Reputation OnRamp: Self-promotion for self-respecting solopreneurs and founders

G’day … Trevor here …

Welcome to Reputation OnRamp - yes, that’s right! There’s been a name change 🙂 … see below for more 👇

I’m listening to some Scandinavian jazz while I write this.

Scandinavian jazz - also known as Nordic jazz - tends to be quite minimalist and understated. It’s often quite calming, if not a bit on the moody side. Great to have in the background when writing!

What have you been listening to this week?

Okay, let’s go 🚀

What’s different?

I’ve tweaked the newsletter a wee bit - a new name (from ‘Become Your Own PR Machine’ to ‘Reputation OnRamp’) and a slightly tighter editorial direction which will see future editions focus more heavily on the individual specifically (i.e. savvy founders and solopreneurs) and what they can do to build their profile and reputation, versus previously where I tended to cover PR and communications for businesses more broadly.

The differences in thinking and execution don’t necessarily change all that much, but there is definitely nuance between how an individual (i.e. a solopreneur or the founder of a small but mighty business) goes about promoting themselves, versus an ambitious entrepreneur who is in the throes of building a large-scale enterprise.

It’s not that this newsletter won’t appeal to the latter, but it is written specifically with the former in mind.

And if you’re building a business brand as well as a professional personal brand, no biggie - the two can live side-by-side (a topic for another day!).

So, the new name …

‘REPUTATION ONRAMP: Self-promotion for self-respecting solopreneurs and founders of small but mighty businesses’ - what gives?

I must admit, I loved the original name for this newsletter (and its ‘sister’ podcast) - BECOME YOUR OWN PR MACHINE.

But I felt a bit of a problem was starting to emerge. The concept of public relations (PR) confuses most people in business. Heck, even some PR pros struggle to articulate what it is they do and the value they bring to a company or organisation.

[ FURTHER READING: Beyond media coverage: Understanding the integral role PR plays in business success ]

Put simply - there’s a whole lot more to PR than just 'getting ink' (i.e. generating media coverage).

Done well, it can help you to unlock the potential of your brand and your business; it can open doors and create opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise happen if you weren’t motivated and proactive in communicating with the people who matter most to the success of your brand.

Myriad strategies and tactics fall under the PR banner. In aggregate, they can pack a real punch, if undertaken with passion, purpose and strategic intent.

Indeed, a solid percentage of activities that business owners carry out under the guise of ‘marketing’ is probably PR! This surprises people sometimes; it’s not something we tend to think about, unless it’s pointed out. And that’s my job: to point it out 🙂 

By understanding what PR truly is and how it can help your brand and your business, then you’re going to be so far ahead of ‘the next guy’, it’s not funny!

So back to the issue I was facing: I’ve come to the realisation that if people don’t understand and/or think they need public relations, then they’re unlikely to subscribe to a newsletter with PR in the title 🤪

But smart business owners do understand the significance of growing one’s profile and building a trusted reputation in order to succeed commercially.

They know full well it’s important to increase their professional visibility, enhance their credibility, and to grow their authority and sphere of influence in the marketplace.

Reputation is a bit of a catch-all for these powerful attributes, hence I wanted to include it in the newsletter title.

Reputation is foundational to trust, which in turn is essential for ongoing business success.

Importantly, sustained PR and communications can, and should, play a key role in this regard. But who cares what we call it anyway? There are so many different strategies and ways of looking at things, so many tactics we can employ.

What’s more important is how all the moving parts work together, and how can we put them to good use in promoting our brand and our business in a purposeful way, without selling our soul or running ourselves into the ground.

What hasn’t changed?

This brings me to the mission of this newsletter, which essentially remains the same, and that is, to help purpose-led solopreneurs and founders unlock the potential of their business and personal brand by harnessing the power of PR, content and digital communications.

As a valued subscriber, this is what you can expect in future editions: Up-to-the-minute tips, ideas and insights designed to build your profile and reputation, underpinned by my three decades of 'in the trenches' consulting experience working with big-name global and national brands, progressive B2B companies, tech startups, and non-profit organisations.

Today, I specialise in helping credible experts, thought leaders and owners of service-based businesses elevate their profile, build their authority, and grow their influence in the marketplace.

As well as my coaching and consulting work with business owner clients, I am also an experienced entrepreneur, having co-founded three marketing services businesses, selling two and merging another with the world’s biggest PR firm.

I hope the above has helped set the scene for future newsletters :)

I’ll leave you with this quote from Jay Acunzo:

In case we haven’t met yet …

Hi, I’m Trevor. I I help purpose-led business owners become clear and confident in how they leverage PR, content and digital communications for profit, impact and legacy.

Let’s connect on LinkedIn!

Discover more at trevor.world