The Social Media Takeaway - Louise McDonnell

How to get FREE Publicity for your Business with Jill Lublin

• Louise McDonnell • Season 1 • Episode 72

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In this episode of The Social Media Takeaway, I chatted with Jill Lublin, international speaker, best-selling author, and publicity strategist who has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and business owners worldwide. We dive into how small business owners can use publicity to build visibility, credibility, and trust...without spending big on ads.

If you’re a coach, consultant, or small business owner wanting to attract more clients through authentic visibility, this one’s for you.

You’ll learn:
✅ Why publicity outshines paid ads
✅ How to land media coverage from day one
✅ The 3 keys to boosting visibility
✅ How kindness fuels profit
✅ Why consistency builds lasting trust

SHOW CHAPTERS
0:00 Publicity Starts With One Simple Pitch
0:38 Meet Jill Lublin: Author, PR and Media Expert
1:27 Understanding Gorilla Publicity and the Broad Scope of Publicity
4:49 Crafting Your Message and Creative Strategies for Media Attention
7:27 Leveraging Special Days and Events
12:50 Planning and Executing Your PR Strategy
21:50 Final Takeaway and Free Gift from Jill

💌 Connect with Jill on LinkedIn
🎁 FREE GIFT

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to my podcast because more like this is on the way!

If you'd like to book a call to see how I can support you head over to my website here. www.sellonsocialmedia.academy/hello

My 2025 Social Media Content Planner & Guide is now available! Packed with 400 content prompts, expert tips, and $377 worth of free resources to help you save time and get results in 2025.

Grab your copy now on Amazon!
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Louise McDonnell:

I am delighted to be welcomed by Jill Lublin. Jill is an expert for over 25 years in everything to do with PR and the media, and she's a four times best selling author and she has shared the stages with like superstars, including herself all over the world. You're very welcome to the show, Jill.

Jill C. Lublin:

Thank you. Delighted to be here with you.

Louise McDonnell:

I know with the topic that we wanna talk about is also the topic of your book Gorilla Publicity. Tell us what that's about.

Jill C. Lublin:

Gorilla publicity is about getting your name out there, creating visibility without spending a fortune, right? That's always a good thing. So how can you have impact and influence and get people noticing you? That's what we zoom in on with gorilla publicity, so that you really are able to create that impact and attract also, of course, your wonderful clients and referrals and connections and have people know you, which is what publicity does.

Louise McDonnell:

And so publicity obviously is broader than just the mainstream media. For somebody who's listening in who thinks that maybe publicity, they think, okay, publicity, pr, that's like mainstream media. Do you wanna maybe just explain what your interpretation of that is?

Jill C. Lublin:

Sure. I got a big broad definition of publicity, and that is, it happens from the minute you walk out your door. Guess what you're doing? Publicity. Whether you're in a Zoom room, whether you're being interviewed, whether you're in a coffee shop, guess what? You are still always representing your business. So yes, I believe. That it also, of course, is mainstream media as well as blogs and podcasts. Your social media has to be congruent with your message. That is all publicity. The reality is what's your message? And why should people care? That's what I like to say. So you know it's happening all the time, whether you like it or not. So let's get conscious about it and be focused about it, and have it be resonant to who you are and congruent with what you wanna say in the world.

Louise McDonnell:

Fantastic. Now, I know one of the things I help businesses to get very clear on is like what their core offer is and what their messaging is around that. I presume this is the foundation of what you need to know in order to get your gorilla publicity working on behalf of your brand. Do you want to talk a little bit through the steps that you take people through when you start working with them?

Jill C. Lublin:

Absolutely. And it's similar, but, mine's for media focus, which of course social media is a media. So what I love to help people with is your message. And your message is really about the fact that people will interview you because you have an expertise. I'm here on the show with Louise. Thank you. Because I have an expertise in publicity, all of you have an expertise. The question is, what is it? And then we wanna look at what's the problem today? What's the problem out there? And when we look at that, we also wanna know. You being the expert, what's your solution? I like to tell you to give three, like actually tell people what to do, just like we're doing right now. You wanna give value and benefit and you wanna actually tell people what to do. I find Louise, that a lot of people make a mistake and putting their message out because you use I statements, right? Our company, we do this, I do this. That's nice. But the truth is your client cares about themselves understandably so you gotta speak in you language, makes a big difference and really helps people out a lot more to understand how you are going to help them. And with media, they can say yes to you because, oh, you are giving value and benefit to others.

