Full Swing Public Relations

Did you know only 2% of women-owned businesses ever gross seven figures or more? That’s effed up. And only 36% of experts quoted in the U.S. news media are women. Too often, the women quoted are overwhelmingly white, straight, and cisgender. That’s not okay with us. It doesn’t reflect our #democracy, who leads in our communities, or whose story and expertise deserve to be heard. It’s much harder to make money when you don’t have a public platform, and it’s nearly impossible to build a public platform without money. So when Caitlin Copple and Holly Conti attended the Seven Figure Founder Retreat hosted by Create & Cultivate last month, their reason for attending with fellow women entrepreneurs goes back to our why: 1️⃣ Changing who knows how to generate wealth; 2️⃣ Changing whose story counts in the news media. Because you can’t be what you don’t see. #ReclaimYourPower #WomenLeadership #WomenOwnedBiz #WomenHelpingWomenEntrepreneurs

Raise a ✋if you think exposure = sales. You’re not the only one. We often see seven- and eight-figure business owners think that top-tier media placements in the likes of the Times or Good Morning America will lead to a windfall of sales. While exposure is great, it doesn't always mean you’re reaching the right people or that folks feel compelled (or ready) to buy from you. To gain more meaningful opportunities with your ideal audience, you need to show up where your people already are. Find niche publications–industry publishers, media outlets, podcasts –with a dedicated audience that mirrors your target audience. This will help ensure your press wins don’t get lost in the media landscape shuffle and actually resonate with the people who will move the needle on your business goals. 📷: PR Girl Manifesto. #PRTips #PublicRelations

Did you know our founder Caitlin Copple, never took a PR class in her life? Hold up–how are she and Holly Conti running a seven-figure PR agency that made this year's Inc.'s Regional fastest-growing list?  This is (like a fourth of) Caitlin’s founder story. Caitlin started her career in PR as a journalism major. During her time writing, Caitlin learned the ins and outs of the news cycle, including how journalists think, write, and make editorial decisions. She also saw the overwhelming amount of stories and sources in the media that were often told through a white, cisgender, heterosexual, and male lens. This didn't sit right with her because it didn't reflect the full breadth of our #Democracy, so she set on her path to help underrecognized leaders be seen and sought after in the news media. Oh, and did we also mention she was elected to the Missoula, Montana, City Council at the age of 27, becoming the first openly queer person to be elected to that body? Fast-forward a few years, and Caitlin and Holly have bootstrapped Full Swing and built it into a seven-figure business that helps underrecognized leaders be seen and sought after so we can shift who holds the mic. Because who holds the mic holds power, and its due time that we:  ✨ Change who knows how to generate wealth; ✨ Change whose story counts in the news media. #WomenEmpoweringWomen #WomenOwnedBusiness #LGBTQOwned #QueerOwned

Meaningful PR isn’t measured by how many press releases you send. Impactful PR for small business owners comes down to PR acting as a tool in our #Democracy, shifting who has wealth and power in our country. Whether that’s increasing the number of physicians in rural communities or helping more women get elected, we love working with our clients to change who holds the mic in our democracy. #FourthOfJuly #DemocracyForAll #ReclaimYourPower

What next? What happens after you get that coveted press clip you’ve been dreaming of in the Times or Good Morning America?  What happens after your interview or feature is seen by thousands or millions of potential clients?  You need to connect the dots between publicity and sales. (Or you can hire a kickass PR team to do this for you 😉.) Here are three ways to take the attention created through earned media and turn it into revenue: Your website. First, make sure your website is set up to handle the traffic a clip can generate. (You don’t want to break the internet like Beyoncé). Your lead magnet or “freebie”. Next, ensure you capture this newfound attention by having folks sign up for your lead magnet or join your email list, where you can continue to nurture the relationship with your audience. Your offer. Is the problem you solve for your clients, and how they can they hire you, crystal clear? If you haven't updated your website copy in a few years, this is your time to refresh it and communicate what pressing problem you solve for your clients. P.S. Thanks Fatou B. Barry and The PR Girl Manifesto for hosting Caitlin Copple and Holly Conti in their #AMA series! 📷: PR Girl Manifesto. #PublicRelationsTips #PRStrategy #PRExpert

