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© 2026 Copyright, Jennifer R. Farmer

The PR Whisperer

Author, Crisis Communications Expert, Strategic Communications Advisor

Category: Blog

Remember the Source of Your Strength

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You must have an indomitable spirit that refuses to quit.

By Jennifer R. Farmer

As we end the year, some of us will set goals for the following year. We’ll vow to improve our social media presence, maybe grow our followers, or create better posts. Others will vow to boost sales and influence. Others still will vow to increase their salary, profitability, investments or financial position.

As we set about these goals, I hope we remember that sometimes, it is better to go slow to go fast. Overnight success isn’t always what it appears; there are people who look like they burst out overnight but a closer look shows they’ve been working on their craft for years. The reason I say it’s better to go slow to go fast, is because sometimes when we get desperate for progress, we lower our inhibitions and take on projects or partners that are shiny but risky. Everything that looks good, isn’t good.

I remind myself all the time that if it seems too good to be true, it likely is too good to be true. I tell myself, and will share with you, that ‘you do not have to take on risky partnerships, investments or projects for the sake of making it.’ We get to decide what ‘making it’ looks like for us based on who we are, where we come from, and what we ultimately want out of life.

Earlier this year, I wrote a post called “Take your time,” and I shared that hard work will eventually pay off, especially if we don’t cut corners. There is no need to rush. There is no need to lament that you are not where the next person is. Your race is yours to run, and you are where you are supposed to be at any given time.

Finally, as you set goals and plans, I hope you remember the source of your strength. And no, it’s not people. No one can make you successful. You have to do the work, and you must have a spirit that refuses to quit. If everyone leaves you – which likely won’t happen – but you continue to pursue your goals, you will eventually win.

There was a time in life when I thought my significance rested in the people with whom I was associated. Over time, I learned how damaging this thinking was. My destiny is not linked to an individual. Sure, people will come alongside to help us, but God provides the fuel for our hopes and dreams. Even if certain people walk away, when you pursue your purpose, God will send the right people for each season of your journey.

The true source of our strength is God. And each of us can tap into God’s strength without asking permission of other people. So as your soar, remember your source.

7 Tips to Strengthen Your Personal Brand with IG Lives

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The IG Live is about your audience. So do everything in your power to make this a good experience for them.

By Jennifer R. Farmer

At the end of each year, I focus on the media landscape and what needs to happen to gain media coverage. I try to offer concrete tips on what clients and colleagues can do to increase their coverage, as well as brand awareness and exposure.

While I think traditional media has its place, I believe it’s also important to build and grow your personal brand. One of the ways you can do this is by building your social media platform, including growing your online followers. To do this, consider utilizing Instagram Lives. They’re a great way to interact with your followers and elicit demand for your content.

And if you’re considering an IG Live, below are 7 things you can do to ensure it goes smoothly. Try these out and let me know what you think. And if you have other tips, be sure to share those as well.

  1. Write a Script. Very few people can speak off the cuff. Most of us benefit when we have a sense of what we plan to say before we say it. When I go live, I have learned to write a short script. When I do this, its easier to remember all the points I want to make. I hate feeling like I forgot to say something that was important. If you struggle with knowing what to say and when, or if going live feels like a lot of pressure, consider writing out a script.
  2. Promote Your Live. Promoting your live is an excellent way to build demand for your live. It’s also a good way to invite your audience to join you for the live. You can promote your live with a few IG posts or via an email to your list.
  3. Be Consistent. Years ago, I offered communications support for Bishop William Barber II’s Moral Monday campaign. It was a weekly protest at the North Carolina General Assembly. The beauty of his campaign was that it was every Monday. If you missed one Monday, you knew that the event would happen again and you knew when it would happen, Mondays. Many of us want to support our favorite organizations but with a busy schedule, we are not always available. When we get consistent with IG lives, we not only condition our audience, letting them know when to expect a live, but we also reduce the internal jitters of going live due to going live regularly. I am setting an intention of developing a regular interval at which I’ll go live in 2024. How would you feel about joining me in developing your own IG live schedule?
  4. Engage with Your Audience. During the live, engage with your guest if you have one, but also with the people who tune in to watch your live. Everyone wants to be seen and acknowledged so let your audience know you see them and appreciate their being there. You can wave at people on your live with the icon, acknowledge them by name, or occasionally stop and thank your audience for joining. You could also ask questions of your audience so the live is interactive.
  5. Invite a Guest. You don’t have to do it alone. Invite a guest from time to time to join your live. Once you invite a guest, you can create a graphic and invite them to collaborate on the post. This will ensure information about the live, and the live itself, appears on both of your pages. Doing this will ensure more eyes see the live, which is what we wanted in the first place.
  6. Ensure the right set up. Be sure to have the right technical equipment including a ring light, a tripod, an established background and anything else that will help you feel comfortable on your live. Be sure to test everything; your audio, video, lighting and positioning. This will ensure you feel good about the live and your presentation.
  7. Be Yourself. You are special and unique. How you talk about your work is special and unique. Who you are in the world is meaningful. You should not feel that you have to become someone else to have a successful live. Just be yourself.

