Public Relations and Publicity Blog

- How to stay cool (especially if your product or service provides unique solutions to this problem)

- Summer business stories - how does the weather affect your business

- Back-to-School stories, particularly trends in things such as fashions (it's not too early)

- Tips from lawn and garden experts on how to care for lawns that are parched from summer's scorching heat

Posted at 05:00 PM

Dance With "Them Who Brought You" Lessons Learned From Jelly Beans

The recent passing of former US President Ronald Reagan has created a large number of media reminicences.

Not the least of which came from the Jelly Belly company.

Jelly Belly makes high-quality, flavorfull jelly beans. I, for one, always foisted off the jelly beans in my easter basket to my unsuspecting little brothers and sisters in exchange for their chocolate until Jelly Bellies arrived, then the deals were reversed!

The Jelly Belly company is mourning the death of Reagan because, in a way, he put their company on the map.

In 1967 Reagan, then governor of California, was trying to stop his pipe-smoking habit and decided to munch on jelly beans when cravings arose.

Posted at 04:35 PM

June 28, 2004

Part 3, Building A PR Plan From Start to Finish: Implementation

This is it! You've come a long way! Let's really get down to business now.

Consider the analogy of building a home. You've created a foundation with your differentiating statement. You've assessed and identified ways to created relationships with those who will be actually doing the construction work (think of it this way - you may do all of the background, but in reality, it's your media partners who actually do the work of building your public relations home for you -so you'd better have good, solid relationships with those doing your building!)

Now, it's time to put the frame together...and the key to doing that is a blueprint.

The foundation of that blueprint is the plan for your rooms. (Uh oh, we're starting to stretch this analogy too thin, so it's officially exiting stage left...)

Let's assume that you're planning a new product or service launch for your company.

Posted at 08:04 PM

Part 2, Building A PR Plan From Start to Finish: Relationships With Media

Last week, we talked about getting a PR plan organized and started. We discussed the questions and reasons why someone should write down and document as much information as possible before setting up any part of the plan. The reason is that you might miss something important if you move too quickly.

Now, let's move on to the next segment.

Remember your goal...public relations. We aren't doing advertising.

Step 3: From this point, we need to determine which people in the media we are trying to reach. Hitting a target is difficult, if not impossible if you don't know what your target is. It's easy to remember the television and radio, and even local newspapers. But don't forget about newsletters, business journals, your trade magazines, trade journals for supply chain levels above and below yours, local small media, online news services and even key industry blogs? These can be just as effective if not more effective since the smaller newsletters and trade journals are typically very target oriented. You can find just the right customer for your business by sending public relations interest their way.

Posted at 07:49 PM

Part 1, Build a PR Plan From Start To Finish: Getting Started

What is a public relations plan? Why is it important? What can it do for you? These are all important questions. If you can't answer them, then you need to work on your public relations.

A public relations plan is a layout of how you intend to inform the public, both consumers and non-consumers, about your company, your products, and the important events pertaining thereto. Many small companies and even large companies ignore the work of public relations, or don't bother to do it right because they don't realize the incredible potential of working with the media and with the general public.

First of all, you need to know what public relations can do for you. In the last issue, we spot-lighted a restaurant in New York City that had a very unique way of getting people to their location, without spending very much money at all. To find out what that was if this is your first issue, go to 101publicrelations.com, and view the blog.

Posted at 07:39 PM

June 25, 2004

Building PR Into Your Company From The Ground Up

There is a great little Chinese restaurant here in Racine by the name of Main Moon. Their restaurant is no more than 15 feet wide at it's largest point - it's literally a hole in the wall place. Yet, they truly understand the principles of PR and testimonial marketing.

For example, the walls on both sides of the nook where the cash register sits (and where you stand while ordering and waiting for your order) are covered with testimonial letters. One set features money from countries all over the world, where people have written little notes on the pounds, the pesos and the yen praising the food of Main Moon. There was even a note that was written on some money from England with a talk balloon coming out of the queen's mouth that said, "How long will it take to get a delivery to the castle?" and "When will you be opening a branch in London?"

Another section has pictures of families eating their food, with pictures of each kid and short testimonials from each family member.

Posted at 02:59 PM

Choosing Between The Broadcast Media

If you've been around the public relations world for long, you've probably had an editor point out to you that there are two sides of their operation, editorial and advertising, and that what you're pitching to them is more of an advertisement than news.

