Mark Smith
Solomon Turner PR provides branding and media relations services for startups to established corporations. Based in St. Louis, we have clients nationwide. Now in our 32nd year, Solomon Turner is under the ownership of Shelly Solomon and Steve Turner.
We are fortunate to have been named One of the Top PR Firms in St. Louis for 13 years in a row by Small Business Monthly magazine.
Our mission is to provide the best PR service with outstanding results. Whether the client needs local exposure or top tier national media placements we strive to always provide an outstanding R-O-I.
Tell us about yourself?
I started in journalism and attended the top J-school in the nation at the University of Missouri-Columbia. My original career path was in radio and television, broadcasting sports and news.
In addition to on-air I also was involved with ad sales, copywriting, and commercial production. Over time I realized that opportunities to move to a prestigious job in broadcasting were extremely limited. A business colleague offered me a chance to work at an ad agency.
I liked the idea of offering clients the big idea that could be applied to a multitude of mediums. I learned a lot at that agency, and, when the timing became right, I opened my own small PR firm, and later merged with another agency, S. Solomon and Associates, owned by Shelly Solomon, who later became not only my partner but also my wife. I haven’t looked back since.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Do not be afraid to seek out advice from others who have crossed the same paths you are about to face. You can always find someone willing to share advice who developed a successful startup, purchased and grew an existing company, or is an expert in their area of expertise. Often times we think we know the answer when, in reality, there is a much better approach that can eliminate trial and error, and thereby save you time and money.
What problem does your business solve?
Solomon Turner PR helps businesses gain a competitive edge by creating strategic media placements that reach a targeted audience and drive more potential customers to your website. By generating earned media, clients gain a high measure of trust and credibility unachievable with traditional advertising.
Startups and established companies need media relations to first get on the map, build relationships, generate awareness for new products and services, and again drive more traffic to their websites.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
Our inspiration is to help small and emerging businesses gain the traction they need to become successful. According to statistics almost half of small businesses fail after five years and over 65% fail to last 10 years.
Our team has over 70 years of experience in small business ownership and management. We are fortunate to have worked with some top name celebrities, authors, speakers and businesses of all sizes. In addition to PR we have the depth and knowledge to help companies in a number of areas grow and succeed.
What is your magic sauce?
Now in our third decade, we believe our secret sauce is understanding a client’s needs and then helping them properly utilize media relations to attain their goals. Solomon Turner has always offered a competitive rate in tune with the needs of startups and smaller companies.
We don’t make promises we can’t keep. Our team also helps clients hyper focus on their targeted audience so there is less waste in time and dollars. Since we have been around for 30+ years we know which members of the media to call and when to call them.
Some of our clients have been with us for 20+ years. I am fortunate to have been interviewed several times on TV and radio to discuss local and national events from a marketing or PR perspective. It’s about building good relationships with both clients and the media that stand the test of time.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
Our goal is to continue to grow and expand services as needed to help our clients reach their targeted audiences.
Media relations has shifted from the days of just newspapers, magazines and TV news to now include all phases of social media from blogs to LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, to podcasts. We will need to continue to evolve to help our clients reach their goals.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
The biggest challenge was when the world shifted to the internet and then later social media. PR firms, like ours, either had to learn the new media and educate themselves and their clients on its benefits or move on.
I know some PR firms were reluctant to learn about it or just closed up shop. Our team adapted to the world of digital media and has successfully learned to leverage it to help our clients succeed.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
Solomon Turner PR welcomes conversations with small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to gain a competitive edge with a strategic PR campaign. Please visit our website https://solomonturner.com, or email me at [email protected]
