Scaling from Solo Practitioner to Public Relations Agency

Are you a solo PR pro looking to grow into a larger agency? Today’s blog post is for you!

Cultural Intelligence in Communications

In today's interconnected world, understanding and appreciating cultural nuances is not just a pleasant-to-have skill—it's essential. For communications professionals, particularly independent consultants who often navigate diverse markets single-handedly, this means...

5 Ways to Refuel Your Creativity When You are Stuck in a Rut

Every public relations professional understands that creativity isn't just a switch you can turn on or off. It's a well that sometimes runs dry. However, with the right strategies, you can ensure that your creative reservoir is always filled with fresh ideas. Here are...

Embrace — Don’t Fear — That AI is Here

Ready or not, AI is here.  In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast, hosts Karen Swim and Michelle Kane encourage PR pros to lean into AI tools like ChatGPT instead of fearing them.  Focus on how AI can help ease your workload It...

Take a Lesson From Southwest and Prepare for Crises

In a recent episode of That Solo Life: The Solo PR Pro Podcast, hosts Karen Swim and Michelle Kane discuss the nightmare that was Southwest Airlines’ system failure over the holidays.  They also dive into how solo PR pros can help their clients prepare for these...

How to Better Manage Your Time (Instead of Letting It Manage You)

How do you manage your time? As solo PR pros, we have a lot to do — and not a lot of time to do it. If only there were more time in the day, the months, the years. Unfortunately, unless someone invents a way to expand time, we’re stuck with what we’ve got. But perhaps...

Best Practices for Securing Executive Speaking Engagements

Steal these best practices from an executive speaking consultant veteran to gain speaking opportunities for your executive clients.

A 5-Step Process for Crafting Compelling Stories

Stories are an essential part of how we communicate. Before babies even understand words, parents tell stories to soothe, entertain and teach them. As PR professionals, we must know how to translate the expertise of our company or clients into stories that capture...

4 Steps to Be Unstoppable in Work and Life

What does it take to be unstoppable? Natalee Champlin has the answer.Also known as “The Velvet Hammer,” Natalee is a performance coach who helps elite business owners build profitable teams. Over the past few years, she has helped hundreds of clients achieve...

How Virtual Assistants Can Help Grow Your Solo PR Business

As a solo business owner, you wear a lot of hats, serving as the strategist, the copywriter and the accountant all in one. When you’re just getting started, it might seem exciting to handle everything on your own, but eventually you will grow to a point where it’s...

Is That Client Worth Pursuing? How to Pre-Qualify Prospects

When a prospective client requests a proposal, do you excitedly hop right on it? Many veteran Solo PR pros have learned sometimes the best course of action is to take a deep breath and carefully probe for additional information first. In this post Solo PR PRO...

5 Solo PR Pros Share The Top Tools They Use on a Daily Basis

Just because you’re a solo PR pro doesn’t mean you’re in this alone. There’s a whole community of like minded people you can lean on. In this monthly series, we ask five Solo PR Pro members to share their best tips, tricks and resources for managing their solo...

5 Solo PR Pros Share What To Do When Business is Slow

Just because you’re a solo PR pro doesn’t mean you’re in this alone. There’s a whole community of like minded people you can lean on. In this monthly series, we ask five Solo PR Pro members to share their best tips, tricks and resources for managing their solo...

How to Effectively Work With Contractors to Grow Your PR Business

As a solo PR pro, you’re probably used to doing things on your own, especially when it comes to managing your PR business.  And while it’s not always a bad thing to be in full control, it means that as your business thrives and grows, so does your workload. More...

A Solo PR Pro’s Secret Silent Partners: Your Email Signature, OOO Reply and Voicemail Greeting

This is a guest post by Solo PR Pro Premium member Janet Falk. Even solo public relations professionals have partners. Although they may be silent, your email signature, out of office reply and your recorded voicemail greeting represent you and your brand in...

Treat Your Communications Counselors Like Your Lawyers

This is a guest post by Solo PR Pro Premium member Tara McDonagh  Have you ever asked your lawyer to guarantee the outcome of a legal proceeding? Timing of that legal proceeding? I’m guessing no because you pay your lawyer to provide legal advice and represent you as...

