3: PR Tips to Grow your Online Course Business (without spending a cent on advertising)

Hey, everybody. Welcome to the Course Creators MBA podcast, where you will learn actionable tips to grow your online course business. I'm your host, Destiny Kopp, and I am so excited to announce our guest today. She's a personal friend of mine and someone who I have learned a lot about PR with. I want to welcome KJ Blattenbauer to the show. Kj, I'm so happy that you're here.

Thank you for having me. I'm happy to be here. Yeah.

So before we get started in talking about all things pr, because you are the PR queen, I want you to tell us a little bit about yourself, your history, kind of your business journey, and how you got to where you are today.

Sure. Well, like you introduced me, my name is K.J. blattenbauer. I have worked for public relations agencies and corporate America and myself for 22 years doing public relations and marketing and setting up content creation strategies for almost every industry. But lately, I focus on entrepreneurs and influencers, and I help them figure out how to be their own publicist, get their own press, write compelling content that gets them conversions, and obviously makes them more money. My work's been featured on a variety of places, and I'm thrilled to be here. But you can also find me on PR Daily articles in Inc. And then on Entrepreneur on Fire in a few months.

So that's exciting. And I know. So we have a lot of course creators, obviously, that listen to this show and they are interested in growing their audience, growing their online course business. And, you know, a lot of them as they're starting out, they may not have a big audience, they may not have a big E email list, and obviously Facebook ads, they cost a lot of money, and our budgets may be small. And one of the things that I always encourage them to do is to look for PR type opportunities where they can use other people's audiences to get their name out there and, you know, share their message with the world so people can get to know them. Right. And what they do. So. So I'd like to ask you a few questions and we'll see where this takes us. But if you were a course creator and your budget was limited from a Facebook ads standpoint, but you really wanted to get your name out there, where would you advise them to start? What are some of the biggest bets for their time and effort?

Sure. Well, as a course grader myself, I can tell you that having no advertising budget, after you've paid for all the tools, the best place to start is free. And my favorite free tool that is absolutely amazing. And everyone needs to jump on right now is called haro. It's Helper Reporter Out. You can go to their website, submit your information, sign up for whatever emails you want to get. They based on your industry or area of expertise or what your course focuses on. But what they do is three times a day, they send you direct leads and inquiries from reporters or media outlets looking for experts, quotes, information, or businesses, companies, and ideas to feature. So basically, instead of you pitching the media and hoping to get on, they're coming to you, desperate, on tight deadlines, needing expertise from people like you. They send out. You can get up to three or four emails every morning, midday, and evening. And it all depends on what, again, you select and want to cover. But it's completely free. And I have had clients who have submitted information at 7pm on a Wednesday, and they wake up Thursday, and their Expertise is in 20 publications across the world. And it makes a huge difference because unlike your Facebook ads appearing in a Haro inquiry and then in a media publication, by using pr, you're not telling people you're an expert. You're letting verified news and media outlet platforms tell people you're an expert. And that instantly boosts your credibility and helps you sell more courses. So that Haro is my first one, and that's free. Another one is podcasts, just like this one. So for every podcast, obviously, there's a host looking for guests and great experts. And one of the best free tools you can get on is called podcastguest.com you simply enter your email and then they send you opportunities. And it might fit your niche, it might not. But you're getting emails every single day. A couple times a week, actually, just highlighting people who need experts to promote to their audience. And it's another media way that you can validate your expertise and get more people interested in what you have to offer.

So both of those are great resources, and I highly recommend them. I actually got those tips from KJ myself. And every, you know, every time that email comes out, I'm always scattering it to see if there's anything in my area of expertise where I can, you know, help the reporters out. So let's talk a little bit more about podcasts, you know, being a guest on a podcast, because I think that appeals to a lot of the course creators out there. So let's just say that, you know, we're getting that email and we're responding to the ones that kind of, you know, fit our niche. What are some other ways that we can Approach podcast hosts of, you know, different podcasts that we've been on and strategy wise, like, how would we go about, like a step by step process? What would you recommend for us to, you know, look for other opportunities out there that may not be coming through that email?

