Good PR: Strong Public Relations is More Than Just Press Releases & Party Girls

It seems that not everyone is sure of what PR is and how it works, especially in an age where social media rules and that lines between PR and marketing are blurred. Often confused with advertising and frequently associated with celebrities and party girls, PR is a bit misunderstood. Here is some basic info on what PR is and how it works.

PR IS...

PR IS A GREAT WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TARGET MARKET.  Done right, PR creates brand awareness and helps to establish a point of difference from the competition. It also can lend credibility to a new company or service. PR coverage is “earned” rather than paid for (like advertising) so that means an unbiased third party, who is deemed “in-the-know” by their audience, is giving their seal of approval on a product or service. Often earned media seems to have more of an impact then advertising, and resonates more deeply with readers.

PR IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. In 2015 those relationships stretch far beyond just the traditional media and include print and digital editors, bloggers, influencers, stylists, writers, producers, on-air talent and a slew of other interesting titles. Years ago PR was a bit more defined but with the introduction of social media, lines have been blurred and the boundaries between PR and marketing have softened. There is far more interplay and overlap. PR covers a lot more ground so it’s important to constantly be reinforcing existing relationships and establishing new ones.

PR IS A CHANGING INDUSTRY that requires creativity and adaptability. The digital landscape is constantly evolving and the end consumer is now used to quick nuggets of info and short burst of news that can be easily digested. In addition to the ever-important feature story, media coverage in things like “listicles”, digital/shoppable product roundups, influencer partnerships and ongoing social media have become an important part of any PR and marketing initiative that can have as much impact as the most established traditional print/broadcast coverage.

PR IS ABOUT GETTING NOTICED. It’s competitive out there. Even if you have relationships you are still up against a lot of other people/product/companies/ services and many are just as fabulous and ingenious as whatever you are bringing to the table. It’s about having what you do and how you do it catch the attention of the chosen intermediary. In overcrowded inboxes, sometimes the subject of the email is as important as the actual content! It’s all about standing out.

PR IS NOT…

PR IS NOT ADVERTISING.  It’s earned media a.k.a editorial coverage. True editorial coverage can’t be purchased. It’s earned. It’s won! Via lots and lots of time spent strategizing, emailing and talking. While PR isn’t paid for it also isn’t necessarily free either. Publicity requires the expenditure of mass amounts of time and effort by an in-house point person or a partnering agency. While you may not be spending dollars doing a media buy it will require some measure of capital investment to cover the time commitment it requires to create the interest. 

True editorial coverage can’t be purchased. It’s earned. It’s won!

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PR IS NOT EASY. For every bit of media coverage that is actually featured there were at least a zillion pitches that went out that were passed on. In PR you get way more “no’s” than “yes’s”. It’s takes an almost obsessive level of outreach, creativity and strategy to secure any press coverage. Especially if the brand/product is new or unknown.  Diligence, persistence and a thick skin are required to be successful along with stellar relationships and the ability to stay on top of opportunities without being annoying. Don’t assume you will have a cover story or a national placement right away. It’s an ongoing process but the results are worth it.

PR IS NOT ABOUT ONE-HIT-WONDERS. While there are those media opportunities that can change a business overnight, PR is largely about ongoing outreach and consistent coverage. It requires imagination and the ability to make something that isn’t always new or even newsworthy interesting. PR is meant to be a long-term investment and shouldn’t be viewed as a quick fix. Seeding a brand and building momentum with the media takes time, creativity and even a bit of luck. 

PR IS NOT JUST ABOUT PRESS RELEASES and distribution services.  Back in the day, a traditional press release would be written, pitched and then shared via a distribution service. With the rise of social media and the internet, a press release has become less important. It’s still a worthwhile informational tool to have in your arsenal but image heavy, copy-light outreach is preferred. Media contacts are inundated with information and want “snackable” bursts of info that they can review and decide on quickly.  

