Episode 180: PR on a Budget: Free Tools to Get Your Brand Featured w/ Swapna Patel
Want to land media coverage without hiring a pricey PR agency? This episode breaks down the best free PR tools and media pitching strategies to help you connect with journalists, craft compelling pitches, and get featured in top publications. Whether you’re a small business owner, startup founder, or entrepreneur, these proven tactics will help you boost brand awareness, gain publicity, and build credibility—all without spending a dime!
The Secret to Writing PR Pitches That Journalists Actually Read
Using free tools like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and Substack for press coverage.
Crafting compelling pitches that get responses.
How personal experiences can enhance media opportunities.
Overcoming cultural barriers to self-promotion.
Following up with journalists, responding quickly, and positioning as an expert.
Finding unexpected PR opportunities in different industries.
Maintaining relationships with journalists and leveraging past features.
Securing media coverage doesn’t have to cost a fortune. By leveraging free PR tools like HARO and Substack, crafting compelling pitches, and strategically following up with journalists, you can land press features that boost your credibility and brand visibility. Remember, media success is about consistency, relationship-building, and positioning yourself as an expert in your field. Start implementing these tactics today, and watch your business gain the recognition it deserves—all without hiring an expensive PR agency!
Product Businesses! Download my free HOW TO GET INTO A GIFT GUIDE/PRODUCT ROUND UP roadmap for free HERE to get more sales and traffic to your site this season.
If you want to land your first feature for free without any connections, I want to invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass, where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses use to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought-after industry expert. Register now at www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass.
Resources Mentioned:
Join the PR Secrets Masterclass
Join the Small Biz PR Pros Facebook Group
DM the word “PITCH” to us on Instagram to get a pitching freebie https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr
Connect with Gloria Chou on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou
Join Gloria Chou's PR Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941
Learn more about Swapna Patel:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/style.remixx/
Website: https://www.styleremixx.com/
Additional Resources:
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Transcript
00:00:00 Gloria: What's up, Small Business Heroes? Welcome back to another episode of Small Business PR. I'm so excited today because I have someone who has been in our PR community for a long time now and I just keep seeing her crushing it. Win after win after win. It seems like every week she's in our Facebook group talking about how she got featured. And if you also want to get featured, we're going to be sharing the very easy ways that you can connect with journalists every single day for free and get featured just like Swapna. So Swapna, welcome to the show.
00:00:28 Swapna: Thank you for having me, Gloria. I'm so excited to be here.
00:00:31 Gloria: I'm so excited to be here too. Now, obviously, you know, we have a lot of coaches and also product owners listening to this podcast and the methods obviously work for both. There's a blue ocean of opportunity for anyone in any industry. But really quickly, can you tell people one sentence, what you do, who you serve, kind of your business?
00:00:49 Swapna: Sure. I am a personal stylist and I serve women entrepreneurs. Those of us, especially with a digital presence. And these days, who doesn't have a digital presence? But basically, when you're visible, your business succeeds. And when you feel really good about yourself, you feel like being visible. And that's when your wardrobe comes in. So I feel like your clothes are that hidden secret or X factor to unlocking the next level of your success. And that's what I teach women.
00:01:20 Gloria: I love that too. Everyone, definitely get your color theory, you know, done because it has changed my world as well. So I know before we started recording, you said that you actually started making a list of all the places that you've been featured after you joined the program. Can you just go through the list? Well, let's talk about how many places PR opportunity.
00:01:38 Swapna: So I joined your program last winter. So a year ago and since January of 2024, I have had eight PR features ranging from the Wall Street Journal to a TV appearance and even on Canvas Rebel and Bold Journey. A total of eight opportunities.
00:01:59 Gloria: And how has that changed your business and the way that you communicate your message?
00:02:03 Swapna: So, know, Gloria, I as a stylist, I didn't become a stylist because I love to shop or I'm good at shopping or things like that. I actually have two bachelor's degrees in fashion, one in design and one in merchandising. And for a decade of my life, I was a designer in New York City. But somehow I still felt like I have been competing with people who don't actually have the same qualifications as I do. And I felt like to boost my know, like, and trust factor, I needed some really great set of as seen on logos on my website. And I wanted to do it in a way that felt aligned, that felt authentic, which means not paid opportunities.