3 Reasons Why It’s Time to Level Up as a Solo PR Pro With SMART Goals That Work

Adaptability, time management, organization, reliability, resourcefulness — these are just some of the skills professionals in the PR industry, and otherwise, need to thrive as entrepreneurs and business owners. But what about goal-setting? When you run your own...

5 Solo PR Pros Share How They Manage Their Time

Written by Jessica Lawlor Just because you’re a solo PR pro doesn’t mean you’re in this alone. There’s a whole community of like minded people you can lean on. In this monthly series, we ask five Solo PR Pro members to share their best tips, tricks and resources for...

7 Ways to Maximize Your PR Programs

This year has been an especially challenging time to conduct business, and that makes it even more important to take care of the business that you have. Solo PR Pros need to ensure that they are optimizing value for clients, and are able to demonstrate results for PR...

How Rituals Can Help Solo PR Pros

I sit in my favorite chair, watching the steam from my coffee twirl into the morning's stillness. I am in my comfy sweats, cocooned in a black sweater. I watch the soft shadows play against the windowsill as the sun slowly rises. The chair, coffee, and time of day are...

Payment Processing Solutions for Solo PR Pros

Written by Solo PR Pro Contributor, Michelle Kane, CEO, VoiceMatters, LLC Solo PR Pros are always on the lookout for efficiencies in our work. Especially when it comes to getting paid. So, this information would be timely on its own, but while we’re in the COVID-19...

How to Keep Love Alive in Client Relationships

Signing a new client is one of the greatest joys of solo life. There were other suitors, but they chose you. As you embark on those bright and shiny new client relationships, it’s hard to imagine the luster ever wearing off, but it can and does. In this post we share...

Want to Be a Better PR Pro? Try Monotasking.

In episode 21 of the That Solo Life podcast, “Slow Down! Be a Better PR Pro by Monotasking,” we talked about how in order to be a true rock star in your work, you’d better be a sensational multitasker. Except, it isn’t true. Multitasking isn’t better, and science...

5 Things to Do Before Year End

As we near the end of 2019, you may have already done your budgeting, tax planning and conducted (or scheduled) year-end client reviews. However, here are 5 things that you may not have considered that you should do before the end of the year. Review your wins and...

How to Evaluate RFP Opportunities

Most consultants have a love-hate relationship with RFPs and RFQs. They can be tedious laborious and feel like a shot in the dark rather than a real opportunity. Yet, in some sectors, such as government, RFPs are the process used to find and hire vendors. Some RFPs...

The Very Long Fall Season and How to Survive It

The fall season, for many solo PR Pros feels like running a marathon at a sprint pace. Conferences, surveys, forecasts, trend reports, budgeting, launches, and clients squeezing every drop of PR goodness you have to offer before the year closes can be exhausting. But...

5 Tips for Solo Business Success

You need more than technical expertise as you deal with all of the responsibilities inherent in being a solo PR pro. We offer five practical tips that you can use to succeed in business.

How to Get Paid for Your Work

Solo PR Pros put a lot of work into winning new clients. In addition to the hours and expense of business development to cultivate new opportunities, new business discussions and proposals require time and effort. If you travel to meet with prospective clients, it is...

The Importance of Adaptability

Adaptability is inherent in the job of being a professional communicator. We know more than others that change is a constant. As a solo PR Pro the ability to adapt - processes, skills and perspective - can be crucial to your success and longevity. In this TED Talk,...

Measure What Matters

This post first appeared on Solo PR Pro in July 2017. It has been edited and updated. As a Solo PR Pro, it is not enough to do a great job for clients, you must be able to show results in a way that is meaningful to them. Measuring results begins with the discovery...

The Persona’s Place in PR

Personas have spread throughout the business world. Starting in the information technology space for tailoring application development to intended users, the idea of using fictional characters to characterize a particular audience in fine detail has been taken up by...

Social Media in 2018: Where is Your Audience?

Written by Michelle Kane, Solo PR Pro Premium Member and Head Honcho of Voice Matters, LLC Here at Solo PR Pro, we love to “nerd out” with new data. As we serve our clients, it’s vital that we keep up with where our potential target audiences are spending time online....

The Value of Time for Solo PR Pros

We believe we understand time until we have to assign a value to it. As we consider how much our time is worth we also have to decide how to spend it. Your time is a critical business resource and as a business owner,  you will have to be judicious in how you invest...

