The Secret to DIY PR and How I got into Cosmopolitan magazine
My DIY PR Journey
The buzzer rang. I entered the room my heart pounding, clutching my product, not ready to pitch.
Sat at the end of the room on a long table was the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, the founder of London’s hottest co-working space and the former CEO of Hearst UK.
F**k this is like Dragon’s Den. There was even an X on the floor telling me where to stand.
The scene: Cosmopolitan Magazine Self Made Summit in London. 60 founders pitching for national press coverage and free office space at London’s trendiest co-working space.
It’s my real-life example of DIY PR for my small business: entering a competition for entrepreneurs that I happened to read about in Cosmopolitan magazine. I wanted coverage and I wanted to work in a cool co-working space for free!
Judge 1: I know you.
Judge 2: I know you too.
Third judge was thinking who the f**k is this person. Why don’t I know her?
I smiled. I had no idea who would be in the room but I had spent the last 8 weeks going to every founders event in London under the sun. I couldn’t afford a PR agency so I had rolled my sleeves up, taken the DIY PR approach for my small business and got out there!
Now it was paying off.
All I had to do was speak and show the product.
And I did.
I loved my packaging. And my product.
Judge 3: I really like your packaging and the gift box.
Here’s the deal. First impressions count.
So what’s the secret to DIY PR?
You can’t pitch something that is totally sh*t and then expect results.
People know when they’re looking at a crap product, especially these guys.
Flashback to the previous 6 months and I was obsessed with feedback on my product: I sent one to the founder of the travel company, Mr and Mrs Smith, a lovely lady called Tamara, and asked what’s your feedback?
Well, I hope you don’t find this offensive but I thought your packaging would be crap given you’re a start up, but it’s fantastic.
What I hadn’t told Tamara was that I had been to the homes of my very first MVP customers, watched intently as they opened their plain boxes, and noted every single reaction and what I would change to make that unboxing experience fantastic.
I had competitor packaging delivered to my father and recorded his every word on video to capture instant reactions. I listened to his comments on repeat.
I held a workshop on packaging with entrepreneurs to discuss the pros and cons of every part of the box.
All that effort for just two boxes.
We haven’t even touched on the service or the product inside the box.
Fast forward 4 months and I was one of 10 founders that day selected from the pitch. Hello big 4 page feature in Cosmopolitan magazine, sales and calls from other journalists.
The DIY PR approach works. Not sure where to start with this?
Download my 10 steps to getting into the media guide.
It shows step by step how I got my business featured in the media.
But going back to that Cosmopolitan pitch, here’s my secret from that day:
Those boxes sealed the deal in that pitch.
What’s the lesson here if you’re taking DIY PR route for your small business?
Make your product brilliant and one that you are proud to show off.
Once you’ve done that, then seek out how you’re going to promote it.
Why?
Because you know deep down in your heart, you’ve done your best and you’re ready to tell the world that.
Don’t promote it until then.
P.S. When I focused on the DIY approach to PR for my business I managed to get my start up featured in 14 pieces of online press, including the Harvard Business Review.
It made a huge difference.
Here’s a freebie showing you exactly how I did it!
Download it now and let’s start getting your business out there.