Jessy Fofana founded La Rue PR over ten years ago after successfully directing public relations and marketing initiatives for an impressive list of well-known fashion, home décor, lifestyle and cosmetics brands and retailers.  Having worked in both digital and print magazine publishing as well as co-founding a fashion and lifestyle brand that she later sold, Jessy and her team at LaRue PR understand exactly what it takes to create the kind of take-notice, multi-faceted campaign that delivers brand-changing buzz.  With an experienced team of professionals, LaRue PR covers all the bases including print and digital media coverage, influencer relations, synergistic brand partnerships and more.  LaRue PR provides the skill and experience of a large agency with the creativity, dedication and affordability that can only be offered by a boutique firm.

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Meet The Mentors: #CreateCultivateATL

As we’re gearing up for Create & Cultivate ATL this October, we’d like to introduce you to the amazing women that will part of our mentor sessions this fall.

Our mentor sessions are perfect for those of you who are looking for advice on how to manage your blog or business from some of the best female entrepreneurs in the digital space today.

If you're wondering what mentor is the best fit for you, check out of the ladies below that will be sitting down with you this October. Also, if you haven't gotten your ticket yet, what are you waiting for? Get your ticket now here.

Stay tuned as we add more mentors to our lineup too!

Nicolette Mason, Creator of NicoletteMason.com

Best for: Social Media, Blogging, Writing, Strategic Partnerships

Nicolette is a Los Angeles native who lives and works in NYC & LA . She is a freelance creative consultant, contributing editor at Marie Claire, and pens her blog nicolettemason.com, where she shares personal style snaps, travel, and the many things she loves.

Since launching her blog and graduating from Parsons School of Design, she’s contributed to dozens of publications including Marie Claire, Vogue Italia, Brooklyn Magazine, The L Magazine, Refinery29, Glamour Italy, and more, and has partnered with brands like ModCloth and Addition Elle, where she has a cocktail dress collection launching this spring, to design collections. She has also partnered with Target on the heralded launch of their plus-size brand, Ava & Viv.

Maxie McCoy, Creator of MaxieMcCoy.com

Best for: Life Coaching, Soul Searching, Career Development

An inspiration luminary, Maxie’s work is a new framework for using inspiration to create a life you’re jazzed to be living. It’s an experience that will put inspiration in your driver’s seat and shine a spotlight on your escape route from mediocrity. Her website provides weekly soul-busting writings, videos, and more inspiration than you know what to do with.

Maxie has also written for the Create & Cultivate blog and you can find her pieces here:

Professional Opinion: Maxie McCoy on Cultivating Inspiration
Professional Opinion: Maxie McCoy on When -and How-To Take a Sabbatical
Professional Opinion: How to Take a Leap of Faith in Your Career
Screw the Cue Cards: 5 Tips for Mastering a Live Audience
Don’t be a Bore: 4 Ways To Engage Your Audience in a Meaningful Wa

Jessy Fofana, Founder of LaRue PR

Best for: PR, Marketing, Social Media

Jessy Fofana is our go-to for all things PR. With her PR agency LaRue PR, she has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to utilizing PR to strategically grow brands and get them on the right radar. Not only that, she is our seasoned PR correspondent for the Create & Cultivate blog.

Jessy founded LaRue PR over seven years ago after successfully directing public relations initiatives for an impressive list of well-known fashion, lifestyle and cosmetics brands and retailers.  She brings a unique perspective of understanding what every player in the PR game needs.  Having worked in magazine publishing, she knows what editors are looking for, and as the co-creator of Femme Arsenal, an indie cosmetic brand, she understands what business owners need to grow to the next level. Get her advice in-person at Create & Cultivate Atlanta!

Mandy Kellogg Rye, Founder and Creative Director of Waiting On Martha

Best for: Blogging, Entrepreneurship, Creative Directing

It all started with a blog and a desire to unite all of the things Mandy loves the most in one place. From how-tos for setting the perfect table and custom crafted cocktails, to what Mandy’s wearing and the beloved “currently coveting” roundup, a glimpse of what’s on her ever-expanding want list, readers know that when they’re in need of a little inspiration, Mandy is just a click away.

Soon after the blog took off and Mandy could no longer keep up with the “where can I buy that?” requests, she decided it was high time to expand the brand. With that, the Waiting On Martha shop was born. On any given shopping day, you can find a variety of products spanning the home décor, tabletop, entertaining, paper, gift, men’s, women’s, kids and even pet categories.