Sure. Another way to do it is to do research with your target audience, which is only going to help you make yourself and your product better. So whether it's through Insta Story Polling or Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, whatever you want to do through to your email list on a Facebook Live, it's reaching out to your target audience or customer and asking them, what kind of podcast do you listen to? You know, what information are you looking for? And then it's going to those podcasts and podcast hosts and it's pitching in them the information your people want to hear. And it's as simple as an email. It can be as simple as a direct message on social media. Just reach out to the host and say, hey, love your podcast. I know we're both focused on this target audience. My people are begging for answers to X, Y and Z. I'm an expert and can help you out on that. Let's connect and make it happen. It's that simple. Just like you're at a networking event, you're approaching someone. Asking to be a podcast can be that easy, but it starts with knowing where your people are. If you are a course creator for people who want to make courses, you're not going to be on a podcast about dog groomers. You know, like, talking about the latest way to groom a dog is not going to help you find your target audience. It might be a fun and entertaining podcast, but that's not the right crowd for you. So by surveying your people, you'll find where they're listening, what they're watching, what they're reading, who they're following. And doing that research is going to help you get on the best podcast to promote your course and your expertise. So that's, that's one of the ways I would start another way that you could do it. After researching your people and just generally reaching out, another thing you can do is really just a simple Google search. If you Google podcast and then your niche, you're going to see that a ton of resources come up, vet them, see if they fit. If they do, you know, reach out to them, say, hey, I'm an expert on X, Y and Z. Would love to chat with you about this. I'm hearing from a lot of people. It's one of the top Questions, let's solve it together. It's really that simple. A lot of people think it's intimidating, but it's just reaching out. The worst thing someone can say is no, and that's just no right now. And then you hit them with another idea later.

So all great ideas. And I guess the other area that some of the course creators are interested in pursuing in terms of, you know, PR type opportunities, is being a guest blogger, you know, on somebody's, you know, the blog or their, their media site. Can you walk us through what is the best way to handle that? Is it different from a podcast or how would we go about finding the right context? Also.

It'S similar, but it's a little bit different in that it's researching and seeing. Is it mutually beneficial? Right, because people, it's human nature. People do not do things that do not benefit them. Right. So if you are reaching out to a blog because you want to post a blog on there, is it someone that accepts guest blog posts? Do they feature other people or is it only their content that they're sharing? Because if it's only their content that they're sharing and you reach out to them and say, hey, it'd be great if we collaborated, they might be interested. But nine times out of 10, they're going to come back to you if they respond at all and say, I don't feature anyone else. Like, you didn't even pay attention to my blog. So it's doing your research, knowing exactly what the blog covers, if it's going to be a good fit, if they cover or help accept other guest blog posts. It's making sure that that's where your audience is hanging out. You want to make sure that you're pitching and promoting and sharing your information to people who are going to be interested in reading that information. You know, I have a public relations blog. I think it would be great for entrepreneurs and my audience to learn more about financial planning for their business. But no one's going to guest blog. No one's going to read a guest blog post on my PR blog about financial planning. They come for PR advice. They don't come to talk numbers or how they are not properly budgeting. So it's just making sure that you have the right. The other thing is, again, a Google search, a Google search is going to help you find the right blogs that you should be posting on, what you should be doing. And if that fails, it's surveying your target audience. What are they reading, what blogs do they love? What, where are you Seeing the keywords that you use for Google appear more often. So just doing your homework is really, really important, especially with guest blog posts. But again, the reach out is the same. It's a casual professional. Hey, I see that you cover X. I am an expert in Y. I think working together we can help address this question that I'm hearing a lot from my audience. Let's partner up. I'd love to write a blog post for you.

All very great tips. You know, sometimes I will go out to a website like Forbes or Inc. And you know, there's a section in there that I think, you know, I could definitely add some value to via guest blocking, but I have absolutely no idea who to contact. What are some steps you go through to find out who the right person is?

Sure, the first thing I do again is go to Google. Google does not pay me, but I think they should for how much I promote them. However, the first thing I do is go to Google and if, say you want to be an entrepreneur, I would go first on the entrepreneur website and I would look and see. Okay, if I want to talk about business, who's writing about business? Are they covering my niche if I can't find that? Because sometimes they have older media contacts on there or they put out so many new articles a day it's overwhelming. I go to Google and I do entrepreneur and then whatever my niche is. And if you go to the news tab on the top where it says like all news, images, videos, they'll be shopping, there'll be a tab that hits news. If you hit news, those articles will come up. Not only will that give you great titles and ideas for pitches and where to steer things because it'll show you what they cover, but if you click on it, it will show you the person that wrote the article and that becomes your media contact or the person you reach out to. Again, sometimes they'll readily have their email information, other times you'll have to go back to Google to try and find it. What I really love for both finding media contacts and their contact information, as well as who you should be reaching out to about getting your information published on there is you can also go to the contact or about section. If they accept guest blog posts or contributing articles, they're going to have a section on there where they tell you exactly how they want to receive the information. For example, Thrive Global will give you exactly how many pictures, how many words, how many contacts, how you can be a contributor to their site. They want you to follow their process. They don't want you to just pitch something randomly. If it clearly spells out their process, follow that. If there isn't a clearly spelled out process, find that email address and pitch yourself. And again, it's as simple as hey, I've been following your publication for a long time. I really like this latest article. It made me think of what I do. I'm a course creator here. I can provide expertise around why I think you're audience will find value in it. Because this reason, this reason, this reason. Please let me know if you're interested in working together on an article. Thank you. Your contact information. So it's again a real simple but professional outreach. You are going to help them. They need new information and ideas to cover to help with their audience. It's a win win for everybody.

So I want to go back to what you just said and you kind of covered what should be in the email, in the pitch email, if you would, that you sent out to them. Do you advise that you basically say here's what I'd like to write about or here's what I think your audience would be interested in or do you give them generalities?

I do a little bit of both, but it is very vague because what you don't want to do is give them all the information or the full article and have them either run with it and not give you credit or run with it and give it to another expert. Which would be horrific to have your idea with someone else's name attached. That's not a good day. So for me, I do a very broad generality. I say here's how I can provide value to your readers, listeners, viewers, whatever medium you're using. And then I bullet out at least three topics and it's a proposed topic title, so it's one sentence, not long. If I was going to pitch you on being on your podcast right now, I'd say my first proposed topic to you would be what course creators need to know about pr. That is all the information I'm giving you or the five mistakes course creators make when promoting their course. You know, I'm giving you a teaser, I'm giving you enough to go on, but I'm not giving you any more information. If you want more information, you have to reach out to me or turn to me to be your expert.

Very good. Those are all, again, all great tips and thanks for answering that question. I have another one in this. You know, you can tell me if you can answer it or not, but in terms of speaking opportunities, would you handle that the same Way as you would like guest blogging and podcasting, or is that done a little bit different?

That's a little bit different just because it's in person. Right. But it's a great. I'm so glad that you brought it up because it's a great opportunity. I think being digital marketers and course creators, we spend so much time online, we think everything's online. People are only going to buy online, our products only online. But you got to step away from the computer every once in a while and like get outside. Not just because you need fresh air, but because there are other human beings and you need to interact with them. And speaking is a great way to get yourself out there. In fact, speaking in front of groups is one of the most powerful ways that you can position yourself as an expert. It doesn't even matter if it's five people at your local chamber or 55,000 at a stadium down the street. We all have to start somewhere. You know, those five people could buy right away, which is awesome. That's five course sales. Those 55,000, you might not even get five core sales. So it's similar to everything else. You want to have an engaged audience that's interested in what you're doing, but to find them, you know, it takes practice. Right. You're not building your speaking engagement routine just like your course wasn't built overnight. Right. It takes time. You got to build up to it. But it's googling opportunities. There are tons of schools, churches, business organizations, charities that are always looking for like Rotary groups, the Lions Club, the Elks, you know, women in business. There are tons of groups that are always looking for speakers and there are conferences that are always rolling through town. It's easy to just search events, speaking opportunities, things in your niche and things in your area and get yourself out there. And if you don't find any, there's no harm in approaching your local Lions Club, your local women's club, you know, the club at your country club, anything that's business related or focused on your niche. Just because they haven't had a speaker before doesn't mean they don't want one. It means maybe people haven't offered to. And so it's a simple pitch to them too. Hey, I'm an expert in this. I know that you have a variety of, just say, female entrepreneurs looking how to market themselves better. I have a course in it. I'd love to offer them a quick presentation on five tips where they can help market themselves better today. You know, let's set Something up and have an event together or let. I would love to come speak to your group. When can I come? It's just. It's almost like inviting yourself to a party and the party's focused on you.

What about doing like Facebook Lives? Would that be handled the same way? Like doing. Collaborating with other entrepreneurs, doing Facebook lives with them. And would you, would you do your. Is your advice to handle that the same way?

Yep. My advice to handle Facebook Live the same way. Do your research, make sure the person's into Facebook lives. Make sure they. It's something that they want to do and are engaged in. It's something they've done before, routinely. And then reach out and say, hey, I see that you cover X, Y and Z. I cover this. I would love to go live with you. Let's set something up. Let's combine our audiences. Let's work on something together. You know, you could even take it a step further or do a virtual conference or a virtual seminar or do a big webinar. You know, it's all just making sure that the person's the right fit for you, their audience is the right fit for you, and then sharing with them how you can provide them value immediately is always going to be your in with other people. When you want a guest blog post, be in the media or have a speaking engagement.

Very good, kj. Any other hot tips you have for us related to PR and getting our name out there?

My biggest tip that I have for everyone really is to work on your bio. Make sure that your bio clearly communicates the value that you can provide and what you are offering to people. Have that everywhere, whether it's your social media profiles, almost even at the bottom of your emails. Make sure there's a huge spot in your course for it and then just put yourself out there. Do your research, get on haro, get on guestpodcast.com, start googling, survey your people and see what they want to cover. And then put yourself out there. Pitch yourself, promote yourself. You're going to hear no. I have been pitching for 22 years. I hear no all the time. I'm still offended sometimes. It still hurts my feelings and it still makes me feel bad. But a no is really just saying not right now or this isn't a fit. It doesn't mean anything about you. It doesn't mean anything about your expertise. It just means that you need to try another way.

Very good, kj. Where can people find out more about you?

They can learn more about me by following me on Instagram. J Blattenbauer or on my website at kjblattenbauer.com thanks so much KJ.

I really enjoyed our chat today.