📣 #011: Why do you need to read more?

The next edition from the 52 PR Tips challenge: prompts, tips & templates to help you Hype Yourself.

Hiya 🌊! I’m Lucy from Hype Yourself. If you are new to this page, pop your email below to ensure you receive my posts sent every Sunday. You will receive a selection of posts from the 52 PR Tips challenge, personal essays and other good things on self-promotion and creative living.

WELCOME TO THE 52 PR TIPS CHALLENGE - TASK 11

Have you ever sent a pitch to a newspaper or magazine and not received a reply?

Have you wondered why your peers are getting press coverage, and you are struggling to get your *insert relevant item here* featured?

*book / retreat / award-win / new website / new product / new service

Are you struggling with knowing what to say about your business?

This week’s card pull is about how reading (or listening/viewing our target publications) can help us improve our promotion.

You are what you read

Become an expert in your niche. Pick five publications and read / listen to / watch them religiously. This will give you guidance on how and where to pitch. 

🎁 Doing things differently

When I worked in London PR agency land, teams were often split between b2b (business to business) or b2c (business to consumer), but I always liked to straddle both.

Why?

Knowing both types of stories meant I could often cross-sell.

As I was not just looking at trade publications or lifestyle magazines, I could develop better ideas on where to place stories — it gave me more opportunities.

📣 Putting yourself where you don’t belong became my specialism.

And reading new publications was the secret to my success.

Question: Why can reading help you?

• If you are trying to promote yourself in the same places as your peers

• You're getting jealous because your Instagram pal is getting loads of opportunities, and you can seem to land one

• Feel like you are just doing the same as everyone else with nothing original to say

Answer: Reading is going to help with all of these.

• If you trying to promote yourself in the same places as your peers

  Find new places to appear

• You're getting jealous because your Instagram pal is getting loads of opportunities, and you can seem to land one
  Put your attention in new directions that could lead to new opportunities

• Feel like you are just doing the same as everyone else with nothing original to say

  Position yourself as a thought leader and pull yourself away from the rest of the pack
  

This week, we are going to take a look at the following:

• How to get started: Tips on where else to look

• Tips from an editor: What is the role of an editor, and how to approach one