Green flags to look for in your next PR relationship: 🏳️🟢 Your PR agency is crystal clear on your business objectives. Do you want 4x as many discovery client calls a month as you do now? Do you want to pre-sell 10,000 books before publication? Your PR partner needs to be clued in on these goals to help you reach them. 🏳️🟢 Your PR agency prioritizes consistency. As a CEO or business owner, you can’t do all the things. Don’t be the bottleneck preventing the approval of social media posts or email newsletters. Consistency is queen, and once a plan is approved and the brand tone is set, let the professionals do what they do best. 🏳️🟢 Your PR agency is a gate opener. While we value the 80% of our Rocketship Retainer clients who stay with us for multiple years, we also don’t mind working ourselves out of a job. We’re here to teach you (and your team) how to “be the news” and think like an editor so you can start taking PR in-house. #PublicRelations #PublicRelationsTips

Extreme Renovation. Exceptional Journey. Breaking New Ground premieres June 27 on Max. #BreakingNewGround #StreamOnMax We’re seriously pumped to see our dear friend, Full Swing cheerleader, and speaking coach Robert Hartwell go live today with the first-ever #HomeRenovation show starring and produced by a Black gay man, Breaking New Ground on Max! Watch party, anyone?

Not all media wins are created equal. When it comes to publicity, everyone wants the big-name news features. We get that. (And we go after those, too.) But most of our seven- and eight-figure small business owner clients come to us because they: - Want a healthier sales pipeline, - Crave integrated PR and digital marketing that ensures they have 4x the number of client leads they need to hit their revenue goals, - Want metrics around how many 👀they need to reach to ensure they book the right number of consultations. For these clients, bottom-line business results matter more than chasing headlines for a short-lived ego stroke. That niche masthead might not be as sexy, but it just might be the type of media that will move the needle on your business from the inside out, where it really counts. As you create your PR wish list, ask yourself this question before filling it with only top-tier pubs: ⭐ What are the blogs, newsletters, or podcasts in your industry with 100,000 dedicated subscribers? Go after ☝️ instead of just those with millions because they: - Likely have a strong influence over their audience, - Boast a reach that is large enough to make an impact but not so big that you get lost in the shuffle. After you’ve selected a couple of these media sources to target, start engaging with their content on social media, through reviews, and by replying to their emails. Listen and read what topics and people they feature, and you’ll be well-positioned to make a strong pitch for yourself or your business. #PRTips #NoBasicPitches #WomenHelpingWomenEntrepreneurs

With 78% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, it's time to address the issue of financial freedom. Watch Arlan Hamilton in "Our America in TheBlack" as she leads powerful conversations with influential guests. Tune in on ABC News!

As PR gate-openers, here's one of our favorite tactics for making headlines for our clients (and ourselves): ➡️Newsjacking. Newsjacking is like hijacking but for news (and it's legal).  It refers to a marketing technique where you can piggyback on the public's interest in a particular topic or event and toss out your unique perspective or initiative, tying it back to the news that's being covered regardless. Here are three ways to effectively newsjack a story. Consider:  👉 What news is breaking or likely to break soon? How are you or your business connected to the story being told? 👉 What stories in your industry or issue area are trending right now? What's not being said that should be? 👀 👉 Who is getting covered in the news media from your industry? Map out what they are doing that you're not, and figure out how to replicate it. The news cycle is happening, whether or not you participate. So, find creative ways to jump in as an expert source, share your unique perspective, and increase your brand visibility while connecting with your audience in real-time. #PR101 #NoBasicPitches #PRStrategy