publicity | Strawberry Communications: Writing & PR

PR Tips from Seven Years of Newsletters

October 26, 2016 By Johanna Baker-Dowdell Leave a Comment

As I wrote last month, I’ve been working for myself for 10 years and seven years ago I started appearing in your inbox every month.

I thought it fitting to review the 360 posts on the Strawberry Communications blog to share some of the key articles I’ve written in that time (plus two bonus posts pre newsletter that I thought you’d like). Here you’ll find tips on small business PR, making the most of your business story and some analysis on where PR fits in the marketing mix.

PR Myths Exposed

I am an Australian Anthill newsletter subscriber and a recent edition featured a great article by Jules Brooke from Handle Communications on the Five Myths of PR.

I come across many business owners who aren’t sure of the benefits of public relations to their business. I have no problem with that, because it’s my job to tell them how PR can work to promote their business, but there are some basic assumptions that Jules covered in her article that really resonated with me.

Read on for the myths.

Spring Clean Your PR Activity

August 27, 2015 By Johanna Baker-Dowdell Leave a Comment

The days are starting to lengthen, the temperature is rising and gardens are full of pretty blooms. Spring is definitely on its way and the change of season is the ideal time to revisit the way you communicate with your audience.

Throw off the sluggish wintery mood (or is that just me who feels like hibernating when it’s cold?) and think about the renewed messages you’d like to get across and how. I’ve put together a list to help you along.

Publicity: We’re well and truly into the second half of the year now, so consider any publicity you’d like to generate during the remainder of 2015. Are you planning to roll out a new product or service before year end? Do you have seasonal promotions in the calendar? Can you put together something in the lead up to Christmas? Make use of that spring on your step and generate some publicity that will carry you through until the New Year.

Communication: How have your messages been received during the year? Could your newsletter do with some sprucing up, are you utilising your social media regularly or is your website/blog looking a little tired? The words and platforms you use to promote your business and your own personal brand affects how prospects view you. If you have been trying to communicate with your audience using too many methods or in an array of places, it is time to trim what isn’t working and wow everyone with what has the biggest impact.

Networking: It’s easy to get into the habit of staying in when it’s dark and cold outside, but spring means that is no longer the case. It’s time to shake off that stale winter fug and meet some new people. Find some small business networking events to attend, enrol in a course or attend some business workshops to extend your skills. This goes for offline and online activity – it’s great to meet new people and reinvigorate your network in real life and via social media.

Are you excited to get out there and pep up your PR activity? I’m feeling pretty enthusiastic just writing about it.

I’d love you to let me know which aspect of your PR needs a spring clean – and what you did about it. Leave a comment below or share with me on Twitter or Facebook.

Filed Under: Business PR Tagged With: Networking, publicity, small business communication, small business networking, small business pr, small business publicity, social media, spring clean, spring clean your PR activity

Do You Have a PR Strategy?

August 7, 2014 By Johanna Baker-Dowdell Leave a Comment

In the past month I’ve been working with participants in the AusMumpreneur 6 Week Challenge to develop their PR strategies. I set them some questions to help organise their thoughts around promotional strategies for their businesses, and wondered if you could benefit from doing the same.

If you’ve never sat down and really though about your PR strategy then there’s a big chance you’ll go after every bright shiny publicity object on offer. I’m not saying you shouldn’t follow up great PR opportunities (I see excellent opportunities on SourceBottle every day), but if you have a strategy behind what you’re doing you have a better chance of staying on track and on topic.

So I want you to make a coffee or tea (or some other soothing beverage), grab a notepad and jot down your answers to these questions:

1. What is your PR goal? Make sure to include what you want to achieve and how.

2. What is your brand positioning statement – ie what is it that makes you and your business stand out?

3. What are your PR objectives – ie what do you want to achieve with PR? For example creating brand awareness, generating website traffic, building your customer database or increasing sales.

4. What is your promotion strategy – ie how are you going to achieve your objectives? For example using social media to build the brand, speaking at events and article marketing to establish your credibility, blogging to drive customers to your website or product launches when you introduce something new?

5. How will you evaluate your PR success? Look at your objectives to work out the various measurement tools. Obvious ones are increased sales, more clients, more followers and likers on social media or invitations to speak.

Now you’ve answered the questions, put all these ingredients together into a plan and put it somewhere you can see it so you’ll work towards your PR goals constantly.

I’d love it if you’d share your PR goals. What is at the top of your publicity list?

Filed Under: Business PR Tagged With: entrepreneur, PR goals, PR strategy, public relations strategy, publicity, small business pr

Using Video Marketing to Promote Your Business

September 26, 2013 By Johanna Baker-Dowdell Leave a Comment

I have been reading a lot about using video to promote small business recently so thought it was about time I got a bit more proactive with this medium. As you can see from my YouTube channel I have recorded video before, but not as much as I have written words to share information (the written word is my comfort zone after all).

So, here goes. I’ve recorded a 60-second clip on my phone for you about why video is good PR for your business.

And just to make sure you really got those tips, video works because:

Mastermind: The Meeting of Great Minds

August 29, 2013 By Johanna Baker-Dowdell Leave a Comment

I first wrote about mastermind groups when I joined one formed with local Launceston business owners a few years ago. I have since joined Sarah Prout’s Sprout Mastermind and thought it was worth revisiting the idea of the benefit of masterminds because together we can achieve great things.

While it has now disbanded, several of the members in the Launceston-based Motivational Minds have since worked together on projects and in new businesses, so it’s clearly a powerful melting pot of possibility. I loved the opportunity to stretch my skills, be challenged by other members and consider new ways of doing things. And once the members of the mastermind group understood each other’s offerings, they became great ambassadors for the member’s brands.

So here’s my list of why mastermind groups work:

Put a rocket up your PR with the Make Me a Star program

November 4, 2012 By Johanna Baker-Dowdell Leave a Comment

Strawberry Communications founder and owner Johanna Baker-Dowdell has launched a six-week online group PR program to help business owners generate their own publicity.

When “…nearly 55% of stories analysed were driven by some form of public relations,” (Source: Crikey – Over half of your news is spin) business owners should be asking themselves if their stories fall into that category and, if not, what are they going to do about it, Johanna asked.

“If business owners aren’t selling their story to the media, their competition definitely is,” she explained.

Getting Media Attention

January 23, 2009 By Johanna Baker-Dowdell Leave a Comment

After watching a great video by BNET blogger and Flying Solo director Robert Gerrish interviewing entrepreneur Valerie Khoo, I thought I might share her tips on how to get the media interested in your news. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business PR Tagged With: bnet, media attention, publicity, robert gerrish, valerie khoo

PR Tips from Seven Years of Newsletters

PR Myths Exposed

Do You Have a PR Strategy?

Using Video Marketing to Promote Your Business

Mastermind: The Meeting of Great Minds

Put a rocket up your PR with the Make Me a Star program

Getting Media Attention

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