Get Ink DIY Blog

About (Not) Giving Up

When it comes to doing your own PR, getting started is hard. But keeping going is even harder.

At the beginning, you are all fired up and motivated, pitching away. But then you get a no, or two, or three, or worse, don't hear anything back at all. Poof, the energy and motivation drains.

But motivation is a myth. It fades more quickly than your summer tan. The tricky thing about PR is it doesn’t take a lot of effort, it only requires a little bit of time here and there - but consistently. And staying consistent is hard, really hard. It takes commitment to stick with it, not just when you’re fired up, but when you’re busy, tired and overwhelmed with life and work stuff.

There is no instant gratification. PR is a marathon, not a sprint. It needs to become part of your business routine like paying your bills or posting on social media. You have to show up and keep showing up, even, or especially if you’re not seeing results. Because they are likely just...

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To Communicate - or Not

business public relations Jul 06, 2020

I have been on the fence about whether or not to address this topic because, honestly, I wasn’t quite sure about what I would say. We live in a complex time and there is no easy, straight forward way to approach it. The pandemic, the racial reckoning, the political mess - it’s a lot to deal with for us as humans and communicators.

We’ve had conversations about this on my weekly coaching call for my Design PR Insider Membership, and I very much appreciate everyone’s perspective. Not having grown up here in the U.S., I sometimes feel like I am missing some of the experience and history that inform people’s perceptions of the issue who have always lived here, especially when it comes to the BLM issue. But I am open and ready to learn. 

As a communicator, here is what I would say to you if you have a design business or another business in an industry not directly related to any of the hot topics:

  • As a rule, always communicate openly and honestly. If...
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Why Self Promotion Is Hard

business public relations Jun 29, 2020

For over  20 years I have been promoting businesses, products, services, people, causes. From sports (soccer, of course!) to banks to mobile service providers to aids organizations to tech start-ups to engineered wood and designy things and people. Making other people and things look good in the media and elsewhere has been my professional life, and it’s gotten to be fairly easy because after a while you’ve mastered the tricks and tools and have built the relationships.

My comfort zone is in the background, coaching people what to say and do. I’m good at that. I have media trained plenty of top executives and savvy business folks, written presentations and speeches up the wazoo and organized countless media interviews.

Now, running a business of my own - starting with a direct sales business years ago and leading into my current consulting gig - has challenged me in different ways. Is still challenging me!

Not surprisingly, it’s much easier to help other...

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Spreadsheets - Love or Hate?

business public relations Jun 22, 2020

Do you love or hate spreadsheets?

To me, this is a purely rhetorical question. Like everyone else in their right mind, I DESPISE spreadsheets. With a passion. Opening Excel makes my skin itch and my face fall asleep. Could there be anything more boring and tedious? 

Okay, maybe bookkeeping or doing tax stuff… Am I right, or am I right?

(If you fall into the spreadsheet lover camp, good for you, weirdo! You probably already have a master spreadsheet that tracks more things than I can think of. I don’t know how you do it, but I have the utmost respect and maybe wish I could be just a little bit more like you...)

That being said, I actually do use spreadsheets, albeit reluctantly, because tracking is supercritical in PR as in every kind of business. I even have fancy PR software that is supposed to do it for me, but honestly, it leaves a lot to be desired, and I often find that it’s more effective to keep it simple (the Get Ink DIY mantra!) and set up a basic...

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Don't Be Shy

media public relations Jun 15, 2020

My job as a PR pro fundamentally consists of connecting my clients and/or their stories with the media and other audiences. Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit like a relationship counselor as I am realizing that there are some fundamental misunderstandings from both sides, but especially from the designer’s point of view.

When I talk with journalists in the design space and how they work with interior designers, they usually tell me a lot of the same things:

  • They are always, always looking for content (good content).
  • They like to connect with designers they don’t know (yet).
  • They like to get pitched with new projects and stories (that are a good fit for their publication.)

All great news, isn’t it?!

When I talk with interior designers who are interested in getting PR, I also hear a lot of the same things:

  • The media always feature the same people.
  • And what publication do I choose? 
  • How do I know who to reach out to?
  • And...
  • And...

And then the biggie:

  • ...
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So, you want to be on the Oprah Show?

media public relations Jun 09, 2020

So often people have their mind set on being featured in a certain media outlet. Amongst my PR team the running joke for many years was "Why don't we get it on the Oprah Show?" I have to admit, it was sort of a relief when the show ended because our clients stopped asking to be on it! 

In my defense, I did get one product on the show. It was a segment with Nate Berkus and he was showing off our highly sophisticated electronic Kohler DTV shower system at the Harpo Studios in Chicago. The only problem was that the display we brought along was not designed to be briskly moved around since it had an open tank of water. So when the stagehands moved it, or rather yanked it, from backstage onto the studio floor, the engineer I had brought along and I were sweating bullets and praying that the whole thing wasn't going to short-circuit because the water spilled over. It didn't, all went well, but I don't recall many times in my life when I was more nervous....

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Do Your Thing

While the world around us is swiftly moving from one crisis to the next, I have chosen to focus on what I can control.

Not to say that it's not unsettling. It is. And I have lots of opinions. But that's what they are, opinions.

I used to love arguing with people and trying to convince them that I was RIGHT and they were WRONG. Then I realized that everyone has their own truth, which is simply an opinion - and I learned to respect that. (For the most part...)

It might seem trivial and superficial but launching my new Design PR Insider Membership during this flat-out crazy time has helped keep me grounded.

Working with my group of founding members already has given me real joy because I can tell that I can make a small difference in a tiny corner of this world, and people appreciate it. We're not tackling racial inequality or curing a disease, but the world can use every bit of positive energy we can create and spread.

So much for the world-changing power of DIY PR, one small happy...

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The Temptations of the Pandemic

business public relations May 12, 2020

Turn on the radio, the TV (okay, not Netflix, TV news!), open any of your social media accounts, and you are flooded with articles and reports about the new coronavirus. It is of course a topic that is top of mind for all of us, as I am writing this at my kitchen table under "Safer at Home" orders from the Wisconsin governor. I haven't been to the grocery store in almost two weeks. My fridge and pantry have never been this empty, but at least I have enough toilet paper for another month or so...

As a PR and social media consultant, I am helping my clients navigate this time by creating messaging and content for employees and the media. Luckily all of them are considered essential businesses and can continue to operate, even if at a reduced capacity. I also help my husband run social media for his restaurant, which presents a whole other set of challenges.

The one thing all of them have in common is that we have to find a way to keep communicating and promoting our businesses in a...

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Why Back to Basics is the Magic Bullet for PR

public relations Apr 26, 2020

In my 20 plus years in PR on both the corporate and the agency side, I've seen it all. And I hate it when people say that because there is always more to learn! What I mean is I have worked for and with freelance consultants, small agencies and large agencies. My clients have included building products, design, startups, small businesses, telecom, banking, non-profit, you can pretty much name it. That is not to brag, just to lend some credibility to what I am saying.

PR is very simple. It can seem complicated and overwhelming, and it certainly can be. We PR people are really good at making things look good and impressive. We can create dozens of pages of briefings, plans, messaging and reports. Especially on the agency side - because you know what, we get paid by the hour. (Even when there is a retainer, it's still based on the number of hours you work.) We can make it look amazing, beautifully laid out and presented. So clients buy into this beautiful plan.

Great. But what about...

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