Are you looking to approach content creators to feature your pet business?

In this podcast episode, I'm talking about why thinking 'What's in it for them,' rather than 'What's in it for me,' will drastically improve your pitch success rate.

One of the exercises I do with my clients is to ask them to create a ‘wishlist’ of publications where they’d like to be published.

Regularly, people will get in touch and say, ‘I want to be in this magazine or on this podcast or work with this blogger.’

It might be a brand they’d love to collaborate with and they want to know the best way to approach it.

And the key to success is to think, ‘What’s in it for them?’ What is in it for the journalist, content creator or brand in featuring or working with you?

In this episode you'll learn how 'What's in it for them' works as a pitching approach, and how you can use it to improve your success rate.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

0.10 - Intro

0.30 - Pets Get Visible sponsors this episode - find out more here: Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?

2.01 - What 'what's in it for them' means

3.26 - Building and nurturing relationships

7.07 - Respecting time and value exchange

9.29 - Why you shouldn't be surprised if you're asked for money

10.00 - What is a value exchange?

13.21 - Using the personal touch in pitching

14.49 - Rachel's pitching examples

18.35 - Pitching examples from pet business owners Wendy, Kerry and Louise

23.46 - Conclusion and next steps

Links mentioned in this episode:

If you’d like a pitch framework, you can download my free podcast pitching guide here.

And for further, personalised support on your ideas, come and join Pets Get Visible.

Your first month is only £15 and you can get started here.

Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?

How to pitch yourself as a podcast guest

How to be the perfect podcast guest

Working with bloggers and influencers with Vicky Gunn

Best podcasts for the pet industry

Visibility lessons from Sunnyside Cottage

Would you love to secure press coverage for your pet business and need some story inspiration?

You’ll find plenty in this blog post and episode of the podcast where I’m sharing my top 20 favourite stories from five years of helping clients get in the press.

To celebrate the 200th episode of the Your Pet Business Content, Your Way podcast, I’ve rounded up a selection to show what journalists look for.

Since I began working with small businesses supporting them with approaching the media, there have been over 1,000 pieces of coverage.

From local outlets to the BBC Breakfast sofa and This Morning, I hope listening and reading these examples will show you what’s possible.

And if you’d like to chat about working together, head to the ‘work with me’ section for a range of options to suit all budgets.

Listen to this episode or head to my website to read many of the examples in the blog post here: https://rachelspencer.co.uk/top-20-pet-business-stories/

Key topics and timings in this episode:

2.28 - How this podcast started at Publicity for Pet Businesses.

3.53 - What made me train as a coach.

7.00 - How you can pitch to the press yourself and why I feel so passionately about showing business owners how to do this.

8.03 - Story number 20 ‘Meet Carla Finzel, the district nurse for pets.’

9.40 - Story number 19 ‘Kate Taylor on why dogs should be allowed everywhere like children.’

12.20 - Story number 18 ‘Karen Boyce the puppy queen of Wales.’

13.38 - Story number 17 ‘Doreen Potter, the Cumbrian dog trainer giving Romanian rescues a home.’

15.07 - Story number 16 ‘Supporting your cat coming out of lockdown with Wendy Thomson in the Warrington Guardian.’

16.14 - Story number 15 ‘Katie Gwilt The Kat Lady in Total Grooming.’

18.23 - Story number 14 - ‘Helen Motteram on the mental health crisis facing our dogs in the Daily Mirror.’

20.14 - Helen Motteram shares what it’s like to be on the BBC Breakfast sofa.

22.11 - Story number 13 - ‘Caroline Wilkinson as a doggy agony aunt in the Guardian.’

23.02 - Caroline on how publicity has helped her business.

24.09 - Story number 12 - ‘Not all breeders are Cruella De Vil with Rebecca Walters.’

25.23 - Rebecca talks about what it was like being in the press sharing her mission.

29.15 - Story number 11 - ‘How to train your dog for social media stardom with Kerry Jordan.’

30.15 - Kerry talks about being in her local lifestyle mag Cumbria Life.

31.33 - Story number 10 - ‘A crisis can bring out the best in us - Suzanne Gould.’

32.44 - Suzanne talks about how being in the spotlight has helped her stand out as a dog trainer.

36.16 - Story number 9 - ‘Meet lockdown hero and Menopaws story Louise Humphrey.’

37.31 - Louise shares how PR has positioned her as a pilates and canicross expert.

38.29 - Story number 8 - ‘Jo Sellers on being a prisoner in her home in Take a Break.’

39.52 - Jo on what it was like being in a real-life women’s magazine.

41.20 - Story number 7 - ‘Emily Thomas why more people are turning to canicross and lots more.’

42.56 - Emily on raising her profile as an authority in canicross.

44.52 - Story number 6 - ‘Meet Zoe Willingham - the animal lover who lives with over 100 pets in the Daily Mirror.’

47.38 - Zoe shares what it’s like to be in the press.

49.27 - Story number 5 - ‘Becky Baker on The One Show and post-puppy blues.’

50.54 - Becky on why you’ve just got to ‘go for it!’

52.09 - Story number 4 - ‘Sarah Jones and her mission for dogs in yellow to get the space they need in the Daily Mirror.’

55.23 - Sarah shares what being in the media has done for anxious dogs.

56.07 -...

Do you find yourself worrying around how much engagement you have on your social media accounts?

This is a topic I find comes up repeatedly on social media, in Facebook group conversations, and in the coaching calls I run in my membership.

Pet professionals who are doing a brilliant job of caring for animals and supporting their clients, making brilliant products that make a difference.

Yet they become tied up in knots with social media, trying to keep up with the ever changing demands of platforms run by billionaires.

Social media is an incredible free tool to get your work seen, but it can also cause a lot of stress and frustration.

One thing I wish wasn’t a cause of this is engagement.

In this podcast episode, I’m talking about why I would LOVE for you to let go of any concerns you have around this, so it doesn’t hold you back, and so you can show up as the brilliant pet pro you are.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

1:23 - The challenges pet professionals share about social media engagment

2:38 - What is social media engagement

5:24 - Why worrying about it can hold you back

7:10 - Why normal people don't care about social media engagement

8:35 - Would a lack of engagement stop you from buying?

9:24 - Even social media experts struggle to get engagement

10:13 - Remember, you're a pet pro, you are not a social media expert

11:51 - Worrying about a lack of engagement means you’re not getting seen

13:36 - People can discover you on social media and then come OFF social media to find out more about you

15:09 - It takes 10 to 15 touchpoints for people to decide to buy from you

16:42 - Pet parents need to know the available choices

19:08 - You want to dilute the aversive messages that are out there

20:25 - Social media is a little bit like quicksand

21:09 - Remember that people are lurking

22:24 - Engagement doesn't pay the bills and an engaging post may generate no money

24:29 - You're winning just by showing up as research shows many people don't even bother

25:22 - Be brave and post what you really want to say and you might surprise yourself

27:11 - Sometimes it's just having a little confidence boost

29:01 - Podcasts to listen to if you'd like to feel inspired

31:15 - Final thoughts on posting and feeling confident

31:40 - How I can support you in feeling more ok with self-promotion

Get 50% off your first month in Pets Get Visible here: https://publicityforpetbusinesses.mykajabi.com/offers/7Hvpvxzr/checkout?coupon_code=PGV50

Links mentioned in this episode:

Creating meaningful content with Aileen Stevenson

How to feel more comfortable and confident promoting your pet business

If you’re not visible who misses out?

Stuff the social media rules and do things your way with Colette Adwin

Putting your passion and personality into your marketing with Alex McCann

Why I trained as an...