Signs that media is the next logical step for you

There are some specific signs that will show you that now is the time for you to step into the media spotlight. This is what Catherine Ball and I talk about in today’s episode of Dauntless PR Unfiltered.

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome to Dauntless PR Unfiltered. What we're going to talk about today are the signs that media is the next logical step for you and your brand.

Speaker 0:12

So there's quite a few different things that we could cover here. I think one of the first things that I really want to say is that it's about having something to say. That's going to sound very obvious, but a burning desire to share your message, what you have to say, your expertise, not just with the people that you already know, your small circle, your existing customers, but a desire to make an impact and share that message with more and more people and really get it out into the world. That would be one of the first signs, I think, that really the media and PR is a good strategy.

Speaker 1 1:04

It's having substance, isn't it? And like feeling that pull to want to break out of that existing bubble. And that existing bubble could already be a pretty large one.

Speaker 1:18

Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:19

But all of the same, it's the same ecosystem. So it's it's breaking out of that. So I definitely think that having that substance and the desire is most of it.

Speaker 1:33

I think a big part of what I want people to understand when we're talking about the media is that we don't mean it as an alternative to social media. It is complements it, it is something that will work in tandem with your social media. So when you're ready, it will possibly be different for each person. You know, some people might not be ready until they already have quite a big social media following. Other people might be ready when they've got quite a small one. It's about wanting to reach beyond that. And also really wanting to, I think the one of the words that always comes up a lot when we talk to people is impact, wanting to make an impact, wanting people to not just reach the people who are going to directly work with you, although obviously you are going to want to reach those people and change their lives, but you've got things to say that you want that ripple effect that you can reach people that you might never meet, that you might never speak to, but you want to make an impact and you want to change things and really share whether that is advice on something, whether that's sharing a kind of an ethos or a principle that you have, or whatever your message is, is really wanting to get that beyond just the people that you can directly work with on a one-to-one basis.

Speaker 1 3:07

Yes, and business-wise, it's like people tend to think a lot of the time that it depends on earning a certain amount, having a certain amount of followers on socials or some other figures, like that isn't it. It's having your business to a place where it's established enough where you're not worried about where the next sale is going to come from. Like if you're still overly focused on trying to build your systems and everything like that, then you're probably not going to get the most out of it. Not that it's going to do you harm, but just if you've passed that point where you're not like frantically worrying about where the next sale is coming from, you your business is established, you know your audience, you know your message, and bearing in mind that these things are constantly evolving. You're never going to be at a point where you say, Yes, I'm certain about who I know my ideal clients. Exactly. I'm certain on my whole message. Like that point is never going to come, but it's having it at a point where everything's already working, it's already flowing. And then what PR is going to do is it's going to amplify what's already working. So if something's broken in the business, PR isn't going to fix it. But if something's already working, then PR is going to make it work better, it's going to be more effective, it's going to be easier.

