Ruth Furman shares PR & SEO tips on The Ginger Show
Ruth Furman recently appeared on The Ginger Show, a podcast hosted by Ginger Allen, CEO of Your Marketing Liaison.
Allen and Furman touched on a wide range of topics, among them how public relations (PR) efforts can help build a brand and business.
Recently, Furman, a public relations professional with more than two decades of experience, has been approached by SEO experts to help their clients gain media exposure. Media coverage, SEO pros are finding, is increasingly valuable for Google rankings and brand exposure.
“I call it (PR) Google juice,” Furman noted. “SEO experts are seeing the backlinks and the high-quality SEO results that are a direct result from earned media coverage. It’s really helping their clients.”
Getting media coverage with the help of a PR expert like Furman is one thing, but amplifying it is where the value of this type of exposure really takes root, and that’s where a business owner’s marketing team comes in, Furman emphasized.
“I’m pretty pushy with my own clients to upload those stories to YouTube, create their own backlinks to optimize earned media coverage to propel their brands. I know some … clients who are really aggressive in how they do that,” she added.
Furman also says that there’s no better time than now to share your expertise with the media and to not let “optics,” or fear of not looking good, hold you back.
“Don’t wait. Do it now. When you have an opportunity to share a story, your expertise, just do it,” she said. “Personally, in the past, I would always wait for the perfect time to try to take advantage of an amazing opportunity. … Now, I say do it even if it’s not perfect, and don’t wait for the optimal time to share your story.”
On a more personal note, Furman also talked about how after more than two decades in the marketing and public relations field she is more candid than ever about sharing her personal and professional successes and failures. Weight control, for example, has been a constant challenge in her life, she admitted, and today she embraces a healthy perspective around the subject.
“In the past, I was very harsh with myself,” she explained. “I would say ‘I should know better. Why did I gain this weight again, why didn't I work out,’ but I’ve now learned to embrace radical self-forgiveness, and I’m willing to start with a clean slate the next day.”
Finally, Furman also mentioned how her clients’ success is a major motivator in her life.
“It’s sharing someone’s story, their expertise, and knowing it’s really going to help someone else. That brings me so much joy.”
