Episode 99 - PR Questions I Get Asked the Most PRESS RELEASES? (Part 4)
Embarking on your journey as a new founder or small business owner is brimming with excitement. You stand on the verge of introducing your unique brilliance to the world, eager to connect your offerings with those who need them most.
But amidst the excitement, a multitude of significant decisions awaits. From fine-tuning your website for optimal search visibility (SEO) to devising a content marketing strategy and orchestrating an attention-grabbing launch, your to-do list seems endless.
One of the pivotal decisions you'll face is whether harnessing the power of press releases and media coverage is the strategic key to accomplishing multiple launch tasks seamlessly. If you're a new founder or a small business owner about to unveil a new product or service, this episode is your compass.
In this episode, I've curated 10 pivotal questions that revolve around launching a new product or service, leveraging press releases, and mastering media coverage strategies. This advice holds value whether you're navigating a pivot, or even if your product is in the pre-launch phase.
And here's the exciting twist – two of these questions receive insightful answers directly from accomplished journalists, offering you insights straight from the experts.
Here's a glimpse of what's in store:
We dissect the choice between pitching and press releases, finding the ideal fit for your yet-to-launch venture.
Discover the significance of press release distribution pickup – is it a signal of success?
Uncover the possibility of featuring your offerings in gift guides via press releases.
Prepare effectively for media interviews as a brand-new startup, a crucial step in building your presence.
Pinpoint the opportune time for pitching when your product is poised for launch.
Explore the potential of PR in boosting crowdfunding campaigns.
Learn if pitching your product months ahead of its launch is a viable strategy.
Join us in this episode as we navigate the intricate terrain of press releases and media engagement, tailored specifically for new founders and small business owners. Your journey to a successful launch is just a listen away.
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:
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Here’s a glance at this episode…
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[00:00:00] Gloria: Now, one of the most exciting things that we get to do as entrepreneurs is announce something new to the world, right? We're constantly evolving and solving problems. So whether it's launching a book or a product or a service or a partnership, or maybe you're, you want an award or you're giving back to charity.
[00:00:14] Gloria: This episode is all about how to make that. a media moment, right? How to get PR for something that you are launching or announcing. Now, as you know, my signature PR program, the PR starter pack that I created for small businesses, I get on a coaching call every single month with our members, but [00:00:30] a few times a year, I also invite my network of vetted journalists to come on and coach them live through all of their questions and challenges.
[00:00:38] Gloria: So you're going to hear from two journalists on this call, which are taken from actual coaching calls. Inside of our program, the first journalist you're going to hear from is Margo Lushing who writes for Forbes, Refinery29, Brit Co, Brides, SF Chronicle, and so many more, as well as Victoria Giardina who writes for New York Post Shopping.
[00:00:57] Gloria: So, without further ado, let's get into the episode. But [00:01:00] before we do, If you ever wanted to meet a journalist live on a call and get me and the journalist eyeballs on your business, your pitch, and coach you through how to master that message so that you can get featured. Join our PR starter pack program by going to www.prstarterpack.com. Now let's get into the episode.
[00:01:18] Victoria: New products do so well in January. So the fact that the product is coming to retailers in January is already a home run, in my opinion, because people are looking for new ways to shop. They're looking for new beauty [00:01:30] routines. They're looking for new sustainable brands new eco friendly brands.
[00:01:34] Victoria: They're thinking about their shopping habits in January. So I would say now, and then You know, whether or not there's a larger conversation about that pitch, it may have to wait until the new year, but at least we know from the get go that we can start planning ahead of time.
[00:01:50] Gloria: Press release versus pitch Which one to focus on for my not yet launched company? Should I send out pitch before the website's launch or better to wait? What I would do actually is do [00:02:00] the press release, but before you send out the press release, use it as like a little bait and dangle it in front of the journalists and say, Hey, we're launching this in.Two weeks because of X, Y, and Z, you're my top choice outlet to like release this with. And since you cover children's gifts and tech, let me know if you want me to send over the press release. So do you see how that has it's like a double like enforcement, it's like saying, Hey, we're launching something.
[00:02:28] Gloria: And then it's basically saying, [00:02:30] if you want to see it, like, let me know it,. Right? So you're giving them like a time sensitive thing. You're not saying like, Hey, we're doing this, like, hopefully you'll cover it. It's like, we're going live with this announcement, regardless of whether or not you cover it, cover us.
[00:02:42] Gloria: But because you have a history of covering this, and this is pretty neat. I'd love to share with you the draft of the press release before it goes live. So that way you get both the benefit of it. Doing the press release, which is going to go live anyways, but they're also using that as a way to start conversations with journalists.
[00:02:56] Gloria: So that's why it's, it's so, it's so great to do a press release [00:03:00] because you get to check all those buckets. You have something to say, you have a way to contact them and you have something that actually goes out onto the internet. You put out a press release and it automatically picked up for distribution across outlets.
