Episode 97 - How To Get Your Crowdfunding Campaign Fulfilled and Your Book/Art Project/Films Featured in The Media with Shequeta Smith
If I were to create a list of the pros and cons of features and press coverage, I can tell you that the pros side will have significantly more reasons than the cons.
Honestly, the only con I can think of is if the reputation you have just isn’t that great… in which case, press can still redeem and repair your image. I mean, how many celebrities have we seen pour hundreds of thousands of dollars on PR?
I bring this up to say that if you’re a creative with a new book, product, or even a crowdfunding campaign you’d like to promote… getting featured in major publications and outlets is a great way to spread the word and get in front of your target audience by the thousands.
Here to put proof to the pudding is Shequeta Smith – Founder and director of Shero comics, award-winning screenwriter, and PR Starter Pack member.
She joins us on this episode of the podcast to share all things such as pitching, getting featured in local media, connecting with writers, finding your newsworthy story, and funding your Kickstarter campaign (just like Shequeta did).
It’s a powerful episode for entrepreneurs looking to build important relationships, and creative hoping to crowdfund for their projects and creative endeavors alike.
So tune in, take notes, and I promise you’ll leave inspired and ready to take your PR efforts straight into your hands.
Here’s a glance at what Shequeta and I discuss:
A rundown of Shequeta’s creative projects
Where Shequeta has been featured all on her own without a PR agency
Why you’re your best advocate
How to pitch the most interesting story to news media outlets and major publications
How to find your unique story angle that highlights the benefits of your product
Why your pitch is not about you (and what it should really be about)
How to write emails that quickly grab the attention of any journalist
The right follow-up etiquette to increase your chances of success
Persevering and pushing past until you get your first “yes”
The CPR Pitching Method™ helped small business-owning entrepreneurs from PR Starter Pack members see themselves as a go-to expert with a point of view, instead of JUST a founder, seller, or consultant – a standout mindset that takes you far in the world of PR.
I hope you take notes throughout this episode and maybe even listen to it again so you can really nail down the three parts of the CPR Pitching Method™ and use it to your advantage!
So get ready to press send and get your message. And I can’t wait to see you featured in the headlines.
P.S. If you want your small business to go from invisible to visible, seen, and valued, register for my FREE PR Secrets Masterclass. Soon enough, your credibility and visibility will skyrocket. Register now at www.gloriachou.com/masterclass.
Resources Mentioned:
Join Gloria Chou's PR Community: Small Biz Pros: By Gloria Chou
Additional Resources:
Join the Small Biz PR Pros FB group
Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Platform
Follow & Review on Apple Podcasts
Are you following my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss any future episodes!
I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review! Reviews help me make sure I am providing the content that you need! Plus, you will be entered to WIN a 1:1 pitch writing session with me where I will help you find your press-worthy angle! Click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”.
Here’s a glance at this episode…
-
[00:00:00] Gloria Chou: Have you ever wanted to get your art or books featured in the media? Today, we have Shaquita Smith, who is a member of our PR Starter Pack community, and I'm so excited to have her tell you her story of getting her feature.
[00:00:21] Gloria Chou: She has many things, but she is an award-winning. director, screenwriter, and founder of Shiro Comics focused on telling stories of women of color through comics. So she also has a book coming out, which she was able to fund through her Kickstarter campaign. So we're going to chat about all the things such as pitching, getting featured in local media, how to connect with writers, and finding the newsworthy story that'll get you featured in the media.
[00:00:44] Gloria Chou: So welcome to the show. Thank you. Yeah. So can you tell me a little bit about all the things that you do? You're, you do so many, you write, you create, you direct, just give us a little rundown of all the creative projects
[00:00:54] Shequeta Smith: that you're working on. Fundamentally, I'm a writer. So I started out as a writer. I came here to Los Angeles to become a [00:01:00] screenwriter, which is what I do mostly.
[00:01:02] Shequeta Smith: But in 2014, I started writing comics. And so I've been doing that kind of like a side thing, but they've actually kind of come together, so I kind of do both. As a writer. You kind of have to direct if you want to get any respect in Hollywood. So I started directing back in 2013, actually in 2009, and I've won awards for it.
[00:01:20] Shequeta Smith: So I'm pretty good with actors, pretty good with putting my words up on the screen. And so I'm just in the entertainment world. I'm just kind of a triple threat in a lot of ways. Ooh, I love
[00:01:30] Gloria Chou: that. And, and I love that you're a woman of color in this. This industry and you're rewriting the narrative of representation, which is what we're all about here.
[00:01:37] Gloria Chou: Can you tell us really quickly all the places that you've pitched and gone featured doing it on your own without a PR
[00:01:44] Shequeta Smith: agency? Well, if I had a PR agency, I've managed to get myself into InStyle Magazine. I managed to get into Los Angeles Standard. The Los Angeles Sentinel, I managed to get into Childhood Central a few weeks ago.
[00:01:56] Shequeta Smith: I've managed to get into Voyage LA and on some news outlets as [00:02:00] well.
