Solo PR Pro | Successful Freelance PR Consulting » tools

Raising rates, Monitoring and More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:04:07 +0000

We discussed some of the hottest topics now facing #solopr pros during this week’s Twitter chat. The questions included:

1) When do you decide to raise rates, and how do you do it?

2) What applications/services do you use for media coverage or social media measurement?

3) This week, @M_Heffernan had a blog post suggesting PR firms are a waste of money. Thoughts?

4) Do you have Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance? What are the best rates/options?

Take a look at the chat transcript in PDF for some amazing insights from top Solo PR Pros. What would you like to add? Let us know 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!

From Productivity to Interns – #solopr Chat Transcript

Kellye Crane — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:17:05 +0000

During the #solopr Twitter chat this week, veteran Solo PR Pros and newbies alike shared tips on a wide-range of topics, including the following:

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?

Tips on Finding PR Consulting Clients

Kellye Crane — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:55:41 +0000

How did successful PR consultants find their first clients? That was just one of the many interesting questions covered in this week’s #solopr Twitter chat. Interestingly, many of the top pros participating did not have clients before taking the leap toward independence. Among those who did, some highlights:

@LauraScholz: I think it’s all about activating your network. It’s amazing how many people will come to you once you get the word out.

@LuAnnGlowacz: I was lucky to get pulled in by a friend (now client) w/ a PR budget, big dreams, & strong belief in me. Find your advocates.

@rockstarjen: I let everyone know I was going solo. I did my own little PR campaign before making the leap.

@krisTK Important to build connections outside of the workplace while employed-Your network will help you long after the job is gone

@Amynolanapr: My main client is an agency who subs work to me. A great mentor and advocate for me! Good to dev. relationships before going solo

@chatterboxpr: I worked freelance & part-time for 4 years while at an agency before leaving to start my own gig

Download the full #solopr chat transcript in PDF for more excellent advice on this and all the questions addressed this week, which included:

“I’m thinking of going solo. Would love to know how you secured clients before leaving your FT job?”
Are other #solopr ’s including images in their press releases? If so, how do you format?
Do you have a dollar limit for events you attend? How do you decide what to go to?

How did you get your start as a PR consultant? Share your tips in the comments!

New Tool for Media Relations Collaboration

Kellye Crane — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:20:20 +0000

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 available and ready to discuss the topic at a moments notice. As journalists continue to find their resources shrinking, doing as much legwork as possible for them becomes even more important.

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?

Tips on Twitter Lists, Podcasts and More

Kellye Crane — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:17:14 +0000

The #solopr chat on Twitter this week was another excellent example of how the Solo PR Pro community continues to be an excellent source of inspiration, ideas and resources for each other. One of the most lively discussions took place around Twitter’s fairly new List feature.

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!