How I Promoted My Baby Product on ABC News
Hi Friend,
I’m going to share my personal story with you today. For years now, I’ve indepthly (is that a word?) interviewed A LOT of mom entrepreneurs bringing a product to market.
I’ve learned how they’ve created awareness and gotten press – not the overnight mommy millionaire stories – the real ones!
I even tried to bring one to market myself … talking CPR kit anyone? Bueller. Bueller.
That’s actually what got me started in this world of interviewing and investigating what is actually working and not working for entrepreneurs.
More about that in a moment.
Back to the Talking CPR Kit…a top secret product exclusively invented for the U.S. government. Well, not really. Just for the forestry department. But I made it sound better, huh?
When my daughter was a baby, she stopped breathing and turned blue when I put her in her crib for a nap. T.E.R.R.I.F.Y.I.N.G
I forgot CPR despite my college life-guard training. That freaked me out in a BIG way.
I later learned that a small % of babies suffer from “breathing spells.” I know, a very technical term. Wink.
Thankfully (for me), my pediatrician had gone through the same thing with her child so she assured me they out-grow it by their first birthday. Phew, only 6 more months of this.Tears.
So, I did what any mom, like you, would do. I took another CPR class. I searched for a solution. But, what if I froze up again?
I knew about the CPR kit from a family member and thought it was a great solution for me, moms, babysitters, grandparents. It wasn’t being brought to the consumer market…yet.
So, I built a website, got a booth at a Baby Fair in San Francisco – sold lots and was told that I was going to be mega successful. Woo Hoo! A major retailer approached me and wanted me to come meet with the buying team. Idea validated – check!
I just had to get some press to make the WORLD aware of this life-saving product. Hello, I mean what could possibly be more important than saving a life, a childs life?
I applied my savvy media skills (toot, toot!) and landed it on the ABC evening news in Arizona right before summer… and also the unfortunate drowning season. The reporter interviewed me extensively so I was able to talk about the direct benefits of knowing CPR and having a kit available.
Can you guess what happened next?
It aired the day Osama Bin Laden was killed. Yep, how about that for timing?
Balloon officially deflated.
Here’s the thing about media. All you can do is tell your authentic your story, position it to meet the needs of reporters, strategically connect and align yourself with the right press and then POOF … it is out of your control. Like many things in life, right?
Media is a process and you have to keep at it, like every other aspect of your business.
Even if you hire a big name PR firm, they can’t guarantee results. And, guess what?
Reporters and bloggers would rather hear direct from you, the founder, than a spin someone else put on YOUR product or story.
Seriously, you just need the right approach. And, ahem, follow through. Persistence.
If I can do it, so can you. I’m going to share my knowledge and proven methods with you.
I’m speaking from my own experience and the collective experiences of 50+ mompreneurs bringing a product to market.
- Some of them have been on Shark Tank, others Huggie’s Mom-Inspired grant winners.
- Some have worked for Google and share their marketing tips from the inside
- Some are lifestyle businesses wanting that perfect balance of staying home with their kids and running an online business
If you are interested in leveling up your PR game, learning to pitch for results, then check out how I can help you.
Hope you will join me!
Rachel