[00:02:01] Gloria Chou: That's awesome. I love the local angle too, so we'll definitely talk about that. What have you learned? Because you're, you're in entertainment, right? So you're in media. What, what have you, and you're a writer and you're pitching to other writers, so what, so what have you learned about?
[00:02:15] Gloria Chou: Kind of like doing PR on your own and being an advocate for yourself. Because I think traditionally, especially in media, we're told that you need to have an agent to get featured. And it's such a, you know, Hollywood players' game where you're not going to get featured unless you know somebody, but you've been able to shatter that belief and picture yourself.
[00:02:31] Gloria Chou: So what have, what are some of the main takeaways from that journey? The main
[00:02:34] Shequeta Smith: takeaway is you're kind of like doing their job. For them are making their job easier. So you're trying to think of angles that will make them want to write about you or make them want to share your press release. So when I write, sometimes I write press releases, so I'll write them as a story, try to make a story.
[00:02:50] Shequeta Smith: That's really the main thing because that's what they're looking for in a story. So if your story is interesting enough, then they'll be able to go sell it to their boss. This is a good story. So that's kind of my main thing is to try to make it [00:03:00] valuable, trying to make it worth their time and trying to make it to where I think that their readers will be interested in this story that I'm pitching to them.
[00:03:06] Gloria Chou: Yeah, so that's I love the way you said interesting because that is different to so many people, right? So everyone thinks their story is interesting, but not everyone gets featured So let's peel away the layer of an onion and talk about what really is interesting to the news media and really what's
[00:03:21] Shequeta Smith: not interesting What's not interesting is you just pitching your company and trying to be featured because you think you're just like the greatest thing It's a slice of her head What's interesting is presenting a problem to them or an issue like if you watch the news every day There's usually issues that are happening or things or problems that people are trying to solve on the news.
[00:03:37] Shequeta Smith: So you're trying to present to them a problem or an issue that you're fixing, which thankfully with me, with this company, that's my whole strategy is like trying to fix an issue of women of color being represented in the worlds of comics, films, and gaming. So I'm always presenting to them like, you know, women aren't represented in these, in these avenues.
[00:03:53] Shequeta Smith: This is what we're trying to fix. And I'm writing them press releases or writing them pitches. That is me trying to solve that [00:04:00] issue and the ways that I'm trying to solve it. So that's kind of how I go about it.
[00:04:04] Gloria Chou: Ooh, I love it so much. I mean, obviously, you've been in our community and our PR Sutter pack and you know, it's all about leading with the issue and not your company.
[00:04:11] Gloria Chou: And of course, journalists are not stupid. Like they know that you're pitching something, right? So how do you like nicely or like artfully put in your business or what you're trying to get funded for in that pitch? I,
[00:04:24] Shequeta Smith: it's like my, my company. In a way, as I said, we're solving a problem. So we're solving the problem of representation.
[00:04:30] Shequeta Smith: So my company is already going to be in there in some kind of way, but it's just like, like if I'm pitching something about my company, she wrote games, then I'm talking about how little women are represented in this space and how a lot of the issues that we have when we're trying to like if we're trying to play on Twitch or we're trying to play like on my PlayStation and I have like my headset on a lot of women turn their headset off.
[00:04:51] Shequeta Smith: So men won't know that they're. Women because they get harassed. So it's just like me writing about that issue a, in a pitch to the media. They may not know that. So I try to do things [00:05:00] that they make little known facts about gaming to kind of help them see that this is an interesting story that may have not been covered before because a lot of people don't know about that.
[00:05:08] Shequeta Smith: Oh,
[00:05:08] Gloria Chou: I love that so much. So it's definitely underrepresented groups. Think about how you're doing something different. What are some of the other ways someone can ideate and find their unique angle and story that's not really about the benefits of their
[00:05:20] Shequeta Smith: product? I think looking at what they've written about before, maybe, and taking ideas from that.
[00:05:25] Shequeta Smith: I mean, kind of look and see the types of stories they've written before type of things they're interested in. I mean, a lot of people have their Instagram up there so you can kind of see what they like and maybe angle it around what they've written up about before. Maybe if they have a kid or something, like for me, I have a children's book coming out, a children's manga coming out next month.
[00:05:41] Shequeta Smith: So if they have like a five-year-old, six-year-old, then like they're all mine. Like I know how to pitch that because I have a book that will relate to their daughter or their son or daughter. So just trying to find an angle for that. You think that they'll be interested in it because each person is an individual.
[00:05:55] Shequeta Smith: I mean, if they find something interesting enough, then they're going to go champion whatever you're giving them. If it's [00:06:00] something that relates to them as relatable to them.
[00:06:03] Gloria Chou: Yeah. I love how you said every individual person is unique and it's about building relationships and the founders who are most successful, you know, like in our PR program, they see that it's really about planting seeds of a relationship because One writer will often be freelancing and if you can get onto their speed dial, there's no limit to the number of stories, right?
