We were lucky to catch up with Bob Bradley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Bob, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I truly believe your impact is determined by how you made someone feel, which also should be paired with what you have done to impact their lives. Whether that be something very personal, like being there from them during a hard time, or something in business like accomplishing a great campaign for a client and making them feel like a rockstar. I want to make every client “feel” special, like they deserve and have earned every bit of press they receive in the media. Great press obviously helps a client and their business, but the feeling they get from being validated for their efforts gives fuel to keep moving forward in whatever venture they have going. The feedback I get from clients and excitement they hold once a campaign is done is something that they will likely remember for a very long time. That right there is part of a legacy, the great work and quality relationships built that ultimately craft a legacy and solid reputation.

Bob, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I got started professionally in marketing after touring non-stop as an artist for 5-6 years straight. I believe that being a professional musician and artist helped force me to become a “people person”, when before that time in life I had a shy side that was perhaps holding me back. I had marketing and sales in my blood since my father was in sales and my grandfather was in magazine publishing, but I carved my own path by jumping into the business side of music after I stopped touring in 2006. I learned the ropes of project management, sales, marketing and PR from working for different labels, music companies and agencies until I set out to run my own boutique outfit.

Clients are ultimately looking for a solution to marketing as a broad solution, and for elements of marketing I don’t handle (SEO etc) I have partners I work with to help get them to the finish line. My work involves public relations, which is developing a story and pitch to secure media coverage (magazines, blogs, social media mentions, interviews etc). I also work on marketing consultation to develop a solid plan that best suits the client for where they are. Whether that be a small business, musical artist, tech company etc, there isn’t always a one size fits all solution. My work is about becoming an extension of the client/business and making sure they get maximum exposure at their current budget.

It’s a noisy world out there in the media, and businesses of all types are fighting for attention across all mediums including social media and traditional online/print platforms. A good marketing expert or agency will understand the challenges, limitations and advantages of that given client to help them launch a campaign that breaks through and gets results. Almost nothing that you see in the media about almost any topic is organic, and 90% of the time comes from the effort of some communications team. Other times you may see coverage of a topic that is ongoing, but the interest undoubtedly came from the efforts of a communications team or expert.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I first decided to do my own thing with public relations and marketing, I was nearly broke and chose to take on a couple clients gratis to build up my freelance resume. While I was thrilled to be doing the work, it was terrifying to barely be getting by and taking the risk, but ultimately it paid off as I began to hire clients and higher and higher monthly retainers. As the reputation built, I was able to earn referrals from happy clients and I thank my lucky stars I stuck it out through the rough times. There were many moments where I was tempted to go get a day job, but I knew my passion was in building this business and most often “time” is your best ally. The hard work pays off when you stick it out, keep learning, networking and staying resilient through the discomfort.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Honestly, doing a great job and keeping clear and effective communication will do wonders for growing your business. The work is not about getting paid, it’s about managing and exceeding expectations. When you do that, people will do the marketing for you and the emails or calls will start pouring in. I also believe in promoting yourself on social media, for all the others that don’t know what you’re up to, quit posting those food pics all day (I’m joking) and speak more on the exciting work and creative endeavors you have going. There is a tasteful way to do, so give me a shout if you want some pointers. ;)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bradleypublicity.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbobbradley/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bobpublicity
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrbobbradley/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/bradleypublicity/

Image Credits
Brad Alexander