Well Spun: Big PR and Social Media Ideas for Small Business

By Amber Daines

'Well Spun: Big PR and Social Media Ideas for Small Business' takes the huff and puff out of PR, thanks to its jargon-free range of insider tips, techniques and tools from leading journalists, PR professionals and entrepreneurs.

In this book, you will learn:
• What news is really about
• What journalists want from you
• The difference between journalism, PR and advertising
• Social media essentials for small business
• Why traditional media still matters
• How to pitch your story and the essential PR tools
• Mastering meaningful media relationships
• Tips for nailing media interviews
• The pros and cons of DIY PR versus hiring freelancers or agencies

Taking stock of your public relations profile means you can easily secure exceptional media coverage more often, with fewer misses, and ultimately grow your brand.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9780987358165

Book preview

support.

Acknowledgements

The inspiration to finally write my own business book started with the encouragement of Helen Treloar, from Forward Momentum Coaching, whose expertise, wisdom and guidance have shaped much of my own unprecedented business growth in the past year. Here’s to living life on our own terms.

A huge thank you goes to the generous interviewees who have made my book come to life. The journalists, business leaders, entrepreneurs, academics and friends included in the following pages are all accomplished experts whose skills, honesty and integrity I truly respect and value.

Thank you to all my fabulous clients – past and present – who during the past sixteen years have taught me about the power of PR, the value of effective communication, how to deliver the best results no matter your budget, and knowing when to walk away.

Last but not least I must say thanks to you, the reader, who has taken time out of your busy day to dedicate some headspace and heartspace to learning about ‘Big PR and social media ideas for small business’.

About the author

Bespoke by name and nature, Amber Daines understands meaningful public relations (PR) is more than spitting out a media release, hosting a celebrity-filled party or having a fancy list of editorial contacts.

Amber is a former journalist turned PR powerhouse, media trainer and small business owner who has survived the magical five-year mark of being in business. With 16 years’ communication industry expertise working in Australia and abroad, she has enjoyed a successful career in media and PR. Amber’s love affair with the media began as a print journalist in a Sydney newsroom followed by a ‘blink and you may have missed it’ stint as a TV reporter. Amber was a senior magazine correspondent in Hong Kong during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s before heading to London to help launch one of the world’s first online magazines dedicated to the fine arts.

This was followed by a return to Australian soil and ten years’ working in PR agencies, driving numerous award-winning PR campaigns for corporate and consumer companies. There was a brief sojourn as head of marketing and philanthropic programs for a not-for-profit design centre, which taught her how to create memorable PR moments on a shoestring budget.

Amber launched her own communication consultancy in 2007 with just two small business clients: a beauty salon start-up and a political lobbying firm. She now works with a wide range of clients in the big and small business arenas and focuses on delivering high-level media training and strategic PR campaigns that get results.

Amber has contributed to two previous business books and regularly writes freelance features and blog pieces about her industry. She has been a casual lecturer at the APM College of Business and Communication and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Technology, Sydney, a Master of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training. She is also an accredited Media Skills™ trainer, one of Australia’s most reputable media training organisations.

Away from her desk, this unashamed Francophile’s passions include enjoying a glass of (French) rosé, scouring interior design magazines and blogs, and conjuring up new adventures near and far with her gorgeous little family.

Foreword

by Emma Isaacs, CEO of Business Chicks

Imagine for a moment the earliest ancient Olympic Games, held in the eighth century BC. The Greeks used pigeons to convey the names of the victors back to their various cities. It’s impossible to calculate how many people they reached and how efficient the process was, but it’s safe to say we’ve come a long way in our methods of dispersing information.

Fast forward to the closing ceremony of the London Olympic Games in August 2012. The British pop sensation Spice Girls were reunited for a high-energy performance that set a record of more than 116,000 tweets sent every minute they were onstage. A more effective way to build their brand, convey their message and grow engagement than pigeons? You bet.

Today’s world of business is fast. It races along at such a pace only the fittest will reach the finish line, and those that choose to wait and linger to see what’s going to happen next will get left behind. Profits are dashed, dreams smashed and years pass with only a mediocre level of success achieved.

The companies and brands that embrace this new pace – the ones who build systems to support the ways their customers communicate with them and how they’re perceived in the marketplace – will flourish. And if you’re not already one of these companies, then it’s my hope what you’re about to read in the pages ahead will equip you with all you need to know to keep up and thrive.

As both a media owner (I publish Latte magazine for Business Chicks) and a business owner, I get to see the publicity process from both sides of the fence. As a publisher, I deal with people and brands that want to be featured in the media. As a business owner I witness our wins and failures as we try to amplify our brand by being featured in the media. What I’ve learnt is that there’s never a one size fits all approach, as you’ll discover in the many case studies contained in this book.

Over the past few years we’ve built our business off the back of social media channels, harnessing the energy of this new and exciting medium for customer feedback and conversation. PR, whether online or offline, continues to be a powerful tool to capture the hearts and minds of our community.

This is a book for all businesses that want to play a bigger game and use PR and social media to achieve their vision. Take heed of the advice contained within these pages and most importantly, enjoy the ride!

Emma Isaacs is CEO of Business Chicks, Australia’s largest community for women. A well-seasoned entrepreneur and ex-president of the Entrepreneurs Organisation Sydney, she publishes Latte, the quarterly magazine for Business Chicks’ members, is a conference speaker, board member, media commentator and blogs regularly at emmaisaacs.com. You can follow her on Twitter – @emmaisaacs.

Introduction

‘Ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness.’ – Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers: The Story of Success (2008)

Contemporary American writer Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule is often quoted when referring to what it takes to become an expert. As he explains in his book Outliers: The Story of Success, you need to accrue 10,000 hours of experience in one specific task to be a ‘phenom’ or outlier, who is truly outstanding in their field. Talent is only part of the equation.

Phenoms are off-the-radar superhumans who have achieved world-renowned greatness in their field – way more than any other expert. Think Bradman, Mozart and Picasso or modern business leaders like Oprah Winfrey, Sir Richard Branson or the late Steve Jobs.

While I can’t claim the international profile of the great names listed above, when it comes to all things PR and media related I have definitely done my 10,000 hours or ten years, to which 10,000 hours roughly equate. After all the hard yards, I have mastered what I do in my business life and more importantly, I love it.

Many small businesses simply don’t have the resources to pay for a senior PR consultant or a monthly retainer to access the top-end-of-town services of a big agency.

I wrote this book for all the other budding phenoms out there in the small business game – the start-ups, the home-based businesses and those with a seed project they are still finessing. The book is also for the more established small business success stories that need to get serious about their PR and social media campaigns but are a bit lost about the right way to get started or how to maintain momentum once they establish a media profile.

With PR too often referred to negatively as hype, propaganda or spin, I hope you find this book a no-nonsense, practical approach to how to build your media profile, keep your