Freelance Philly

Being involved in the public relations industry, people often ask what kind of PR you are interested in working in.   There are always some stock answers.  People often respond by saying they want to work in entertainment PR, fashion PR, non-profit PR, political PR, and so on.  However, I recently came across some young PR professionals who were exploring, in my opinion, a more nontraditional PR sector: freelance PR.  

Now, I think the idea of freelance PR gets pushed under the rug far too often. So many people dream of working for huge, widely successful PR firms, and who can blame them? But, these reputable firms didn’t just happen overnight; they had to start somewhere. Perhaps with a freelance vision?

With that thought in place, I started digging.  I wanted to learn as much as I could about this freelance PR scene, and I was surprised to find that entrepreneurial PR is actually booming in Philadelphia.  Below are two that really stood out to me, and are definitely something to think about for your next internship!

1.  The first that I came across is called Philly PR Girl.  As you will find in the website, the Philly PR Girl is actually an entrepreneur-minded young woman named Kate Marlys. Marlys launched her company in 2010 after 6 years of working in non-profit management.  Her vision includes building awareness for small business, and creating networking events in the city of Philadelphia. She offers a wide range of PR services, from social media to event planning to marketing collateral design.  Check her out @Philly_PR_Girl!

2.  The next is called Piqued PR. After landing on the beautifully designed website, you would never guess that Piqued PR was actually founded this year by former Immaculata University fashion merchandising student, Patricia Maristch. Aside from her fashion background, this young PR pro has had years of retail experience, and her services include everything from blogging to styling to brand development. Check her out @PiquedPR!

All this talk of freelance PR has me wondering, “What’s your PR vision?”  Share it with us! 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Chris Covone.

Flying Solo

A lot of young women are wary of delving into the professional world. They're worried that they will have to sacrifice having a family for having a successful career. So when I hear about the different areas of PR you can go into; agency, in-house, etc. it gets me thinking, who says you can't do it all yourself? Sure, it's a lot of work, but who doesn't love making their own rules? In "The pros and cons of the solo PR life", Arik Hanson details what to expect when you take on a PR business all by yourself.

PROS

• Flexibility- You are your own boss. No more of that 9-5 business, but in that sense your work day never really ends. You probably will have to give up a little night time and weekend hours to keep up with your work load. However, this may be a small sacrifice when you get to enjoy your kids in their formative years.
• You can always say no- This is hard to swallow when you've been under a supervisor for most of your professional career, but now you have the ability to pick and choose your clients.
• Creative freedom-You have free reign of how you want to go about promoting your client. This can also be a lot pressure, because you have no one to fall back on if you're stumped. If you're a great problem solver who finds working under a company constricting, solo PR is your mecca.

CONS

• Lack of human interaction- It can get lonely running your own business solo. Make sure you schedule co-working sessions with friends. That way, you're still getting the job done, but with a little company and getting the best of both worlds. You can also use your "co-worker" as a sounding board, something you miss out on, being a solo PR consultant. Bouncing ideas back and forth can be essential, as it can be hard to think of creative ideas by yourself.
• Lack of legitimacy- A PR person for a major organization will have the upper hand when placed next to a solo consultant. While you may have equal years of experience, it's something you will have to get used to.

Solo PR has its advantages and disadvantages, but most of all it allows the most room for creativity and flexibility, both hard to come by these days when agency and in-house are the most prevalent.

Would you take on being a PR consultant by yourself? How would you best make up for the lack of manpower? Let us know!

MediaSync: A Free Media Relations Tool

Ever wish you could wave a magic wand and have a lengthy list of journalists, editors and bloggers at your finger tips? Many agencies have access to expensive media mapping software such as CisionPoint to develop tailored media lists in order to pitch for clients. Luckily, those working for nonprofits and organizations that can't afford to spend thousands of dollars a month on this handy software can now turn to MediaSync.

MediaSync has the name and contact information for 511,621 media contacts and 9,603,096 articles and blogs stored in a database just a click away. The mission of the free website that describes its forte as 'media relationship management' is to aggregate contact information that is already available on the web for free. The site saves public relations and marketing professionals hours of time from being wasted on tedious internet searches.

All you need to do to access this wealth of information is sign up and receive login information. The site promises not to sell your contact information to third parties. Hopefully, MediaSync can help save you and your organization both time and money. Happy pitching!