 

Courtney Kerr, Founder of Kerrently.com and TV & Radio Personality

Best for: Blogging, Strategic Partnerships

Courtney’s life took an interesting turn when she was cast on Bravo’s 2011 docudrama, “Most Eligible Dallas,” which eventually led to a 2013 spinoff show, “Courtney Loves Dallas.” Female viewers were eager to know everything about Courtney’s wardrobe, which was her lightbulb moment to leave her longtime, successful career as a retail shopgirl and venture into the world of style blogging. For two years, Dallas woke up to her every morning on the panel of opinionated women on KTXD’s 2-hour morning show,  “The Broadcast.” In 2014, CBS Radio also scooped up Courtney to co-host afternoon drive show, “UNcorked with Leigh Ann & Courtney Kerr,” which airs on their Dallas hot adult contemporary station, 103.7 KVIL. In January of 2016, “UNcorked” went nationally syndicated and began as a weekly online podcast for Play.It.

After 5 years of juggling it all & going 100mph in designer heels, Courtney recognized that it was time to elevate “What Courtney Wore” into a online magazine, appropriately named “KERRently.” In January 2016, “KERRently” was launched and it is where Courtney shares her thoughts on fashion, beauty, travel and just life in general.

You can read our Q+A with Courtney here on our blog.

 

Cailli & Sam Beckerman, Creators of Beckerman Blog

Best for: Blogging, Strategic Partnerships, Fashion Design, Creative Directing

Sam and Cailli Beckerman have been showcasing their fashion sense and outfits of the day since 2009. Living out the ultimate millennial dream, these twins flew to Dubai just to check out Chanel’s new collection for their blog. The twins’ bold styles revolve around bright colors, eclectic designs, and edgy ensembles. Even their ridiculously adorable Pomeranians dress to impress. From being designers to becoming bloggers, these twins have seen it all and have accumulated a following of over 163,000.  

You can read our Q+A with Cailli and Sam here on our blog.

 

 

 

Daniela Ramirez, Creator of Nany’s Klozet

Best for: Blogging, Fashion, Strategic Partnerships

Daniela launched her fashion blog Nany’s Klozet in 2011 to be a fashion diary. Now five years later, she has gained 270,000 followers and over 43,000 YouTube subscribers in both the English speaking and Hispanophone spaces. Some of her partnerships have included Guess, Pantene, Lucky Brand and TRESemmé.

You can read our Q+A with Daniela here on our blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessi Malay, Creator of mywhiteT and Recording Artist

Best for: Blogging, Fashion, Music, Strategic Partnerships

Jessi Malay, a Los Angeles native, doesn’t just document her her daily outfit inspiration on her blog My White T, but she also has a successful music career. With over 100,000 followers on Instagram Jessi has successfully merged her love of music, fashion and beauty and turned it into a full-time career. Check our Q+A with her here.

You can read our Q+A with Jessi here on our blog.

 

Keiko Lynn, Creator of KeikoLynn.com and Founder of Brooklyn Brigade

Best for: Blogging, Creative Directing, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Partnerships

Since 2009, Keiko Lynn has shared her fashion, beauty, and lifestyle musings that have served as inspiration to her followers. Not only that, the Brooklyn based blogger has gone beyond the realm of being a blogger and turned into a creative entrepreneur when she founded Brooklyn Brigade creative studio with follow blogger Helena Glazer. 

She is constantly creating and looking for inspiration, and shares a peek into her daily life, style, and beauty tips on keikolynn.com. 

Kelly Mindell, Founder and Creative Director of Studio DIY

Best for: Entrepreneurship, Creative Directing, Strategic Partnerships

Kelly Mindell, a modern-day artisan and professional celebrator, launched her blog, Studio DIY, during her senior year of college. Her clever, colorful creations has attracted a growing audience of over 306,000 followers that has caught the attention Pocky, Tic Tac, Method Home, and Grease Live. Based in Los Angeles, Kelly pulls inspiration from the West coast culture and has been expanding Studio DIY’s scope by experimenting with fashion, travel, and drool-worthy food, like donut burgers!

Rachel Martino, Creator of RachMartino.com

Best for: Blogging, Strategic Partnerships, Fashion

Rachel Martino is a Francophone fashion and lifestyle blogger based out of Brooklyn that has been able to create an international brand right from her home, with over 384k followers. Not only that, she is 25 and just last year became a full-time blogger after leaving Esteé Lauder Brands as Origins’ Community Manager.

