Need to get yourself out there?
Are you promoting your passion project?
Want to know how to get started?
Liz H Kelly joins us on the Guided Goals Podcast, and we’re going to talk about Public Relations for your passion project. Liz is an author, speaker, UCLA Extension Instructor, Columnist and CEO. She founded Goody PR and Goody Awards to magnify brands, experts and causes making an impact.
Highlights
You have to be proactive in this digital age, Liz says. Most business comes through personal referrals. However, nobody is going to hire you without Googling you first. Use PR to gain credibility, so when someone Googles you, your expertise shines.
Tips
There are two kinds of PR. Traditional – print, radio and TV – and social media. You can hire someone or do it yourself.
Here’s how to get started with public relations:
- Be able to say in one sentence what you do. If you can’t do that, you’re in trouble.
- Figure out your goals.
- Find the right resources, tools and people to help.
- Next, come up with a plan
For example, let’s say you decide to send out a press release once/month. Determine your target market, find where they hang out, and figure out what messages to create to reach them.
Also, strategize and adjust your plan, based on what’s happening in the news.
Resources
For social media management, there’s Sprout Social, Hootsuite, and Buffer.
Liz’s favorite social media platform for marketing is Twitter, because she can reach the broadest audience with hashtags. She recommends to always use at least one hashtag and one @mention when tweeting. Go to Liz’s Twitter feed @LizHKelly to check out what she is doing.
She uses Facebook for friends and recommends only posting once/day. Post fun stuff – that’s part of your brand too – as well as the professional.
Your Public Presence
Liz’s motto comes from Josh Ochs’s book Light, Bright and Polite.
Keep up appearances. If you are upset about something. it’s fine to deal with it on social media, but you need to be factual and “light, bright and polite.”
It’s true online, in pr, and in real life.
Work/Life Balance
To maintain balance, Liz walks to the beach and takes sunset pictures with her iPhone. It’s about pacing yourself, she says. Entrepreneurs rarely work from 9 to 5. It’s fine to work late as long as you take breaks throughout the day. Find your rhythm, find your own balance.
Professional Goal of the Week: Write the 1-line bio of who you are, as well as a short bio to put in the bottom of your pitches. Also, draft key selling points. Take a look at Liz’s selling points on GoodyPR.com.
Personal Goal of the Week: Find something you love and take a break and do that to re-energize. Celebrate a win!
Listen to the podcast:
Watch the video:
The Guided Goals Podcast gives you the tools, direction, and resources you need to pursue your passion project. Thanks for tuning in.
Subscribe on iTunes and leave a review. Tell us how you are doing on your goals in the comments.
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About Debra: A project catalyst, Debra Eckerling works with individuals and small businesses to create a strategy, set goals and manage their projects. Follow Debra @GuidedGoals, Like Guided Goals on Facebook, Subscribe to YouTube.