And they're absolutely right. Some pieces are more appropriate for advertising. Plus, advertising is a key partner to many, if not most, successful PR programs.

But, when it comes to the broadcast media, typically one is able to afford either television or radio, but not both. Usually this is based on the prices for television advertising...it can be furiously expensive.

How does one choose between them? Here are the strengths of each:

Posted at 02:47 PM

Downshifting...Focus from War to Economics

While the war with Iraq is nearly finished, the conflict in Iraq is just getting started. But, that means that the media needs something else to gripe about. What else in this world can be focused on that will surely generate anger in the hearts of viewers and readers? The answer is in their pocketbooks! The economy! Everybody loves a good roast, especially when it involves their hard (or hardly) earned cash. When it comes to money, some people will do anything (just watch reality tv some evening, and you'll catch on quickly to this concept).

Did you watch last night's episode of the war? I didn't. Not that it has become routine. War is never routine. But you can only analyze a bomb crater so many times. The shift in the media will soon focus on the unfortunate plight of the economy. It's in sad shape, and something needs to be done about it. Some of you are thinking, "Yeah, so?", while others are thinking, "Ooooh...opportunities...". Let's do some enlightening.

When the focus changes direction, companies will be scrambling to show the world what they're doing to make the economy grow. This can be done in several ways:

Posted at 02:32 PM

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Having A Publicist

Remember the days when you could setup a box or two, fill a pitcher with water and lemonade powder, and have an instant business? Five cents would buy a person a glass of overpowering lemonade. You would sit outside for hours and wait for passing motorists to pull up and buy a refreshing beverage. Life was good. Your product cost was zero, because Mom paid for it. You could drink your inventory without repercussions. You were business owner, sales staff, supplier, and janitorial all in one.

Publicity came easy back then. After all, you were local, and just needed a couple of cardboard signs with arrows that said: Lemonade 5 Cents.---> And if business was slow, you could go door to door, and let your customer base know you were actively in business.

Unfortunately, we grew up (at least some of us did - my wife's still wondering about me...)

Now, we have a much larger business to deal with, and it takes a little more than a cardboard sign that says: Integrated electronic components, $2,594.95 each. --->

Posted at 02:25 PM

House to House Fighting

Military strategy has changed a great deal.

In the revolutionary war the British troops would line up in two lines. The first line fired. Once the front line finished shooting, they knelt and reloaded while the line behind stood and fired. This process would repeat until they all ran out of ammo and had to retreat, the enemy was decimated from a plethora of poorly placed musket balls, or they all died.

The US revolutionaries tried something different. Hopelessly outgunned, outmanned, and with heavy odds against them, they fought by sniping from behind trees, along roads and fences.

Today's wars, such as in Iraq, have moved from open battlefields, and even from fields in general to the city streets. While we hope that the war won't turn into a prolonged house-to-house conflict, there is a lesson to be learned here for our businesses.

Posted at 02:16 PM

How To Hire The Perfect Publicist

One of the most frequent questions that we receive is "how do I choose a good publicist?"

Our hot new training manual, How To Hire The Perfect Publicist is 85 pages chock full of tips. In it, you'll find

- More than 35 links to sites on the Internet that will help you during your search,

- 18 situations when you should hire a publicist and two when you shouldn't

Posted at 02:10 PM

Symbolism and What It Means

One image stands out as being rife with symbolism, that of a US soldier placing an American flag over the head of Saddam Hussein's statue as they prepared to pull it down.

When that flag was placed on the statue, it represented something. To some, it represents that the USA has taken a major step towards removing oppression and the threat of mass destruction through terrorist organizations. To others, it represented the threat that the US could, at any time, step in in and take over their country and change their way of life.

I can't help but think that someone in Washington, either in the White House or the Pentagon, was the cause of the change of that flag from an American one to the Iraqi one. We'll probably never know, but I wouldn't be surprised to someday hear that it took about two minutes after that flag went up before the joint chiefs heard about it, who called Tommy Franks, who called... until a radio message was heard in the vehicle to "get that flag down now!"

Unfortunately for American interests, it's not the picture of the Iraqi flag, but the one of the American flag, that's getting all of the press and air time in the Arab press.

