My Brain Hurts: SoloPR Summit Recap, Day 2

“My brain hurts. In a good way.”

Think I wasn’t the only one feeling that after the LOADED second day of the Solo PR Summit.

Author, speaker, {Grow} blogger and former super model Mark W. Schaefer kicked off the morning with a compelling keynote on the Web, Social and Influence.

  • Ah the dread pirate Klout, but he makes you think about the social web in a different way.
  • Moving content is action, influence realized.
  • Mark “hits the nail on the head – it’s not about ‘more’ content; it’s about ‘better’ content.” – Jodi Echakowitz

someecards.com - If we can't solve it via email, IM, texting, faxing, or phone calls, let's resort to meeting in person Tom Martin told us how-to Painlessly Prospect for Customers, no cold-calling required and generally rocked the shiznitz outta the place. IIRC he snagged a couple marriage proposals too.

  • Cornerstones and Cobblestones. Brilliant content mapping, maximizing opportunities for content, ways to share it across different media and networks. Tips:
    •  Thank you page doesn’t end there, redirect them back to blog or home page.
    • Record presentations, convert to long and short vids for #2 search engine, YouTube.
    • Forget ‘vanity’ plug ins for ‘popular’ posts; recommend related content, targeted to reader.
  • Holy inbound content marketing, Batman! Your website (and its blog, papers, contact forms) are the Terminator – a 24/7 365 machine designed to help you lure, hook and ulitmately reel in top prospects by driving them through the filter system. And give you a valid email address.
  • Hails from New Orleans, land of food, drink and Mardi Gras so win.

Food for body and mind. We had a working lunch as we had our choice of guided discussion.

Karen Swim talked Client Management with her group; Profitable Media relations was hosted by Monique Caradine. Alas I couldn’t clone myself to be in three places at once, I joined the Specialist or Generalist panel, an interesting talk on both niche industries as well as skills led by Daria Steigman.

someecards.com - Let's discuss my freelance rateSetting Fees with Jenny Schmitt and Greg Brooks.

  • As I  hinted in the Solo PR Summit Day 1 recap, I outted myself as a cheap hooker (Greg’s joke/analogy). Bad me! We spend a lot of time, work very hard to develop our talents and skills, build our expertise and hone our creativity – we should be paid for it damnit!
  • Different ways to run the math, but it all added up the same: get paid what you’re worth. Pick the lifestyle, business you want and structure accordingly.
  • On hourly rates – Client: “My lawyer doesn’t cost that much?!” Greg: “Get a better lawyer.”

If you’re not measuring..  A highlight was Kami Huyse on the much needed Measurement for Solo PR, how to show value and success.

  • More than 400 measurement tools – some of the Solo PR (non-existant) budget friendly variety.
  • Real-time analysis of the SeaWorld Harlem Shake video.
  • Not one wisp of AVEs!

Adaption vs. Extinction. Bad Pitch Blog’s Kevin Dugan on how PR pros can ID trends and changes in the market – and capitalize on them.

  • If you’re worried about making Bad Pitch Blog, you probably won’t. Interesting: most pitches aren’t exactly bad, they’re irrelevant, off-target.
  • Stop fighting to hold on to old models that no longer work; evolve and adapt.
  • “One Size Fits (No One At) All.” ITA!

someecards.com - I need a time billing code for not doing shitMore Done, Less Time. In this case, time with Sarah Evans. As a multi-tasking efficiando, I say word.

  • Finally found some IFTTT shortcuts I’m comfortable trying. I can’t automate reading, vetting content – but the filtering and gathering, that will give it a go.
  • Workflows sans email and 27 different browser windows (it’s like she’s seen my desktop). She’s a Tracky champion but project management tool of choice will do. The idea is to stop bouncing emails around cyberspace; instead put all the tasks, deadlines, supporting files in one place where everyone can see, monitor, send.

From the trenches. Success stories from Kristie Aylett, Kellye Crane, Kelly Davis and Heather Whaling. Always nice to learn from the pros first hand what they are doing, what is and isn’t working. Everyone’s doing this their own ways, for their own reasons.

  • Age, experience, location don’t matter as much as expertise, skill, know-how and ability to get it done.
  • Different strokes – solo, subcontracting, virtual agency, boutique firm, group consortium – for different folks; find what works best for you.

Woefully incomplete. If you were there, let me know what you thought. If you weren’t and want more, just ask.

Want More? Keep Reading.

7 thoughts on “My Brain Hurts: SoloPR Summit Recap, Day 2

    1. Karen. So sorry, I know I replied earlier..
      think that comment was eaten in some hacker attack. 😉 Anyway– it was just chock full of useful ideas, very motivated to put them into action for clients and myself, as I’m a client too!

  1. Amazing good. Your write up while abbreviated was the perfect round up and you still had time to comment on my GP! Thanks for this and so sorry I missed the festivities.

    Sounds like you guys are having a rockin’ good time, too; with loads of learning.
    Jayme Soulati recently posted..About Google Authorship

    1. Loaded, think the few agency crashers got a lot out of it. I had to write it up, help get some ideas ‘down on paper’ so to speak just to get thoughts organized.

      It’s even got me rethinking SoSlam, tempting line up this year. 🙂

  2. Davina,

    First thanks for the kind words and second for the link love 😉 can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that you got a lot out of that presentation. I guess growing up as the Biz Dev guy I just assume that everyone (solor PR, Ad, consultant types) understand how to efficiently and effectively leverage digital content to grow their businesses. But maybe I’m wrong.

    If any of your readers want a copy of the presentation — complete with the sync’d audio, just have them click over to that post you linked to and sign up to get it FREE.

    Cheer and it was great to meet your IRL. Hope our paths cross again.

    @TomMartin
    tom martin recently posted..Painlessly Prospecting For Customers

    1. Oh I think we understand how important it is, just the Cobbler’s kids thing.. plus just harder to work for ourselves than others.

      FAB meeting you, look forward to a chance to again someday.

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