00:02:48 Swapna: And that's why at the end of last year in 2023, I had decided that getting those logos, getting those PR features was going to be on my goal list for 2024. Happy to report that I have exceeded far exceeded my expectation.
00:03:05 Gloria: I love that. So let's, let's cut to the chase here. You said something very important, which is not those paid features because there are literally people in my inbox right now telling me that I can get logos today. So can you tell people why you didn't want to do those pay to play PR scams that are actually just ads and don't get SEO? Like why did you decide to do it the organic way?
00:03:26 Swapna: I did it the organic way because I've always grown my business very organically, know, through referrals, through my network. And that feels really good for me. I did not want to pay because honestly, there's so many scammers out there and there's no way to distinguish a true opportunity even if you're paying for it versus a scam. And I really don't think that it's something I need to pay for. What is going to be my return on investment? And I really thought that if I did this in a way that felt good to me, where I get to show up as an expert and I can build good relationships with people, that that was my way of doing it and doing it successfully.
00:04:12 Gloria: That is so good. I mean, that's what I say all the time is the best publicity is free publicity. Otherwise it's just an ad and not publicity. So I just want to clear the air for everyone. You don't have a lot of journalists friends. didn't come into this rubbing shoulders with a lot of publicists, right? Like, did you have any?
00:04:29 Swapna: Not at all. No, I don't.
00:04:34 Gloria: So you started PR, you know, later on in life, it's not like you were an Instagram influencer and I think for many of us, especially if English is not our first language, if women of color, there's a lot of barriers because we traditionally are told not to talk about ourselves. And my mom literally told me to keep my head down and say, yes, sir, if I'm being paid. And that's when I wanted to leave my government job. So this work is so sacred to me as it is for you too. We are literally rewriting generations of things that kept us small and quiet and silent because we're taught to just not talk about ourselves.
00:05:07 Gloria: So this is really... I'm really proud of you for doing this work. Let's talk about the tools that you have used to help you on this journey. And then we can talk a little bit about, you know, how you became basically a master pitch writer, because that's what this is. It's not about the size of business you have or how cool your website is. It's like just knowing how to write a pitch. So let's start with what, tools have helped you.
00:05:30 Swapna: So when I took your program and I watched those videos and then we did a half a day VIP day or a full VIP day, I forget. But I cannot stress the importance whenever in my business, I have the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with somebody and I can make that happen. I cannot tell you the payoff it has more than sitting there and watching recorded video lessons, right?
00:05:58 Swapna: So when I was on the Zoom call with you and we were talking and you actually wrote that first pitch in front of me. I just felt like all these light bulbs went off in my head. And I can tell you specifically the things I felt were different in your method that I did not know how to do or had not even thought of doing. Nobody had taught me was establishing your credibility right upfront and not in a me, me, kind of way, but in a, is why your audience will love hearing from me kind of way. So that was very key.
00:06:34 Swapna: And that whole CPR method and your way of following up with reporters, those were all just pure gold. So I took that method and you have a fantastic database. So I did follow your method of pitching to people from the database. But what I realized is, and this is just my experience and what works for my energy is I don't know what they're working for. Now we do know, and you've brought in so many experts in your group that have said, well, we file away interesting pitches and we revisit them at a later time.
00:07:11 Swapna: For me, I wasn't sure what people are looking for. Even though I think, for example, color theory, color analysis is the hardest thing in 2024. I didn't want to expend my energy convincing somebody. So I wanted to look for things that they are actually already working on and then pitch my angle to what they're writing about. Does that make sense?
00:07:37 Gloria: So expand a little bit more because it's like, how do we find out about these tools? And so can you share a little bit about the tools that helped you get into like Wall Street Journal and all those places?
00:07:45 Swapna: Sure. So my favorite tool that I was already actually subscribed to and used to pitch is HARO. It has since been renamed as Peter Shankman's SOS. So all it is, is an email newsletter that goes out three times a day with requests from journalists for pitches for articles that they are working on. Right. So what I do three times a day is I comb through that list and I really see where I can be of value, where I have something to say that is meaningful.
00:08:22 Swapna: So one of the ones I'll give you an example was an article in USA Today. And the request was, why are people overpacking for vacation? Right. And it's resulting in so many billions of dollars paid to airlines and excess baggage fees. Now, this is not a typical style question, but I'm not only about, you know, shopping or brands, right? I explore like this whole psychology style of side of style. So I felt like this is where I really had something different and insightful to say.
