Hell Yeahs and Uh Ohs

This week’s hype lessons. What would you do differently?

Out in one of the local picture-perfect villages for dinner this week

Hello,

How are we all doing?

One of my best PR hacks? You won’t like this.

Read more. Consume more. Scroll more.

Just do it intentionally, yeah?

This isn’t mindless scrolling on a screen, it’s intentionally seeing what is trending, what the most-read topic is, and what stories are doing well. It might give you an idea for a pitch, to newsjack, or to share a lesson.

Ultimately, raising your profile is an art in storytelling.

I wanted to show you two things that caught my attention from my own intentional scrolling this week as examples of hype I think we can all learn from.

P.S. I hyped myself by pitching for two of the opportunities from last weeks mini-directory. Have you checked it yet?

Hell Yeah

You might recall Mr. Bingo who made a name for himself making hate mail via postcards he drew.

He has an iconic cheeky irreverence in everything he creates. And his About Page is a masterclass in how he stays true to his own brand.

Last Thursday, he delivered another shareable hype moment when he announced he was having an email day.

The engagement on the post was high, with numerous comments.

This alone made me think it was just a great way for him as an artist to connect with his community, but then the fail was what was even better…..

1. The play on it being an official statement juxtaposed with his tone of voice

2. The honesty in the experimentation in public

3. I’ve not seen anyone else do anything like this

When it comes to hype, I’m always trying to shake people out of thinking it is about a big creative campaign or sending out a press release.

This was a quick, inexpensive awareness campaign that (just like me, now writing it up) has become a little story in its own right.

What can you do to promote yourself this week that costs nothing and is true to you? How can you make it fun?

As an aside, I regularly cite Mr. Bingos Kickstarter campaign as the best I’ve ever seen. Check it out.

Uh Oh.

You may have spotted the “couple caught at Coldplay” trending in the news or on your social media feed.

Whilst I’m a big fan of newsjacking, some of the ways I’ve seen people rehashing this story to plug their own services has felt like grasping at strawers.

It doesn’t feel funny, clever or an informative take. It feels a bit more of shoehorning your way into the narrative when it doesn’t align with who you are.

HR or crisis PR people commenting on the situation makes more sense.

While jumping on the news for your own spin is a great idea, really consider if it’s a good fit. (And remember you don’t have to follow every trend.)

Last two slots for my creative writing retreat

If you are already drowning in the summer madness and craving some time and space for yourself, there are two cabins left for my creative writing retreat.

There will be creative prompts, space to write whatever you need AND I’m working on a deep dive workshop for you to leave with a personal story pitch (the most underrated form of creative writing) that you can use as you like afterwards for fun, for podcasts, for press, for finding an agent…. whatever you need.

Found this useful? I’m still rebounding from having my publication wiped, so feel free to share.