[00:06:21] Gloria Chou: Have you, have you found that to be true to like, once you are validated and you know, like make a contact with a journalist that you think you can keep going back and pitch them again and again. Yeah.
[00:06:30] Shequeta Smith: Yeah. There are a few journalists that I have where I just send a press release or I just send an email and it's, it's done.
[00:06:36] Shequeta Smith: So yeah, I have that relationship now after a couple of years of, of. Working with them and pitching stories to them. So thankfully I have that now would love to have that at like good morning America or somewhere, but we're still working up to that. Awesome.
[00:06:50] Gloria Chou: I mean, that everything you imagined is real. So that's definitely, that's definitely in, in the cards.
[00:06:55] Gloria Chou: So can we talk about exactly how you like, the different steps, right? [00:07:00] So out of, let's say like from the beginning where you don't know, Anyone to like now being on their speed dial. What was that journey like? What did you do first? What did you do?
[00:07:08] Shequeta Smith: A lot of good press releases, a lot of just kind of being in their inbox, just saying, Hey, hello, this is my, who I am.
[00:07:16] Shequeta Smith: You know, this is what my company does or whatever. I may do that just to kind of follow up. Just following up with people and just kind of show them being able to show them stuff. So I'm able to show them like trailers that I have. I'm able to show them because I'm in entertainment. So I'm able to show them what I have, not just like talk about it.
[00:07:32] Shequeta Smith: So the things that I've done are pretty impressive. So I think that's what helps me along the way is that I have actual things to show them because like tangible things they can see and see what I've done and be impressed by that. So want to help me.
[00:07:45] Gloria Chou: I love that. So how do you show them all your amazing trailers, but then not make it about your company, right?
[00:07:51] Gloria Chou: Because remember we talked about like leading with the issue. So at what point of the pitch are you like, Oh, here's something I want you to see that I made. I
[00:07:57] Shequeta Smith: usually put it in these hyperlinks. [00:08:00] So like, it's like a sneaky way of doing it. So I'll have like the whole pitch there, but then there are links in the pitch that they'll click on.
[00:08:06] Shequeta Smith: So I, I sneak it in there some kind of way, or I was like, my name's like, hi, I'm Shaquita Smith and I'll hyperlink Shaquita Smith with like an article or not an article, but like something about me. So if they click on it, they get further information. So it's a sneaky way of doing it.
[00:08:20] Gloria Chou: Ooh, I love that so much.
[00:08:22] Gloria Chou: You know, I'm all about the hyperlinks. So just to reiterate, if I, if I'm clear, you're not saying here's what I made, here's another project. Here's like me, me, me. You're basically embedding it. Mm-hmm. to see if they want more information. I mean,
[00:08:32] Shequeta Smith: you have to answer though, like when you're writing it.
[00:08:35] Shequeta Smith: So you have to introduce yourself. So when I do that, that's where I put the hyperlink so they can click on, if they wanna get to know more about me, it's right there before I go into the pitch of the, what the story is about.
[00:08:44] Gloria Chou: Now, here's where a lot of founders get tripped up before they join our program.
[00:08:48] Gloria Chou: The pitch is mainly about them. It's a, so how do you avoid that trap of us talking very in-depth about our founder's story and all of the encyclopedia of our company? And then it becomes a 30 [00:09:00] page email, which is a no, no,
[00:09:02] Shequeta Smith: I, I'm, I'm trying to think as a journalist, really, I'm trying to think about what they're going to go tell their boss.
[00:09:09] Shequeta Smith: So it's like, they're not going to go tell their boss, like, Oh, there's this girl on she wrote comics. It's going to go tell their boss. Like this company, she wrote comics are actually solving a problem. This company, Shiro Comics, is doing one of the first mangas featuring a black female lead. And this is going to blow up all over Japan and all over America.
[00:09:25] Shequeta Smith: So we need to talk about this girl right now and talk about this company right now because they're doing something that's never been done before. So I'm just trying to present it as a way to where this is something that's never happened before. I'm making history. I'm trailblazing with this company. So I'm just like focused on the character, focused on the things that we're doing to bring this character to life and the issue that There's haven't hasn't been a black manga featuring a little girl.
[00:09:48] Shequeta Smith: I don't think ever. So
[00:09:50] Gloria Chou: yeah, that's, that's incredible. And that's why it deserves, it needs to be seen like right away. What about people who maybe aren't breaking the mold, right? Maybe they make a beauty product [00:10:00] or they're a health coach. Like how can they still find it? That newsworthy
[00:10:04] Shequeta Smith: angle, that's the thing is just like, there's, I think there are angles in every product.
[00:10:08] Shequeta Smith: Like I have a friend that has a beauty product. She's
[00:10:11] Gloria Chou: so, so what about for founders who, you know, maybe make like a bath product or they're a health coach and they're not necessarily breaking the mold. How can they find their
[00:10:19] Shequeta Smith: angle? Well, you just have to think about what's interesting about what you're doing.