00:09:02 Swapna: So I sent my pitch. I had my credibility paragraph at the beginning, and then I gave three specific areas of struggle and then three specific solutions that I think people can use to overcome overpacking. Within minutes I got a reply back saying, yes, we're going to use this and we'll send you when it's published.
00:09:29 Gloria: Wow. That's like literally minutes. And people always are asking me, what is the ROI? How long do I have to wait? But you literally heard back within minutes. So how did that go? Did you know that it was for USA Today or you didn't know what publication?
00:09:43 Swapna: I did know it was for USA Today. It said that in the pitch. But here's the other interesting thing. That same reporter published that article in two or three other smaller newspapers before it actually went live on USA Today. So I just thought that was very interesting. But yes, it is in USA Today.
00:10:03 Gloria: So you did that for a few minutes and you got not one backlink, but multiple backlinks. What was the interview process like? Because a lot of times people are like, well, don't, know, maybe English is not my first language. Like don't want to get on the phone. Right. So what do you have to say to that?
00:10:17 Swapna: Get on the phone. You sound better than you think, you know, and I think we are journalists, especially I think are looking for unique perspectives and points of view. So why not? What do you have to lose? If nothing else, it's a practice round.
00:10:33 Gloria: But for most of the HARO requests, correct me if I'm wrong, you didn't have to get on a phone call, right?
00:10:37 Swapna: No, the only time I had to get on a phone call was with Wall Street Journal.
00:10:41 Gloria: Okay. So 99 % of the time you didn't even need, so it was just through email? Was it kind of back and forth, back and forth? Or just like...
00:10:47 Swapna: It wasn't. I would just send the pitch and I have noticed in my experience... When they write back to you pretty much right away saying, yes, we got it or acknowledge it in some way, it's usually a good sign. That means it's going to be included in their article.
00:11:05 Gloria: Wow. So they literally just took what you wrote and put it in the article without needing much back and forth.
00:11:10 Swapna: That's correct.
00:11:11 Gloria: That's so beautiful. Okay. So are there any tips that you have found for HARO? Because I can imagine, you know,
thousands of people are subscribed to this and it can be an internet black hole. So how can you maximize your chances of actually getting a yes?
00:11:27 Swapna: So for me, please don't laugh at what I'm gonna say. It's really tuning into your intuition and looking at those requests and saying, this feels right to me. So I think you and I have talked in DMs before about human design. So my human design is a projector and projectors have to wait for invitation, right? So this is also why pitching to journalists did not feel very comfortable to me. I knew if I continued on that path, that was going to create a little bit of burnout for me. And that's just me and my energy type.
00:12:07 Swapna: So I started treating these requests that I found, whether on HARO or on Substack, and we'll talk about Substack in a second, but I started treating them as invitations, right? And they show up in my inbox, their request for pitch. And then I started looking at them and saying, okay, where can I really show up and make a difference? And where will my insight be valued? So I would say to your intuition, to really see what energetically feels good to you amongst those requests.
00:12:44 Swapna: And, you know, this time of the year, there's a lot of requests for products and gift ideas. And I, because I'm a service based business, I don't really fit into a lot of those, so I really have to pay attention to those little things that they're requesting for.
00:13:03 Gloria: Yeah. What about timeliness? Because I have a HARO training in the program. I always say you want to reply right away because then their inbox gets so full. Have you found more success if you reply to the HARO email once you get it?
00:13:17 Swapna: Absolutely. Yeah. I do think that makes a difference because sometimes the deadlines are a week or two weeks out, but I feel like by the time two weeks comes around, you know, they have, like you said, already had so many things show up in their inbox. So I do think within that first half hour to 30 minutes makes a big difference.
00:13:38 Gloria: Okay. So you have the alert up now. I've gone HARO before and I teach this. There's like hundreds of very different things. People asking bakers dog walker, like how do you sift through? Do you just do like control F? Or like, how do you save your time on this?
00:13:54 Swapna: I just, you know, they're organized by industry as well. Right. So business and tech. Well, that's the other thing because they are organized by industry like business, technology, finance, lifestyle, wellness. It's easier to skim through those, but this is where I found great success is actually looking for queries that are not in what I would consider my industry. for example, style could be under lifestyle, but also look for it under travel.
