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. w/personal blog, tweets etc?

3. For an upcoming article on PR Conversations, what do you get out of #solopr that you don’t get anywhere else (industry assoc., etc)?

4. Last week there was a side discussion re: business plans… Do you have one, how did you develop it?

Download the transcript in PDF to read the savvy insights from your fellow Solo PR Pros (note that due to technical difficulties with wthashtag.com, this week the transcript is in reverse chronological order, so start at the bottom to better follow the conversation).

Be sure to let us know what you think — share your two cents in the comments!

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!

1) What wire services have you used, and which do you prefer? Is wire distribution important these days?

2) How do solos collect on unpaid bills, and can the debts be written off on taxes?

3) Do you have 2 (or more) sets of fees for different services (e.g., consulting vs. social media training)? Fee differential?

4) Do you have clients treating PR and social media as separate things? How do you educate?

One of my favorite quotes of the day came from @KateRobins on the pitfalls of treating PR and social media as separate and distinct:

It’s like setting a table. Knives, forks, spoons. Can’t eat soup with a knife.

Be sure to check out the transcript in PDF for more terrific insights. What was your favorite quote from the chat? 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!

There are a number of indications that the economy is slowly picking up. In addition to a minor uptick in spending, jobless claims have fallen to 17-month low and CNN reports that “more than half (54%) of companies that froze salaries in 2009 are planning a thaw over the next few months.”

These stats may be just a ray of light for job seekers, but they’re excellent news for solo PR pros. It’s a known fact that hiring lags a recovery. So, what happens to that resource-strapped director of marketing who just got the go-ahead for a pet PR project, but hasn’t been given the green light to re-hire for the positions left vacant by laid off employees? They hire a consultant to help with the workload.

The upswing for PR consulting is upon us. And with each down cycle of the economy, more people have positive experiences with consultants, which result in more opportunities long-term. 2010 is the year we show our worth – let’s go get ‘em!

Are you seeing any signs of the upswing? How are you making the most of the current environment?

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Photo credit:laurenatclemson

But lining up this kind of turnkey story becomes more challenging for independent PR consultants and boutiques. We all foster a network of fellow PR pros that we can tap into for media opportunities (or you should!), but what if you don’t know of anyone who fits a particular requirement, or you need additional resources quickly?

Pitch with Me is a new service designed to help public relations professionals connect with additional resources to generate more effective pitches. It’s the brainchild of Heather Whaling,  @prtini on Twitter (side note: we recently co-wrote the post 5 Tips to Keep in Mind When Going Solo for the PR Breakfast Club blog, in case you missed it). Heather told me why she chose to launch this service now, after just recently becoming a Solo PR Pro:

“I come from an agency background and was used to brainstorming with my co-workers about opportunities to package clients in pitches. Now that I’m out on my own, I don’t have as much access to those kinds of resources. That got me thinking about ways solo PR pros, small businesses and nonprofits could team up. I’m a big believer in collaboration. Working together, I think we can develop stronger pitches, which should lead to better results for our clients. At least, that’s what I hope to see happen with Pitch with Me!”

I took a look at the simple online tool (which operates similar to HARO, but filling a different need). You submit a request through the Pitch with Me Web site, along with your contact information, a general description of the media outlet, an overview of the pitch and the type of resource you’re looking for. It is then displayed publicly on the site, as well as via @pitchwithme on Twitter – an automated feed of submissions. (You may want to use a special email address for submissions, to avoid receiving spam on your main account from bots who might be trolling the Web looking for email accounts.)

To me, a wise aspect of Pitch with Me is the fact that you control the opportunity (and how much information is revealed) when you submit your request. We all know PR can be a competitive business, and there are bad guys out there who might try to “go around” you if they had all the information on your plans. The tool is setup so you can mitigate that risk by being highly specific about the resources you need, but vague about who and how you’re pitching. I also like that I can see who is making the request. If you find one of your Solo PR Pro buddies looking for help, you’ll likely jump at the chance to work with a trusted colleague.

This tool looks like it has potential to help independent PR consultants improve their efficiency, and perhaps their media relations results. What do you think?