[00:10:23] Shequeta Smith: Like I have a friend that has a beauty product that helps moisturize like your area down there when you're like swimming, so you don't chafe. And so there's like angles where she's like sending it to us. Suspects attestations is how you pronounce it. So she's sending it to them and they're like buying her product or using it on their customers before they buy it.
[00:10:41] Shequeta Smith: So it's like, she could use an angle of like, you know, these assistants, I could pronounce that right. There. You know, they're, they're taking in her product, they're sampling on their customers and they're getting a great result. So it's just like using your results, using your successes to kind of make yourself stand out and to make your product and your company sound like it's really moving.
[00:10:58] Shequeta Smith: It's just a way of like, [00:11:00] you just have to like be creative really.
[00:11:02] Gloria Chou: Yeah. Now, we love talking about subject lines and the actual anatomy of the pitch. Like that's why I had the CPR method. Can you tell people a little bit about how that's helped you with like your subject line and like the structure of the emails that it quickly grasped their attention?
[00:11:16] Gloria Chou: I look
[00:11:17] Shequeta Smith: at other. I'll look like I said, I'll research who the writer is that I'm writing to, see what headlines they have, see what headlines work because that's really what you're going for. You're trying to get into that publication so you kind of see what they've done before and just kind of structure your headline kind of around what they've, they've done before.
[00:11:35] Shequeta Smith: So that's what I look at and just like really the most interesting angle that I can put into a headline, just like what's going to, what's going to grab them, what's going to like to pull them. And I'll. Test it out on friends as well. Like, okay, which one of these headlines stands out to you? And usually, they'll have the top three and they'll pick which one they think is probably will make them read the email or make them click open.
[00:11:53] Shequeta Smith: So I'll test it out sometimes.
[00:11:56] Gloria Chou: Yeah. I love that. You're a good steward of the news and we always say install a Google News [00:12:00] alert so you can see what the stories are. And don't you click baby subject lines like Ooh, open now and I have something for you, right? Like, so tell me about like an example of a good versus a bad subject line.
[00:12:12] Shequeta Smith: A bad subject line, of course, is like, look at my project or like, Shiro Comics is going to win. Like that's like, what is that? Who's this? And how are they going to win? I mean, a good headline, I think was probably what I did for the Kickstarter campaign that I just did. It was just like Shiro Comics. I think the headline for the newspaper was Shiro Comics looks to, looks to help young women About find themselves in comics or something like this, find themselves in comics with the new launch of her new book, younger master joy, our looks to inspire little girls or something like that.
[00:12:44] Shequeta Smith: So it was an inspirational type of headline. And that actually was, it was the press release headline, but it made it into the news. I knew it was a good headline because they used it. So, yeah. I
[00:12:54] Gloria Chou: love that. I love how it's like we say, peeling away the layer of an onion. It's specific and it's [00:13:00] relevant and it's not gimmicky.
[00:13:01] Gloria Chou: It tells the journalist exactly what is, what they're going to receive, and what the story is. So let's get into the body of the email. Like what have you learned obviously through the pieces of training, but like in terms of how you write your pitch emails? And by the way, for those listening, It's, we're not talking about emails to people we know.
[00:13:16] Gloria Chou: This is all like DIY ing, right? Like, we don't know these journalists. So how are you able to cold pitch? What does the structure of the email body look like? Gosh, I
[00:13:24] Shequeta Smith: wish I would have opened one up for you. I kind of start just with an introduction. Hi, my name is Shaquita. I may say I'm the CEO of Shiro Comics.
[00:13:33] Shequeta Smith: Just kind of a little introduction of myself. And that's where my hyperlinks go. And then I'll just start talking about what the issue is. Like, okay, women. Makeup 48% of gamers, but there's only 6% of games that feature a woman in a mainstream league, we're looking to change that. I may put some bullet points of like, what, how we're looking to change that or how we're looking to fix that.
[00:13:54] Shequeta Smith: And then I kind of ended with just another paragraph, just kind of talking about why this is a [00:14:00] problem, why this is going to be fixed, why this is important. And then that's kind of my email. It's a little bit more than that, but that's kind of a loose breakdown of kind of what I send them. And then. See what happens after that, they respond.
[00:14:14] Shequeta Smith: Yeah,
[00:14:15] Gloria Chou: I love how it's no fluff. It's not like because you have an extraordinary story, right of all of the people that you've worked with and what the projects you've done and you didn't you chose to not put all of
[00:14:25] Shequeta Smith: that's in that email, right? That's in the hyperlink. So if they click on that and go to the website, then they can read more.
[00:14:30] Shequeta Smith: But I give them the option of not having to read through all of that if they don't want to. But if they're if this pitch is interesting enough, they're going to click on those links. So I have the email tracker you told me to get, so I have that. So I'm able to see what they click on and when they click on it and how many times they click on it.
[00:14:45] Shequeta Smith: So, yeah, if you make the pitch good enough, then they'll click on the links to go read more about you and about your company and see what it is that you're doing. So yeah, I
[00:14:54] Gloria Chou: love that. Yeah. Yeah. It's like a teaser. We film, film speak. I love what you said about [00:15:00] the email tracking. We do teach our PR Center pack students that always have data around whether your email is being open or not.
