Last week we hosted our first DIY PR Happy Hour! The event, which sold-out two weeks in advance of it taking place, was held on Wednesday, September 26.

We welcomed 16 local professionals to our shared studio space in Ohio City to meet and teach them how to get their hands dirty with their own PR efforts.

We opened up the night with some mingling and munchies! This was a chance for everyone to exercise that one skill we all know we need: networking. Meeting other professionals in the same or similar career areas as yourself present invaluable connections and recognition for any future collaboration. Everyone hit it off, and we can’t wait to see what future relationships blossom from this!

After we got some food and wine in, the learning began. During our session, Reena answered the these questions:

What is the difference between PR and Marketing?
Why is PR important and how does it help build revenue?
What assets do I need to prepare before sending my pitch?
How do I find the outlets and reporters that would be interested in my brand?
What are some affordable resources to help me DIY PR?

We kicked things off with some comprehensive definitions of the different aspects of PR and the differences between public relations and marketing. As most of our guests are what we like to call solopreneurs, it becomes important to distinguish what kinds of media they can get, and how. Reena outlined the importance of paid, earned, shared, and owned media and divulged how each intersects and is used to promote a brand in the press.

In addition to making the connection to press, you need to have something to offer them. Everyone at FACTEUR wholeheartedly believes in the power of prepping for publicity, and that includes building a press kit. We shared and discussed some press kits that we recently developed for clients which showed off their brand and gave background on their history and offerings. Not only does this give a reporter an easy and beautiful run-down of exactly what you’re all about, but they also are handy to have for others as well. (Think investors, advertisers, and partners.) If you want a better idea of exactly what goes into a press kit, check out our blog post on the Top 10 Things You Need in a Press Kit.

Reena then shared her 12 Steps to DIY PR, a highlight of DIY PR Happy Hour. These steps are the reason most of our attendees came out for the event, and we made it easy to understand the process of prepping for and procuring your own media coverage. The steps are a simplified version of what we do here at FACTEUR every day, and we think everyone will find them comprehensive and easy to follow, with patience and perseverance.

From one attendee: “Thank you for hosting your DIY PR Happy Hour last week. I truly did not know what to expect from this event but your presentation and the attendees truly blew me away. I've never experienced a group of people willing to create a community of professionals who were so open and willing to help others so quickly. I am still on a high of inspiration from this event.”

If you, or someone you know, want to get your hands on these steps, and/or don’t have the budget to outsource publicity services for your brand, DIY PR is for you. Keep an eye out for more events like this one hosted by FACTEUR. In the meantime, be sure not to miss our upcoming Marketing Planning Brunch on November 3!

We hope to see everyone again soon, and to see some new faces at our next event!