Getting Organized

A little upfront work can save you a lot of time. This is a guest post from Solo PR PRO Premium member, Daria Steigman. Every time I get a new computer – desktop, laptop, or All-in-One – I have visions of reclaiming my desk and basking in the openness of white space....

Mastering the Facebook Pixel for More Profitable Ad Campaigns

Without a doubt, one of the biggest and most common mistakes that brands make when it comes to Facebook Advertising is choosing the wrong campaign objective from the start. And let’s be clear – this is a mistake that’s costing you money. Facebook is literally asking...

Ultimate Year-End Checklist for Self-Employed Consultants

This post has been updated for 2015. The end of the year is fast approaching, but there’s still time to close out 2015 with a bang! Here are 12 items that should be on any independent consultant’s year-end checklist: Financial 1. Make business purchases now - One of...

PR Interns or Assistants – Which is Right for You?

As small business people, we need to take an honest look at the time we’re willing to invest. Do I have the time to help someone learn more about public relations or would I rather pay someone to go away and get the job done?

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,...

How to Maximize Your Profitability with Better Client Management

It's not always apparent, but inefficient client management is a slow leak on your profitability. In the following presentation, we outline the five things you need to do to build the foundation of a successful business with effective client management– one brick at a...

The Most Important Word for You to Know

The most important word to any freelancer or consultant is... “scope,” preferably not followed by the word “creep.” Scope creep is the bane of any independent consultant’s existence. It happens when your client adds things to your to-do list that you didn’t foresee....

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...

Prepare Your Solo Business for Emergencies – Six Secrets of a Sickie

This is a newly updated version of a previously posted article. I'm still a sickie I'm afraid, and - just as we advise our clients -  the time to make contingency plans is before you need them. I must confess one of my least favorite traits about myself: I’m sickly....

5 Tips to Build Client Partnerships

This is a guest post by Heather Whaling, president of Geben Communication. The people who hire you – are they clients or customers? Do they see you as a partner or a vendor? A consultant or a freelancer? Just semantics or is there an actual difference? I see the new...

The Best Tools For Consultants to Manage and Promote Your Business

Welcome to the next installment of Solo PR Pro’s Tool School series! Designed to fight overwhelm, all this month we’re offering specific recommendations for services that are cost-effective for indies, and aren’t enterprise-focused or overkill for our needs. Last...

54 Tools for PR and Digital Success

Welcome to Solo PR Pro’s Tool School series! Designed to fight overwhelm, all this month we’re offering specific recommendations for services that are cost-effective for indies, and aren’t enterprise-focused or overkill for our needs. In this, our second installment,...

Half Price Discount on Inkybee Small Team Plan! Learn More.

The Inkybee service focuses on one of the most vexing aspects of PR, digital, and social media outreach: blogger and influencer relations. It offers a suite of powerful tools for research and discovery, outreach, and reporting that includes everything from detailed...

Ultimate Guide to Productivity Tools

Welcome to Solo PR Pro’s Tool School series! Designed to fight overwhelm, all this month we’re offering specific recommendations for services that are cost-effective for indies, and aren’t enterprise-focused or overkill for our needs. First up, we look at Productivity...

Tool School Series: Find the Tools to Build Your Consulting Business

It’s hard to believe, but the back-to-school season is upon us. There’s the excitement of starting new classes, getting new outfits, and buying school supplies. Fortunately, as adults we can enjoy the fun and excitement of learning without a dress code. In August,...

Working with Subcontractors – Everything Entrepreneurs Need to Know

When a new business owner first begins to experience a snowball of success, it’s exciting – until the realization sets in that you have more work to do than you can handle by yourself! Before you rush to hire an employee, first consider the interim step most solo PR...

Business Insurance Isn’t Scary – What Consultants Need to Know

The first time a potential client says you must carry $1 million in general liability coverage (or more) to win their business, the tendency is to freak out! But there's no need to worry - the most commonly required insurance is probably much cheaper than you imagine,...

Is It Time to Rethink Multitasking?

If you ask ten independent pros about multitasking, it’s likely that eight will provide an answer while watching a monitoring dashboard, responding to an email, scrolling through a news feed and drinking a cup of coffee or glass of wine! Multitasking has become the...