Posted at 02:06 PM

How to Win the Support and Respect of Newspaper Editorial Boards

We've seen it happen over and over again. A newspaper writes a scathing editorial about a politician, a non-profit organization or a company that did something stupid, prompted, in part, by the refusal of the news source to talk to reporters when the original story was written.

The news continues to break. A few days later, the newspaper prints a second editorial on the same topic. Then a third. Finally, the subject of the editorial is on the phone, begging to meet with the editorial writers and "set the record straight." But by then, the damage is already done.

Newspaper editorial boards can be one of your most valuable allies if you are promoting a cause, if you're in trouble with reporters, or if you want to muster valuable support for an event or an issue long before the first story is printed. Yet people seldom use editorial boards, either because they don't know about them or they're intimidated

Posted at 02:00 PM

Newsworthiness -The Psychology of News

We often tout the phrase, "make sure it's newsworthy!". But what is newsworthiness?

Frankly, there's no one way to make a story newsworthy. But there are lots of different ways to consider.

Here's one example of someone who's done just that:

As you're aware, anti-war protests have erupted around the nation. There are so many, that some news organizations have decided that unless the protest is local or has 100,000 people or more, it won't be covered.

So, the biggest organized protests get the coverage while the small protests get nothing, right? Not always.

This past week a small protest took place in which several women went topless to protest the war. Their theme was something about baring their arms to prevent the US from bearing theirs (a fairly weak connection, I must add). But did it make the news? You better believe it! Here's why...

Shock value!

Posted at 01:52 PM

Public Relations Networking How To Work A Room

We have all seen the movies where the main character enters a party. Heads turn, people whisper, drinks fall to the floor from the hands of those who are so enamored by the powerfully dynamic individual with the stylish hairdo and expensive watch. Quickly, this character moves from one end of the room to the other, shaking hands, making deals, and scheduling golf games with every person in the room. Of course, this isn't difficult for them, since everyone in the room jumps at the chance to bask for a moment in the presence of this person. Then the scene ends with the person leaving the room with a flourish that typically involves the exchange of large amounts of money, a fist fight, an amorous encounter, or a security escort.

But, in real life, everyone knows that this never happens! (Hint: Really, this never happens, unless you hang out with politicians and move stars.)

Real life: You've been invited to the event of the year, where you'll hopefully be able to schmooze with some powerful media gurus and other highly influential people who know everyone within a 1000 mile radius. This is your chance to network yourself into some great deals or exposure that you couldn't get otherwise.

Posted at 01:44 PM

Analyzing Your Business In Time Of War

One of the problems of doing business during the war is that it’s virtually inevitable that your phones are going to stop ringing, customer traffic will whither, sales will decrease and your people will have time on their hands.

Unfortunately, the natural inclination in times like these is to run huge sales, cutting prices to buy more business.

We don't recommend doing this. Remember that your customer’s attention is focused elsewhere, not on running out to support your huge sale. So, you'll pay lots of extra money to promote your sale, and the sales that result will be less profitable. The net result - an unprofitable sale!

Our recommendation? Instead of sweating trying to pull in more customers, spend this time doing those things that will build your business in the long term - those things that never seem to get done because of the pressures of day-to-day business from your customers. Analysis, planning, customer service and training are all potential tools.

Posted at 01:00 PM

War Time Advertising

The situation in Iraq and around the world is quickly becoming more volatile. Regardless of your position for or against the war, I think most of us agree that it's coming. So how do we do our job during time of war, when the media and the public's attention (at least during the initial stages,) will be focused on the deserts of Iraq?

I read an article yesterday saying that most of the national advertisers have contingency plans in place to pull ad spending when the war starts. This is understandable, not wanting to get burned with their humorous ad running right after an image of guns firing, or worse, dead bodies. There are several examples of companies who got burned during Desert Storm, and they don't wish it to happen again.

In addition, it's clear that the media will be focusing on the war for the bulk of their news coverage, especially TV news. For two to three days once it begins (CNN and Fox probably longer), all the networks will go wall-to-wall. If the war progresses quickly, wall-to-wall coverage will last longer. Once wall-to-wall coverage ends, two thirds or more of network news time (probably 20 minutes out of the 24 available in each national newscast) will still be devoted to various war coverages. This clearly means that many stories that would be run in "normal" times, don't stand a chance of getting air.

Posted at 12:52 PM

Reason-Why Advertising

I would like to introduce to you one of the most interesting stories of advertising that has ever happened. This happened just under 100 years ago.