00:14:30 Swapna: Look for how your niche may be relevant in business, for example. So branding mistakes people are making. Clothes are not something people have top of mind when it comes to branding, but it is a part of that. So I do think it is a unique perspective. So that's just an example of where I would pay attention looking outside my niche or my industry for a query.
00:14:55 Gloria: Yeah, that's really smart. I think a lot of times people think, well, I'm in food and beverage. So unless it's something about restaurants, like it's not going to be for me, but there's so much, like you said, travel and like food tourism and flavors of the fall. So obviously in the program, we talk about pitching for the seasons. It's not about how newsworthy you are, it's how do you adapt your story because you can get featured all year round like you.
00:15:16 Gloria: And I love that you've been able to find these opportunities that are not technically about color theory or branding, have worked, like you said, with packing. Can you give me another example of a story that maybe isn't like, I'm looking for a style expert, but you still got featured?
00:15:30 Swapna: Yes. So let's talk about Wall Street Journal. The article Wall Street Journal is obviously, you know, all about business, but the article that she was writing was about a specific brand called Brandy Melville. And if you don't know what Brandy Melville is, it's very popular amongst tween and teen girls. They are known for their one size fits small. It is a brand that I am vehemently opposed to in my household. As you know, I have a teenager. So the interview request for was actually for parent and child.
00:16:06 Swapna: So definitely different than just my professional opinion. But this is how it fits into what I do because when I teach people to dress themselves and shop, we talk a lot about values. Brandy Melville is a perfect example of a brand that wasn't something that sat well with me because they don't showcase diverse models. Their founders have made some very racist comments, things like that. So I could bring that angle when I was speaking to that reporter.
00:16:43 Gloria: Yeah, that is so huge because I think a lot of times and part of what we're trying to do in our PR community is make you realize that you're not just a jewelry founder and you're not, like there's so many more things that you can talk about, whether it's sustainability, whether it's inclusiveness in fashion, that once you start to think differently, you realize there's so many opportunities. And so I love what you did. You're like, yes, even though I am someone who, you know, I have a consultancy for styling women, but I'm also talking about packing tips and I'm talking about, you know, giving commentary on Brandy Melville. think that's, that's so amazing. What else has the CPR method, which is, obviously the method that we teach about. And for those of you who want to know more about the CPR method, watch my PR masterclass, go to gloriachoupr.com such masterclass, you know, exactly the framework of a pitch, a cold pitch. How else have you used the CPR method in your life to help you get out there?
00:17:38 Swapna: So actually think not just for my pitches for PR, but generally as well. You one of the things you had said either in a training video or on our call was not to have too many I sentences. I think that's or, you know, I believe that, but make it about them and their audience. So saying your readers will love this cream because, or people commonly believe that.
00:18:08 Swapna: I think some of those tiny reframes make such a big difference in sending emails and writing emails, whether you're pitching yourself to your clients or you're pitching yourself for PR. So I think that really stuck out to me and really understanding that these people get lots of emails and their time is very precious. So they're probably going to be skimming through it. So how to bullet the most important things, you know? Or how do you close your email saying, you know, if you need to reach me, these are the best ways. I had never thought of that.
00:18:43 Swapna: The other mistake I had made before I met you was I would wait for them to write back and say, yes, we want to talk to you about this versus just sending the information right away. So if the query was five fashion must haves from Amazon. I used to send an email and say why I was qualified to comment, but I was not actually sending them the five items versus now I'll just say, this is who I am, this is what I do. This is my website if you need to check my credibility. And then these are the five items and this is why I think they're fabulous.
00:19:20 Gloria: So good. You're basically making it so frictionless that they can take something and run with it because journalists are writing tons of stories and it's usually the person who can get in early at the right time. I'll never forget, I had a startup client and I was trying to pitch her. She was in workforce labor law and she wanted to get into a place like The Guardian, which is known for its regulatory news. And the journalist didn't get back to me. This was when I was still pitching for people.
00:19:47 Gloria: And then three months later, something happens in the news because the news is always evolving. She actually went back to her inbox and replied on that thread from three months ago and was like, are they available for a quote today? And I didn't work for them anymore, but then I got her connected to the journalist. She was on the front page of The Guardian the next day. So it's really about, yeah, it's really about being open, but like responding right away because the journalists will respect you if they know that you're someone who can get them the information so that they can churn out the stories. And they're always churning out stories.
