the difference between...

Time-Keeping, Media Connections, & Small Biz Publicity

During the April 27 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed time-keeping systems, connecting with the media, and generating publicity for small businesses. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1. What do you use for time keeping...

Social Media Non-Believers, Stubborn Clients, & More

During the April 20 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros shared valuable insight on social media non-believers, stubborn clients, offering discounts, Twitter best practices, and the stressful world of PR. The following questions helped guide the conversation: 1....

10 Foolproof Ways to Waste Money on PR

There's yet another anti-PR article making the rounds, and this time it was printed in none other than the New York Times. When I first saw it, I thought it lacked substance and hoped it would go away. But like any anti-PR article in a major publication, this thing...

PR Apps, Relocating, Time Management, & More

During the February 23 #solopr Twitter chat, PR pros shared valuable insight on PR apps, relocating to a new city, covering production costs, and favorite time management tips. The following questions helped guide the conversation: 1. What is the best smartphone...

Performance & Proposals & Payments, Oh My!

During the February 2 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros touched upon pay-by-performance, RFPs, and more. Specifically, they weighed in on the following questions: 1. Have you ever worked on a pay by performance basis? e.g., a bonus if you hit X objective, or...

Blogger Research, Expectations, and more

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...

Social Media Integration with PR

This interview was recently published by The Center for Sustainable Journalism, and readers of this blog can join me at the upcoming Social Media Integration Conference for 20% off the early bird rates! See below for details. Center for Sustainable Journalism: What...

Solo Self-Promotion, and More

This week’s #solopr chat on Twitter was a lively discussion (as always!). Questions included the following: 1. Do you have recommendations for the best ways to track radio and TV PSAs? 2. How important is it for PR pros to promote their own (personal) image, i.e....

New Business, PR Timing, and More

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...

Wire Services, Unpaid Bills, and More

As part of this week’s #solopr Twitter chat, top PR consultants discussed a wide-range of topics, addressing the following questions: 1) What wire services have you used, and which do you prefer? Is wire distribution important these days? 2) How do solos collect on...

New Tool for Media Relations Collaboration

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...

Blogger Relations – from a Blogger’s Perspective

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...

How do you distribute news?

This week’s #solopr chat – held each Wednesday from 1-2 p.m. Eastern on Twitter – got into the nitty gritty of one of the top issues facing PR professionals today: news distribution. Be sure to check out the transcript here in PDF, or online, for astute insights from...

Wisdom of #solopr Chatters

The November 11 edition of the #solopr Twitter chat took on a life of its own (as all good chats do). We tackled tough topics, including the extent to which agency experience is helpful to Solo PR Pros, and whether PRSA membership is useful to an independent...

Why Entrepreneurs Should Hire Solo PR Pros

In the world of entrepreneurial ventures and startups, there are frequent discussions of whether Public Relations is necessary (in fact, a Google search for the phrase “pr is dead” [in quotes, lowercase] returns 119,000 entries!). The question resurfaced this week as...

Success Stories: Shonali Burke

Our latest Solo PR Pro success story is the fascinating and always engaging Shonali  Burke, ABC. Based in the Washington, D.C., area, Shonali is the IABC-accredited, award-winning principal of Shonali Burke Consulting. She blogs at Waxing UnLyrical, under the watchful...

Using Social Media – Come Out from Behind the Curtain

Most PR consultants have been trained from early in our careers to work behind the scenes. We've typically served clients or company executives as the spokespeople, and it's deeply ingrained that the spotlight should shine on them alone.  Today, it's time to come out...

Readying for the Upswing

Some PR consultants are facing challenging times. While there's still lots of work to be had, in this environment clients occasionally slash their budgets mid-stream. Others are putting planned projects on hold for an indefinite period of time. When you get word of...

Why You Need an Online Home Base – and How to Get One

I'm afraid the time has come - some PR pros need a dose of tough love. I know you’re out there: PR and MarCom consultants with no presence online whatsoever. Many of you may have a Web presence, but perhaps it's anemic and a cohesive strategy is lacking. Now let me...

PR Consulting Questions? Let’s Share

I'm frequently asked all kinds of questions about becoming a PR consultant. Though we cover the full spectrum of being a Solo PR Pro on this blog, it has occurred to me (perhaps belatedly) that it would be beneficial to publish answers to the specific questions I...

Consultants: Celebrate Independents’ Day!

As the U.S. prepares to observe its Independence Day holiday, it’s an excellent excuse for consultants to pause and celebrate the many joys of being independent in business. Even in today's sometimes difficult market, being your own boss is extremely gratifying. Among...