Now, Rachel is fully focused on creating amazing content for her blog, making strategic partnerships that make sense for her blog, and travelling “across the pond” to market to her French audience as well.

You can read our Q+A with Rachel on our blog here.

 

Adrianna Adarme, Creator of A Cozy Kitchen

Best for: Blogging, Book Writing, Cooking, Crafts

Atlanta-native Adrianna Adarme started her blog in 2009 as a place to celebrate pies and corgis - more specifically, her corgi Amelia. However, her blog has been a haven for countless of recipes and projects that have inspired her 230k followers online.

Following the growth of her blog and social channels, Adrianna launched her first book called The Year of Cozy which has various original recipes and projects for the perfect “cozy” home, and is getting ready to release her second cookbook, A Cozy Coloring Cookbook.

You can read our Counter Culture feature with Adrianna on our blog here.

 

Carrie Morey, Founder of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits & Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

Best for: Entrepreneurship and Food

Carrie Morey became a culinary entrepreneur when she founded Callie’s in 2005 and from then on, she expanded the southern biscuit making tradition by making her brand Callie’s Charleston Biscuits accessible across the country, along with another restaurant in Atlanta’s vibrant Virginia Highlands neighborhood.Today, Callie has authored a cookbook that also includes her entrepreneurial narrative, and also is a guest lecturer at the College of Charleston School of Business, presenting the program’s Entrepreneurship Class.  

Jeni Britton Bauer, Founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

Best For: Entrepreneurship & Food

Jeni has been making ice creams professionally for two decades. Before that, she studied art, worked in a bakery, and had a serious hobby blending perfumes and collecting essential oils. Jeni founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002. Her ahead-of-the-trend vision—using whole ingredients and dairy from grass-pastured cows, rather than synthetic flavorings and commodity ice cream mix—coupled with inspired flavors sparked the artisan ice cream movement more than a decade before it would become a top food trend. Jeni is a James Beard Award-winning author of two cookbooks and has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business.

Ask: Jessy Fofana of LaRue PR answers your public relations questions

Last week, we asked what you wanted to know from PR maven Jessy Fofana. Jessy founded her agency, LaRue PR, more than seven years ago after previously working in magazine publishing and founding (and later selling) her own cosmetics company. She knows her stuff, and will soon be covering everything PR for the Create & Cultivate blog. To kick it off, she picked a few questions to answer here, and warned us she wanted to answer them all.

cassandramonroe  What are qualities that PR agencies or personnel look for in a blogger/creative person that determines whether or not they feel like a collaboration is a good fit?

It’s always great to collaborate with a partner or influencer that approaches what they do with a creative spirit, but also like a brand/business owner.  Being responsive and having a media kit and rate card ready with available stats and numbers is always appealing. Partnering with a blogger that is truly interested in the product/service they are going to collaborate on is best.  It’s wonderful to team up with someone who has done their own research and is bringing creative ideas to the table that tie in what works best with their audience. Of course design, layout, image quality and general aesthetic sensibility are important, but if a PR person has reached out to you with interest they have decided you are “on brand” and the right fit.  If you are an emerging blogger trying to work with a company for a collab, it’s important to know what you are about and why you feel the partnership would be beneficial. I also suggest starting with smaller businesses that might be more accessible and approachable. Finally, it’s important to have a nice working relationship, to meet deadlines, to be responsive and to share post partnership results.

 
mommynotes What are some good tips for negotiating with PR companies as a brand, particularly when your budget is small?

This is a great question and one that I’m sure a lot of small biz owners new to working with agencies and consultants might have. If you are interested in working with a PR firm, it’s important to find a boutique agency that has experience working with small businesses or startups. PR firms usually create their pricing structure based on time, so you want to make sure that you whittle down what your goals are and where you would like the focus to be. A good PR team will offer input and advice on this as well and can advise on where your business will see the most benefit and how to streamline efforts and costs. Some agencies will create a retainer agreement that is tiered or that increases over time to accommodate a new business.  Approaching PR on a project basis (ex: product launch, around an event, or seasonally) is another way to limit the expense and create specificity for the campaign. Finally, if you find an agency or freelancer that you feel is a great fit, talk to them. While there are industry standards, there is no hard and fast rule and if someone sees the potential, they may be willing to negotiate. I’ve tried to move mountains for brands that I really believe in.
 
miss.collective  I would love to know what approach you recommend to targeting publications after hosting an event to have the greatest success rate of getting published. Thanks!