00:20:18 Swapna: And so that's another limiting belief. A lot of people think they're like, well, you know, if they don't respond and they hate me or it's dead in the water, not true. Or that like, it's not interesting, not true, because there's always a way you can change up your relevance. so hopefully from listening to Swapna, for all of you, like she talked about how it's not just about color theory, but also about packing and, and vacation and this and that. Think about the various bigger themes that you can talk about, write them down because I promise you it's more than just whatever it is that you are known for.
00:20:50 Swapna: Definitely. I think we have to learn to tell our story and especially as women of color, minorities, right? Our story is one of the most powerful tools that we have in our business. And especially in this world of AI, like I was just reading today, and this woman in her email was saying that AI has taken over so much of our copy and posts and things like that, that we really need a strong brand. And a brand is really how you show up in the world and part of that is your know-like trust factor, which is absolutely boosted by having those neat little logos on your website.
00:21:32 Gloria: Yeah. So now you've been in all these places. You have established yourself as an authority in the Wall Street Journal. You also talked about more things that are aligned with what you're offering, which is the styling techniques. How has it helped your business? Does it, you know, more than just logos? Like have you been able to close more business? Has it given you more SEO? Have you built your email list up?
00:21:54 Swapna: Yes, so definitely. I was always the expert. Now people see me as the expert as well. I've increased my prices. I think the caliber of clients that I have started getting is different than what I used to get. So people definitely love that stamp of approval. When they come to your website, they don't know that you have two bachelor's degrees and you've served over 1,000 women right off the bat. So you need other easy things to get people's attention quickly.
00:22:27 Swapna: And it's just been great because now actually in my pitch where I introduce myself in that paragraph, I will tell the reporter that my insights have been featured on. And then I list like a couple of brands that are relevant. And I think that helps too.
00:22:47 Gloria: Oh, that's awesome. I'm so happy for you. I'm proud of you. So you talked about [Haro.] Now let's talk about another gold mine. We actually just had journalists come in to meet everyone, but Substack, can you tell a little, like we know Substack is kind of a blog situation where freelance writers can monetize and get you to subscribe, but there's… can do free versions too. How has Substack helped you find out what they're writing before it hits the stands?
00:23:12 Swapna: Right. So I actually stumbled upon Substacks for reporters when I was doing the cold pitching. So I followed your method of building relationships and I started following a bunch of journalists online, right? Because sometimes you feel, they're going to write about passion, but they might be writing about 59 best places in Alaska. And that is a true story. So I started following people and they, many of them included in their link, in their bio, a link to their sub stack. So then I started subscribing to one.
00:23:45 Swapna: And when you subscribe to one, they usually say, hey, if you subscribe to mine, you might like my friends X, Y, and Z. They write about food, travel, fashion, whatever else that might be. So I started subscribing to those. And I have found that journalists give first opportunities to people who are on their list. Now, many of them also offer paid versions of what they do. So they offer trainings. So how to pitch to gift guides.
00:24:16 Swapna: And these are all like, or they offer small memberships, you know, $20 a month. They host a zoom happy hour or whatever. So I haven't explored the paid opportunities from them, but that's how I found Substack. And I do think that the things you find on Substack show up in the Substack even before they're sent out to Hero, for example.
00:24:39 Gloria: That's so good. So basically you can do a search like, you know, beauty or travel. Follow one person and the moment you subscribe, there's an automatic widget that pops up that says you might like them. then so that way it takes the finding like out of your effort, they automatically recommend you. And so for you, it would be like travel, lifestyle, fashion for someone else. It could be like parenting, kids' toys. For someone else, it could be like e-commerce.
00:25:06 Gloria: And so I think what matters is like find one journalist on Substack and then just keep going down the rabbit hole of like who they recommend. Cause the algorithm like automatically recommends. And then how it goes is that it'll ping you by sending you an email, just like with Haro of what that person's is working on and the stories that they've published with the actual way to pitch them and their email address. So Swapna, how have you used Substack maybe a little bit differently than Haro to like cut through the noise and just get that yes.
00:25:36 Swapna: So firstly, I've noticed on Substack, like you said, they give you their email address and they say, don't reply back to this newsletter, email me and they give you their email address. They actually tell you, this is the subject line I'm for you to use, you know, six best cross body bags. They tell you the image resolution they want, the sizes you want, all of that information makes it so much easier to pitch to them, right?
