Just when we think life can’t get any crazier, it does. When things feel out of control, I regain my footing by helping someone else. It’s also the secret to telling your brand’s story.
Whether it’s complex enterprise technology or building sustainable products while raising small children, a successful brand and PR program boils down to being helpful.
1. How you help people (and why) is the basis for your brand
The good news is that you have everything you need to define your brand. Here are some ways to get super crisp on what you do to help people and why it’s different from the way other people do it:
You can develop a positioning framework using this step-by-step guide for startups, created by two incredibly sharp minds who I used to work for.
You can tell your story to someone who can shape it into a narrative about you and your brand—which is essentially the formula for how I interview and write the stories of “Mama Makers” and “Mama Shakers.”
Once you have clarity on what sets you apart, you can use it to become a helpful resource for journalists, which brings us to the basics of what drives media coverage.
2. PR is about relationships and timing
When it comes to PR, you have two choices. You can build your own media relationships, or you can invest in professionals who already have relationships.
Either way, reporters are looking for experts on particular topics that are available on short notice.
You can start by becoming a HARO source and have short, bulleted responses ready to send on a handful of key topics that you care about (and reporters are writing about). Even if they don’t use you this time, it’s an opportunity to introduce yourself.
If you feel like you don’t have the time to build relationships one-by-one, or you’re ready to do it at scale, then you could enlist a professional. Here are two of my favorites:
“Mama Shaker” Ashley is a former broadcast producer who offers virtual media training along with other PR services at Nardi Media.
The tech-savvy women behind The Key PR include former agency colleagues of mine who led startups through massive growth using the methodology mentioned above.
If you want to learn more or practice telling your story, I’m here to help.