Unlocking PR Success with Qwoted: A Guide for Small Business Owners and Experts

In today's competitive media landscape, standing out and building credibility is more important than ever for small businesses and industry experts. Qwoted provides a unique solution by connecting experts directly with journalists to secure media coverage and build valuable relationships. In this interview, Shelby, Success Manager at Qwoted, shares her journey, tips for success in PR, and how Qwoted empowers experts to amplify their voices. Dive in to learn the best practices for leveraging Qwoted to elevate your brand and gain media exposure.

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself and what you do for those who may not be familiar with your work at Qwoted?

As a Success Manager at Qwoted, my role is to ensure that all users in Qwoted have the tools to properly build out their profiles, find relevant opportunities, and submit pitches to journalists when ready.

2. What inspired you to get started in your field, and what continues to drive your passion?

At a very young age, I started working in customer service by helping out at my family’s guest ranch. I had no idea that the small tasks I took on as a 10-year-old would shape my future in such a profound way.

During my college internship at a payroll and PEO company, I quickly realized that my business degree would always be paired best with a role in account management and customer success. Understanding the customer experience felt second nature to me, and I knew that if I could find enjoyment in a field as technical as payroll, I could bring those skills to any industry.

Discovering Qwoted took everything to the next level. The media landscape and public relations field are constantly changing, which makes every day unique. I love that each day is a new challenge in finding ways to help customers succeed.

3. Why should every expert sign up on Qwoted?

Every expert should sign up on Qwoted for two reasons.

1. You can list yourself as an expert in your field for free in the Qwoted database. Even if you do not have time to pitch yourself and your expertise on a regular basis, Journalists can come to you by finding your profile in our network.
2. You can pitch your expertise directly to journalists for stories that they are working on. This is a quick and easy way to target specific publications and topics that you want to contribute to.

Overall, it is a streamlined process and network that helps increase your visibility and build your industry credibility.

We recently interviewed Shelby and her colleague, Vannyda. Tune in here.

4. What are the top 3-5 tips you’d give a source/expert/business owner who is looking for PR support? What should they know about developing their expertise?

1. Don’t be so concerned about getting coverage; focus on building relationships. Also, know that developing your expertise takes time. One small conversation with a journalist may not seem much right now, but they may come back to you as a resource in years to come.
2. Prepare your expertise and resources in advance. When using Qwoted, build out your profile. This will allow you to respond quickly and meet tight deadlines, as well as allow a journalist to cross-reference your credentials quickly.
3. Know your unique value. Sometimes, pitching against other industry experts can feel daunting. You may find yourself asking, “How can I compete against someone from that large corporation?” Your job is to bring something unique to the table, to provide a journalist with insight they could not simply just Google. Make a memorable value proposition to set yourself apart.

5. Can you share a success story or a favorite moment from work at Qwoted with small business owners/sources that really stands out to you?

It is a recent one, actually! I was working with a therapist who recently transitioned to opening a private practice. Their former company had a PR agency that secured media coverage for the entire company, so she had a few media placements from that work. As a brand new practice owner, she knew that she did not have the funds to hire an entire agency for her new brand.

Within two weeks of using Qwoted, she got a placement in Vogue by pitching herself and her expertise. Since then, that same journalist has come back to her for two additional stories that they have been working on. That relationship has now resulted in her only having to pitch once but getting three separate placements in a publication that she previously would have never thought possible.

6. Why do you think Qwoted is ahead of the PR game for small business owners?

I think that Qwoted is ahead of the game for Small business owners because it simplifies the process of making media connections, giving individuals direct and easy access to journalists who write stories on industry-specific topics.  It is also a cost-effective and affordable solution to gain media exposure for businesses that may not have the resources to hire PR expertise internally or externally.

7. How can people connect with you or learn more about Qwoted?

There are a ton of ways to reach out and to learn more! Our entire support staff is dedicated to ensuring users' success on our platform. Users can connect with us through [email protected] or the chat feature available on our site that gives you answers to your questions in real-time.

We also have so many resources through our Blog and Resource Center!

And, of course, you can always contact me directly!

[email protected]

or

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelby-bridges/