Feel Like a Boss While Promoting Your Brand.

Does talking about your brand make you nervous or self conscious? Here’s how to step into your power and own your brand communications so PR feels natural, even fun.

Talking about your brand and business is not comfortable at first. Believe me, I get it. As a publicist with 16 years experience, I’ve seen the most polished CEOs of big household names come undone when they were asked a simple question about their brand. I’ve also seen founders of small companies completely crush it during interviews and events, inviting new opportunities and loads of new fans and followers.

It is all about feeling confident and being in LOVE with what your brand stands for, and what you’re trying to communicate. As small business owners we have an advantage, because our business is like our baby and we know it inside out and backwards. When it comes to sharing the love and affinity for our own brands in a way that draws more people (and buyers!) to our business, there are a couple things to practice and keep in mind.

You may have your own secret language when it comes to your brand - Don’t use it: Let me paint a picture for you. Your best friend asks you to meet her new boyfriend over lunch. You excitedly agree, and head to a glamorous cafe to get to know this guy who has wooed your best friend - having the highest hopes. But through the course of the meal, the new boyfriend only speaks in inside jokes and euphemisms that only he and your friend understand. On the one hand, it is sweet that they are so close, but you feel completely out of the conversation - not understanding really a word they say, and have very little opportunity to jump in. You came here really wanting to like this guy, but now you kind of hate him.

That’s how it goes for brand communications too. When speaking to your audience, you don’t want to talk inside baseball, even if you may have the most unique, niche brand that ever existed. Share your message in words and phrases that your community will understand. Stay true to who you are, but invite your audience to participate in the conversation as well.

Practice, practice, practice: The big-time CEO’s I’ve seen crash and burn in interviews? They never practiced their talking points. It’s easy to assume you know what you’re talking about when it comes to your brand, but it is so different being heads down in work and actually pausing, and clearly speaking with someone about what your business is doing and how you are making it easy for people to live their best lives.

And you don’t have to stand in front of a mirror each day. When your partner, roommate or mom asks you how your day was, or what you’re working on right now - don’t just say “fine” or “nothing much” - take the opportunity to really tell them. It’s also a great way to get excited about your biz!

Get yourself out there and start speaking: You learn best through action, and yes, eventually it will be time to take that leap and sign on for the Instagram Live, the podcast, or the interview with an editor. While I prep all my clients for interviews and we practice together, we always come out the other side with some key learnings and things we want to focus on for next time. The more you do, the less scary it will be, the more inspired you will get, and the more jazzed you’ll be about these opportunities as they come up.

Still feeling a little nervy? Our freebie of Press Ready Mantras on the Resources page will help you get in the mindset!