[00:15:06] Gloria Chou: Right. So it's not necessarily your pitch is good or bad, it's just, it's not getting through to their inbox. So how can we be creative with the subject line? How can we, you know, send it again? Or maybe just follow up on DM. Have you, I want to pivot a little bit to follow up because of that. As you know, it's all about the follow-up.
[00:15:22] Gloria Chou: What do you have to say about follow-up, the right etiquette? How do you follow up? How long? Like, after a week, after two weeks, and how many times do you follow up?
[00:15:29] Shequeta Smith: I may follow up maybe twice afterward. It's usually like a few days maybe after I send the first pitch. Just kind of like, hey, I sent you this email.
[00:15:37] Shequeta Smith: Just a quick little reminder or whatever, you can check it. Sometimes I'll maybe like... It may be like through email or making another email or I may do it on social media, but the social media is usually I'll send an in their DMS and then I'll go to their page and kind of under a post, but like, Hey, I sent you a message in your DMS or whatever.
[00:15:54] Shequeta Smith: Check it out when you get a chance. So, yeah, that's the first time. And then I may make. May wait another week and [00:16:00] then send another follow-up to kind of see cause they're busy. They have a lot of messages coming. I have a friend, one of my best friends is a journalist actually. So she kind of gives me some tips to like, okay, they're, they're super busy.
[00:16:09] Shequeta Smith: Their inboxes are crazy. So you got to make sure you, follow up again after this because it gets, it gets lost. I mean, they get hundreds of emails. So you want yours. It's a stack.
[00:16:20] Gloria Chou: Yeah. And you can schedule send so that it's, you know, going in at like eight or 9:00 AM not on a Saturday or Sunday. Right.
[00:16:25] Gloria Chou: So many tips. I, and I love that your journalist friend actually gave you the insider scoop because she probably gets thousands of emails. Yes... Have you, I, I think the biggest pain point or challenge is this is such an unnatural act for small businesses. Mm-hmm. Right? We're not taught in schools how to cold pitch ourselves.
[00:16:41] Gloria Chou: Yeah. So how do you, how do you get over the. Imposter syndrome or fear of following up because I hear those so often. It's like, Oh, I know I have a great story, but I sent an email and oh, well, they didn't respond. So how do you push past that inertia and like keep persevering to get that? Yes, I
[00:16:57] Shequeta Smith: think I think after getting the [00:17:00] first yes, then it.
[00:17:02] Shequeta Smith: It makes you want to do more. It's just like, if you get that first, yes, then you know that what you have is valuable. That someone listened. I was in this publication before, so I know I can get into this one. So I think that's the fuel that keeps you fired up to kind of keep going. I'm thankfully I. Come from a background in promotions and marketing.
[00:17:20] Shequeta Smith: And I spent 15 years doing sales and marketing for Fortune 500. So I'm not shy and I, like for sales, I had to kind of get in people's faces and kind of make sales that way. So that's not foreign to me, but it's still new. It's still a new, new way to try to pitch journalists to write about your business or write about the issue that you're solving.
[00:17:38] Shequeta Smith: So it's just, I think after getting that first one or that first big win, it's just like, it makes you want to win again. So you kind of, like a, like playing the lottery or something. You're going to keep doing it until you can get another. Another feature, especially after getting it in style, it's that now I'm just like, okay, what can I get that's bigger than that?
[00:17:54] Shequeta Smith: So it's like it becomes an ongoing thing of trying to up one up yourself, I believe for me
[00:17:59] Gloria Chou: [00:18:00] anyway. Yeah. And you have to stay in the game, right? It's like a lot of people are just afraid to put their names on the hat. Yes,
[00:18:05] Shequeta Smith: they are. They're shy. Yeah.
[00:18:08] Gloria Chou: And that's, and that's normal, right? I mean, the industry has told us for years, you can't do it on your own.
[00:18:13] Gloria Chou: You have to like pay someone. And we are deconstructing that right,
[00:18:15] Shequeta Smith: right here, right now. Yeah. We're disrupting that. It's complete. Yeah. And,
[00:18:19] Gloria Chou: and especially for women of color and founders who traditionally have been marginalized and don't have access to these PR agencies. So I love what you're doing.
[00:18:28] Gloria Chou: I also, I also can see like in our PR PR members, like when they do get that first, yes. They're like, first of all, why did I wait so long? And then it just becomes like, it's just like, you got to just keep putting your name in the hat. Right. It's, it's a numbers game. And another thing I think, you know, as well, because, in sales, there's so much psychology in sales.
[00:18:49] Gloria Chou: Right. It's like, and. I think the beauty of the CPR method that I teach, and also this value-driven conversation, it's like we said, it's not about your product and your business and the [00:19:00] benefits. So if you're not leading with that, you're really leading with an issue or being a solution for someone. And so that allows you to keep quote-unquote persisting with that pit and following up because you're not really selling anything, right?