00:26:05 Swapna: Sometimes, even if I'm not pitching, there's a couple of places that I am interested in hopefully being featured in. They also send out articles that they have written in the past or like most recently published, which may not be in my zone of genius, but I will still read those and include in my next pitch and say, hey, so and so, I enjoyed your article on six unique Disney experiences and I hope to use them next time I take a trip with my kids. It just makes it more authentic. Like you're not just, you're truly building a relationship. It's not just transactional, which I love. I mean, I love getting those kinds of emails from people. So I just want to treat people how I was going to be treated.
00:26:52 Gloria: That's amazing. And I bet you that that reply rate is much higher than just, you know, than someone else. So have you gotten replies because you did actually use the exact thing that they were writing and feed them that compliment.
00:27:05 Swapna: Yeah. So I've worked with a Forbes reporter. It hasn't come out yet. I don't know if it's going to, but I've even actually gone back and forth with her a couple of times in DMs and things like that. So I don't know if it's going to, I've pitched her twice, you know, but if not, that's okay because I think the more she gets used to seeing my name in her inbox eventually that's going to result in something.
00:27:32 Gloria: I always say you, the beauty is in the follow up, but for so many of us, pitching is a very unnatural act because we're not taught how to pitch. And so it's already so hard to press that first send button. But then once you get a feature, it becomes like an addiction. So can you tell people at the early stages when they just start sending it out, what is the right cadence? Do you answer that Substack and then you DM them and say, Hey, I answered your sub stack or what is the right way to get them to respond?
00:27:55 Swapna: I do. So I send the email and the most golden tip I got from you was to install that email tracker. It makes such a difference, right? Otherwise you're just like praying and praying sort of. But send the email and then I... because Instagram will not directly show people your DMs. I usually follow the people I comment on their post. And I also say in my comment, by the way, I also sent you a DM about your Substack or your request on Substack. So I'm very specific why I've sent them a DM. I don't want to be that creepy person.
00:28:39 Swapna: And then in my DMs, I'll say, I loved your article so and so I sent you, you know, a response to your request about tote bags. I just thought I would connect here because a lot of times emails go to spam.
00:28:55 Gloria: So good. You are... oh my God, you are like a star student. Like you should be teaching this. This is...
00:29:00 Swapna: I mean, that's what you said. So that's what I say.
00:29:03 Gloria: That's amazing. And so then they actually have to go back and check their email. So then your email becomes top of mind when, when everything else is trying to compete for their attention. And so I think the beauty of the follow-up is like so important. No, it's not like a natural thing to follow up. Yes, it feels intimidating, but this Swapna story about how she got featured eight times without knowing any of these journalists and no, by the way, no introductions were made. It's not like I was like, Hey, you feature Swapna. And I'm like, I don't know these people. Right.
00:29:31 Gloria: The follow-up when done right absolutely can be the thing that gets you featured. And so do you have any other tips about etiquette? I love what you said about complimenting them and saying you love their article. I love what you said about not harassing them in the DMs, but just tell them that you gently replied to their query. What else can people do to increase chances?
00:29:50 Swapna: I want to say that don't hesitate to follow up. And it's because so many times people have written back to me and said, thanks for letting me know it was in my spam or it was in my ProBoss folder. Right? So, I mean, I would say 50 % of the people have replied back and said, I found your email or can you resend it? I'm not seeing it. So do not be shy, don't hesitate. And what else can I tell you about etiquette? I say like, you know, three times is plenty. Other than that, I think if they really need to find you, they will.
00:30:26 Gloria: Yeah. Oof, that's so good. So now that you have eight different publications, eight journalists that you have built a relationship with. How do you keep those relationships? Because now with the media landscape, a lot of them are freelancers, which means that they write for multiple outlets, which is a great thing. So how have you been able to maybe ping them and say, hey, what are you working on? Because if they featured you once, they know that you're a credible vet and you're not a crazy person. Probably want to tap you on the shoulder next time they're assigned anything related to fashion, lifestyle, or accessories.
00:30:59 Swapna: Right. I really think this is where social media can be useful, is to keep up those relationships, follow them, not only see what they're working on, but also what are they all about? A lot of them are people. I mean, they're people just like you and me, they're posting pictures of their dogs and their travels and their kids. So kind of use that to have a personal relationship. And when the time is right, there will be that invitation where you can connect or if you feel like you have a super amazing idea. I have somebody I met actually in your community last year that I am thinking of sending an idea now for the first quarter of 2025. So, I think expecting instant results always.. it's fine, but sometimes also know that you're also playing a long game.