Please remember that these tips will help you, but they’ll really help your audience. The IG Live is about your audience, not you. So do everything you can to ensure it is a good experience for them. And try to give them what they want and need.

Hope these tips help. If there are things you do that boost your lives, please share with me and my audience.

 

3 Media Trends for 2024

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What are your predictions for media trends in 2024

 

As we wrap one year and prepare to greet another, I am reflecting on what be the defining trends in media for 2024. What follows are a few of my predictions, and I’m curious to know yours. Read on and then shoot me an email and let me know what you’d add to this list.

  1. Email Marketing Will Continue to Be Important for Nonprofits and Corporate Brands. Email marketing is an important way to disseminate information, move your audience to action, and increase organizational support. While a lot of us tend to think of communications as involving what we say to traditional media, communications also entail how we converse with our various audiences. Media is one audience, but our staff and board, members or partners, colleagues, funders, prospective funders, etc. are audiences as well. As the media contracts, it will be more important than ever to build a solid email marketing program that can reach your various audiences.
  2. There will be More Pressure to Invest in Paid Posts and Content. Given newsroom cuts, and racism in media, it will be important to continue to think strategically about how you share your work with the world or how you mobilize people around an important cause.  Many outlets will struggle to bring us the information we need because they simply do not have the staff. Sure, media outlets will cover breaking news stories, but it will take more to push an issue to be in the “breaking news” category.  More media entities will rely on third party content, and some will want you to pay to have it placed. For instance, many blogs and influencer accounts will promote your content or your posts, if you pay them. And this is not always a bad thing. For instance, if you have a message that you want to reach pop culture, you may want to do targeted posts on sites that engage pop culture audiences. Paid posts and content will continue to be a strategy brands select to get their message in front of diverse audiences.
  3. AI will continue to influence how we collect, share and disseminate information. In 2024, AI will continue its expansion. There is no way to avoid this, and I’m not sure we can or should opt out. AI is already being integrated in platforms we have long relied to carry out our work, such as the media monitoring software Meltwater. Even software such as Salesforce, Constant Contact, Zoom and more are incorporating AI. But savvy brands will think about how to ethically adopt AI in ways that help them share their message and communicate more effectively.

I know the media landscape is changing. And I know it is important as ever to garner public attention. Media coverage and public exposure can influence your ability to raise funds and also help you stand out in a crowded landscape. To garner coverage, you will want to be strategic and intentional. Follow these trends to ensure you get the spotlight you deserve.

 

What is Your Unique Offering?

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Don’t spend your life watching others making their contribution to the world. Make yours as well. 

As someone who strives to deepen my relationship with God, I enjoy listening to Christian leaders via platforms such as YouTube. I also believe strongly in the power of prayer. So much so that without intention, my default could be starting my day listening to people like Pastor Dawn Davis Lawrence or Dr. Cindy Trimm pray. For a while, I thought I was really doing something. Did I really need to read my bible everyday if I was steeped in teaching about God? Of course, I did.

I had an epiphany. While listening to stalwarts in the faith or wise teachers is helpful in its place, I realized that the prayers of others – regardless of how public or private – are their offering to God, not mine. My offering is my sacrifice of prayer, talent, and preparation. The prayers of other Christians, the work of other people, can never be my offering.

These other items (Christian books, sermons, prayers, reflections, devotions, etc.) are meant to aid my spiritual growth. But they cannot substitute the work that I am called to do nor can they be the lot of my spiritual practice. When I thought more about this, I realized it wasn’t necessarily a surprising revelation.

I am a book lover and years ago – before I’d written my first book – I vowed not to purchase another book, until I had written my own. That was likely 2002. Sure, I admired those who poured themselves over pen and paper or computer and coffee and documented an offering for readers and prospective readers. It would take more than a decade after I made that vow – and many more purchased books – before I published my first book in 2017 and then my second in 2021. But the sentiment remains. I celebrate what others have done, and I’m eager to make my own contribution.

