PR is not hard. I don’t have a team who tries to get me on the news, but I talk to journalists weekly about work, power, politics, and money.
It’s because I used to have a job in HR, and now I write and speak about those topics.
When I stopped working in corporate America, I had zero connections. So I went to networking events and made friends with local journalists. I also followed them online. Their coverage got me introductions and exposure nationally. But here are some other things I do:
- I personally respond to phone calls and emails right away. I don’t have my people call their people.
- I speak on background and help them with stories even when I’m not directly quoted.
- I will take a phone call at night. Just the other day, I talked to a journalist right after brushing my teeth and while getting ready for bed with my cat Spicy.
- I speak from my heart. If you talk like every other consultant out there, why would they call you when they can quote someone else?
- I attach hard to good journalists, and I advocate for them. I don’t just share the articles or video clips where I’m included. I share their other good stuff, too, and I send them notes when they write something cool. Sometimes I say hello without wanting to be in the paper or on TV.
- I pitch myself when there’s a topic that I’m passionate about. Everybody in America knows to call me if they’re writing a UBI and basic income story. Nobody is writing that story, but when they do, my work with ITSA Foundation will pay off!
Executives overthink this shit. You don’t need talking points. You need your own opinion and a willingness to see journalists as people, too.
I don’t always make the paper, but when I do, it’s fun. Someone in my family always sees it and forwards me a link. And if I make it in the national paper, a family member invariably cuts it out and mails it to me. That’s the special part that makes it worthwhile!