Keep the New Year Spirit Alive

Much is said about the spirit of Christmas (Elvis opined, Why can't every day be like Christmas / Why can't that feeling go on endlessly / For if everyday could be just like Christmas / What a wonderful world this would be). But when it comes to business, isn’t it...

Email Marketing for Independent Communication Professionals

With all the advances in digital communications, email remains the old dog that keeps learning new tricks. Love it or hate it; most professionals continue to rely on email for sharing and exchanging information. Yet, when it comes to email marketing many may associate...

Register Now for 2014 Solo PR Summit – Top Speakers Announced

The moment has arrived – registration is now open for the 2014 Solo PR Summit! The only in-person conference hosted by Solo PR Pro is returning to Atlanta, February 19-20, 2014, and it will be even bigger and better than ever. We’re happy to share that this year’s...

Special Cision Discount is Here!

  NOTE: Cision has notified us that on April 30, 2015, it will cease offering the Solo PR PRO discounted rate. Cision will continue to write one year contracts for Solo PR PRO Premium Annual members at the significantly discounted rate until that date. Members...

Press Releases and Google – What PR Professionals Need to Know to Promote Without Penalty

Recently Google updated their guidelines on links specifically calling out press releases. The update has caused some confusion among PR professionals. We asked SEO pro, Jon Rognerud to help explain the changes. Keywords, content, and links are paramount to success in...

How to Organize a New Partnership – Before You Sign the Papers

This is a guest post by Steven Spenser, Principal, Praxis Communication. Steven is a frequent, valuable contributor to the Solo PR Pros group on LinkedIn – we asked him to provide this blog post, based on one of his helpful LI answers. If you have any insights or...

How to Join Forces with Other Solos

This post was written by Karen Swim. As a solo pro, you enjoy the benefits of controlling your work life. You can work from a home office, a remote island (with WiFi of course!) or your own office space. Working independently gives you complete control. However, being...

How to Enjoy the Solo PR Summit, Even If You Can’t Be Here in Person

As you may know, the first-ever Solo PR Summit, which kicks off today in Atlanta, is sold out! There are a number of ways you can follow along and participate, which are beneficial to both attendees and those unable to be here in person: Watch our usual #solopr...

The Importance of Taking Time Off

It's no surprise that solo PR pros are sometimes guilty of working too much. But continually burning the candle at both ends can have a serious negative impact on both your mental and physical health. That's why we've written several posts over the years on the...

How to Spot and Attend Great Conferences

What’s the formula for a great conference? I love going to in-person events and conferences, and in the past 20 years I’ve had a hand in planning more than my share. While preparing for the Solo PR Summit (the full schedule is live today!), I’ve given a lot of thought...

The Contract is Signed, Now What?

This is a guest post from Solo PR PRO member Makasha Dorsey.  You've spent weeks, maybe even months, courting a potential client and then finally you get a commitment in the form of a contract. After the happy dance that you would only do in the privacy of your...

Save the Date: Solo PR Summit to be held February 20-21, 2013

Finally, an event specifically for us! Mark your calendars now for the Solo PR Summit – the first-ever in-person event and conference hosted by Solo PR Pro, being held February 20-21, 2013, at the Regency Suites Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. With an emphasis on real world,...

Staying Afloat on Stormy Seas

In my most recent post, Secrets of a Sickie, I talked about what to do if you’re ill, and mentioned that many of those tactics also apply when other emergencies arise. My personal posts on this blog are typically few and far between, but (in an ironic twist), since...

Public Listings Now Available Via Solo PR PRO Premium

We’re always looking for ways to help the best independent PR consultants – and the clients who seek to hire them - find each other. Today, we’re happy to unveil our new Public Listings and PR Pro Search feature, which offers members of Solo PR PRO Premium a...

When Face-to-Face Communication Beats the Internet

The following is a guest post from Amanda DiSilvestro, Online Content Editor at Business.com.  Along with many other industries, the practice of public relations is changing due to the rapid growth of email and social networking. As a whole, this change is good for...

Announcing New Find a PR Consultant Feature, and more

Today, we're proud to unveil our new no-cost Find a PR Consultant feature that will help those seeking assistance from a solo PR pro locate the help they need. It's also the last day for independent consultants to get in on the beta Solo PR PRO Premium membership. In...

