DIY PR FOR BLOGGERSWordCamp San Antonio

January 24, 2015

Marjorie R. Asturias @marj_asturias

What is PR?

“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between

organizations and their publics.”

- The Public Relations Society of America, prsa.org

The Ego Slide

What is HARO?

Help a Reporter Out:

helpareporter.com

HARO Sample

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Elements of an Effective Pitch Letter

• Concise but comprehensive

• Personalized

• Laser-focused

• Did I mention concise?

• Informative

• Professional

Organizing Your Media Kit

• Photograph(s), including your own headshot, blog logo.

• Short and long bios

• Any media - one-pager with lists of your previous media mentions, articles, etc. (optional)

• Statistics about your blog, including target audience, reader demographics, social media presence

• Pitch letter template

• One-page description of your blog: theme, brief history/background, list of most popular posts,

After the Pitch

Should you follow up?

Yes.

And no.

The Interview

• Email interview

• Respond as soon as possible

• Proofread! Have a 2nd set of eyes review and proofread

• Concise

• Thank you

• Phone interview

• Practice

• Return their call ASAP, especially the bigger media outlets

• Concise, friendly but professional

• Thank you

After the Interview

• Yes, it’s okay to follow up.*

• Ask for an mp3 or PDF and permission to embed on your site, if possible.

• Email your subscribers.

• Post on your site, both in a blog post and in your Media page.

• Announce on all of your social media sites.

• Add it to your Media Kit!

• Tell Mom.

* After the deadline has passed.

How Not to Do PR

• Focus your pitch on how great you and/or your blog is

• Ignore the reporter’s specific pitch requests and requirements

• Call without permission to do so

• Be a pest

• Neglect to provide value

Q&A

Marjorie R. Asturias

myinnerfrenchgirl.com

@marj_asturias

marjorie@myinnerfrenchgirl.com