Catriona Pollard

PR and Social Media Expert

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Ever get stuck when asked what you do?

By Catriona Pollard Leave a Comment

FUTE Tip 145

Recently I had a journalist email us to let us know that an interview we had set up for him was a disaster. He said the interviewee couldn’t articulately describe what his company did.

The journalist had to interpret the responses, and it resulted in incorrect information about the company being published. Luckily it was an online publication so we got it changed. But it wasn’t the journalist’s fault, it was the interviewee’s.

Whether you’re trying to gain the interest of a potential customer, trying to get the attention of a journalist or simply explaining what you do, having a strong elevator statement is essential.

An elevator statement is a quick summary you use in any situation where you need to explain your business or what you do in a clear and concise manner.

It’s perfect to use when you need to explain to someone with limited knowledge of your industry what you do, how you do it and who you do it for. It should be simple, short, concise and easy to understand.

3 quick tips:

  1. Write down what you do. Get a pen and paper out and write what you do in different ways. Don’t be too particular at this stage as this first step is for generating ideas and getting a feel for descriptive words.
  2. Get another opinion. Once you have made necessary edits and perfected your statement to fit into a 30-60 second time frame, run it by as many people as you can. It helps to do this practice with people you trust that already have some understanding of what you do so they can best provide feedback.
  3. Practice, practice, practice. Now you have your final statement. Write it down and memorise it so you are comfortable delivering it in any situation.

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Filed Under: Personal Branding, Public Relations, Public Speaking Tagged With: Catriona Pollard, elevator pitch, elevator statement, Interview, speaking

My favourite podcast interviews

By Catriona Pollard Leave a Comment

FUTE tip 137

I love doing podcasts. Not my own…but being interviewed on other people’s podcasts. I find them super easy to do. I don’t need to do too much prep, put on makeup, or even leave my office. That’s a win, win, win!

And do you know what is fantastic about podcasters? They need content, all the time. If their show is weekly, they have to find somebody to interview every single week. And you can be that person.

The trick is you need a hook. Just like pitching to the media you have to show them you are an expert, that you have an interesting story to tell and you have great content to share.

I’ve loved every interview, but here are some of my favourite podcast interviews so far:

Inspiring Greatness with Shelley Rodgers – I tell my entrepreneur story, share thoughts on business and how to aspire to live a great life.

Business Addicts with Loren Bartley and Fiona Redding – I loved that they researched me and watched my TEDx talk before the interview. It resulted in a deep discussion about moving from unknown to expert.

Introvert Entrepreneur with Beth Buelow – I love how niche this podcast is – it knows what it’s about! I talk about the challenges I face as an introvert, how I realised that I was the only one holding myself back and that I was completely capable of introducing others to my vision.

Unclassified Woman with Michelle McGrath – So this gets pretty personal, but it’s such an important topic I was willing to share honestly about my life without children and how you are responsible for finding joy and beauty in your own life.

There are so many more great podcast interviews which you can listen to here. Learn how to find and pitch to podcasters here

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: Why @catrionapollard loves being interviewed on podcasts http://bit.ly/2b5Qje8

Filed Under: By Catriona Pollard, Personal Branding, Public Relations, Public Speaking, Thought Leadership Tagged With: Business addicts, Catriona Pollard, entrepreneur, From Unknown To Expert, inspiring greatness, interviews, Introverted Entrepreneur, podcast, podcast interview, unclassified woman

How to market a non-fiction book

By Catriona Pollard Leave a Comment

FUTE-TIP-102

Writing a book and sharing your opinion and expertise is an amazing achievement. But because there are so many non-fiction books available you have to seriously think about how you will market it – even if you have a publisher.

People do want to read your book but you need to be clever about how you get it into their hands. Just because it’s a new book isn’t enough to make it fly off the shelves or get thousands of downloads on Amazon. You need to have a strong marketing strategy to make the most of your literary creation.

Here are the steps you need to think about when marketing your book and getting it into the hands of your readers:

Develop a strategy
I know exactly how stressful and all-consuming producing a book can be, but you need to think about marketing from the moment you write your first word. You do need to take the time to develop a marketing strategy, trust me it will pay off in the long run.

Your strategy should be based on what your objectives are. Do you want to make money from selling your book? Are you going to use it as a tool to be seen as an expert? Are you hoping it will create new business opportunities for you? Whatever they are, your strategy needs to start here.

When you were planning and writing your book you probably already had a target audience in mind so you’re ahead of the game. Your strategy should also include time frames and measureable targets, for instance, by the end of the first six months I want to have ‘sold’ 1,000 books.