Collaborative Project Management Tools You Should Know (Part Three: Paid)

By Kellye Crane and Heather Rast PR consultants that move away from excessive team emails and adopt a useful solution for collaborative project management are able to take on bigger and more lucrative client work. In this series, we help you make sense of the myriad...

LEAP Forward

Every four years, we get a bonus day – an extra day to do with what we will. On this Leap Day, doesn’t it seem like a good moment to pause and think about our goals, and what we’re leaping toward? For me, I purposely selected this day to release some new deliverables...

Collaborative Project Management Tools You Should Know (Part Two: Freemium)

By Kellye Crane and Heather Rast As we mentioned in Part One of this series, effective project management is important for all professionals, but for solo PR pros, it can be a key to profitability. Making better use of your time means you can take on more work and...

Collaborative Project Management Tools You Should Know (Part One: The Free)

By Kellye Crane and Heather Rast The secret to earning a highly profitable income as a successful PR consultant often comes from an unexpected place: effective systems for collaboration and project management. You either have a solution that allows you to easily track...

How To Build A Conversation Calendar For Social Media

Contributed by Content & Community Specialist Heather Rast. As social media becomes more integrated with PR services, the need for mapping activity to strategic objectives, efficient tactical workflow, controls to ensure on-brand messages will continue to grow. In...

Advice on Setting Fees [video]

What do you charge? How do you set your fees? These are the most daunting - and among the most important - questions PR consultants ask. Though a one-size-fits-all answer would be nice, unfortunately there isn't one. There are many variables that go into setting the...

Year-End Advice for Pros New And Old

This post was written by Heather Rast. It’s that time of year again. The time where independent consultants think about this year's work and how to move into the new year with sound footing. Over the last three years, we’ve had several blog posts and Twitter chats...

Get In Early On Our New Solo PR PRO Member Site!

We’re happy to unveil the premium Solo PR PRO membership site, now in public beta (at special beta pricing). Specifically for us, this premium PRO content offers road-tested deliverables and downloads, a members-only Forum, a special upcoming Show Me the Money! series on setting rates, and much more.

You May Be An Image Consultant (And Not Even Know It)

As a follow-on to our recent discussion during the #SoloPR Twitter chat, this  guest post is from Atlanta-based #SoloPR community member Tiffany Rogers. As a solo public relations professional, people always ask me, “What is PR, and what exactly do you do?” Depending...

Do Indies Hold The Purse Strings?

As independent consultants, we’re often responsible for both purchasing and recommending everything from media databases and wire services to commercial printers and social media measurement tools. We thought it would be interesting to do a quick poll to quantify...

Holiday Press, Increasing Clientele, & More

During the October 5 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros shared insight on helping clients find value, garnering holiday press, increasing clientele, & more. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1. Client's focused on deliverable that may...

Burn Out, Interns, Events, & More

During the August 10 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed client advice, feeling burned out, hiring an intern, and more. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1. Would you ever advise a client to blog negatively about a person or...

Top Tip for Relaxation

Stressed out Solo PR Pros need to find ways to relax! In this video, I share my favorite relaxation tip.     If you can't see the video, watch it here.   Do you have any tried and true methods for chilling out when the day gets overwhelming? Let us know...

Work Situations, Inattentive Clients, & More

During the July 27 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed work situations, growth goals, contacting press, and inattentive clients. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1. Do you work from home, or an off-site office? Pros/cons? #solopr...

Secret Method to Tracking Time

There are many electronic systems available to help independent consultants track their time. But here's a secret: some of us still find that we like our old-school paper-based methods best. Many in the Solo PR Pro community have asked what I use -- in this video, I...

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...

Business Goals, Referral Systems, & More

During the June 8 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed business goals, referral systems, client red flags, and more. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1. We're almost at 2011 half-way pt. How is everyone doing on their business...

Gone Fishing

    Those of you who have followed this blog for a while know that I believe regular breaks are critical for preventing burnout and enjoying a long-term, successful career as a Solo PR Pro.  I've been preaching the importance of vacations for years. For the...

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...

Foolproof Formula for Handling Brain Pickers

We all know they're out there -- reminiscent of zombies, they issue a common refrain: "Can I pick your brain?" Perhaps these brain pickers have no idea how many requests of this type the typical solo PR pro gets in a given month. Regardless, the next time someone...