Can You Leave Your Job to Consult Today?

To me, being a PR/MarCom consultant is the greatest job in the world. I'm so passionate about the virtues of working for yourself versus someone else, I started this blog! But I don't advocate everyone take the leap willy nilly. The truth is there are times when a...

What Disclosure Issues Mean for PR

Controversy has been swirling in online and blogging circles for some time about the thorny issues of disclosure and conflicts of interest. When it comes to blogs’ coverage of products and services, there are gray areas all over the place – some of them intentional,...

A Humorous Look at Client Maneuvering

When you're an independent consultant, eventually you'll experience one or more of the "negotiating tactics" hilariously illustrated in this video (hat tip to Brad Fitzpatrick, where I first saw it). In this economy, unfortunately such tactics become even more common....

Success Stories: Narciso Tovar

Having recently established himself as full-time Solo PR Pro, Narciso Tovar of Big Noise Communications has more than 13 years of public relations expertise with a remarkable track record. He considers himself both a teacher and student in external communications and...

To Partner or Not to Partner

This is a guest post from Laura Silver, a senior communications counselor with experience spanning both domestic US and global healthcare communications. She founded LAS Communications Inc. on the principle that quality work is an outgrowth of deep strategic insight...

Success Stories: Jen Wilbur

Solo PR Pro successes come from all walks of life, and everyone's story is unique. Since each PR and MarCom consultant makes his or her own rules, there's much we can learn from the experiences of others. To that end, I'm thrilled to unveil our first interview in what...

We’re a Band of Brothers (and Sisters)

Those who aren’t independent consultants might think there is rivalry and discord among our ranks. After all, aren’t we competing against each other? Wouldn’t a little back-stabbing be expected? In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is...

Are You Ready for Faster PR?

This is the first guest post on Solo PR Pro, and it comes from popular PR blogger Scott Hepburn. Scott is a copywriter for PRstore, a full-service marketing and PR company with franchises nationwide. He blogs at Media Emerging and plays devil’s advocate on Twitter as...

Modern PR: The Next Wave

Whether you call it PR 2.0, New PR, or some other catchy moniker, it’s clear that public relations is moving into a new age. As we’ve noted, Modern PR means evolving, adapting and embracing new challenges. At the forefront of this evolution is PR’s incorporation of a...

Modern PR: The Media’s Changing… with You or Without You

Despite some reports to the contrary, the media is not dying. But there are dramatic changes taking place and, chances are, this is not completely news to you. As PR pros, most of us have seen long-time relationships with key reporters end as they get laid off and...

Modern PR Pros and the Breaking News Dilemma

Perhaps you’ve seen the controversy around embargoes in recent months, or you may be blissfully unaware. But the issue of how best to handle important news (a big product rollout, for example) is always an important one. What does the recent commotion mean for...

Modern PR: New Incentives to Behave Professionally

We know they’re out there. The people who say they’re in PR, but they really just play a numbers game – sending as many emails as possible, in hopes of getting a small percentage of recipients to cover their clients. In fact, most of us have probably competed for...

Modern PR Series: What You Need to Know About Public Relations Today

The times they are a’changin. If you’re working in marketing communications or PR, you’ve no doubt encountered this already. With the now fast-changing media landscape, in many ways we’re in the Wild Wild West. The rules have yet to be established, and not everyone...

Should PR Pros Be Reading Blogs?

As I talk to friends and colleagues, I’ve found that a number of PR and marketing communications professionals are not reading many blogs. Those they do read are often related to clients, and quite a few folks have confessed to me that they don’t use RSS to keep up...

Don’t Forget to Take a Holiday

In our go-go-go world, many of us are conditioned to feel guilty when we’re not doing something related to our business. Add this to the fact that most of us don’t get paid when we’re not working, and many independent PR and MarCom consultants fail to take sufficient...

Welcome to Solo PR Pro!

I decided to start Solo PR Pro because I’m often asked to recommend online resources that focus just on independent PR and Marketing Communications consultants… and I realized there really aren’t any. Solo PR Pros have a great life, and I firmly believe that more...

Why Public Relations Consulting?

Are you looking to break free of the cubicle? With the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicting that public relations as a field will continue to grow by 18 percent from 2006 to 2016, there are many opportunities to do just that as an independent PR consultant....

Who can be a Solo PR Pro?

While this blog has “PR” in the name, I believe professionals in a wide variety of disciplines can learn from each other here. Yes, I know many of these occupations don’t fall under the banner of public relations, but independents in these fields share many issues,...