Everyone Hates Marketers | No-BS Marketing & Brand Strategy Podcast · Louis Grenier | Marketing & Branding

How to Find SPICY Angles That The Right People Cannot Ignore

·59 min·5 clips

Lucy's ten-second rule: skip big influencers and pitch to the 'little people' who actually match your audience.

This episode features host Louis Grenier interviewing Lucy Werner, a PR expert and author of "Hype Yourself" and "Brand Yourself," about effective self-promotion and crafting compelling story angles. Werner brings two decades of PR and creative agency experience, and she openly shares her journey as a business owner and parent. Werner argues that focusing solely on a big launch, like aiming for a bestseller list, often leads to burnout and obscurity rather than lasting impact. She explains that securing a spot on lists like the Sunday Times business bestseller often involves tactics like coordinating pre-orders or Amazon KDP promotions. She emphasizes that becoming a recognized expert requires sustained effort over months, not a one-off campaign, drawing from her agency days where clients expected immediate press results. Werner advises against chasing high-profile placements like Forbes or TED Talks without a clear, specific message or understanding of the platform's different sections. A key insight is her advice to "go to the little people who are the right audience match" rather than pursuing influencers or outlets for ego. She states that the best opportunities come from alignment with the right audience, not the largest one. Werner breaks down effective angles into three categories: business expertise, human interest, and passion points. She shares that discussing personal failures, like her public goal to become a Sunday Times bestseller which she didn't achieve, can generate more engagement and client work than the success itself. She recommends starting with a clear business goal, identifying the ideal client, and then finding the intersection between target media and personal strengths. Werner suggests tools like the Light Bulb Facebook group for finding reactive pitching opportunities where journalists are already seeking sources. The tone is conversational, candid, and practical, with friendly banter between the host and guest who are friends. This episode is ideal for freelancers, consultants, and content creators seeking honest, non-gimmicky advice on personal branding. Listeners looking for get-famous-quick schemes or purely tactical social media growth hacks might find it less relevant.

As heard by us

A hard-edged teardown that favors fit over ego and stays practical.

This episode turns a hard-edged business teardown into something plain-spoken and useful, following three struggling freelance marketers in a 17th century cottage in rural Ireland as offers, messaging, branding, and lead gen get stripped back over two days.

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You need a sharper angle that lands before people tune out.

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