Louise McDonnell:

Sometimes, like I think that when businesses or brands are thinking about how they can get publicity, that they think, if they just tell the media about a product or a new service that they're launching it needs to be more than that Jill, doesn't it? Because I think the media. They're not that, as you said, they're not interested in the brand or the solution, but they want the story behind it. So how does, if somebody wants to obviously get some publicity for a new product or service that they're launching or relaunching, or maybe they launch it a few times a year, how can they go beyond just talking about themselves to actually get the attention of the media?

Jill C. Lublin:

So great question because the truth is nobody cares. I don't mean to be mean, but it's not about your product, your service, your book, your launch, whatever it is that you got. But here's the fun dance about publicity. It's all about your product, your service, your launch, and the way to get that promoted is to find that problem and then sometimes you gotta get a little well imaginative and creative, right? So one of the things that I've been very successful with my clients at, number one, is finding the right message. Because that's always a key. And I think people get too attached to this is what I do, versus this is how it helps people, right? So I just wanna remind you about that. Number two, the really great thing that helps really get you in media, and this is a fun strategy that most people don't employ, is to use everything you've got. What do I mean by that? If you're Hispanic, go into Hispanic Heritage Month. I have a client, she's a communication coach, and we were doing fabulous messaging for how to communicate better in business. Terrific. Then Black History Month happens. She's the black woman. We do a whole different story on how to be a powerful black woman and communicate well in today's times. Let me tell you, that got her into Black Enterprise Magazine, Essence Magazine, places and spaces that she was not getting into being a business communication coach. So I think that's a very expanded way for many of you to look at. Wow, there are whole new ways that we can get into the media. Get into the press and start doing things that are much more powerful and able to create that visibility factor that gets you noticed, seen and heard. So I want you to start using everything you've got. Everything you've got that opens up a whole new ball wax.

Louise McDonnell:

So special days, special weeks, special months, special themes. What about if there's a big story going down in the media with a superstar or an actor, somebody really famous.

Jill C. Lublin:

Oh, so glad you asked. Because I have a wonderful client. She's a divorce coach. Then Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, got divorced and I said to her, you go girl, it is your moment to talk about that, celebrity marriages and how that's going down and your opinion about it. And so she got a lot of press because of that. And then for Valentine's Day, she does a whole story. And I suggested to her do this. And that whole story is how to fall out of love for Valentine's Day. Isn't that fun? So sometimes you wanna be contrary, right? Sometimes you just gotta be more noticeable and be contrary. So I got this book, the Prophet of Kindness. Great topic, feel good topic. And let me tell you world Kindness Day, we absolutely do a lot around that. Sometimes we're doing stories called the divided states of the world. That's a story that actually got me literally seven Fox News interviews in the first 30 days of the Prophet of Kindness coming out.'cause I was talking about The divisions, and that's what was interesting to the media. You gotta go in, listen, you gotta go in whatever door you can. If you go in the front door, the side door, underneath the door and up the door, it's all good. It's all good. Here's the bottom line point. Once you're in the media, here's the great news. You control the message.

Louise McDonnell:

Okay. You've come up with an angle, it's Black History month, or it's, some angle you can, hang hat on This is what I'm going to use to get into the media. How do you go about approaching the media? It's always changing and as technology changes and as we get busier and as there's more AI and more of everything now how do you actually stand out and get a journalist or somebody in that P department to notice you.

Jill C. Lublin:

Yeah. So let me just tell you, by the way, I've been reading a lot of articles about AI and of course, it's here to stay and we all know that. But a couple things. Publicity actually gets you generated AI attention, which is interesting just to know and all kinds of scientific background, most of which I don't understand to verify that position. But I will tell you that standing out in a crowded market is about finding that. I'll call it that gem that call it push the right button, right? So yeah, I got a new book out, the Prophet of Kindness. That's nice. Another book great and I'm proud of it. Mom was proud of it. But truthfully, that's not the story. The story was the division, the story you see where I'm going? So then. We send out a press release called the Division in the World, or in my case, when I was going after US Media, it was the divided states of America. Right now, I actually, for World Kindness Day, I talk about global division. We got a lot of stuff going on these days. So the truth is you can talk about different pieces because the media welcomes diverse opinions. And let me just say, can I just tell you little secrets? The media, it's all opinions. Honestly, except for that hard news stories, like terrible things like wars and other things that happen in the world. Most other things are you, us, the experts talking about different pieces. And so you wanna be the one who delivers a great message, a connection the power of what your promoting, so to speak, but sometimes done. Through a side door, through a different door. I'll just give you another example. I have a business consultant. She's got a son who's autistic and for national autism month, she goes out talking about being a mom, being a business woman. How do you be both? How do work in the world like this? And obviously give love to your son all the issues that are there for that month, and her being a working mom. It's an interesting dynamic that gives a different twist. Now, let me just tell you, every time you're in the media, guess what happens. You're being seen, you're being heard. You're driving people to your wonderful opportunity for people, right? That's what matters. So that when they're Googling you and finding you, guess what comes up? All the media, no matter what you're talking about. And that is a beautiful thing. That's what I want for people. So you get in whatever way you can, and that's the part I always want people to expand their mindset about what's possible to get into media. And let me just tell you, there are many things that are possible, including your ethnicity, your religion, where you're from, all kinds of wonderful things. A woman from Poland, and we're looking at the Polish media not only. In the US but internationally and getting her in there. That worked also very well with a man from India who lives in LA. In other words, finding all the press that's meant for you that you can talk about really works.

