Interview with Jill Lublin   Host: Beau Billington Guest: Jill Lublin   Beau  00:04 Hello, everybody. Welcome to another episode with the free agent, today I’ve got the honor of having Jill Lublin. Jill, thanks so much for joining.   Jill  00:29 It’s a delight to be here Beau, thank you.   Beau  00:32 Now I’m starting to work on marketing, advertising and PR are kind of, you know, on my radar, and for me, from my perspective, they’re kind of part of the linear path but really excited to have you on.   Beau  00:32 No worries.   Beau  00:32 Yeah. So, this topic is super exciting to me, like, you know, I’ve been in business for five years, five and a half years actually. And, you know, I feel like the sales engines are humming.   Beau  00:54 So, we’ve talked about some actionable insights for the SMB population, and what they can do tomorrow to flip the funnel leveraging PR. Does that work for you?   Jill  01:02 I love it. Thank you.   Beau  01:04 Awesome. So a quick bio. Jill Lubalin, an international speaker on the topics of publicity, networking, kindness, and referrals. She’s the author of four best selling books, including getting noticed, get referrals, and co-author of guerrilla publicity and networking magic, her latest book profit of kindness with number one in four categories.   Beau  01:23 Jill’s a master strategist on how to position your business for more profitability and more visibility in the marketplace. She is CEO of a strategic consulting firm, she has over 25 years experience working with over 100,000 people plus national and international media.   Beau  01:38 Jill teaches a virtual publicity Crash Course and consults and speaks all over the world and has spoken on many stages with luminaries like Tony Robbins. I’m a big fan of Tony Robbins, never been to an actual event, but I aspire to go to one soon. So that’s pretty cool.   Beau  01:51 Thank you. It’s a lot of fun.   Beau  01:55 Yeah, I know, I’m sure and again, thanks so much for being on the show. Just to jump into everything here. I kind of mentioned at the outset of the discussion, but I’d love to set the stage, in your opinion, how do you really differentiate, say PR from marketing and advertising?   Beau  02:11 I feel there’s a lot of companies out there and individuals that kind of blend in together when they’re actually in my opinion, different functions that serve, you know, different parts of your business.   Jill  02:22 Yeah, and they are very different parts of your business. Number one, publicity is free!, advertising, you pay for it right? and frankly, you still don’t know what results you’re gonna get from ads.   Jill  02:34 What I love about publicity is that it generates that credibility, that third party endorsement, that trust factor, and get you leads and clients. I can give you story after story where it’s happened consistently.   Jill  02:48 And it’s really important for building that visibility. You know, it’s a strong disability building activity that generates and the truth is, you’re doing publicity from the minute you walk out your door, from the minute you go into the Zoom Room, it’s all publicity, my friends.   Jill  03:04 So, let’s get with it and get it right and I think that makes a big difference.   Beau  03:08 I love that. So is PR, something that most companies or individuals should institute once they’ve mastered marketing and advertising. Is it done in parallel?   Beau  03:17 Like when should somebody start really pushing and focusing on PR as it pertains to kind of the function?   Jill  03:24 Well, I like to say, plant your publicy garden now and grow it so that it blooms properly, and in the right places. So what does that mean? You got to be planting seeds, no matter where you’re at in your business life, that’s at the beginning, or in the beginning of a launch and the middle of something toward the end.   Jill  03:45 The reality is it goes side by side with most of the activities you’re talking about. Listen, Philips Corporation brought me into the director of marketing for a product that wasn’t even going to be out for 18 months, because big companies you got to get their secret is they’re looking far ahead, planning far ahead.   Jill  04:02 You as an individual small company, it doesn’t matter. The reality is you can look like the big guys by getting great publicity, which is free and makes you look super, super awesome.   Beau  04:15 Sure, but ultimately, it sounds like it should be done in conjunction with a strong concerted effort on the advertising and marketing side. Is that correct? Or do you think that it could be done standalone? Is it done effectively?   Jill  04:25 I think it can be done standalone. Listen, I have plenty of people who do publicity only and spend no money on ads and then some people come to me on their knees going oh my god, I’ve spent so much on ads.   Jill  04:33 They actually weren’t that effective. What can I do to get free publicity?. So my area is the free publicity specialty and I’ve seen it produce amazing results.   Beau  04:47 Yeah, I’m not saying campus. Well, I’ve actually have a post it note that says bigger bullhorn right? and to me that’s more around that PR side and getting publicity.   Beau  04:56 Advertising is important but similar to SEO and SEM, it can be a complete wormhole and a huge burn for your business. And what I really liked about the beginning of the call is you said, Hey, PR is free. Right?   Beau  05:07 So, if I’m not in front of the right people at the right time, it’s a missed opportunity.   Beau  05:07 So, with that in mind, what can a small to medium sized business do tomorrow to create a better PR mindset and get noticed by their ideal clients? Because, in my business at least, like, companies only need me when they need me.   Jill  05:25 So a couple of things. One is, start with your message, like, what’s your PR message, not necessarily company message, and I think, Oh, this is where most people go wrong. They’re like, Oh, I’m a chiropractor. Well, that’s nice.   