00:31:58 Gloria: Yeah. It's so good. I mean, what a long game it is. I mean, you've had so many features. Now those eight connections could double and triple depending on what it is. So, I think that's really the beauty. Whereas, if you pay for ads and social media, you have to keep feeding the beast and the machine. And it's just, you don't own it, right? And I think that customers are not necessarily making buying decisions just based off of Instagram, because you can buy your followers. Like that doesn't really do much for me. I think it's wonderful.
00:32:25 Gloria: Have you felt like doing PR in this way? Has it also strengthened your ability to communicate in general, writing, talking, speaking?
00:32:34 Swapna: Definitely. I think I feel a lot more confident. I really feel the part of an expert, which hello, imposter syndrome. There was no reason for me to not feel that before, but we have all been there. Like I said, like it's changed the way I write emails to potential clients, partnerships, everything. So, I think we all need to just own our expertise, which is much easier said than done. Especially, in many cultures, we're taught to be humble, we're taught not to brag, but if you don't put your own arm, who's going to?
00:33:14 Gloria: Yeah. Exactly. It's unnatural and we get it, but at least that's why we're in this community together. I think for so many of us, like we're the first to do many things first to start a business. First to do, first to come to the US, right? So it's a lot of unlearning, but by doing this, we're paving a way for other people.
00:33:39 Gloria: Because when I think of style and fashion expert, I don't think of an Indian woman like you. I think of, you know, because all the images that are being fed to me is someone else. When I think of PR coach, you don't think of a 5-foot-tall Chinese woman either. This is absolutely beautiful work that we're doing.
00:33:45 Gloria: Is there anything else that now that you've been on the other side of this, right? Someone who's just starting their PR journey or who just started to join my program, but they just feel overwhelmed. They think, "Maybe I can't do this." What do you have to say for them? Because not only is it the imposter syndrome. It's the, "Well, I'm busy and I have kids and I don't have time to do this." And, you know, it's always this mental math of like, "How do I spend my time on the right things?" So how do you, how do you convince them? Cause you're a busy mom as well. You have multiple kids.
00:34:12 Swapna: So I would say, you know, in the beginning, when I was new to the process, I was definitely time blocking and I was tracking everything. And I think that is a great practice. Once you get better at pitch writing, then it will be just a well-oiled machine. You might have a template that you use, especially for some common things like you're closing and opening paragraphs. Right? So just know in the beginning, it will feel hard, but it gets easier the more you practice. And I love... I'm a numbers person. So, I love seeing, what am I putting into it? What am I getting back? And the sooner you do it in your business, the better it is. I made it five or six years, don't be like me. Start small, start early and then just keep going.
00:35:03 Gloria: Well, thank you so much Swapna. So, now that you've been eight features podcast, what do you have on your PR and visibility vision board for next year?
00:35:12 Swapna: Speaking opportunities. We both have the same speaking coach. I have created a [fantastic doc] and I just want more women to hear my message. So, I'm going to keep working on all the things I've worked on this year and then add that as my next layer.
00:35:28 Gloria: Yeah. Shout out to Heather Sager, who's our speaking coach. For sure. I love it. Okay. Well, thank you so much. How can people find you not only just about, you know, what you talked about today, but just your journey, balancing motherhood and also your business and being in the online space, all of it.
00:35:47 Swapna: Sure. My favorite place to hangout is in Instagram. My handle is style.remixx has two x's at the end. And my website is styleremixx.com and you will find all kinds of fun things and tools for branding, color, everything else on my website.
00:36:08 Gloria: Awesome. Thank you so much, Swapna. I'm just in awe of you and you become such a light for all of us in the community, the way you share, the way you give. I love that you're always passing along PR opportunities to us too. So, thank you for being in our community.
00:36:20 Swapna: Thank you so much, Gloria. This has been so much fun and I'm so glad our paths crossed and maybe lighting the path for other women like us.
00;36:32 Gloria: Hey, small business hero. Did you know that you can get featured for free on outlets like Forbes, The New York Times, Marie Claire, PopSugar, and so many more, even if you're not yet launched or if you don't have any connections? That's right. That's why I invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass, where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses use to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought after industry expert.
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