I want to offer to God something that I have created out of my own experience and journey, and based on where I am at the moment. I will certainly avail myself of resources (such as sermons or prayers from Pastor Dawn Davis Lawrence) to deepen my relationship with God, but those aren’t my offering.

As I contemplate my offering, I wonder if you’d contemplate your own. What is your unique contribution to the world, to your God, to the community in which you call home? You may see my offering, or part of it at least. But what is your offering?

Jennifer R. Farmer, aka The PR Whisperer®, is an author, lecturer and strategic communications expert. Check out our blog posts and subscribe for updates. 

Exposure is Not Necessarily a Flex

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Your work is the flex, and it’s your work that will ultimately provide you a platform.

By Jennifer R. Farmer

Doing a media or podcast interview is not necessarily a flex. Your work is the flex, and it’s your work that will ultimately provide you a platform. But the platform is not the goal; the work is.

I get it. It feels good to be able to tell your story. It feels good for a third party to ask about you. And it feels good to be featured in a news story, magazine, or podcast.

But understand that with increased exposure comes increased scrutiny. There will always be someone who wants to verify if what you say is true. Not only will reporters and producers verify if what you’re saying is true, but there is a slew of curious online personalities who will also analyze your interviews and public comments and look for truth or lies. When you get the spotlight that you’ve been craving, be sure to have verifiable facts, third-party validators and links to back up your point.

What is more, as you develop your work, also continue to develop yourself, and your character. Your talent may land you opportunity, but character will help you make the most of that opportunity.

There will always be opportunities for attention. From social media, to vlogs, to podcasts, to traditional media, there are ample ways to get in front of audiences. But, consider asking yourself why you want more attention? Ask yourself what will change if more people know your name or product? Ask yourself whether you are prepared for the good as well as the bad. I like to say, if you are praying for more exposure, carry an umbrella because you will get sunshine and rain.

And if you’ve been doing the work, but it seems awareness is slow, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqByT5EVcks&t=6s

 

 

In Hard Times, You Need More Discernment, Not Less

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Being in need is itself a risk factor. In the same way that some people are desperate to make ends meet, other people find ways to pray on those they perceive as less powerful.

 

Over the past few months, I’ve heard of several alleged financial scams. Many of these scams involved real estate. As deplorable as these allegations are, they do not occur in a vacuum. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) noted that consumers lost nearly $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022, and 2.4 million people filed fraud claims that year.

According to the FTC, “Consumers reported losing more money to investment scams—more than $3.8 billion—than any other category in 2022. That amount more than doubles the amount reported lost in 2021. The second highest reported loss amount came from imposter scams, with losses of $2.6 billion reported, up from $2.4 billion in 2021.”

Upon learning of the scams, I was initially shocked. But as I sat processing the depths that some people will go to accumulate money and power, it dawned on me that greed is a terrible thing. It has an appetite that can never be satiated, driving the possessed person to terrible lengths. And one group of people are particularly vulnerable.

Unfortunately, when people experience financial lack, they are susceptible to exploitation. Being in need is itself a risk factor. In the same way that some people are desperate to make ends meet, other people find ways to pray on those they perceive as less powerful. This may explain why, during times of war, women and children can fall victim to crime. Certainly, these things don’t just occur during times of war. But we know that instability can be a breeding ground for gender-based violence.

Think about natural disasters. During natural disasters, women are more vulnerable, as they are more likely to be displaced, more likely to have responsibilities caring for children, and more likely to experience gender inequality. They are more likely to experience human trafficking and domestic and intimate partner violence as well. So, while natural disasters and national emergencies can evoke grand gestures of kindness, these moments can also spur the worst of human nature.

The lesson for me is that when times are bad, we must be more vigilant, not less. We must be vigilant in who we date, hire, and engage. We can’t assume that every extended hand is a helping hand – some come to deliver harm. Now, let us be clear – there is individual work and collective work. The collective work is for the community to be more watchful and for the government to create more policies that protect the vulnerable. Individual work is to be discerning, to seek God, and to remain alert. If something looks too good to be true, it likely is not true.

Additionally, there are no quick fixes or silver bullets to solve our problems. Investments that boast quick or massive returns should be questioned. Progress takes time. Growing one’s business or wealth takes time. When people appear promising to make you wealthy overnight – or promising a quick fix to a massive problem – please be leery.