With events there are a few different strategies to consider. We typically look at any event and consider a three-pronged approach to press coverage that includes pre-event press, “live” event press, and post event press. Depending on what your event goals are, maybe only one of these applies, but it’s important to consider all angles. If you are looking for press coverage to drive attendance and foot traffic, pre-event coverage and “live” coverage are a necessity. If your goal is to showcase a private event, the focus is typically post event outreach. For this there are a few things you need to have at the ready. Event PR usually has the best return on a local or regional level, so putting together a hit list with the best area print, digital and broadcast media is essential. Do your research and make sure you find the right contacts at each outlet. Look at who has covered similar events in the past, check titles and beats and reach out.   Have all of necessary info ready, in either a press release or an event one-sheet and share a few low-res images to help create interest and excitement. If media didn’t attend the event, it’s important to have a photographer on site who can share event images for press inclusion. Timing is important. You can pitch for post-event coverage before the function happens to try and secure an exclusive story. If you have trouble getting interest in advance, then immediately following the event—ideally the next day—work on pitching it with all the juicy images and info.
 
mirabellamarket What is the best way for a handmade business on Etsy to gain traction and increase sales? How can we bring our products to the masses?

Fifteen years ago I would have said that traditional PR is really the only cost-effective way to bring visibility to any small business. It still is a great tool, but over the years, the scope of what PR includes has broadened and now there are so many more resources available. Social media has created entirely new outlets for visibility. Now influencer relations and strategic marketing are an important part of any PR strategy. When you have a handmade business, it’s important to get creative and to have a plan of attack. When I was in my 20s I started a “handmade small business” with a friend. Over the course of a number of years we grew our sales, and ended up selling our start-up to a multi-million dollar fashion label. One of the key factors that helped that sale along was the buzz we had created for ourselves via PR. In addition to creating exposure and sales it lent our fledgling business credibility. Don’t be afraid to pursue media coverage. I went out guerilla-style and just pitched our product and story to a ton of editors and we ended up getting featured in some of the most popular fashion and lifestyle magazines (Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle etc.). At the time I was just starting out and didn’t have a ton of PR experience, but I just pounded the pavement and believed in the product. I think that same strategy is still worthwhile and now that are a multitude of mediums to go after. 

Try an organized “spaghetti-at-the-wall” approach and see where you get interest and where you get return. Make a hit list of media outlets where you would like to land your product, research contacts and try reaching out (it’s often better to start with a more junior assistant, writer or editor). Figure out a few brands that are similar in size, or slightly larger, that have a complimentary rather than competitive identity and reach out about a co-branded social media collaboration to grow awareness among your respective customer base. If the collaboration is cool, look to get a bit of press coverage on it. Incentivize your existing customers and market directly to them with original (and hopefully not annoying) promotions. Social media is a way you can share your brand identity and connect with your end consumer on a daily basis.  Try to be sincere, create worthwhile content and don't be too focused on sales. Keep at it. Don’t give up. All of this takes time and keep in mind with PR specifically, you are bound to get a bunch of “NOs” before you get that “YES,” but usually that “YES” is really worthwhile.

Jessy Fofana founded La Rue PR over ten years ago after successfully directing public relations and marketing initiatives for an impressive list of well-known fashion, home décor, lifestyle and cosmetics brands and retailers.  Having worked in both digital and print magazine publishing as well as co-founding a fashion and lifestyle brand that she later sold, Jessy and her team at LaRue PR understand exactly what it takes to create the kind of take-notice, multi-faceted campaign that delivers brand-changing buzz.  With an experienced team of professionals, LaRue PR covers all the bases including print and digital media coverage, influencer relations, synergistic brand partnerships and more.  LaRue PR provides the skill and experience of a large agency with the creativity, dedication and affordability that can only be offered by a boutique firm.

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