Find your tribe
While you may have identified your audience in the initial planning and writing phase, you need to dig a little deeper and understand their habits, who they are and how they consume information.

It is these insights which are going to help you develop tactics that will hopefully put your book in their hands. For instance, if you’re targeting mothers with young children, think about partnering with a popular family blogger and do a book giveaway.

Pre-promote yourself
Before your book is even launched start building your profile so your audience becomes familiar with who you are. Launching a book isn’t enough these days to put you on the map or build trust, you need profile – your book will resonate much more strongly if you’ve already built trust and credibility.

You can do this a number of ways, for instance, pitch yourself as an expert to journalists, develop a personal website, start blogging, get on social media – just make sure everything you do is related to your book and your audience.

Distribution
Think about how people will get a copy of your book. Will it be on Amazon, iTunes or in book stores?

I spent about 12 months building a database through free offers, Facebook ads and lead magnets on my websites and blogs, knowing that a database is key to my Unknown To Expert business model.

When I launched my book, From Unknown To Expert, I offered my database a copy of my book for free for a limited time, and I offered other products that relate to the book.

Another idea is to think about other organisations or people with customer bases similar to your target audience and see if you can do a deal about offering your book to their customer base.

Promote the book, continuously
It’s normal for a new book to get the most attention when it’s just published but marketing a book is a long term activity.

Use PR, social media, speaking, add it to your bio, give it out at networking events – keep looking for ways to get your book into the hands of the audience that matters to you. Create scarcity, do free book offers or bonus offers to keep interest piqued. Or maybe offer discounts at certain times, like the end of the financial year.

Having your book published is a major life achievement. Ensure you make the most of the opportunity and have in place a marketing plan that will help get your book read by the people that matter to you.

 

Filed Under: By Catriona Pollard, Personal Branding, Public Relations Tagged With: building a profile, launching a product, marketing a book, unknown to expert

Reap the rewards of sharing your opinions

By Catriona Pollard Leave a Comment

Rewards-1

I have a habit of reading the news before I get into work. In winter, I get up grab my iPad from the study and get back into bed and read various news sites. I may walk out onto the balcony and take a photo of the sunrise on the way… 😉

This habit makes me money. Seriously.  Let me tell you how.

One morning last week, I read that President Barrack Obama tweeted for the first time from @POTUS (President Of The United States). His first tweet caught the attention of ex-president Bill Clinton which evolved into a witty Twitter exchange between the two politicians:

Tweets

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think of this? A witty exchange between two leaders? Obama has a POTUS Twitter account, who cares?

I think….what a great story. I wonder if I can wrap an angle around it and pitch it out so I can make a media comment on it.

When I got into the office I pitched to a journalist at the AFR who writes about social media and technology. My clients (and potential clients) read the AFR, so that’s a good publication for me.

I wrote:

“I can explain how Obama is using Twitter as another vehicle to showcase his carefully crafted personal brand – one that is accessible and compelling to people from many walks of life. Obama has been very smart in his use of media, and now social media, to build a personal brand that shows him as human, intelligent, strong, patriotic, and someone who doesn’t mind making fun of himself.”

“I can discuss what business leaders can learn from Obama’s own personal brand and why it’s important when creating one to have a well thought out brand personality, brand messages and to stick to a specific niche. Please let me know if this is of interest, I’d love to chat with you”.

It got picked up immediately. I did the interview and it was syndicated across the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and NZ Business.

Then I got a call from a prospective client, asking me for a new business meeting, saying he had read the article and wanted to build his personal brand and business profile. Boom! This happens often when I’m featured in the media.

Your opinions, when shared with the media, can make you money. So start thinking about how you can pitch your ideas today!

PS. Want a bunch of cheat sheets on how to pitch to the media just like this? I have complied25 media pitches and 25 media releases that have resulted millions of dollars of media coverage in my Unknown To Expert Acceleration pack at unknowntoexpertfaster.com. Get your copy today!

Tweetable: Reap the rewards of sharing your opinions, ideas and content @catrionapollardhttp://bit.ly/1GzkNky

Fast track your journey from unknown to a recognised expert and thought leader! Buy Catriona’s book From Unknown To Expert: How to use clever PR and social media to become a recognised expert. Accelerate your personal brand with the Unknown To Expert Acceleration Pack, packed with media lists, blogger lists, blog posts and media releases formats which have generated millions of dollars in coverage, more than 73 templates and so much more. 

