As an entrepreneur, there are so many goals one often aspires to achieve. One of the most frequent questions we get here from entrepreneurs at Spinster, is, ‘how do I drive up PR around my brand?’
At Spinster, we love questions around PR. It’s one of our favorite aspects of building a startup. In fact, our co-founder Shanthi Blanchard started in PR at the Outside Organisation in London, where she supported the public personas of celebrities including Naomi Campbell, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.
That’s why at Spinster, we’ve devised an intuitive consulting service just for female founders ready to take their publicity to the next level. Our PR consulting services have landed startups in publications like The New York Times and at The United Nation’s Girl Up speaking event.
Below, we’ve highlighted some of our top tips for gaining publicity on your brand in the press.
Tip # 1: Find a magazine in your niche + figure out your target audience
In order for you to be successful when it comes to pitching your work, you will need to narrow your focus. What audience does your brand communicate with (i.e. Millennials? Gen Z Womxn?). Next, identify what kinds of magazines are best known for that style of content.
Once you’ve done this, think about publications or audiences that could benefit the most from your content. For example, would New York
If you can figure out your niche and find an audience that’s being underserved, there is a higher chance your piece could be featured in a publication.
Tip # 2: Use your connections
Reach out to your friends and colleagues on LinkedIn and use your network to get your name known by publications. Connect with people and build on those connections for further opportunities. According to Hootsuite, two professionals join LinkedIn every second and 45 percent of LinkedIn users are in upper management. At this point, LinkedIn has had phenomenal success and has only continued to increase in popularity.
Tip # 3: Meet other writers
Contact other writers and learn from their craft. Ask for feedback or to even team up on a piece together. Many platforms like Meetup, LinkedIn, and Slack offer incredible spaces for professional to connect and meet with one another - take advantage! You will gain connections and they will help you hone in on the area that you can succeed in and make your voice stand out amongst the crowd.
Tip #4: Pitch the article with a unique twist
In order to get writing reviewed, you need to write a query letter. When deciding the piece you’d like to pitch, make sure it’s something they may not come up with themselves. Write a piece within a series they already have or something that directly affects their readers. Make sure you know the publication you’re pitching to and why your piece will fit in with their content.
Tip # 5: Get your reps in
In order for this dream to come true, you have to be persistent. Once you pitched and haven’t heard back, follow up with an email. Write new pieces. Network with more friends and ask for opportunities. Build up your portfolio. If they don’t like what you’ve pitched, pitch them again. In the words of Aaliyah, the only way to succeed is to try, try again.
As a womxn entrepreneur, you have unique experiences that deserve to be told to the world. Use these tips to leverage your expertise and experience and make that publishing dream come true.