It was six o'clock on a May evening in 1905 when John E. Kennedy sent a note up to A. L. Thomas, the senior partner of the Lord & Thomas advertising agency.

Thomas was just getting ready to leave the office when the messenger brought him the note. It read as follows: "You do not know what advertising is. No one in the advertising business knows what advertising is. No advertiser knows for certain what advertising is. If you want to know, tell this messenger that I should come up. I'm waiting in the lobby downstairs. "

It was signed: "John E. Kennedy." Thomas read the note with an amused smile then handed it to Albert D. Lasker, the junior partner in the firm and said to him, "Well, you have been asking this question for years and nobody has yet satisfied you. Maybe here is the answer...You see the man."

Albert Lasker saw Kennedy that night. It wasn't until 3 o'clock in the morning before they left the building. And when Lasker left that night, he had the answer to what advertising was. What Kennedy told him that night was simple. Advertising is SALESMANSHIP-IN-PRINT. And as Lasker said at a meeting with his agency staff in 1925:

Posted at 12:37 PM

How to Handle TV Interviews

TV Interviews - they're one the holy grails of the PR industry, so we all want to get them, but at the same time we live in fear of committing the ultimate faux pas in front of millions of our closest friends and relatives.

While we can't solve the problem completely, here are some remedies that will help you to have the best TV interview possible:

-- Always prepare for the interview. The temptation, because you know your company and industry, is to want to sound natural by talking off the top of your head. Don't! Make sure you know the the objective and the point of view of your interviewer. If you don't prepare, don't be surprised when your interview turns into a roast, and you're the guest of honor.

Posted at 12:25 PM

Expert Spokespersons

Al Rothstein, media coach, remembers the attorney who was called on repeatedly by an Atlanta TV station to provide expert commentary during the many months of the OJ Simpson trial. By agreeing to serve as the station's expert spokesperson, the attorney received thousands of dollars worth of free air time that helped build his practice and establish his expertise.

When the jury returned to the courtroom after deliberating only a few hours, the attorney predicted on the air that Simpson would be found guilty simply because it was a long trial and a short deliberation.

If your prediction or guess proves wrong, Rothstein said, simply explain how you reached the conclusion you did. Back it up with facts. Explain the background, circumstances or history that led to your prediction. And understand that you'll usually be forgiven, not only by the public but by the media.

Posted at 12:19 PM

June 24, 2004

Writing Articles Made Easy (Technically)

Not long ago I played a role in a board meeting where we use Robert's Rules of Order in everything we do and it got me thinking...

Robert's Rules Of Order attempt to codify good conduct in meetings, to help them progress more orderly.

So how's your writing? Is it "orderly"? Does it pass the rules of good communications in today's world? (In my attempt to not make another error, I've just looked up the proper usage of punctuation around quotation marks, and verified that commas and periods go inside quotation marks, and colons and semicolons go outside of quotation marks. Question marks, dashes, and exclamation marks go inside quotation marks only if part of the quotation. So my putting the question mark outside of the quotation marks above IS correct.)

The truth is, if you can't craft a story or release that fits within the general standards of writing, you don't stand much of a chance in the public relations world.

Posted at 04:54 PM

How To Get Radio PR

One of the best sources for instant PR exposure is radio. Though it seems like a dying medium, it is in fact still going very strong. Think about it for a minute...every morning, most commuters are entertained on their way to work by a radio morning show. When the commute home begins, the radio comes on again. This will probably continue at least until technology finds a way for a person to watch television while driving (there's a scary thought). So, it makes perfect sense to target a radio audience for your product/issue/theme/story.

Here's the problem: because of the nature of radio, it's a far different pitch than print and even TV. Radio producers are looking for someone who can entertain their audience. The message can still be informative, but entertainment is the king.

Posted at 04:41 PM

Make Sure You Catch The Mistakes

I assume that you've all heard the classic examples of translation errors like:

The Pepsi slogan 'Come alive with the Pepsi Generation' was marketed in Taiwan, but had undesired effects when it was found that it had been translated as 'Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.'

Kentucky Fried Chicken, with the slogan 'finger-lickin' good' translated it out to 'eat your fingers off.'

In Miami, a T-shirt manufacturer hoped to celebrate the Pope's arrival by selling T-shirts in Spanish. It was translated, but didn't sell. Later, they discovered that the word Pope (El Papa) was translated as (La Papa). So the shirt said 'I saw the potato'.