Louise McDonnell:

I'm gonna give a big plug now for my planner, because my planner does all those special days day by day. So every day of the year you can sit down and for there's at least one special day every day. But I would imagine you're going to say a lot of this comes from planning in advance. So if you wake up and it's, National Love Your Cat Day, and you've a lovely cat story, it's too late. When do you wanna be pitching that story? Is it the week before? Is it the month before? How far in advance do you the story?

Jill C. Lublin:

Oh, I'm so glad you asked this.'cause yes, you do not pitch it on the day of. Although in very rare circumstances you might slide it through. But you typically wanna do I like to say plant your publicity garden and think about now you're planting some seeds now and then 3, 6, 9 months ahead. I tend to like that timeline because, it works. So thinking like a year, put in a year, look at your planner, right? Look at Louise's planner. Go. Okay. On this day, three months ahead is National Cat Day. By the way, I have four of them. I could, this story about cats, right? About loving cats and I know that November 13th is world the reason I got on. A, B, C in Dallas TV and Fox News in San Francisco is because we planned ahead, you have to be at least, especially for TV, typically good 30 days magazines. Three to six months, newspapers also believe it or not. And then there's those wild news stories that day. And sometimes you can just get in and get lucky. But when you're planning specifically for holidays, like right now I'm working with a farm sanctuary who rescues farm animals and we've got a big fundraiser in September and we are 30 days out absolutely. Making sure that every media is hit. But you know what? They've been on it for three months now. And we're planning for a very specific event. And by the way, it's what's happening with our animals, right? And so we wanna draw bigger attention, and this is always what I want people to get.

Louise McDonnell:

What's the bigger story? So go deeper. go to something that the media will want to talk about, because they won't want to speak about you. They want to speak about the topic. Now, so anyone listening in here, they're thinking, okay, three months, six months gonna start doing my planning. can you reach out to journalists through social media? Does that work? or do you email them or do you ring them or what?

Jill C. Lublin:

In Gorilla publicity we talk about the rule of seven. Seven contacts. And most people are given up after two, just saying. yes, reach out to them on social media, connect with them on pretty much often LinkedIn, but see where else they are and just say hi and that you're an expert in so and here's what you got and you wanna connect with them. I do like email direct to them. Absolutely. And then, you know what else? Pick up the phone. Remember that? Pick up the phone and actually use the human voice and say I'm Jill Lublin. I'm calling about the story on kindness. We have World Kindness Day coming up in November 13th, and I wrote this book called The Prophet of Kindness. What I've noticed is that in the world today, we have a lot less kindness and a lot more division, and I think we need to talk about that. Did you hear that pitch? It was a simple pitch. It incorporated what I'm talking to them about. It established that I'm an author of The Prophet of Kindness. It's a talking about a exact holiday called World Kindness Day with a date specific right? Now, that's great. I'll tell you though almost every day has been a day where I could talk about lacking of kindness . I call'em my PR antennas, I got my PR antennas up and all of you need to have yours. And I always do this looking for my clients, thinking about, wow, what's going on right now? When you. Talked about that celebrity divorce. I got a divorce coach. When you're talking about, whatever, the stress and anxiety level, I've got a psychologist who can talk about that. You see where I'm going?

Louise McDonnell:

Yeah, I can see it. So yeah really wonderful opportunities. And then here's another thing I often wondered about as well, Jill. So do you pitch exactly the same story to all the different news desks? Or do you give them a slightly different variation, or do you give somebody exclusivity, or how do you decide all that?

