FAQ

This all sounds great, right? But the industry can be confusing. It’s changing fast with new rules and platforms every other week, so you’ve got questions. I get it. 

Let me do my best to answer them here to make sure we’re a fit. If it sounds like we are, then click here so we can get started working together!

What do you do exactly?

Great question. We don’t do everything under the public relations umbrella, but we do focus on THREE things very strongly. 

We’re getting our clients coverage in the news without paying for ads, bringing their Instagram accounts to life, and driving traffic to their websites with SEO-focused blog posts that entertain readers.

So where can you get me featured and how quickly?

Oh, this is the million-dollar question. Unfortunately, there isn’t a publicist in the world who can honestly answer this question. That’s because earning media doesn’t work this way. 

If you want to control the coverage and have all of these answers before you write a check, you’re going to need to hire an advertising agency and get ready to fork over big bucks for ads. 

We don’t make any guarantees because we are at the mercy of journalists, reporters, writers, producers, podcast hosts, etc. Luckily, most of the Media Maven team used to work in the media (and some still do) in these exact positions so not only do we have the relationships to stand out in their inboxes, but we know how to get their attention. (And no, it’s not by blasting long, boring press releases.)

When I was a reporter, my stories were determined in the morning meeting where we looked at breaking news to follow up on as well as story pitches we received. It’s just silly for anyone to think they can dictate what I would or would not cover when they didn’t work in the newsroom as a manager. (Again, another reason why it’s great to hire former journalists as publicists. We know what it’s like on the other side!)

For some examples of where we’ve gotten clients and what they say about working with us, click here.

How much is this going to cost?

Our rates start at $4,500/month for media relations. If you want something on a larger scale like a focus on the entire country instead of just your local market or you want us to pitch all media outlets – online, print, TV, podcasts, etc., then the price will increase with our efforts.

Instagram and SEO-focused blogging is a lesser investment, but we like to bundle all three of these services when we work together to ensure you get a bigger bang for your buck. Today, there is so much overlap between owned media (what you control – your website, your social media) and earned media (what you earn – coverage in the news because you’re a credible authority), that it’s best to tag team these three services.

Can I just try you out for a month or two to see how it goes?

No, because if we do that, it won’t work for either one of us. We’ll just get frustrated and leave the relationship disappointed. (We’ve gone against our better judgment before to do this. Trust me – it never works.) 

Public relations is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. Sure we can get you some media coverage, grow your Instagram, lay the groundwork for your website with blogs, but if you only focus on a month or two at a time, you’re setting yourself up to be let down.

Here’s just one example. Print magazines work three months in advance, so if I book you an interview today, no one is going to know about it for another three months! 

More examples include the holidays, elections, the Black Lives Matter movement, and national tragedies. These things all affect what people talk about, and in turn, what people cover. Sometimes it can work in your favor and sometimes it can slow things down. It just depends on your brand and business goals.

Social media algorithms and search engine optimization take time to produce results. It’s just the nature of the industry. You need to be patient.

If you’re in this for a quick, “I want to be famous” or “I need to sell this product right now”, then we’re not the right fit. 

But, if you want to get an idea of what we would do for you if you came on as a client and what our working relationship would look like, you can invest in the PR Profit Plan to start. Click here for more.

So what am I actually paying for?

You’re paying for our years of expertise working in the local and national media industry, the relationships we’ve built from the beginning, and our time to get to know you and your brand, craft stories, and pitch them for coverage on a continuous basis.

But we don’t stop there. After we earn media coverage, we work with you and your team to get longevity out of it so it lasts months longer than just that two-minute segment on TV, for example.

When it comes to Instagram and SEO-focused blogging, we don’t post for the sake of creating content. We start by researching what’s working and what’s not working and ask ourselves: What do people want to see more of? How can we share it in a way that’s unique to our brand? What has low competition that we can stand out for and use as a jumping-off point?  

We keep you informed on our efforts every single week with an email that breaks down what the team is doing to build your brand. If you ever want to hop on a call, no problem! Keep in mind, we like to keep meetings to a minimum to free up our time to execute your strategy because the news never stops!

How many people will be working for me and when?

It depends on a few things, but mainly your goals and your budget. More goals + more budget = more people! Regardless, you will always have a team of AT LEAST THREE people dedicated to hitting your goals five days a week.

But what if I can’t afford to hire a PR agency right now?

Hey, I get it. This may not be a fit for you right now, and that’s okay. We have more options!

1. Do It Yourself or Do It With Us

If you want to learn how to handle PR yourself or execute with the Media Maven team, let me teach you. Click here to check out the Media Mentoring Program. 

2. Invest In A VIP Day

If you want to create a detailed 90 day plan the is custom to you and your goals IN JUST ONE DAY, this is the way to do it! For more on this, click here.

Did I miss something?

Maybe I did. If I did, let me know by sending me an email at Christina@MediaMavenAndMore.com so I can help!