[00:03:10] Gloria: Do you Really consider that as PR win? I think that. Anything that brings you traffic and visibility and backlinks is a win. But I also think that what you can do is that you can now say that it's been picked up by X, Y, and Z outlets, and you can put that in your pitch going forward, you can put that in your slide decks going forward.
[00:03:27] Gloria: If you're meeting with investors or VIP people, or even just on [00:03:30] your press page. Right. So if we're going to do something that's like a smart activity, I would rather do that than like post on Instagram. That's not searchable. So I think, I do think it is a win.
Margaux Lushing
[00:03:40] Margaux: Can we send press release as a gift guides.
[00:03:42] Margaux: Sure. If it's a background or you're saying this is my product, this is why it's great for your gift guide and below is the press release with more information. Great. Your startup is still getting a pilot set up for your app. How do you prepare for an interview with the press or publication? I'm worried about seeing up the pilot is taking Me so long and fear that they won't want numbers.
[00:04:01] Gloria: Any suggestions? I've done a lot of press releases for clients. That's where they haven't launched, but it's in beta, right? So it's like we've already started beta testing and we've seen great traction and here are some interesting insights. And that's totally normal, right? Like you decide when your launch date is It's it's not up to them, right?
[00:04:20] Gloria: So you can always kind of make it an art and not a science and say we're beta testing. We've had a great traction. And if you don't want to give them numbers, you can give them [00:04:30] like percentages, right? You can say we've seen an X amount of increase or we're seeing interesting traction here. Sometimes numbers is not yep.
[00:04:36] Gloria: Always what they want. I think what they want to see is what is the interesting nuance or insight to consumer behavior. And that's not always about numbers. So there definitely is a way to tell them something. That's an insight. That's not numbers. I'm launching a tinted mineral sunscreen and 36 shades for darker tones.
[00:04:53] Gloria: Yes. And what is the best time to pitch it to press? When I'm ready, I mean, honestly, I the beauty industry and, and [00:05:00] Pilar can say this as well, because she is spray tan artists. And there's a lot of things with colorism here. I don't see a lot of tinted mineral sunscreens with 36 shades for darker tones.
[00:05:09] Gloria: So if I were you, I would get ahead of the game and, , I would actually pitch this earlier and look, if you don't have like supplies right away, like you can start collecting people's emails, right? There's always a way. To get ahead of the game, you know, so I'd rather get ahead of the new story than be like, okay, someone else launched it.
[00:05:26] Gloria: And the thing about launching something is you can only be the first [00:05:30] ones. And I do this on my VIP day when I do a press release. So like, you know, once you say that you're the first to do X, Y, and Z, and it's on Google, it's you've released it, then no one else can do that. Right. So I'd rather you say that first.
[00:05:43] Gloria: And if you're not comfortable With this, because you're worried that you're going to get an influx of orders, which is actually a good problem to have. And you can always do a wait list. You can just start pitching generally not focus about your product, but what you're seeing changing in the sunscreen [00:06:00] industry, right?
[00:06:01] Gloria: So that's another way to position yourself as an expert. Is there a specific strategy one would use crowdfund campaign? Well, I would say that PR definitely helps. I've worked with a lot of crowdfunding entrepreneurs,, like Tanisha, who is actually like the first person I interviewed on my podcast.
[00:06:16] Gloria: Well, episode number three. And she was on IFN women and trying to crowdfund and she's since pivoted and she's not doing that business anymore. She's still getting the traffic and SEO, right? Because her whole mission is, is to help people thrive and take care of [00:06:30] their wellness. And that hasn't changed.
[00:06:31] Gloria: She just happens to be doing it in a different way. So, you know, in terms of crowdfunding campaign I'm not a crowdfunding expert. I'm not a money raising expert. So there might be different ways that you can do your slides. But I really think that the CPR method can apply all year round because it's really about how, how can you be relevant and what is your point of view?
[00:06:49] Gloria: Right? And how can you pitch that that credibly with confidence? So that's really a structure that people have used to, you know, get on South by Southwest to speak at a panel to land a partnership. I mean, [00:07:00] Dr. Greta has used it to get a paid partnership, paid consulting, whatever it is, right?
[00:07:03] Gloria: Is it appropriate to send a press release on your crowdfunding campaign to press contacts?
[00:07:08] Gloria: Should they be in business? Publications or customer focused industry publications. So I have a whole training on press release. I also have two episodes on my podcast about press releases. So for me, the best way to utilize a press release is to say that you're the first or only to do something and you can do that.
[00:07:27] Gloria: In conjunction with the fact that you've raised, right? So if you look at all of the press releases I've written, you can go to Gloria, child, peer. com slash services. I've written stuff for FinTech for AI, for NFTs, for books, and you don't have to be the first to do X, Y, and Z, but you might be the first to do X, Y, and Z in your city or in this way, right?