Another takeaway is that we must teach and practice contentment. The ubiquitousness of social media has meant that we are living in fish bowls of sorts. We have a veiled window into the lives of neighbors and strangers. But constantly seeing what other people are doing and consuming can lead to discontent. It is imperative that we put blinders on and be content with what we have. We should also assume that much of what we see online isn’t real – there are people who have honed the art of selling dreams. That doesn’t make them more successful than the next person. Even more, so what that a person has or appears to have more than you. Consider the passage of scripture in Psalms 49:16-20, “Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them.”

At the end of the day, we are all on a journey to improvement and growth. No one has this thing called life completely figured out.

 

 

 

 

Having A Large Platform Doesn’t Always Confer Credibility or Character

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A large platform means a person is highly visible, not necessarily credible.

By Jennifer R. Farmer

There is something about our culture that idolizes people with power and money. Sometimes, when we see wealthy or powerful people, we confer upon them qualities that they haven’t earned and do not deserve. And sometimes when we see people with large online followings, we may make assumptions that are far from the truth.

We may think that such people are somehow smarter or better than us. But each of us has inherent worth. We may have fewer resources and followers, but we are still worthy. Keep these three things in mind:

1. I remind myself often that power and wealth doesn’t make people error-proof or the authority on all things. We do not need to be obsessed with the lives of celebrities and influencers simply because they have more money than us, or because they have more power.

2. Additionally, it is easy to project on celebrities and people of means our own hopes and dreams. We look at our lives, which seem so complicated, and long for escape. We create fictional ideas of who people are and those ideas suite our own interests. But I wonder if we could acknowledge that just because a person is thriving in one area, doesn’t mean they are thriving in other areas. And just because a person has a big bank account doesn’t mean they are worthy of being listened to in all situations and on all topics.

3. We have a small window into the lives of others. We see what they want us to see. We have no clue whether the image they project is accurate. We see their representatives but that doesn’t mean we know the real person.

We should do our homework prior to entering business relationships. We cannot be so eager that we dispense with due diligence. It doesn’t matter how large a person’s platform is – platform isn’t indicative of character. Next, celebrities are not above reproach. They make mistakes like everyone else, and they are subject to fail. They are navigating major life issues like the rest of us. Just because a person looks good on the red carpet doesn’t mean they are someone we should enter relationship with.

Finally, we must remember that a platform does not confer trust in all situations. A large platform means a person is highly visible, not necessarily credible. It doesn’t mean that a person is an authority on all topics. It doesn’t mean they operate ethically. It means that they have ample opportunity to get in front of large audiences.

Some of the most beautiful people I’ve met are ordinary, salt of the earth people – they may have just a handful of followers if they are on social media at all. And that’s okay. The thing to remember is that having a large platform doesn’t always equate to credibility or character.

 

Build Your Own Content Channels

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By Jennifer R. Farmer

As we round out Q3, I have at least one item for you to put on your To Do list for 2024; invest in your own content channels. The days of relying solely on traditional media or social media platforms owned by companies that may not share your values are over. It is time to create and invest in your own platforms.

Why?

Whether it is the acceleration of artificial intelligence, a desire to return more money to shareholders, or an obsession with celebrity and popular culture, the media continues to contract in ways that harm us all. Certainly, the media has been contracting for years, but the cuts show no signs of abating. Earlier this year, Axios reported that the media industry cut 17,436 jobs. This was more than the start of the pandemic when 16,750 media jobs were cut. And the cuts this year follow years of steep losses in newsroom jobs.

As the media contracts, there are fewer trusted journalists to tell our stories, and fewer journalists who understand and appreciate the nuances of race, gender, sexual identity, etc. This means that the universe of people to truthfully tell our stories continues to dwindle. Consequently, disinformation spreads as more and more people turn to social media.

What is more, as a result of continued media industry cuts, public relations professionals outnumber journalists 6 to 1. There are more people pitching reporters than there are reporters to write and cover stories.

If ever there were a time to become a curator and publisher of information, that time is now. Here are four ideas to jump start your planning as you consider or continue to invest in your own content channels.