Unbilled Work, Tracking Client Progress, & New Business

During the May 4 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros shared insight on responding to clients who ask for unbilled work, tracking client/campaign progress, and speeding up the new business process. The following questions helped guide the conversation: 1. What do...

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....

Paying for Online Content, PR Measurement, Retweets, & More

During the March 23 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed paying for online content, PR measurement tools, retweets, and information overload. The following questions helped guide the conversation: 1. Interesting post on @spinsucks re: what will people...

Getting Your Idea Approved

We’ll be sharing notes from some of the most useful South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Conference sessions I attended, so you can live and learn vicariously – and save yourself the big price tag! As independent PR and social media consultants, we’re frequently in...

Avoiding Spam, the Definition of PR, & More

During the March 9 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros touched upon avoiding spam, the definition of PR, partnering with non-profits, and marketing your services as a subcontractor. The following questions help guide the conversation: 1. How do you avoid sending...

6 Ways to Make the Most of a Conference Experience

The reasons to attend an event like South by Southwest (SXSW) are varied, and sometimes seem a bit obtuse to those not in attendance (“I have better things to do than go to a lot of parties,” many say). However, as we discuss on a regular basis in the Solo PR...

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...

Biz Partners, Taglines, & More

During the February 16 #solopr Twitter chat, PR pros shared valuable insight on working with a partner, using subcontractors, coming up with a tagline, and doing work while on vacation. The following questions were addressed: 1. When working with a biz partner, what's...

PR Stands for Pack Rat: The Highly Ineffective Habits of Storing Our Work

This is a guest post from Jenny Schmitt of CloudSpark. With New Year’s Resolutions being quickly forgotten and with Tax Time still a few months ahead, I conducted a short survey of solo PR pros to see what our storage habits were when it our daily work – client...

Project Management, Social Media Opportunities, and More

During the January 19 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR pros discussed issues relating to project management, awards programs, and the opportunities in social media for finding work, speaking gigs, and more. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1....

Connect the Dots: A Solo PR Success Story

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...

Questions on Volunteering and Social Media

During the January 12 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR professionals discussed issues around both volunteering and social media management, addressing the following questions: 1. As a freelancer, I get asked to serve on volunteer committees in my town a lot!  How...

Finding Partners, Staying Motivated, and more

During the January 5 #solopr Twitter chat, pros in PR consulting offered insights on a wide-range of topics, addressing the following questions: 1) How do you find good and loyal consultants to partner with? 2) How do you get more social network followers for new...

A Chat Re-Cap Twofer

Thanks to the ongoing woes of favorite chat transcript site WTHashtag, there was a delay in compiling the  recaps for our two most recent #solopr Twitter chats. I'm happy to say the wait is over -- transcripts and overviews for the December 1 and December 8 chats...

Client relations, Forecasting, and more

During the #solopr Twitter chat this week, top consultants in PR and related fields offered insights on a variety of topics, addressing the following questions: 1. How do you make all of your clients feel important and valuable with your limited time? 2. How do solos...

Considerations in Q4

With Q4 2010 well underway, this week's #solopr Twitter chat covered some of the key issues we face this time of year: 1. How do you make sure clients feel comfortable when you're out of the office (short term and long term)? 2. How do you mark the holidays with your...

Issues with Subcontracting, and more

On the #solopr Twitter chat this week, we discussed several critical issues related to working with subcontractors, among other things. The questions included: 1) How can you start a virtual firm with other solo PR folks? 2) What if a subcontractor (in this case,...

Business Costs, and more

During the #solopr Twitter chat this week, consultants in PR and social media offered tips on a wide-range of topics, addressing the following questions: 1. How often during the year do you work on the administration and branding of your business? Do you ever center a...

Proposals, Pricing and More

As part of this week’s #solopr Twitter chat, pros in PR consulting offered advice on two key issues in running your business, addressing the following questions: 1. As discussed in today's Solo PR post, have you used value/fee-based (rather than hourly) pricing?...

Insights on Fees, Employees, and more

This week's #solopr Twitter chat addressed some of the top issues facing independent PR consultants, ranging from when to raise rates, to when to hire employees. We covered the following questions: 1. How do you know when your fees are too low? 2. When it comes to...