HAPPO

Have you heard of "Help a PR Pro Out (HAPPO)?" If not, you may want to tune in!

On Friday, the blog Help a PR Pro Out announced its creation of an upcoming Twitter event called "Help a PR Pro Out Day." The day will be called HAPPO for short, and the Twitter hash tag #HAPPO has been designated for the event. According to the announcement, posted to the Help a PR Pro Out blog, the event "will be a one-day event designed to help PR pros find jobs."

The event will take place on Twitter on February 19, 2010. During the event, "PR bloggers, agency leaders, and PR professionals from across the country will donate their time and talents to help fellow PR pros connect with employers," the blog explains.

The point is to bring together PR practitioners seeking jobs with employers looking to hire them. Those seeking jobs can engage in discussion with employers on Twitter during the event, or may request their contact information and contact them privately via email.

The blog lists a set of "champions," people who "will be posting and tweeting about the event." "Make sure to connect with them if you’re a job seeker or an employer looking for PR talent," the blog advises. "That will help us all connect the dots on Feb. 19."

Will you tune in? Do you think the event will be a success?

Freelance PR Part 7

In my never-ending quest to find out what I really want to do with my life, I came across a new avenue of public relations-- Freelancing.

After interning at an agency this past semester, I realized that perhaps agency work isn't quite the route I want to take upon graduating from college next year. I realized that I love to write, and often prefer working solo. I reached out through our Twitter to find other PR practitioners out there who have done some freelance work. Luckily, many people responded!

This is the seventh post in what is a series of posts featuring different PR freelancers.

After a few month hiatus, the freelance series is back, and better than ever! This week, I interviewed John Sternal, co-owner of Sternal Consulting.

Mr. Sternal describes freelance PR as something that companies utilize when they, "wish to retain outside PR counsel for a specific project or on an ongoing basis but they choose not to engage with a large public relations firm."

After graduating from the University of South Florida with a degree in communication, he gained experience in corporate communication with a Fortune-500 company, professional sports, small and large agencies, and now working as a co-principal with his own consulting firm.

When deciding on how to charge for freelance PR services, Mr. Sternal advises that there are two important aspects to consider. The first is to balance the value of your services, and the second is to think about what is going to win the business over. He reminds us that freelancing is ultimately a business, and the goal of a business is to make money, so it's important to think about what will be profitable.

Interestingly, throughout his career, Mr. Sternal did not become interested in freelancing until later. After clients approached him about doing work "on the side", Mr. Sternal realized how profitable freelancing could be. However, he warns that his success would not be the same had he not worked in other areas of PR before diving into freelancing. "There's a reason for the saying, "you must crawl before you walk," he said.

When asked how he obtains clients he jokingly says, "When you find out, could you let me know?" Mr. Sternal suggests thinking about your own interests, and focusing on courting clients who fall into that realm.

Mr. Sternal's favorite part of freelancing is answering to himself (and the client, of course). He enjoys knowing that he can focus on whatever aspect of PR he wants.

His least favorite part of freelancing is making sure you have clients and constantly searching for clients. He mentions that he does enjoy doing this, but it is time consuming.

To stay current with industry trends and news, Mr. Sternal relies on the Internet. "From Twitter and Facebook to LinkedIn, it's very easy to participate inside your industry circles and be a known player. I would also advise that you use many of these social media tools to set up actual face-to-face networking opportunities after hours outside of your home," he said.

Freelance Opportunity!

Looking for an opportunity to build your skills and earn some cash? Well....

Breslow Partners is hiring freelance PR people
Want to build your resume and earn a little cash? Contact Tina Breslow at Breslow Partners. We’re looking for people who are PR passionate (tech, web, food, whatever) with a thirst for truth, an affinity for ambition and a love of life. We’re a small, dynamic public relations firm that specializes in lifestyle and hospitality. We’re looking for a few self-starters who can roll up their sleeves, dig in, and help promote our clients in national magazines, on line and through social networking. If you’ve got what we need, drop me a line at tina@breslowpartners.com

Freelance PR Part 6

In my never-ending quest to find out what I really want to do with my life, I came across a new avenue of public relations-- Freelancing.

After interning at an agency this past semester, I realized that perhaps agency work isn't quite the route I want to take upon graduating from college next year. I realized that I love to write, and often prefer working solo. I reached out through our Twitter to find other PR practitioners out there who have done some freelance work. Luckily, many people responded!

