Not too long ago, during one of my client sessions, my client came to me and asked me “why are PRs so expensive?” I won’t lie, at first the question startled me.
“Well” I replied “Because they have the influence over the right contacts to widen your reach”. In fairness, I think I hit the nail on the head. The price tag of a PR is very heavily influenced by the contact they have. The reason why PR, media and events are considered the Holy Grails of exposure is because of the story telling aspect.
Truth is, storytelling works. The book “Make an Impact” clearly outlines how stories are one of the best currencies people can bank on. It also outlines that in order to be a leader you need authority, and authority comes from expertise and trustworthiness.
My question is: how can you use PR, media and events to establish yourself as an industry leader, without having to pay a penny?
Because, yes, that is possible. You read it right. Let’s find the answer for each and every one of them.
PR driven by stories with guest contributions
PR does not have to be expensive or complicated. A very easy way to do your own PR is being able to tell a story without having to pay someone to market it. Yes, you’ll need to create compelling pitches and have a great story to tell, but I usually tell my clients to start by telling your own story – that is a story you definitely know how to tell!
I love this quote from Suzie Bartle: “Writing is also really key in PR because it’s ultimate how we communicate with the press with anything from features through to email pitches to press releases.” What about your story you can share with the world? This may be the right time to do it!
~Business Game Changer Special Promotion~
Let the media come to you
This is another of my favourite tips – let the media come to you, and you’ll see how easy it is to get the expert status badge! You can get media alerts for free, however, it does take some time to review them, apply and pitch your paragraph or quote.
I do like SourceBottle a lot, I got some great opportunities from it by simply looking for the best fit – you never know which publication may pick up on your story, and sometimes you may land a full interview that will help you achieving the expert status quickly.
Get started with public speaking
Being in front of people and sharing your message is another great way to establish your expertise – however, it comes with a catch. There will be more pitching for you to do, in order to land some speaking opportunities at first. Anything from your smile to your body language can capture the attention of an audience, so make sure that you have a compelling story to say, but you can also say it in the best way to be remembered. I love how speaking coach Amy Leighton explains this “Demonstrate through your delivery how this matters to you. Engage people with your passion. Use your voice and your body language to show how much you care. Enthusiasm is catching – get other people hyped up & talking about it too!”
Going back to my client’s session, I knew how daunting PR felt because of how expensive it sounded – however, you can easily implement practises for yourself and be incredibly effective.
Start with there three ways to establish yourself as an industry leader using free PR, media and events and see how it helps you reaching more people. Have you implemented any yet for yourself?
Fab Giovanetti
About the author
Fab is a business mentor, published author, influencer-specialist, best known as the founder of the Health Bloggers Community.
Serial start-up founder and professional troublemaker, she is obsessed with avocados and helping people making an impact in health and wellness. Sounds like you? Get daily tips on how to grow your influence via the HBC magazine.