Focusing on Research

Research plays a key role in any public relations or marketing communications program, and independent practitioners can face special considerations. During this week’s #solopr Twitter chat, we discussed these issues: 1. When you get a new client, what kinds of...

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...

Discussing Video and Social Media

During the August 11 #solopr Twitter chat, independent PR consultants offered their insights on topics submitted by the community. We addressed the following questions: 1. Are you using video with your press releases?  How? 2.  As a follow-up:  How much old-school...

Superheroes Don’t Exist

Family emergencies can serve as a reminder that there is much more to life than work - these times can offer an amazing opportunity to pause and reflect on our own priorities. Unfortunately, even during periods of grief or illness, we tend to measure ourselves against...

Chatting at the Mid-Year Point

As part of the #solopr Twitter chat this week - at the halfway mark in 2010 - we covered a variety of questions/topics submitted by the Solo PR Pro community: 1)  Looking for ideas/advice when announcing new client relationships. Get permission? Make a big splash?...

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...

Sharing and Support

In addition to offering the usual practical tips, during this week's #solopr Twitter chat participants shared some of their personal stories about why they became Solo PR Pros, and what keeps them inspired to stay independent. Both new and long-term solos drew...

Handling Sticky Situations with Journalists

Each week the #solopr Twitter chat – held Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. Eastern - addresses topics and questions submitted by the community of Solo PR Pros.  Though the chats attract primarily independent PR consultants and those interested in learning more, information...

May 19 Chat Transcript

During the #solopr Twitter chat this week, PR consultants shared their top tips on topics that are key to running an independent PR business successfully. The questions included: 1)  Does anyone have a co-op, biz partner or share office space? How's that working out?...

Managing Your Solo PR Business

As part of this week’s #solopr Twitter chat, pros in PR consulting offered insights on a wide-range of topics, including the following: 1. A community member wanted to discuss @ginidietrich's post: It's Time to Rid PR Firms of the Billable Hour. What do you think of...

Dealing with Stress

Lately, there seems to be a recurring trend among many independent PR consultants - stress! For most of us, it comes as no surprise that PR was recently named among the top 10 . With so many of us feeling stressed out, and since our longevity as Solo PR Pros depends...

Raising rates, Monitoring and More

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...

Thinking Big Picture

During the #solopr Twitter chat this week, we addressed questions from the community that centered around looking at the big picture for your business. The topics included: 1) How do you know when it's time to start hiring staff and turn your solo practice into an...

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...

To Free, or Not to Free

During a recent #solopr chat on Twitter, I made the following statement: Remember: it's worse to work for free than to not work at all. While many pros agreed with me, some had serious questions about this advice (below). But aside from new business opportunities...

From Productivity to Interns – #solopr Chat Transcript

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...

Lessons Learned

This week’s #solopr Twitter chat covered a wide-range of topics, with some of the top pros in PR consulting weighing in on the following questions: 1) Do you take credit cards or some sort of online payment vehicle? 2) Have you ever relocated your biz to another...

When to Tap Your Network

One of the most important issues a PR consultant faces is how and when to bring in help as subcontractors. During this week’s #solopr Twitter chat, reasons to have a robust network of support came up in response to the following questions: 1)  How do you handle...

Time management, monitoring and more

This week’s #solopr Twitter chat was once again jam-packed with helpful tips. New and established PR consultants alike offered insights on the following topics: When budgets are small, what methods do you use to track clips (both online and print)? How do you "fire" a...

On Firing a Client

This is a guest post from Heather Whaling of Geben Communication. I fired a client last week. If this is some sort of "rite of passage" that every SoloPR person experiences at some point in her career, I guess I'm officially a member of the club. While I'm a new...

PR Consulting Clients Want Specialists

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...

Subcontracting, SEO and More

Experts in PR consulting once again offered hundreds of pieces of sage advice in this week’s #solopr Twitter chat. During the discussion, there was a universal sentiment that subcontracting or outsourcing non-core services is important for long-term success as a PR...

Do You Have Ugly Stuff?

Design plays an important role in establishing credibility — especially important for independents.

Tips on Finding PR Consulting Clients

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...