[00:19:12] Gloria Chou: You're just being a part of that solution.
[00:19:14] Shequeta Smith: I think that's important because people's solutions make, it's like it taps into people's emotions. So that's the whole psychology behind this is like, if you're fixing something, especially that that particular journalist is having an issue with. Then they become your champion and they really are interested in what you're pitching to them So if I'm solving they're looking for a manga for their little girl to read and I have that then they're gonna be my champion They're gonna champion me to their boss since everybody else to make this story happen So
[00:19:40] Gloria Chou: and your story is amazing and there's a lot of journalists who Obviously have not covered your story, right?
[00:19:44] Gloria Chou: So let's talk about the follow-up because we all know it's a follow-up. How do you follow up in the DMS with someone? What's the right etiquette for that?
[00:19:50] Shequeta Smith: For me, I try, I try to keep it short and sweet. Just kind of letting them know about the email that I sent before because that was all the chunk, the meat of it all.
[00:19:57] Shequeta Smith: So short and sweet, like I say, and then [00:20:00] I'll send them a message on there. Front page to make sure they know that I sent it because especially on Instagram, it goes to the other folder on Facebook goes to the other folder. So I want to let them know that it's there because they may not even see it if I don't let them know.
[00:20:11] Shequeta Smith: So yeah.
[00:20:13] Gloria Chou: Hell yeah. I love that. So it's, so the DM really does two things. It like adds you to their network, but also tells them to go check that email. And I, and I think, you know, this too, cause we, we have it in the portal, but I always say like, here's the email I sent you. And then you insert the subject line and go out, go back, and search for
[00:20:28] Shequeta Smith: it.
[00:20:29] Shequeta Smith: And then it's just like, also they're able to see you. On Instagram, so like if I'm sending them a message from my Shiro comics account, then they're able to go kind of click on that really quick and see what I've done. So they get to see that before they even see the email. So if that's interesting to them, they're definitely going to go check the email out.
[00:20:47] Shequeta Smith: So that's what social media helps with that.
[00:20:50] Gloria Chou: Especially when you do something that's so visual, right? I love that. What about like podcasts and local news? I [00:21:00] mean, there's so many different types and tiers of media. So do you have different tips on what approach you should take for local news versus an InStyle, which is national versus a podcast?
[00:21:12] Shequeta Smith: InStyle, I actually met the. Editor in chief in person at an event, I stalked her in a way. And I went up to her after the talk and told her who I was. And for some reason, there were these girls that were there and they knew who I was. I knew she wrote comics. And so they were kind of like my little crew.
[00:21:29] Shequeta Smith: They were like, Oh yeah, we know she wrote comics. And like, this looks great. So she was just like, okay. And so I gave her my card, and she gave me her information. And I talked about, you know, being, uh, uh, in the, in the, in the magazine. And I don't think they thought. That I was going to be a big person. But when she started interviewing me, it was like, she was surprised about all the things that I was doing because I had been going to Korea.
[00:21:49] Shequeta Smith: I've been going to Indonesia. I've been on a tour, so it made it stand out. And that article was like really, really good article for the local publications. You don't have to stalk them as much. They're not as busy as an [00:22:00] install or a good morning America, maybe. So it's like you. You just, it's like a genuine type of relationship, I think because these people are local, you're local, you kind of have things in common, maybe places that you've been together, so, or been around the same place, or maybe you can go see them at a networking event or something, but I try to do an email, I try to email the press release first, and then after that, I may, I'll send a pitch of like, you know, what, What it is that we're doing, what it is that I'm solving.
[00:22:27] Shequeta Smith: And then if they don't respond to that, then I'll kind of follow up with them. And then I just, just keep that relationship going. Like, even if like the last time I may have, I got maybe two or three locals. Media reported on me, but then there were some that didn't so it's like next time. I'm not completely foreign to them anymore They read my last email because I saw they opened it So it's like this time when I go back and the book is actually out Then I have more of a chance and I'm not coming as a cold call anymore, even though they didn't respond It's like I still Have some kind of knowledge about my company and who I am because they saw this, the subject, or they [00:23:00] read the email and they clicked on this stuff.
[00:23:01] Shequeta Smith: So it's just like, it gives you a little bit more of an end, and the deeper you get and the bigger you get with what you're creating, it's just like they pay more attention to it, I believe. So you'll have more of a chance of getting one of those other publications. I
[00:23:12] Gloria Chou: love that. Just because you didn't get featured right now, it doesn't mean that it's not.
[00:23:17] Gloria Chou: Not going somewhere. Like I really believe that and there's no, nothing that's wasted. It's all compounded. And as,, your best friend who's a journalist will tell you, they have a very careful and thorough filing system for all their emails. So just because they're not responding doesn't mean they're not putting it away for the next time, but you have to get your name in the house and that's where it all starts.
[00:23:38] Gloria Chou: So I love how you've given us so many actionable tips. One thing that I love that you did is you're actually able to use the pitching method and everything that you've learned too. Fulfill your Kickstarter campaign to get that fully funded for your book. So can you talk to me a little bit about that?