Filed Under: Business, Public Relations Tagged With: business, How to make money, media, Obama, opinions, PR, Public Relations, twitter

Getting inside the mind of a journalist

By Catriona Pollard Leave a Comment

There can be times when you know you have a great story, know it would be perfect for a certain outlet; so how can you get a journalist to read your media release over the hundreds they get in their inbox every day?

I took this question to one of Australia’s most respected and prolific freelance journalists, Valerie Khoo, to help you understand how to get into the mind of a journalist and get your story heard.

How does a journalist look for a story?
You have three paragraphs to make an impression. Valerie says, “I read the first three paragraphs properly and skim the rest.” If you haven’t put forward your case by then, or if your story really doesn’t make sense, your media release will be deleted!

However, if it does contain the seed of a good idea, or does have a strong angle, she will go to the next step and consider whether it is going to fit into the angles she is covering at the moment.

What does a newsworthy angle look like?
The media looks for stories that have news value. A newsworthy story has to have an angle that is topical – something that is relative to the time of year, month, season, an event or a trend that is topical at the moment.

If it isn’t topical, the story must be compelling and interesting. Typically, these are stories which appeal to human emotion and aim to evoke an emotional response, such as sadness or amusement.

What are the ultimate media release fails?

  • Spelling a name wrong (yes, it does happen!). The journalist is going to think, “They got a name wrong, what other incorrect facts are there?”
  • Pitching to a journalist who doesn’t cover that industry. They are never going to look at your media release when it isn’t relevant to them.
  • Burying your point in the media release. Remember, they aren’t reading past paragraph three.

Journalists want to hear from you! They have to write stories, so use this advice to pitch ideas that will get cut through and start offering yourself as an expert to the media today.

Here’s to seeing you in the spotlight.

Filed Under: Public Relations Tagged With: Interview, Journalist, PR Tips, Public Relations, Valerie Khoo

Why being vulnerable is powerful

By Catriona Pollard Leave a Comment

FUTE tip 61

I received an email from a reader of my book, which said:

It must have been difficult to be so honest about yourself, and at times, must have left you feeling emotionally naked. Very brave as it is your honesty that makes your book worthwhile reading.

We live in a world where bravery is often only seen as physical thing, such as jumping off a cliff face or running a marathon.

But it is also about being vulnerable. It’s about being prepared to discuss your weaknesses and failures. Vulnerability is intensely brave and powerful.

Having the courage to be honest and exposed when you tell your stories through the media and social media will make them so much more impactful. They will start resonating with people.

Also I believe we all have stories to tell that will help others in some way. We have experienced situations through our lives that should be shared because others will benefit from it.

When you start telling your stories and sharing your expertise because it is helping the people who are listening or reading it, you will be amazed with the emotional connection that you start building with people and the relationships you start developing – because you’re positively impacting their lives.

As Dr. Brené Brown says, “Vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage… When we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives and our work.”

Telling my story honestly was a brave act for me. Writing From Unknown To Expert put me in an incredibly vulnerable place, open to criticism and failure.

But from my point of view, sitting on the couch just wishing I had the courage to write a book or take that next leap into the spotlight was even more of a failure than trying and not succeeding.

Don’t hide your light. Shine your light. What can you do today that can uncover some of the stories you can tell that highlights your personal brand and who you are?

 

Filed Under: Branding, My Passions, Public Relations, Social Media, Thought Leadership

This is what can happen when you don’t take ‘no’ for an answer

By Catriona Pollard 2 Comments

Don't take no for an answer

I caught up with a work friend for lunch the other day. We haven’t seen each other in years but we’ve stayed in contact through social media. He made a really interesting comment to me. He said: “You’re a survivor”.

He is right. I’m a survivor. I can’t even tell you how tough it has been establishing my business and building my profile over the last decade, but I stuck with it and didn’t give up. (Oh how I wanted to so many times and I’ve made massive sacrifices during this time.)

I was brought up pretty tough. My parents instilled in me the belief I can achieve anything I put my mind to. They also taught me to never, ever give up. I do think there are times where giving up is valid, but it’s also important to question if it’s worth pushing through.

Don’t accept the status quo

You probably know by now that I’m passionate about being open to ‘yes’. But the other side of this is there are times you have to not accept ‘no’.

It’s not easy. In fact, it can be incredibly tough. But too many people give up after their first ‘no’ and don’t persist.

Here are my tips on what to do if you’re faced with a ‘no’.

Don’t take it personally

If I took every ‘no’ I’ve heard in my career, I would literally still be sitting in my sunroom trying to work out what to do! If you receive a ‘no’, recognise it’s not all about you. Remove yourself from the equation so you don’t let a ‘no’ stop you from achieving your goals.

