Today’s guest on Mitlin Money Mindset™ is Nina Grinstead. Nina is the owner and publicist of Valentine PR and Literary Management. While in college romance books— although not on the official curriculum— were her favorite subject and continue to be today. Nina began her career as a corporate and nonprofit media specialist. In 2012, her professional and personal life collided. Nina began blogging as a new wave of romantic fiction swept the literary world. Her knowledge of social media and her passion for promoting authors led her to a boutique public relations firm as a publicist where she learned the industry inside and out. Now Nina heads her own firm and is thrilled to utilize the full force of her knowledge and contacts to bring happily ever afters to wider audiences everywhere. Listen to this episode for some great tips and actionable ideas for any business to up their PR game.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…
- The path that led Nina to start Valentine PR & Literary Management [2:10]
- Where Nina’s passion for romance books started? [5:38]
- Has self-publishing had a major impact on your business in any way? [7:44]
- Staying focused on the romance genre [10:56]
- The top 3 biggest changes in the industry since Nina started in 2012 [12:47]
- What’s the next tool that’s going to be used by this industry? [15:34]
- What a business owner or author should think about in regards to PR? [18:21]
- Challenges when dealing with artistic type clients [19:40]
- One thing a business owner can do to up their PR game [21:56]
- What Nina did today that put her in the right mindset for success? [25:25]
Influencers are the PR way of the future
Over the years the way we reach people has changed. Not just for authors but for every business. We’ve shifted from bloggers to PR and various platforms like subscriptions. Nina thinks the next tool that’s going to be used in the industry is utilizing influencers and their audiences. The influencers, which seven years ago were called bloggers, are where we’re spreading the word now. Back in the day, the blog would get the book and write this long review.
But our society has changed. We don’t want to read the seven-paragraph review. We want things nice and concise. We don’t want to read what somebody has to say or take the time to go off of Instagram to somebody’s blog when we can just see it in the app. People align with people they are following and if the influencer you follow loves a book then you add it to your list because chances are you’re going to love it too. So the influencer is definitely the way things are going.
What should you be thinking about when it comes to PR?
Every business needs some form of public relations, you need to be able to promote yourself. What are some fundamental things that a business owner or an author should be thinking about in regards to PR? Nina says it’s thinking long-term for whatever your business does, especially for authors. Your brand is the most important thing that you have. Whether it be a bagel shop or an author, what do you want your brand to be about? Ultimately, we’re promoting and growing the brand. With an author, the name is the brand. Monica Murphy has a hundred books, but at the end of the day, I want somebody to say, I love Monica Murphy not I love One Week Girlfriend, because you spread your name through the brand(author) not the product(book title). According to Nina, promoting the brand is the most important part of any business.
Upping your PR game with social media
What’s one thing a business owner could do today to help build their PR? Nina says it’s social media. You have to have a presence on social media, whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok there are so many great ways that business owners— especially small business owners— can promote themselves.
Offering customers something in return for things like checking in, tagging themselves, or sharing a post are great grassroot ways to promote your business through social media. People like to do what they see their friends doing, whether that’s eating somewhere, shopping at a boutique, or reading a book. Get people to share their experience with your business and it will draw their friends to want the same experiences.
Connect with Nina Grinstead
- Valentine PR & Literary Management’s website
- On Instagram Valentine and Nina
- On Facebook Valentine and Nina
Nina Grinstead, Owner & Publicist, Valentine PR
Nina Grinstead began her career as a corporate and nonprofit media specialist. She studied at the University of Texas in Austin before earning a degree in public relations and advertising from Georgia College State & University. Romance books, although not on the official curriculum, were her favorite subject then and continue to be, long after graduation.
Her professional and personal lives inevitably came together in 2012, when she began blogging as a new wave of romantic fiction swept the literary world. Her knowledge of social media and her passion for promoting authors lead her to a boutique public relations firm as a publicist, where she learned the industry from the inside out. Now, Nina heads her own firm, Valentine PR & Literary Management, and is thrilled to utilize the full force of her knowledge and contacts to bring HEA’s to wider audiences everywhere.
A true southern girl, Nina grew up in Texas and is currently living her happily ever after in Georgia with her handsome husband, two beautiful children, and three rescue dogs.
Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset Show are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest’s content linked on this site.
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