Hiya! I'm Lucy, creator of The Hype newsletter. After three years of running a paid newsletter subscription as a former PR agency owner, today is about what I’m learning as I keep going.
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Your product may have to evolve
What worked yesterday might not work next time. And that can be really frustrating.
When I launched, my monthly opportunity directories were my bestsellers, bringing in about 30 paid subscribers each time.
When that stopped, I moved them to quarterly, hoping one bigger edition would have more impact.
Instead, I overwhelmed existing readers, and free readers didn’t know what was going on.
I now publish them every two months, with time-sensitive opportunities shared weekly.
The bigger directory brings them together with extras. It’s taken some experimenting to get here.
Don’t get distracted by what others are doing
There is some absolute crap out there. Particularly in the visibility world. People who pay to play and don’t disclose it.
People who regurgitate other people’s thinking about self-promotion, personal branding or creativity, with little evidence they’ve put it into practice.
I’ve had fellow PR trainers come in and steal my work.
The worst culprits for stealing or not crediting, I block. Funnily enough, none of them ever come back to ask me why.
Whatever your work, there will be copycats. People who do it better. People who do it worse.
As Max Ehrmann wrote in Desiderata: “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter.”
Do what you need to keep those distractions out. Block, mute, unsubscribe. This is also why I love my Brick, I've still got Instagram and LinkedIn blocked on my phone.
I sometimes need to namecheck or search for PR opps on the platforms but they are way less addictive on your computer.
Be careful who you seek advice from
This is my favourite business tip, and yet I still fall prey to it.
I’ve lost count of the times people have told me I can’t make money this way, need a higher tier or should charge more because I’m undervaluing myself.
My saving grace is a small WhatsApp group of people who also monetise their newsletters.
Two weeks ago, I sent them a very long, raw, vulnerable, waffly wobble. I could tell you I hadn’t reached 1,000 paying subscribers, but admitting I hadn’t even reached half felt embarrassing. I felt I’d failed myself.
They reminded me the model can work and gave me specific things I could do to keep going. It was the bolster I needed.
Others might see these people as competitors. I do not.
Treat yourself like your best client
I’m a bad ass bitch at coming up with ways you can promote yourself. It’s why I love the newsletter, particularly the monthly Q&A thread and calls, where I can give tailored feedback.
But how many of us have a skill we use for everyone except ourselves?
Mark out time at least once a quarter to do your thing for yourself. Whatever you sell, your own work deserves some attention in the diary.
Case in point: I spent an entire day pitching on Monday.
Don’t just one and done
Slowly, the small-business community is bolstering itself through cross-promotions. But I often find it transactional.
You take each other out for a date, have the best time, and instead of having a second date or spending the weekend together, you leave it there.
I’m not asking you all to get married. But the most effective collaborations repeat the touchpoints. Your audience is unlikely to notice one mention. You need to say it again.
Campaign on stuff
Part of why I’m so keen on annual membership is that I think it takes a few months to build hype momentum. You need time to see what works, tweak your messaging, try again and double down.
We can get so overwhelmed by doing all the things that we do nothing.
When I started, I aimed for one guest article, one speaking opportunity and one podcast a month. Right now, I’m running a podcast-pitching campaign until the end of the year.
Pick something and give it a proper go: Pinterest, direct mail, webinars, guest writing, press, public speaking. Whatever makes sense for your work.
Sidenote: please invite me on your podcast. I’m a great guest, and I’ll always hype the shit out of it.
Put yourself where you don’t belong
I like being in rooms where my peers aren’t. Particularly in the creative industries, where I can be the only PR/promoter type.
You could argue I don’t belong because I don’t physically create art, but my creativity manifests differently.
Small-business owners often crowd around the same big-name podcasts, events and conferences. You end up learning what everyone else is learning, and your opinions start sounding the same.
Spend time somewhere outside your industry and you’ll find different perspectives.
Last week’s Amen Break post got people’s gears going. That example came from my own geekisms.
Be clear on what you stand for
This ties into my overused catchphrase: share a bit of ankle. Knowing what you stand for helps people decide whether you’re for them.
For me, that goes beyond waxing lyrical about championing underdogs. It means being vocal about big business and billionaires. Buying books from an indie shop instead of giving more money to Jeff Bezos. Paying to be part of spaces where we share each other’s work instead of paying Zuckerberg.
I chose Ghost because it’s a not-for-profit and I align with its values.
I believe getting more money into the hands of small-business owners will leave the world a better place. That includes helping you sell your work and paying small-business suppliers to help me with mine.
New to me and my work?
Want help putting your own work out there?
Every week in The Hype, I share one practical thing you can do to get seen and get paid. Paid subscribers also get my directory of opportunities, templates and live classes and Q&As where you can ask about your own work.
It’s for self-employed people who are brilliant at what they do but hate talking about it. £9.99 a month or £99.99 a year.
- 🎧 Podcast playlist
- 📚 Books: Hype Yourself, Brand Yourself, No-Nonsense PR
- 💻 Domestika PR course
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