Don’t Be PR Roadkill

How can a public relations professional become PR roadkill? By continuing to ignore social media. 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...

How to Charge for Social Media Services

During this week's #solopr Twitter chat, top independent consultants shared invaluable information on what they're doing with social media, and how to bill for these services. The following questions were addressed: Are your clients getting more serious about social...

Business Insurance for PR Consultants

The January 6 #solopr Twitter chat kickedoff 2010 with a bang! Top PR consultants from around the country engaged in such a lively and informative discussion, the group addressed just two questions (with a wealth of info): What kind of business insurance types and...

Let Your Conscience (or Business Coach) Be Your Guide

This is a guest post by Charity Lacey, the creative and strategic principal of Virtue Integrated Marketing Communications – a San Diego-based full service marketing communications agency specializing in mom-/family-centered products and services. In January 2008, I...

To Be Successful, Take a Break

The holiday period is a good time to remember a critical strategy for your long-term success: the importance of taking some time off – away from your business – to regroup, renew and re-energize. All of the long-standing, profitable Solo PR Pros I know are committed...

Planning for 2010

This week’s #solopr chat on Twitter focused on year-end planning and getting ready for 2010. This is an important period in planning for your business and setting the stage for an even better 2010! As always, the Solo PR Pro community had some excellent tips to share...

Joining forces with other solos, and more

During the #solopr chat on Twitter this week, all of our questions submitted by the Solo PR Pro community. Here's what's on the mind of your colleagues: What are your topics of interest for professional development? PRSA-IPA needs ideas for teleseminars, speakers for...

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...

Tips on Twitter Lists, Podcasts and More

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...

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...

Key to a Long Career: Ongoing Education

As I arrive in San Diego for the 2009 PRSA International Conference (which gets underway today), I look forward to some exciting educational sessions and invigorating networking with old and new friends. I'm realizing that as independent consultants, we must find our...

Mentors for Each Other – 10.28.09 #solopr Chat

October 28, 2009, the date of this week’s #solopr Twitter chat, was a proud day for me. Why? Because I was unable to participate in the chat due to travel, and it proceeded full steam ahead without me. What a terrific testament to the community of Solo PR Pros that...

Transcript for the #solopr Chat – 10/21/09

Starting this week, we'll be posting the transcript from the weekly #solopr Twitter chat (Wednesdays, 1-2 p.m. Eastern) here on the blog. Why? Because each week the chats are chock-full of free advice, tips and interesting discussions on the future of PR, social...

PR Consultants: It’s Twitter Time

As PR consultants, it’s our job to be a resource to our clients and stay ahead of the curve when it comes to new strategies, technology and tools. For this reason, the time has come: all PR consultants should be on Twitter… now.

Tapping the Collective Wisdom

The many ways the Solo PR Pro community can interact goes far beyond this blog. We're starting to have weekly #solopr chats on Twitter, and please join the brand new Solo PR Pro group on LinkedIn for yet another way we can ask questions and share ideas with each...

Join Us for the #solopr Chat on Twitter

We've talked before about using the #solopr hashtag on Twitter. Now, by popular demand, we've scheduled the first #solopr Twitter chat for this Wednesday, September 2, 2009, at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Prominent PR pros Heather Huhman (@HeatherHuhman) and Shonali Burke...

Friday Funnies – How I Organize My Desk

When it comes to maintaining control over the clutter-filled chaos, I'm the last person to offer advice! What about you, Solo PR Pro reader - do you have any tips for keeping the mess to a manageable level? Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely...

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...

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...

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...

End of Year Tips for Consultants

The end of the year is fast-approaching, but there’s still time to think about some of the items that should be on any independent consultant’s radar: Consider hiring an accountant – Most accountants become insanely busy as soon as the new year arrives, and many do...

44 Tools for the PR Consultant’s Toolbox

Technology has made it easier than ever for small fries like us to provide big-league service. I’m often amazed how many Web-based applications are available now – it can actually be mind boggling and overwhelming at times. Here, in an attempt to help you wade through...

The Time to Think About Your Solo Career is Now

There’s an elephant in the room – in fact, there’s an elephant sitting on this blog. It’s the economy, and it’s become a central issue for just about everyone.   Whether you’re already a PR consultant or currently in a traditional job, we should all take steps now to...

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...