  • Build a Newsletter or Grow the One You Have. If you don’t already have one, it’s time to start a newsletter. If you have one, it’s time to invest in and upgrade your newsletter. This will give you an opportunity to share your message with your audience in a way that is not diluted. It will also give you a way to mobilize your base to action. Remember the people who come to you are interested in your work, so use every opportunity to tell them about it. You can promote your newsletter via social media but be sure to drive all traffic back to your website. Please also remember that your newsletter should include your base as well as journalists and producers who cover your issue area.
  • Invest in SMS Marketing. If the past few years have taught us anything it is that we do not own social media platforms. While it is nice to amass a large number of followers, true power is having contact information for those followers. You need emails, phone numbers and a way to quickly communicate with your base. Always ask yourself, if this platform were suddenly unavailable to me, how would I reach my audience? One way to do this is to launch an SMS marketing campaign to collect phone numbers and emails and then use that information to send information that your base finds useful.
  • Promote Your Thought Leadership via Opinion Essays. Even when an issue is noteworthy, communicators face an uphill battle garnering media coverage, especially in today’s landscape. While it’s harder than ever to secure media coverage, it is imperative that we tell our stories on our own terms. That is why publishing opinion essays should be on your radar. Opinion essays are guest columns usually between 700 and 800 words. They have one or two bylines and represent opinion bolstered by provable facts.
  • Become Investor Consumers. Few media outlets are awash in cash; not all have angel investors and corporate sponsors. And due to racism, when media outlets owned by Black people have the clicks, they do not always receive the same advertising dollars as their white counterparts. This leaves them scrambling for revenue year after year, and unable to cover stories that are important to our community. It is imperative that advocacy organizations earmark money for public relations as well as investing in media outlets created for and owned by our community. They cannot win without us, and we can’t win without them.

The bottom line is that we must become the architects of our own stories. We can do this by investing in our own platform channels and being strategic with how we use our resources.

There’s no other way to say it; you must be the authoritative source your audience can rely on to learn what is happening, who is doing it, and how to push back. And you must take control of reaching them. Continue to build a cult-like following to inform and mobilize. But do it on platforms that you control and own (we can amass tons of social media followers, but we do not own any social media platform).

That’s why you must diligently collect contact information from your audience and base, and then give them what you know they want.

 

Four Signs Your Media Interview Has Gone Off the Rails

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What You Should Do When The Interview is Not Going As You Had Hoped

If you utilize traditional media to amplify your brand or campaign, you must know how to salvage a media interview when it has gone south. And listen, just because you have years of experience working with reporters doesn’t mean that a refresher from time to time isn’t warranted. When you speak or meet with reporters you have an opportunity to not only generate a story but build a relationship. It is important to be prepared for all that could occur in these high stakes interactions.

In the spirit of helping you prepare, here are four signs your media interview has taken a turn for the worst and how you can salvage it.

  1. The reporter stops writing or typing. If you are engaged in a media interview and the reporter stops typing as you’re talking or stops writing on their notepad (in the event this is an in-person conversation), please note that the conversation is not going well and it’s very likely the reporter has checked out of the interview. If this happens, ask the reporter if you are answering their questions, and whether they would like other examples. Do not ignore this sign. You cannot be included in a story if reporters do not record your comments and perspective.
  2. The reporter abruptly asks you for recommendations for other groups they should speak with. If you are in a media interview and midway through, the reporter asks for other people they should speak with, please note that you may have hit a snag. A journalist asking you – a source – for other sources could mean that you are not giving them what they need, and they’d prefer to speak with someone else. If their asking for other sources is coupled with other signs of disengagement, this is a sign that you need to try to re-engage the reporter. Alternatively, if you’ve spent considerable time with the journalist and they are engaged throughout the discussion, a request for other sources could be harmless.
  3. The reporter stops asking you questions. If a reporter stops asking questions during a conversation, and you sense they checking out of the conversation, you may want to follow-up with a detailed email reiterating the points you made in the discussion. You’ll want to include links for articles, reports and briefs that underscore your point. You can also ask the reporter directly whether there was something else they were looking to hear and how else you can support them in their research for their story.
  4. The reporter is visibly or audibly frustrated. Reporters are human beings capable of getting frustrated like anyone else. Some of the reasons that a reporter may get frustrated in an interview is if a source is not answering questions directly, evading questions, playing coy, or talking over them. They may also become annoyed if they sense a source is using talking points versus communicating with depth and substance. All these things may draw the journalist’s ire. If a reporter is visibly frustrated – as in they are raising their voice, rolling their eyes, or backing away from a table where you all are sitting – note that their patience is waning, and you need to pivot.

Remember that everything you say to a reporter can affect your story. In the words of media trainer Sally Stewart, “give yourself every advantage to make a good impression.” Come to the discussion prepared to tell the reporter something they do not know and be sure to have data and examples to underscore your point. Importantly, apply emotional intelligence to your engagement with reporters and pivot if you see the conversation going off the rails.

And if you are not receiving media requests, be sure to see this video.

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