Speaker 4:47

Yeah, I think a big thing as well is feeling comfortable in your own skin and willing to be authentically you. And this is something that people obviously come to at very different stages of their lives. So some people are pretty much born like that, and they're just like they're them and they're unapologetically them, and they will say things. Other people have a much longer journey to get to that point. One thing I will say is the best way to go into the media is to feel like you can own your stories, that you're happy with the journey that you've been on, that you are you are okay talking about things. You don't have to talk about every part of your life. By the way, I'm not suggesting you rake up every single thing that's ever gone wrong, but you're you are happy to acknowledge the journey you've been on. You can share things about you, you're not hiding behind a mask. That's a really big one where you're actually thinking, I am confident in myself as an expert, I'm confident in what I've got to say, and I am happy to step out of the shadows and be me and let people see, you know, who I am as a person, what I've got to say, what my stories are. A big thing that holds people back is often that they imagine they've got to have it all completely together and be perfect and polished, and that's not the case at all. You can be a multifaceted human because we all are, you know, you can talk about the things that have gone wrong, people really relate to that. You don't have to be have an illusion of perfection. In fact, people usually don't respond that well to people who are overly polished, they would much rather have somebody that they can resonate with that they can relate to. I do think we tend to get people who think they're not ready for the media and they are, and people who perhaps think they are ready and they're not. So I'm going to explain that a little bit more. But you sometimes will get people who will straightaway be like, Yep, I want to be in the media, I want to do loads of PR, I want to get there. And then when you actually dig a little bit deeper, they haven't even got a name for their business, they've no idea really what they want to do, they haven't got a website or a social media platform, they're kind of still working out the basic details. And I would say in that position, you there's a lot of things to do before PR. That's not to say PR isn't going to be a great future step. But if you're still working out the basic details, then you know, get those other things that are. That's what it comes down to, you know, it's gonna amplify what you're doing. And if what you're doing isn't actually formed, it's not decided, then you're just gonna be amplifying some chaos. You know, people are gonna be like, I don't understand what you do because you don't understand what you do yet. So those are the people that sometimes people will be quite, you know, they might be quite impulsive, courageous people, and they just want to fling themselves into it. And it sounds great in theory, but it's like get the back end sorted first. But then you also get people who are on the other end of the spectrum, who are perhaps people who are quite cautious, who like everything to be really settled, and they will sometimes imagine they're not ready because and they will put some arbitrary goals that they've not reached. So they could have a fantastic business that's actually doing well, it's very respected among the people that you've worked with, they know exactly what they're doing, they've got loads of credentials, and they'll still tell themselves that they're not ready. And usually that really does boil down to fear. They don't recognise that as fear, they're not thinking I'm frightened of PR. What they're thinking is, oh, I need to reach a certain number of followers on Instagram, or I need to reach a certain level of revenue in my business, or I need to win another award before I can put myself forward. And you can refine my message. Yeah, that's a big one. That they'll they'll kind of because you can tweak and pivot when you're in the media, so you don't have to etch anything in stone. On the one hand, you don't want to be building something from scratch in the media spotlight, but you equally don't have to commit something forever. So you don't have to pick a marketing message that you're like, this is the marketing message I will take to my grave. You can pivot, you can change, you can evolve. So long as you know what you're doing is helpful, it's gonna make an impact, it's something worth saying, you're confident in your own expertise, you know that you can help people if you make your voice louder and you are heard. They're the main things, you know. You don't have to have a million followers on on Instagram, you don't have to reach a certain level of revenue, but you do need to know what you're doing, you do need to have a sense of purpose and and something to say. And I think there are a lot of people that fall between those two extremes. So, you know, don't don't wait forever, but equally, it shouldn't be your step one in starting a business. You know, if you haven't yet registered to pay tax as a self-employed person, you're probably not wanting to, you know, rush into doing PR or you don't quite know what area you want to specialise in. You know, there are lots of things to get clear in your head, but when you know you've got something to say and that it's worth it's worth sharing, it will help people when they hear, that's a really big sign that PR is the next step for you.

Speaker 1 11:23

Yeah, so it's for when your business is working and when you feel that you've become the person you need to be to handle it, and that's not to say that it feels comfortable, it's never gonna feel comfortable.

Speaker 11:38

Yeah, if you're not scared, you're probably not pushing yourself far enough. So there are very few people at any level who don't feel some sort of fear when they reach the next level of exposure of visibility, you know. So, you know, Luana's done lots and lots of media, you still get scared, don't you? It's it's a natural thing that when you're doing something exciting, it's a little bit scary, and that's a good sign, that's not something to run from. So you don't have to feel 100% comfortable and have no fears at all, because that that stage is probably never going to come for anybody, you know. You just need to know that this is something that you want to do.

Speaker 1 12:27

And just to wrap this up, like there comes a point where that feeling of discomfort and that those feelings of fear, there comes a point where it's you feel that more about staying in the same place and just talking in the same to the same bubble and becoming irrelevant and not hitting your potential than it does getting out past that and becoming visible. You know, visibility doesn't come without discomfort, it doesn't come without fear, but it's where the scales tip, like which one is more uncomfortable staying, being in the same place while the world keeps moving or getting out there and you know, reaching the people who really need you. So we'll finish up there then. You know, you know which one you are. If you're ready to move, hello at dauntlesspr.com.