This is the sixth post in what is a series of posts featuring different PR freelancers.

This week, I interviewed Danielle Armstrong, senior publicist and owner of Organic Public Relations LLC.

Ms. Armstrong would describe Freelance PR as, "a publicist who operates as a independent contractor for various companies, organizations, individuals small businesses and non-profit organizations." She mentions that Freelance PR activities can range from event planning to press release writing. She also mentions that its beneficial for a company to use a freelancer because its less expensive than hiring a firm because you only utilize a freelancer when you have a need for publicity.

With a degree in PR, Ms. Armstrong began her career interning for a firm and later working for a firm in Virginia Beach. After her time there, she decided to venture out on her own. She has worked with such clients as Tyler Perry, music producers, and authors.

To charge for freelancing services, Ms. Armstrong suggests finding out what others in the business are charging for their services. She then suggests deciding what you would like to make annually and dividing that by the 40 hour work week. After that, you have your hourly rate. She advises that when speaking with a potential client to never tell them your hourly rate and to explain that each project is different.

Ms. Armstrong says that she always knew she wanted to go into business for herself. She obtained her first client through someone she knew who needed PR services immediately. From there, her services were spread through word of mouth.

"I am a walking billboard," Ms. Armstrong jokes. To obtain clients, Ms. Armstrong always attends events, helps out with events, is involved in online communities, and passes out business cards everywhere she goes.

Her favorite aspect of freelancing is the freedom, flexibility and control of working for herself. Her least favorite aspect of freelancing is the lack of a regular paycheck, and not having benefits. She mentions, "It's not something that everyone can tolerate, but it can be very rewarding if done right."

Ms. Armstrong is extremely organized when it comes to time management. Since freelancers do not have set hours, she creates to-do lists, has a white board with task that must be completed, is constantly speaking with clients, and also keeps up with what is happening in the community. She mentions that she is always busy, but makes sure to set a day aside a week to not work. She also schedules personal time into her schedule to ensure that she does not burn out.

She will be speaking on a panel and moderating a panel at the National Black Public Relations Society's conference. Ms. Armstrong is a key player in planning events for their conference in Atlanta in April 2009.

Freelance PR Part 5

In my never-ending quest to find out what I really want to do with my life, I came across a new avenue of public relations-- Freelancing.

After interning at an agency this past semester, I realized that perhaps agency work isn't quite the route I want to take upon graduating from college next year. I realized that I love to write, and often prefer working solo. I reached out through our Twitter to find other PR practitioners out there who have done some freelance work. Luckily, many people responded!

This is the fifth post in what is a series of posts featuring different PR freelancers.

This week, I interviewed Ken Jacobs, a PR consultant of his own firm, Jacobs Communications Consulting. Instead of actually doing PR writing and attempting to get media placements for clients, Mr. Jacobs helps corporate communications departments and PR firms enhance staff performance, motivation, retention through coaching.


A graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Relations of Syracuse University, Mr. Jacobs has 25 years of experience in consumer PR. He decided to make the switch from working at different agencies to consulting because he wanted to focus on what he did well and loved doing. He also mentioned that it became tiresome to commute from New Jersey to New York City each day to work for someone else. "It's much more pleasurable to go to NYC or Philly on a semi-regular basis, at a better hour, and for myself!" he said.

In order to obtain clients, Mr. Jacobs relies on referrals from previous clients, email outreach, writing articles for various PR journals and attending and speaking at agency conferences. Like many others in the business who realize the importance of social networking, Mr. Jacobs' goal for this year is to more effectively use social media, particularly Twitter to build his business.

His favorite part of freelancing is, "being his own brand, being responsible for his own success, and putting money into his own pocket, rather than someone else's."

His least favorite part of freelancing is having to market himself each and every day. He doesn't enjoy not having paid sick days, vacation days, and holidays.

To stay active in the business, Mr. Jacobs relies on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter. "I don't feel unconnected at all," he said, "But I do need to remind myself to get out there and "press the flesh" more frequently.

Freelance PR Part 4

In my never-ending quest to find out what I really want to do with my life, I came across a new avenue of public relations-- Freelancing.

After interning at an agency this past semester, I realized that perhaps agency work isn't quite the route I want to take upon graduating from college next year. I realized that I love to write, and often prefer working solo. I reached out through our Twitter to find other PR practitioners out there who have done some freelance work. Luckily, many people responded!