Jill  05:40 What about the fact that we’re all sitting on zoom in positions that are, you know, strange for hours and hours and hours, or looking at our devices, that’s creating havoc on our body. So, let’s give me three great ways that I can look at my device and not ruin my body. That’s good advice. Versus I’m a chiropractor, and you know, here’s like how to come see me.   Jill  06:02 And it’s boring, nobody wants to hear it. So one thing you have to get really focused on is what’s the value and benefit, like really give people I like to call them golden nuggets, sprinkle them in, give me your best stuff. You need to be telling people that will make a big difference.   Beau  06:02 As you mentioned the chiropractor, I literally just straightened up because I’ve gotten over the last two years with COVID and being chained to my desk. So, I think that the mention about the chiropractor, as well as kind of the golden nuggets, which I liked that phrase is a great segue into the power of podcasts.   Beau  06:38 Now, I’m sure you do podcast all the time. Thanks again for coming online. But you’re also a book author. So, what are your thoughts as it pertains to maybe you know, spending time on podcast, is a generally time well spent? Is that a good way to kind of get the PR engine moving?   Jill  06:53 I love spending time on podcasts. Here I am with you, you bet. I think it’s a great way to get the PR engine moving and here’s the good news for all of you.   Jill  07:02 It’s doable, like you can find wonderful podcasts on iTunes, which is what I recommend, go put into your keyword if you’re a business, put in business, if you’re a woman put in women’s podcasts, like be specific where you can is super great. And I love podcasts.   Jill  07:18 Number one, it’s easy to do. They’re fast. You’re right on track, you’re able to be seen and heard quickly. You’re in collaboration with the podcast, you know, presenter, and so I love that and immediately you’re an expert, which then you can send this out and leverage it to your clients.   Jill  07:36 Put it in all over your social media and make sure that people know that you’re being interviewed. It’s always good.   Beau  07:43 I love it. So, do you find that there’s one medium that’s maybe more effective than others? Ie TV, radio, blogs, podcasts? Are they all effective? And as it pertains to PR?   Jill  07:54 Well, I’ll tell you a little story, you’ve probably heard of aboutChicken Soup for the Soul.   Beau  07:58 Yes.   Jill  07:59 Yeah. So I got hired by Mark Victor Hansen, they were putting out a big book and he sat me around the table for a year and a half before anything was going to happen. He said, Gil, you are here because of what I realized and Chicken Soup for the Soul, what is it? They sold the company for 85? Like a million dollars, right?   Jill  08:18 He said, I realize how important PR was. We did everything. When Chicken Soup for the Soul was first starting the smallest little things that you never heard of, and we said yes to everything. So my big thing is you say yes to everything.   Jill  08:33 I learned that from the best and let me share with you I think TV’s very powerful, because there is something about being able to leverage a TV broadcast and then also say, as seen on Fox News, ABC, right?. And so, that’s amazing. I think major magazines are really good. Like, I’ve been an Incan Forbes twice now, at least maybe three times. But the point is that I can leverage that everywhere you look on social media.   Jill  09:03 Podcasts are easier to get and quick. So that’s what I’m saying. Let’s start you with podcasts and move it on up after that. But here’s the truth, all publicity is good publicity. So you know what if you can get guest blogging on tour, I have a financial planner who does this. For example, He guest blogs on someone else’s blog, great publicity.   Jill  09:26 And by the way, he gets lots of clients from that just saying, you know, so you can do collaborative things. You can do your own Facebook Live, that’s publicity. I want you to do whatever step feels most comfortable for you, some of you might say I don’t want to go on camera.   Jill  09:41 I have a real estate professional, she’s amazing, and she’s brilliant. She is articulate, but for whatever reason, she doesn’t like going on camera, even though she’s beautiful. And I tried to tell her otherwise. But, you know, the point is, some of you might be more comfortable with some things than others.   Jill  09:58 I say do whatever you’re comfortable with first. I tend to think podcasts is easier first, if you don’t want camera then go after audio only. Right? So that’s a great thing that you can find.   Beau  10:11 That’s great. But you know, also to video, I feel folks that and of course, it can be tough. But you know, it’s a missed opportunity because people buy from people they like, know and trust. And if you don’t see the video representation of somebody, it’s hard to check all those boxes. But no, that’s a great point.   Beau  10:26 So just a couple more questions here. And I really appreciate you spending the time. So how best to get the word out, right? You mentioned that publicity is free, and you just have to push and push and push but where and how do you push it right?   Beau  10:38 So you do a podcast with somebody as an example? And then, what’s a good practice for potentially getting that out? So people know where to find you, and you’re in the hands of more folks than you were previously?   Jill  10:47 Well, the first thing I’ll say, and by the way, I don’t think you have to push and push and push, I think you have to practice consistent, persistent visibility building activities is what I like to call them. And, that includes yes, one of my clients, she’s an organizer.   