[00:07:46] Gloria: And then you can couple that with the crowdfunding campaign to be like, Hey, we're the first to do X, Y, and Z. And we've launched and we announced that we raised, right? I wouldn't. Do a press release announcement. Just just to say that you've, you know, [00:08:00] launch your crowdfunding campaign because it's not cheap to release a press release, right?
[00:08:04] Gloria: So if you can couple two or three different things in there, that would be really great. If you have any questions on that, you can, you can set up a call with number two. I have comparative products and I'm super new market. I think this is ashes question. How can I pitch my vision without actually having it built out?
[00:08:18] Gloria: Well, the thing is, is yeah. It's never really like Dr Greta says. It's never really about your product. Like, yes, there are some,, you know, very specific guides that are like diving into your product. But [00:08:30] the journalist is a generalist, right? So it's more about your mission, your why, what's the gap in the market and what you're seeing.
[00:08:37] Gloria: And then you can. Have a link back to your website. So I really think that the whole point of what we're doing here. It's not a deep dive manual into your product and the benefits and how to use it. It's more about establishing your story and how you can be a part of the solution, right? So that's I hope that answers your question.
[00:08:56] Gloria: And the best way to actually get ahead of competitors is to actually [00:09:00] pitch yeah, Before you launch, because what I would hate for you to do is launch and you paid so much money for a website, graphic designer, and you're kind of waiting around and it's crickets. So I'd rather have you ramp up, right. And be like, here's what I'm launching.
[00:09:13] Gloria: Here's what's happening. Spring and summer, you know, if it's a tinted mineral thing, do that first before you launch. And that's a really good position to be so that when you do launch, right. You're already going to have that compounded traffic.
[00:09:22] Gloria: Pivoting and I want to pitch, but at the same time I feel like I'm pivoting is too unknown and what I might pitch may not be relevant.
[00:09:27] Gloria: What do you recommend? So you're allowed to [00:09:30] pivot, right? We have so many people in the starter pack, like Tanisha, like Vincent, who now have gone on to, to like sell their companies and get new companies. That's fine. And that's what I love about pitching is. It's really about your story, about your why, about your mission, about your values.
[00:09:43] Gloria: You're not pitching to sell your product and who it's for and how much it is, right? So the more it starts to sound more like a product brochure or a business brochure It's probably not going to get featured what I love about earned media It's really communicating your values your expertise your point of view and how you're different And so that's what I mean by like [00:10:00] it's it's okay if you pivot everyone pivots.
[00:10:02] Gloria: I pivot everyone else here pivots That's really kind of another thing that you put Between you and the send button that we just really need to get, get away because we're always pivoting. Like even the new source that you're, you're pitching to like they're pivoting to, so it's fine to pivot.
[00:10:17] Gloria: My product is launching in January.
[00:10:19] Gloria: What is the best time to pitch?
[00:10:21] Gloria: It will be available on Amazon and our site in November.,
Victoria
[00:10:25] Victoria: Now, literally now we have one more month until November. We are receiving pitches for [00:10:30] Valentine's Day. It's crazy to think about, but that's really what's happening especially for January. It's, it's kind of overwhelming when we're doing a lot of gift guides and we're doing a lot of Black Friday and last minute gifts.
[00:10:44] Victoria: There are there are only so many hours in a day and we can't focus eight hours a day, five days a week, just on gift guides just on Q4, we are thinking ahead to January and we are thinking ahead to how we can make like our coverage next year, bigger [00:11:00] and better and package it in different ways. So if there's a new product.
[00:11:04] Victoria: New products do so well in January. So the fact that the product is coming to retailers in January is already a home run, in my opinion, because people are looking for new ways to shop. They're looking for new beauty routines. They're looking for new sustainable brands new eco friendly brands.
[00:11:20] Victoria: They're thinking about their shopping habits in January. So I would say now so well and then, you know, whether or not there's a larger conversation about that pitch, [00:11:30] it may have to wait until the new year, but at least we know from the get go that we can start planning ahead of time.
[00:11:39] Gloria: Hey, small business hero.
[00:11:40] Gloria: Did you know that you can get featured for free on outlets like Forbes, the New York times Marie Claire, pop sugar, and so many more, even if you're not yet launched or if you don't have. That's right. That's why I invite you to watch my PR Secrets Masterclass, where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping [00:12:00] small businesses use to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being a credible and sought after industry expert.
[00:12:07] Gloria: Now, if you want to land your first press feature, get on a podcast, secure a VIP speaking gig, or just reach out to that very intimidating editor, this class will show you exactly how to do it. Register now at GloriaChaoPR. com slash masterclass. That's Gloria Chao, C H O U P R dot com slash masterclass. So you can get featured in 30 days without spending a penny on ads or agencies.
[00:12:32] Gloria: Best of all, this is completely free. So get in there and let's get you featured.