A magazine reporter, Rasheeda, emailed me to request an interview.

No pitching.

No press releases.

No chasing.

Rasheeda—who writes about nonprofit associations—contacted me late Monday.

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After exchanging four quick emails, we had the logistics down and the phone interview confirmed for Tuesday morning. 

That’s it.

It can be this easy.

How did Rasheeda find me?

I had been showing up and offering free resources and value in a group we both belong to (not on Facebook)

Rasheeda was watching.

That was in early 2020.

She first contacted me in March, 2020 when the pandemic hit.

Rasheeda was interviewing a few PR people about the importance of nonprofits having crisis communication plans.

She had seen my posts and poked around my website.

The article ran, I thanked her and that was it.

Within just three months of Rasheeda’s first article...

In a perfect world, we could put a pushpin on a calendar date and plan out days, weeks and months of special events, announcements, contests and news to share. Wow, an entire road map of content, blog topics and email promos. It would work out just fabulously.

[RELATED: To continue learning about communicating with confidence and clarity, join Communication Nation on Facebook.] 

Of course, anyone who has walked the planet for a few decades knows that social media—and breaking news—can quickly push our best-laid plans out the window. If the TV interview you’ve been working on for weeks has arrived but there’s a major earthquake in California, your big moment might be rescheduled—or axed. That’s why you—and your editorial calendar—must be flexible.

First Things First

Though content planning can bring challenges, savvy professionals still keep a framework in place.  

Templates that allow you to easily track—and...

Your email pitch hangs on eight words…or less.

The secret to gauging the interest of reporters and influencers who may want to interview you is complicated. The recipient must know from your subject line exactly what you have and why it’s relevant right now.  Your goal: immediate clarity. In eight words or less.

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A terrific pitch piques the interest of the reader because it’s about their audience. When pitching your story, forget cutesy. It's confusing and irritating to busy reporters. All they want you to do is make your point.

I’ve been on both sides of pitches, as a news reporter and anchor in a chaotic radio newsroom and as a publicity strategist working to get my clients media coverage.

Here are tips from the pros about what gets their attention when sifting through their inbox.

1. “The subject line must be clear so I know what...

Content often confuses non-writers. However, it doesn’t have to be an energy drain.

Content also has the power to grow your community. And regular posts that are valuable and timely keep you in front of your community. Content grows your tribe. It grows your business and moves you closer to achieving your professional and personal goals.

Think of content as your bank account.   

Let’s get past the confusion and angst that countless business owners endure when trying to generate ideas. Let’s make things easy. Remember, even seasoned marketers and bloggers get stuck occasionally.

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No one expects you to be a professional writer so take the pressure off of yourself! You have plenty of knowledge hat potential customers need and want from you. All we have to do is get it out of your head…I promise it won’t hurt!

Here are five ways to overcome writer’s block:

1. Write...