This is the fourth post in what is a series of posts featuring different PR freelancers.

This week, I interviewed Ed Donovan, a PR freelancer beginning his 5th year of self-employment.

Mr. Donovan would describe Freelance PR as, "providing communication services on a contracted basis for multiple clients or projects on a short-term or as needed basis."

A graduate of La Salle University, Mr. Donovan studied English and Communications. He began his career working in the non-profit sector for the Police Athletic League (PAL) of Philadelphia handling PR, special events, and fundraising. After working for PAL, he moved on to work for Comcast in corporate public affairs.

Mr. Donovan mentions that he always desired to work on his own, and after meeting a few people who needed his PR services, he realized that he could truly make a living doing freelance work.

When asked how Donovan obtains clients, he exclaims, "100% networking! I think it's important to build a strong network before going out on your own." He notes that every person you meet could be a future client down the line.

Mr. Donovan's favorite aspect of freelancing is getting to work on a variety of different projects and being the person who gets to choose which projects to undertake.

"Right now I do a lot of work in endurance sports and also work with Dunkin' Donuts...How is that for diversity?" he asks.

His least favorite aspect is anything that has to do with accounting and billing. He also says that he misses having others around to collaborate and brainstorm with.

Mr. Donovan views his freelance business as operating a one person firm.

He says, "I just have to handle every aspect of the firm: business development, account management, writing, pitching, measurement, etc..."

To stay active in the business, Mr. Donovan relies on social networking sites like Twitter and industry groups and organizations.

Freelance PR Part 3

In my never-ending quest to find out what I really want to do with my life, I came across a new avenue of public relations-- Freelancing.

After interning at an agency this past semester, I realized that perhaps agency work isn't quite the route I want to take upon graduating from college next year. I realized that I love to write, and often prefer working solo. I reached out through our Twitter to find other PR practitioners out there who have done some freelance work. Luckily, many people responded!

This is the third post in what is a series of posts featuring different PR freelancers.

This week, I interviewed Shonali Burke, ABC , an award-winning, accredited communications consultant based in the Washington, DC area.

Ms. Burke would describe a Freelance PR professional as, "one who pursues his or her career without a long-term commitment to a single employer, thus being able to cater to as many clients as their time and workload allows."

Interestingly enough, Ms. Burke did not study PR at the undergraduate or graduate level. She began working in PR over a decade ago while living in India and working as an actress and director. After gaining name recognition, she was asked to help with PR for various projects. When she moved to the United States in 2000, she decided to take up PR full-time.

While living in San Francisco, she worked in a boutique PR and marketing agency, and after a few years set up her own consulting firm. After moving to DC, she decided to work in an established agency, and eventually moved on to revamp the ASPCA's communications. Ms. Burke describes this opportunity as exciting and fulfilling but left in July 2008 and began independently consulting in November 2008.

She is extremely accomplished and was honored in 2007 when PRWeek named her one of the top 40 under 40 PR professionals in the United States. Also, in 2005 Ms. Burke earned her accreditation in business communications from IABC (hence the ABC after her name).

When asked why she broke into freelancing, Ms. Burke says, "When I first started freelancing in India, I did so because I could not, at the time, imagine giving up my theater and related activities altogether; I loved what I did but needed to find a way to supplement my income. Freelancing allowed me the freedom to do both, and I also enjoyed the feeling of being my own boss. More recently, I started looking for a full-time position a few months after leaving the ASPCA, but had a great project come my way and leaped at the opportunity to work with a fun client. I'm investigating further consulting opportunities and thoroughly enjoying what I'm doing."

With the connections she has made through networking and her agency experience, Ms. Burke has obtained clients through referrals and has not yet had to cold-call and pitch clients. However, she notes that as a freelancer, networking is extremely important. Ms. Burke has spoken at many conferences which she mentions has been great for raising her profile to potential clients. She also notes the importance of Twitter as a tool for networking with other like-minded people creating potential business opportunities.

Ms. Burke's favorite aspect of freelancing is setting her own schedule, and choosing the work that she wants to do. Her least favorite aspect is managing every aspect of her business including taxes, accounting, contract, and finding new clients.