Look for new opportunities

In my mind, if I hear a ‘no’, I think it’s just an opportunity to do something different. You are surrounded by new opportunities every day, but it’s likely you’re not seeing them. Take a moment to reflect and consider what else is possible for you right now.

Change direction

Recently, when a well known Australian publication rejected one of my articles, I decided to change direction and aim for the biggest international publication I know – The Huffington Post. The funny thing is, this one rejection lead me to an even bigger opportunity I didn’t have before. (And now I’m an official  Huffington Post blogger.)

Watch out for the ‘nos’ you give yourself

I hate doing video. Hate it. I had told myself I couldn’t do video. Last month I signed up to the online video challenge #Vidtember and posted one video every day. Would you believe me if I said I love doing video now? (You can check out all my #Vidtember videos here.)

Get support

Sometimes when you are challenging the status quo, you need to get the support of great people. Without my amazing team, my supportive friends and family, and my mastermind group I probably would have given up a long time ago. Make sure you reach out for support when you’re pushing through a ‘no’ to help you get to the next level.

Take action

Without action there are no results. So when it comes down to it, you have to take action to achieve success. Sometimes you have to face the fear and do it anyway. But most importantly, you have to just take action.

So ask yourself, where in your business and life will you not take no for an answer?

Get my BRAND new book and fast track your journey from unknown to a recognised expert and thought leader! From Unknown To Expert: How to use clever PR and social media to become a recognised expert is available at www.unknowntoexpert.com

Filed Under: Business, Public Relations, Thought Leadership

Take the time to figure out your personal brand

By Catriona Pollard Leave a Comment

What's your personal brand?

What make you unique? It’s really worth taking some time to think about this question.

Figuring out what make you unique – your personal brand – is a great way to stand out from the people and businesses around you.

A personal brand is the set of characteristics or qualities which shape you and set you apart. It’s what can define you as a leader in business or in your career and building your personal brand helps carve out your niche as a thought leader and expert.

What are people saying about you?

Personal branding is how you market yourself to others. Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not around. It’s what you’re known for.

People are talking about you when you’re not in the room, whether you like it or not. So you need to be intentional about creating your brand, or others will create it for you.

What is your personal brand?

Think about how those closest to you, your customers and your work colleagues would describe you.

Do they describe you as you describe yourself? Do they see you as a leader? Be mindful of the experiences others have with you and ensure they match the impression you wish to set.

Positioning yourself as an expert and adding value consistently to those who follow you leads to credibility and trust. This trust in you personally flows over into trust for your business, so they go hand in hand.

If you invest time in building your personal brand it will help build your business, or career. When you share your knowledge freely you will be able to watch your opportunities expand.

Amplify your personal brand

Public relations can be the difference between being a well recognised expert and thought leader in your niche and just wishing you are.

Public relations is the art of storytelling. Every person, brand and organisation has a story to tell and amazing stories deserve a good audience.

Stories can be personal stories, professional stories, stories that let people know who we are, what we stand for, what we do.

And when we start telling our stories, they start resonating with people. Those people start developing relationships with us and start influencing and amplifying your role as an expert and thought leader.

Every expert has so many stories to tell which will interest influencers and the media.

The trick is to identify your stories and then see them through the eyes of the editors, journalists and program directors. When packaged in a way that the media expect, you have a much better chance of getting the media coverage you need to promote yourself.

Anything from an innovation, new book, to a childhood memory has news potential if it’s packaged correctly. And it has absolutely no news value if it isn’t released to the media at all!

Social your brand

The online world gives you an amazing opportunity to brand yourself, and separate yourself from the crowd.

Build your personal brand on LinkedIn or Twitter by sharing interesting insights about your industry and watch your following grow and your fans become more loyal. Or start blogging about your area of expertise. Before long your reputation as a thought leader will precede you.

Speaking at key events, securing media coverage in the outlets your customers read and sharing your knowledge through writing a book are additional ways to establish yourself as a key influencer.

Continually investing in your personal brand will ensure you stand out from your competition. It is through elevating yourself above others in your industry that people will clamor to work with you. When managed well, your personal brand is an asset that can make all the difference to your business.

Filed Under: Branding, Business, Public Relations, Thought Leadership Tagged With: branding, personal brand, social your brand

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About Catriona Pollard

Catriona Pollard - PR and Social Media Expert
Catriona Pollard, social media and PR expert

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FROM UNKNOWN TO EXPERT

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