[00:23:53] Gloria Chou: Cause I think there are so many people listening who would love to do that too. Yeah.
[00:23:56] Shequeta Smith: So with Kickstarter, there are actual publications [00:24:00] or media outlets that specifically talk about Kickstarter. So if you can find those, like I say, finding the right person. And so that is a pub, like their Kickstarter.
[00:24:09] Shequeta Smith: track. There's like Kickstarter podcast that talks about Kickstarter. So if you can get into those, that helps you out greatly. But also just knowing your audience. So, like, the Kickstarter that we did was for a kid's manga book. So it was like I, it was a lot of comic book publications or people that speak or talk about comics that I reached out to.
[00:24:26] Shequeta Smith: I did like a. Like I reverse hack things sometimes, so I went to Google and just like typed in kids manga or kids comics or whatever, kind of see who was writing about that. And then I target those journalists because this is a different angle for them. So doing that, that way helped a lot. And then finding the children's publications that Probably don't get this type of press release before.
[00:24:47] Shequeta Smith: So that helped me get into some of those. So it was just like For me, it's just kind of like really sitting down and thinking about you know who would be interested in this story and why they'd be interested in this story and then presenting it to them and [00:25:00] It helped me a lot because when you're doing a Kickstarter, you only have like 30 days So you and I started this in January.
[00:25:07] Shequeta Smith: The Kickstarter didn't start the February. So I just kind of started Putting things together and putting the list together of who I was reaching out to and the journalists that I wanted to reach. And it worked out. It really helped me. We should be funded in eight days. I believe.
[00:25:20] Gloria Chou: Oh my God. That is amazing.
[00:25:21] Gloria Chou: I'm so giddy for you. Like that is an incredible achievement. That's incredible. So congratulations on that. Obviously. You know that you're really making your dent in the universe. So you got to go big with this message and you have that persistence and you have that muscle. I really think that it's like a muscle that you just build right before you might play a little bit small and you're like, okay, well I don't know if these journals are going to get back to me.
[00:25:44] Gloria Chou: But once you get that when you're like, Oh, I should have pitched to more and you just, it just kind of grows. And obviously, in our PR program, we have an updated database of all the journalists and stuff, and I love that you just get in there and you just start pitching. Yeah. Is there anything else, that you're looking to get yourself [00:26:00] into that you haven't?
[00:26:00] Gloria Chou: Like, what about like other types of media, like a podcast or like speaking?
[00:26:04] Shequeta Smith: Other podcasts. I don't think I have a list of podcasts that I necessarily want. It's NPR. I'd like to be on there. That's one. There are a couple of founders' podcasts that I probably want to be a part of, especially cause I'm working on a startup.
[00:26:17] Shequeta Smith: She wrote games as my startup that we're working on right now. But I mean, most of the, just the mainstream media that I want to be on, like. I'd like to be on the Breakfast Club, and I have it in there, so eventually I will be able to go on there, but I want to make sure I have the right... Things are in place.
[00:26:31] Shequeta Smith: So it really benefits my company. I want to go on good morning America. I want, I want this book to be a success so I can get on good morning America to talk about everything that I've done over the past seven years of building my company and building this world for black and, and women of color and geekdom is what I call it.
[00:26:48] Shequeta Smith: So there's like just, yes, LA Times, New York Times. I want to be in those publications and just back home as well. I really want to get in like the Charlotte observer because that's where all my people are. So I'd love for them to see me. And the [00:27:00] paper there, and just talking about my company or them just like going on about what I've, my success and what I've done.
[00:27:06] Gloria Chou: Why is getting earned media, which is not ads or Instagram or blog posts? Like, why is it so important and powerful for you to do this work?
[00:27:17] Shequeta Smith: I just feel like this is the best way to get people to know who you are. I mean, you need that. If you're building a company, people have to know who you are. They have to know your story.
[00:27:26] Shequeta Smith: That's really why they buy from you. A lot of times I've learned in sales that. It's your story, it's them relating to you, it's them relating to what you're putting out there and then that makes them want to support you. So it's necessary. Like, if you want to get a customer base, if you want to get your first thousand customers, like I say, in the startup world, you have to have that, that outlet that's talking about, you have to have that, that, that outlet that's reaching people that helps you kind of, it's like a.
[00:27:51] Shequeta Smith: It's like a life hack like you can be out here going, I can go to comic conventions, I can sell my books at different places, but it's just like this media outlet just kind [00:28:00] of helps amplify everything that I'm doing to the Especially the right crowd. You want to get in front of the right people who want to buy from you.
[00:28:07] Shequeta Smith: That's one of the most important things I just learned from the Goldman Sachs program I was in is finding your customer, finding the right person that's going to buy from you. And there are certain outlets you can go to that has your customer base. And if you can get there, it's a, it's a shortcut. It's a way to have things.