Jill  11:03 I said, I want you in four podcasts a month. That’s one a week. That’s very doable for almost all of you. Okay, just from those resources I gave. I also love some there’s like pod match.com, there’s matchmaker.fm. There’s some very specific podcast matching services, I just gave you two of them. Using fellas is a great dive off starting point.   Jill  11:03 Okay, that would be a great place for many of you to start. The other place I want most of you to start is locally, yes, locally, I want you to be a star in your own backyard. And so that means using your local Business Journal, your local daily paper, your local ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and anything else you got over there.   Jill  11:50 News affiliates. And guess what, every single day, they are looking for guests, and you’re in the local community. So one thing I want you to do is keep your PR antennas up.   Jill  12:02 And so when you see, let’s say you’re a mental health expert, and you know, there was obviously dealing with lots of anxiety and problems with kids and different things that we’ve never had to deal with before, as we all know, coming out of this wild time that we’ve all been in, guess what? There’s new issues, right?   Jill  12:21 And so where can you be talking about something related to that, or great resignation, another hot topic, fit yourself in like, by the way, if you’re a coach or consultant, you can talk about the great resignation. You know why? Because you know how to run a business.   Jill  12:38 That right there is fodder enough to talk to a producer about and here’s the good news, figure on six, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News. And then you want the morning producer of those shows, radio and TV, the evening producer of those shows.   Jill  12:58 And then usually there might be like a good day, LA is a great example or mornings and too we have here in the Bay Area, there’s usually a TV morning show that I always like everybody to go after, why? Because they’re easy, fairly easy to get on.   Jill  13:13 They want local guests, they want you, the expert. But remember, you’re pitching in relation to your topic, focus. And what that means is, it’s not just about what you do, it’s how what you do fits into the news that’s happening right now. I hope that makes sense.   Beau  13:33 So stay consistent, stay relevant. I was gonna ask about ways to automate and different tools out there, which I appreciate.   Beau  13:33 No doubt.   Beau  13:41 Last question. I’ll let you get out of here. Are there any best practices as it pertains to your podcasts? Or, the other mediums we talked about at a high level? In regards to maybe like, you know, you mentioned one of your clients does a podcast, one per week, right?   Beau  13:54 Because I’ve also been on shows where these guys are cranking out, you know, 567 a week and it’s too much, I feel like you get lost in the shuffle. So, any best practices that we can leave in regards to maybe frequency or cadence that most folks should be looking for?   Jill  14:10 Absolutely. So I like to once a week, roll four times a month now, guess what? That feels like too much. Then go with twice a month. My point is my friends, you’ve got to start somewhere, whatever. That’s why say whatever you want to do, good.   Jill  14:26 Write an article, put it on medium.com. That’s easy enough for any of you to do I promise, and so what I want you to do is, let’s call it once a month. The goal of being on, let’s see, let me just restate that monthly. I want you on X number of podcasts, you decide couldn’t be too good before. Even if it’s one, just decide, pick a number.   Jill  14:52 I want you to write one article a month. Okay, that’s a visibility building activity. And then You know, if you check this out, have you spent one hour a week, one hour? And I divided up by the way into 230 minute segments. Most of my clients do too, because we’re busy. That’s good. Right?   Jill  15:12 So, I would look for business, I would because I wrote business books, write business reporters into Twitter and see who shows up and reach out. Hey, listen, I wrote the book gorilla publicity or I’m launching a program or I’m working on this.   Jill  15:12 So, 230 minute segments and I want you to focus on and ask this question. What’s one visibility building activity I can do today? It might be going on your social media platforms typing in the word reporter.   Jill  15:41 And I want to see if we can talk about this. Right. That would be a great visibility building activity. That’s purposeful and I think those three things, that’s plenty and good to start with each of you can pick that and run from there.   Beau  15:59 Excellent. No, I appreciate that. some sage advice for sure and then you mentioned you may have a free gift. Is that correct?   Jill  16:05 Absolutely. For your listeners. What I’ve done is put together some great publicity tips, even more than I gave you right now we go in depth on it. Take a listen, I put together an action guide and it’s a two for one cool free gift because you get an invitation to my publicity masterclass.   Jill  16:23 Yeah, we should add that in those no worries at all.   Jill  16:23 This is live interactive with me where I answer your question specifically, and give you some other great advice. So come on with me to the live class.   Jill  16:32 It’ll give you that all in the free gift and you get that at Jill Lublin, publicitycrashcourse.com/freegift and hopefully Beau you can put that in the notes publicity.   Jill  16:48 Yeah. Thank you.   Beau  16:49 Excellent, Jill. So where else can people find you?   Jill  16:52 Oh, well, I’ll tell you what. If you type in my name, you will get to my website. All my great social media, Jill Lublin. Please do that, I love to connect to you and love to help you anyway I can in the area of publicity and get your name out there.   Beau  17:08 Awesome. Hey, thanks so much for joining. Really appreciate it. Jill. Fun conversation quick, effective, informative. Thanks so much for coming on.   Jill  17:15 Thank you, Beau.