Jill C. Lublin:

First of all, you don't give it to them. They have to ask you and then you decide. if it's some of the bigger players, I might consider it, but on the whole exclusivity is not usually an issue. Let me just say not in the game, with entrepreneurs and small business owners. It's not usually so I wouldn't be concerned about that. But is it the same pitch? No, it's a slightly different pitch. Listen, I've been in Ink Magazine, in Forbes Magazine twice now from the prophet of Kindness talking about kindness in business. Great. That is a different story than what I was in Fox News for. Talking about the divided states of America in Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas and different places. It was a different story. It's still the same book, it's still the same theme. It's a slightly different edge. One was a business publication, one was, more a TV station. So I would tell you on the whole, it's a similar pitch with a slightly different nuance depending on who you're talking to. If you're on a women's radio station you're gonna talk with regard to the impact of what you're doing with women. But if you're on a entrepreneur magazine, you're gonna talk about your business with regard to entrepreneurs. Does that make sense? So slightly different, but I always like to say, have one basic, like theme and then nuance it according to what's needed.

Louise McDonnell:

Very good. Yeah that's really good advice. And the other thing to just,'cause I know I have been involved in PR as well down through the years in various different parts of my career. And one thing I noticed, and I just wanna see if things have changed, but one thing I noticed that sometimes people expect that when they get, let's say they're covered on the national TV and they expect that it's gonna have this amazing spike in demand for their business. But I always think that it raises your awareness about you and that awareness stays at a heightened level for a longer time, more so than a spike can.

Jill C. Lublin:

Both things happen. The truth about publicity is it elevates your credibility and gets you seen, heard and paid. And you walk in with a brag ability factor. And by the way, I think, brag ability is important in a positive way that you've been featured in Fill in the blank. And again, it can be from podcast, to blogs, to tv, radio, magazines, newspapers, all of it's good social media lives. In all the platforms. It's all media, my friends. And it all matters. And it all counts. And let me tell you, not only are you seen differently ooh, your credibility goes up. And let me suggest also that many times, like most of the time, I'd say 70 to 80% of the time, there are brilliant spikes in web visits. Book sales. For instance, I had a client on a podcast. She sold 45 books in a 15 minute podcast. That's amazing. And I've had clients who've actually given me the amount they've sold literally of their product service, et cetera, from one article like my client who was featured in the Chinese Times because he's Asian American. He got a $7,000 consulting gig because of one article and more, by the way. But I'm saying that's a big spike. These are great things that happen and I do see consistent revenue being created, and yes, you also do it so that you have ongoing what would I call it? Foundational evidence that you are an expert and media is the primary fabulous opportunity to do that so that people are talking about you and that you then can show that to your prospect's clients and engage with people. And by the way, can I just say one other thing? That you can use your publicity. To publicize your publicity, right? So you can start bragging about your publicity that you were featured in, and that is a beautiful thing.

Louise McDonnell:

And Jill, do you think that not enough businesses think about, just the public, like they just think about social media too much and not look going beyond that?

Jill C. Lublin:

Can I just tell you it's my bane of my existence? Louis and I love social media. I do. And I believe in it, and I'm on it. And I think it's important, but it is not publicity. You must do publicity as a separate and focused activity and then make sure that your social media is congruent, that your messaging is similar and that one supports the other. Of course, and the great news is you can use all of the. Things I told you about this morning to use on your social media platforms and brag there and leverage your publicity. One, does support the other, but it is not social media and frankly, it lasts a long time. The viability and credibility of your wonderful publicity lasts literally a lifetime, and that's a great thing.

Louise McDonnell:

Jill, I know your book is available. It's Gorilla Publicity. That's the one we've been talking about more or less today. You can buy it on Amazon. I was checking it out earlier on, but I know you have a wonderful free gift that you wanna offer all the listeners here today, do you want to tell us a little bit about it?

Jill C. Lublin:

Yes, I do what I've done and we've had a great time together. What I did was I put together a publicity action guide and gave you even more wonderful, free publicity tips and 'cause I like to give a lot of gifts. There's a free publicity masterclass live and interactive with me where you get to ask questions, and I'm gonna give you even more great publicity tips. So make sure to join that. Masterclass, come with me live and you can get it at jill. lublin.com/guide.

Louise McDonnell:

Fantastic. And we'll put the link as well in the show notes and in all the different various links that will be associated with the show. Jill, Thank you so much. That was so enjoyable. I really enjoyed our chat and thank you so much for sharing your expertise. Of course, I can see the kindness coming through and the expertise of the Gorilla Publicity, So thank you so much.