[00:28:22] Gloria Chou: Yeah, it actually ticks all the boxes because social media, you get a lot of people who maybe aren't your audience and they just happen to scroll through and, and again, the algorithms like who knows what they're going to change, but with an outlet, the people who are reading that article, they're not going to read it unless they have interest in it.
[00:28:38] Gloria Chou: So it's the best way to get in front of. Millions of people, not just a couple hundred. So I'm all about and I love the way you think. And, you know, by the way, congratulations on the Goldman Sachs program. Like, that's incredible. And I love how you've elevated your thinking where you're not just trying to like get in everywhere.
[00:28:54] Gloria Chou: You're trying to think, how can I optimize my time? So I'm only doing the things that will really be a leveraged [00:29:00] thing. Right? So obviously, you know that because I. I do this on my monthly mastermind coaching calls. I always say, take an audit of your time. Are you doing something that's building a long-term skill or an asset?
[00:29:10] Gloria Chou: Or are you doing busy where work like spinning your wheel, spinning your wheels on reels, which is, which is not a long term thing and it's not searchable and it can be banned or hacked or, you know, whatever. I love that. What is next for you and all of the amazing things that you've accomplished? Like, what is your goal for the end
[00:29:28] Shequeta Smith: of the year?
[00:29:29] Shequeta Smith: Well, I may be moving to Korea for a few months. I'm applying to this program called K Start where they bring over foreign companies that want to do business in Korea because, with my books, they're Korean American, so it's an African American girl that grows up in Korea, Ravensfoy is, so I've been building that world for a very long time.
[00:29:47] Shequeta Smith: And so now we're building a game for her. So I want to go to Korea and. built my gaming company and use Korean developers because a lot of what's happening in my game, it has a Korean culture involved. So this, this organism, not [00:30:00] organization, but this program, the government brings you over and they connect you with interns that connect you with venture capitalists that connect you with business people in Korea for three and a half months.
[00:30:08] Shequeta Smith: And so I may be doing that. I find out at the end of this month, and then I would have to go in July. So I'm moving in July for 3. 5 months. So that's what the end of my year is looking like, but I may be doing that. So
[00:30:22] Gloria Chou: yeah. I love how you would go after opportunities. I've seen how you've transformed your business and the impact that you've made since joining this program.
[00:30:29] Gloria Chou: And you're really an inspiration to all of us. Do you have any last parting words for people who are listening and saying, well, you know what she's accomplished is amazing, but it's not in the cards for me. And, you know, I, it's, it's just all the ifs, ifs, ifs, right? So how can you help people and elevate them and say, this is doable?
[00:30:47] Gloria Chou: Even if they have a tiny little business, they're just
[00:30:48] Shequeta Smith: getting started. I mean, everybody has value. If, if you see value enough to start that business with whatever product you're selling or whatever service you're selling. Then there's value in it. [00:31:00] If you're, if you're able to get customers, if you're able to sell yourself, there's value in, there's a story in that.
[00:31:05] Shequeta Smith: So it's just like finding that story, finding your why, using your why to flip that into a press release, letting them know what the why is and what you're solving, like, I mean, that's really what businesses are about is problem-solving or providing someone with something convenient in their life. Like I sold Coca-Cola for.
[00:31:23] Shequeta Smith: And like, I would go to some account sometimes and people would be like, Oh, we're not doing Coca Cola. We're just doing healthy stuff or whatever. It was like, okay. And then a couple of months later, they call me to cause their customer has spent all their lives drinking Coca Cola. They haven't experiences with that drink.
[00:31:37] Shequeta Smith: They love that drink. So they had to bring it in. You can be healthy all you want to, but if your product is so great, then people are going to want it. So if people want your product, then there's a story that there's, there's value there. So it's like every, every, every, if you, if you, Start a business. Then there's value in this business because you're keeping it going.
[00:31:53] Shequeta Smith: So then there's a story there
[00:31:55] Gloria Chou: Yep, and your worth is it your birthright, right? What everybody has value and [00:32:00] don't let the noisy social media landscape tell you that somehow other people have it It's it's it's honestly, it's all of a sudden So if everything is a facade anyways, why not just go after it really quickly.
[00:32:11] Gloria Chou: You mentioned press releases multiple, multiple times. We do have, have a couple of podcast episodes on press releases. You can go to Gloria Chou PR. com slash 41 or 42 if you want to listen to that. So the last thing is how can people connect with you and see all the amazing things that you're building with Shiro and beyond?
[00:32:26] Shequeta Smith: I think to go to Shiro comics. com. A lot of things are there. Social media. I'm at Shiro comics everywhere on social media. There are, yeah, almost everything that you could. Possibly read about me on social media. If you Google Shiro, my company usually comes up. If you Google my name, then you'll see all the articles that I've gotten over the years.
[00:32:46] Shequeta Smith: Ooh, I am
[00:32:47] Gloria Chou: so grateful that you're a part of our PR community and that we got connected. You've inspired me and so many of us, and I cannot wait to see what you create. Thank you. Thank you for being on the show.[00:33:00]