Recently a friend told me about Peter Shankman, Public Relations maven extraordinaire.
Most fascinating and relevant to those seeking press or TV exposure is Peter’s effort called “Help a Reporter Out.” On the flip side, “HARO” also helps out journalists and writers needing sources. (I always wondered how they’d find a guy who does tae kwon do while preparing a 5 course meal.)
Peter took a few minutes in his eternally busy life to answer a few questions:
Can any writer, including a personal blogger, send a request out through HARO?
Peter: Yup. The key is having a media outlet. “I want to find out the best malls in Chicago so I can shop” won’t cut it, but “I have a blog about shopping, and I’m looking for an expert source to tell my readers where to find the best malls in Chicago” would be fine.
I read that you started Help a Reporter for good karma. How has that karma paid you back?
Peter: I’ve made tons of new friends, my social media skills/logic/advice has become widely known, I’m doing 10x the amount of public speaking than I’m used to, and my name is getting even more well-known. While it’s all nice, though, it’s still about good Karma. Always will be.
Of your diverse interests and activities, how do prioritize what you work on?
Peter: I work on everything simultaneously - the beauty of being truly ADHD. I might have five projects going all at once - the key is getting them done in the timeframe of “now” or “not now.” For me, that works. It’s not for everyone, though.
As someone who also engages in diverse work and personal passions I think a lot about how to manage my “personal brands.” Do you fully integrate your work and personal lives, publicly, or are there things about you that remain private?
Peter: Oh, totally - There are many things about my personal life I keep quiet. People don’t know if I’m dating anyone or not, for instance. I don’t like 24/7 online. I do put a lot of it out there, but it’s not an inch more than I want people to know.
If you were running a “bucket list” website, what outrageous (low cost) PR stunt would you do to get attention? 
Peter: Have a good story, and incorporate it into whatever happens to be going on in the world at the same time. The key is a good story combined with relevancy.
(P.S. from Susie: Write me in as a Vice Presidential candidate!)
10/23 Update: Funny Story
I responded to a HARO request for stories about getting into a state of “flow.” When I told the woman about SuperViva, I was delighted she already knew about it.
It turns out that she had found out from Melea, who is the very person who told me about HARO. She had discovered Melea after Melea posted a query in the HARO email.
Yes I’m confused by all that too. But the bottomline is it’s all interconnected, circular, and just by getting your name out there…who knows what can happen!
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October 16th, 2008 |
There are many things I’ve always wanted to do—none involving baseball goals. 