"I'm often asked for advice on whether or not to start freelancing. I always tell people that if you can deal with the ups and downs that come with an irregular income stream, and feel in your gut that it will make you happier than regular employment, you should go for it. Recognize, though, that as your own boss, you will work harder than anywhere else - after all, it's completely up to you to bring in your business, no one else is going to do it for you," Ms. Burke advises to any person who wishes to begin freelancing.

Freelance PR Part 2

In my never-ending quest to find out what I really want to do with my life, I came across a new avenue of public relations-- Freelancing.

After interning at an agency this past semester, I realized that perhaps agency work isn't quite the route I want to take upon graduating from college next year. I realized that I love to write, and often prefer working solo. I reached out through our Twitter to find other PR practitioners out there who have done some freelance work. Luckily, many people responded!

This is the second post in what is a series of posts featuring different PR freelancers.

This week, I interviewed Zackery Moore, a unique PR freelancer, because he is also a student.

Zackery describes freelance PR as, "working solo with your clients." He is a senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The first thing Zackery did when deciding to pursue PR was to find a mentor.

Zackery mentions that it's sometimes difficult to balance PR, schoolwork, and holding a job to make ends meet, but it's something that he is determined to do.

As for charging clients, Zackery says, "Pricing is the biggest hurdle. Of course, I charge less than someone with a degree. And when I graduate next December, I'll raise my fees." Zackery uses an Adobe AIR application called FEAT that helps him to determine prices for projects.

Unlike most freelancers, who carefully plan their foray into the freelancing world, Zackery stumbled upon it. He did research, read blogs, and later constructed a business plan . He mentions that he, "became consumed with the freelance lifestyle."

So, how does Zackery get his clients? Many different ways. He makes cold-calls, networks as much as possible and uses personal marketing. However, his most successful tactic is networking. He explains that he often just asks how he can help a potential client, and sometimes does work for free, before finding paying clients.

Zackery's favorite aspect of freelancing is the freedom that comes with creating your own hours and being your own boss. His least favorite aspect, however, is finding new clients. "I've never really been great at sales, but I love the creative part of it. I think that's the case for a lot of freelancers. We love our "art," but often times aren't great at the sales part," he said.

As for his plans post-graduation, Zackery said that he would like to continue freelancing, find a job at an agency, and eventually open his own firm.

To stay active in the business, Zackery relies on social media and networking. He likes to read industry blogs and social media blogs to stay current.

Freelance PR Part 1

In my never-ending quest to find out what I really want to do with my life, I came across a new avenue of public relations-- Freelancing.

After interning at an agency this past semester, I realized that perhaps agency work isn't quite the route I want to take upon graduating from college next year. I realized that I love to write, and often prefer working solo. I reached out through our Twitter to find other PR practitioners out there who have done some freelance work. Luckily, many people responded!

This is the first post in what will be a series of posts featuring different PR freelancers.

This week, I interviewed Robin Bernstein of Write Time Communications, a company that provides PR services to clients on a freelancing basis.

Ms. Bernstein would describe freelance PR as, "providing public relations services (writing, publicity, event planning, etc) to an organization or individual (the client) on a contract basis."

She mentions that freelancers are paid by the project, by the hour, or via a monthly retainer.

Bernstein also notes that many PR freelancers prefer to be called "independents" because the term freelancer sometimes refers to people who freelance, in addition to having a full-time job. For Bernstein, being an independent is a full-time and permanent job.

After holding positions at Ogilvy PR and Edelman, she opened Write Time Communication in 1991.

When asked why she chose to take the leap from the corporate world to being her own boss, Bernstein says, "I love the independence, variety and ability to work from home. After a decade in the corporate world, I got tired of playing politics. Also, the higher I rose the ranks, the more I had to delegate what I loved doing most, which was writing."

Bernstein obtains clients in many different ways. She cites referrals, word-of-mouth, staying active in professional organizations, and attending networking events all as vital ways to obtain clients. She mentions that she will occasionally send out emails or make cold calls. Lately, she has found, as many of us PR practitioners are finding that social media is helping her to gain new clients.

Although Ms. Bernstein loves the freedom of freelancing, she admits that she doesn't like the the difficulty in controlling the work flow. "Sometimes it's so busy I'm working 24/7. Other times I'm sitting around saying, "OK, where is everyone?" she said.

To stay active in the business, Bernstein advises other freelancers to remember to continue networking, both physically, and virtually. She says, "Get out to meetings, luncheons, dinners. Use the phone and email. And stay active online in social media networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn."