PR Not BS

On this episode, Fiona gets some honest answers from business journalist Hannah Baker on how to pique her interest in your story and get the best PR coverage possible. Hannah works for major regional newspaper publisher Reach PLC as the Southwest Editor of Business Live and as Business Editor for the Bristol Post, Gloucester Echo and for Somerset Live. Her patch covers a huge region from Glouceste...

Fiona first got to know Julianne some years ago after she had appeared on the BBC tv series Dragons’ Den seeking funding for her allergen free products. Julianne suffers from anaphylaxis - potentially life-threatening reactions brought on by exposure to allergy-inducing products. As Fiona's guest on this episode of PR not BS, Julianne explains her story,  why she became the owner of Creative...

On PR not BS this week Fiona's guest is author Lis McDermott.  Lis' career has taken several twists and turns and through them all, she has learnt to value the importance of PR. Lis began her working life as a teacher and music education administrator, later became a photographer and during the pandemic she rediscovered her love and talent for writing and reinvented herself as a writer....

This week's guest on Fiona's show is Sarupa Shah who's also known as The Soul Agent. She has taken her love and passion for spirituality and personal development and brought it into business. Sarupa has made this unusual combination of interests into a thriving business called the Soul Agency. For over 20 years, she has worked on creating tools and resources to take people on an adv...

Understanding how to build relationships with journalists and how to play the long game is the key to best PR practice. Today's guest on Fiona Scott's podcast is Suzanne Baum - a journalist of 25 years experience and a much sought-after freelancer. Suzanne is mainly a celebrity interviewer and writes for Conde Nast titles, and for magazines such as Grazia and Glamour. She is constantly o...

Sales is not a dirty word and we all need to make them for our businesses to survive. But as guest Andy Entwistle of Salient Sales explains to Fiona Scott on this episode, being ethical in your approach is much more likely to result in success. Fiona describes Andy as her Sales Guru and she is a great admirer of his ethical  sales strategy. Andy gives her his top three sales tips: 1. Get your mess...

Mass mailouts from PR companies to journalists is big no no - according to Fiona's guest  Jenna Farmer on this podcast episode. Jenna is a blogger, free-lance journalist, writer and speaker who frequently finds herself on the receiving end of badly targeted press releases that she knows she will never read. As she and Fiona agree - the best way to reach out to journalists is through establish...

Caroline Peyton is a Swindon-based nutritionist and naturopath whose persistence with PR has really paid off. Fiona's guest on the podcast this week, Caroline is also a client Fiona loves working with.  Why? Because she is super-responsive when journalists get in touch and she moves heaven and earth to ensure deadlines are met. This has resulted in journalists repeatedly asking for her input...

Fiona's guest on this episode is Chris Roberts MBE - a local journalist and community activist who only now - years after the fact - is ready to think of herself as a writer and storyteller.  For why that is the case - you'll have to listen to the episode! But as Chris and Fiona make clear, some people are just born storytellers. The rest of us love to read and listen to the "tales&...

Don't expect any purple prose from Fiona's guest this week, Denise O'Leary MBE, the founder of Purpol marketing.  She may have named her business after her favourite colour of purple, but as befits the name of this podcast - "PR not BS" - Denise delivers great marketing advice in the most direct and succinct way. Denise was awarded her Queen's Honour in the 2022 New Y...

This week Fiona is joined by entrepreneur Jamie McAnsh - who you might know as the man who climbed a mountain on his hands.  As Jamie discusses with Fiona, PR is about visibility and he has a unique perspective on life that has helped him become a master of the art.  Jamie woke up one day several years ago to find he was permanently paralysed from the waist down after suffering an attack of shingl...

On this episode, Fiona's guest spills the beans on how to ensure  journalists give you the PR exposure your business deserves. Freelance journalist Dan Martin focuses on startups and small businesses and deals with a daily onslaught of press releases and PR requests. So he really knows what piques a journalist's interest. As he tells Fiona, the more you can tell about your own business s...

If you think your PR could do with a spring clean as we enter the second quarter - Fiona will inspire you with some cracking good ideas.  As she explains on this episode, you might be planning to: recruit celebrate an achievement or an award the growth of your business  release an analysis of  interesting data you've collected  be looking at significant changes in laws regarding your sector ....

In this episode, Fiona and Emma Carter discuss how to solve the age-old conundrum of how to slot together a complete marketing plan using all forms of outreach. Emma is MD of the Swindon-based digital marketing agency, Smarter Media. She is expert at connecting a target audience to her clients using a range of means including the traditional as well as the digital. As she and Fiona agree on the po...

Fiona chats to former journalist, PR & comms specialist and straight talker Jessica Shepherd... It's an episode where the focus is on tackling how best to position your story and engage with journalists, and so much more... How to deal with the request to work for free… when they're pulling on your heart strings. What really makes good communication? What moves the story on? How to m...

Fiona challenges the sceptics with spiritual coach Samantha Jayne where they chat about how shifting and shaking off old beliefs around money, success, happiness and love in business has its place.   It's an episode where the focus is on: Taking control of your old beliefs and moving forward.  Ignoring the sceptics, the naysayers and being BRAVE! Challenging the norm, your fear and creating a...

Fiona cuts through the spin of PR with Janey Lee Grace where they talk about taking back the responsibility for your own PR.  It's an episode where the focus is on: how to stop selling and start sharing your story  how to talk about the story behind the business  how to talk about the story, the angle and the connection to help your business thrive! As business owners don’t be afraid about sh...

Fiona talks today about practical planning for PR success in 2022, based on what the media is likely to be talking about - and not what business owners/PRs want them to talk about. She wants you to ditch any 'puffery', avoid trying to pass off sales blurb as stories and plan plan plan.   Successful PR often hangs on understanding how the media works and fitting into that dynamic. So how...

Fiona offers some PR tips and trends for 2022 - Fiona does some crystal ball gazing and predictions for interesting story hooks for the coming year. What does she think the media will be favouring or asking for in the next 12 months – and where can you,  your business or organisation fit into that ever-moving media agenda?   Would you love my expert PR eyes on your business? Do you need expert PR...

Fiona talks today to her friend and fellow journalist Jill Foster who now works as a freelancer across the national and international media – a specialist in human interest stories and features. Jill shares examples of the best and worst of PR and how it can really help – or hinder – her in writing stories day in, day out.   Would you love my expert PR eyes on your business? Do you need expert PR...

Today Fiona talks to Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Ed Hollands of DrivenMedia. Three years ago this young man received funding when he appeared on the BBC TV series. Ed talks about the experience and what has happened in his business since that time.   Would you love my expert PR eyes on your business? Do you need expert PR help? It is time to get you noticed and skyrocket your reputation and extend y...

Fiona’s podcast today talks about the value of integrating ‘charity’ or ‘community’ into a PR strategy as a business or organisation. She talks about how this can demonstrate ethics and purpose, show caring, make a company attractive to work for and can even be the one thing which secures that contract (through a procurement or bid tendering process).   Would you love my expert PR eyes on your bus...

In today’s podcast Fiona reflects on some PR highlights and lowlights over the last 18 months and reflects on why they went wrong, what happened and also what went right. She talks about how hitting the right note in PR often means considering how people are feeling. Journalists often refer to this as the ability (or not) to ‘read the room’.  Would you love my expert PR eyes on your business? Do y...

In this podcast Fiona talks to her friend and colleague Anita Jaynes, who is the publisher of two business magazines – The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire & The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset. Anita shares some insight into what good and bad PR looks like for her and how she engages with PR companies or individuals responsible for PR within companies.  Would you love my expert...

In this podcast Fiona talks about what to do when something goes wrong in a business or organisation and how to handle PR around it. This is a very general look about the risks posed by a ‘bad story’ and how to manage that risk and then deal with it if the worst happens.    Would you love my expert PR eyes on your business? Do you need expert PR help? It is time to get you noticed and skyrocket yo...