The Jolly Green Giant translated into Arabic means 'Intimidating Green Ogre.' That Sounds Yummy.

Clairol created a new appliance called the 'Mist Stick'. The problem arose, however, when it was marketed in Germany. The word 'mist' in German means manure. Not many women wanted to use the manure stick in their hair.

Posted at 03:55 PM

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah: 10 Steps to Becoming a Guest on the World's Top Talk Show

The following is a true story - the names haven't been changed to protect anybody!

Just a few moments ago I sat down to write about a powerful new book that we just made available on 101PublicRelations.com. I had to check a link, so called up my web browser, only to see the following MSN article pop onto my screen: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=12930 It's a fascinating study, not only of the power of Oprah but also of the power of an effective public relations campaign in building a business. It describes how one woman took her business from zero to $1 million in sales in just 12 months, with the help of a single mention in Oprah's "O" Magazine.

Posted at 03:37 PM

How to Get Booked on Radio Talk Shows, Give a Great Interview and Get Invited Back

How many times have you sat in the car listening to a talk show and thought "I ought to get my company onto that show?"

Yes you should! Radio talk shows fuel literally millions of dollars in sales every year.

No other medium lets you promote your product, service, cause or issue in front of thousands of people while sitting at home in your jammies.

And what's even better, producers of talk shows want to talk with you! They are constantly on the lookout for great guests to help them entertain and frankly, to help them build the ratings for their station.

And the more clever your idea, the more compelling (even controversial) your subject matter, the more timely your topic, the better.

Posted at 03:30 PM

SoBig - Have You Acted On It?

If your office is anything like mine, and especially if you have a frequently visited website, you're probably being deluged by messages from the SoBig vi*rus.

I know that I'm getting hundreds of related messages per day. Let's hope it really dies on Sept 10.

I hope that we've all learned a couple of major messages from this.

1. Vi*rus protection programs are an absolute must. If you don't have one, your computer is literally a menace to society just waiting to happen. And make sure you update yours frequently. Mine does it automatically every night.

Posted at 03:12 PM

Pitching To Talk Show Producers -Sell "Show Ideas" Not Products

The biggest mistake authors make when trying to get onto major radio and TV shows is pitching either themselves or their books. Don't pitch authors! Pitch issues. Don't pitch books! Pitch shows.

Example: If you wrote a book about how children of divorced parents suffer long-term effects well into adulthood, don't try to entice TV producers with the book. Entice them with an entire show around the topic of "Children of divorced parents: Do they ever recover?" Then suggest two or three other guests that tie into your topic who also could be interviewed, preferably someone who is on the other side of the issue. If you can do that, you've just given the producer an idea for an entire show, and they're more likely to bite because you've done their work for them.

Remember three key points:

1. Sell show ideas, not your product

3. The more you can make the producer's job easier, the easier you are to get booked!

Posted at 02:07 PM

Another Way To Get Publicity: Positioning Yourself As An Expert With The Media

It's frustrating sometimes to get your products into the news.

So solve the problem by positioning *yourself* (not your product) as a media expert.

So instead of trying to get publicity for your holiday gift site, position yourself as a holiday gift shopping expert.

That way you've now got an in with the media, and they know what they can call you on.

A good friend of mine, Steve Loyola of http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/ and his publicist have done a great job of this, positioning him as an "online shopping expert." Based on this, she has communicated Steve's "expert" positioning in a number of different directories that reporters access to obtain contact information for experts.

Posted at 01:59 PM

Lessons Learned From The Blackout: Crisis Communications Planning

Those of us in the United States are blindingly aware of what is being billed as the largest power blackout in US history. This blackout struck the Northeast US and a big hunk of Canada just before rush hour.

I first heard about it about 10 minutes after it started when I received an email titled "Check out CNN". CNN came on (actually CNBC) and I proceeded to watch and learn a major set of lessons that apply to PR.

Here are some of the lessons that I learned from yesterday's situation:

1. Every organization needs a crisis plan

NYC obviously had one, and it appears that they executed it fairly well. Since I'm not in NY, I don't know what the word is on the street, but from here, it looks like NYC will once again enjoy praise for how well they handled the situation. How it could have been prevented? Well, that's another story, isn't it!

As much as we may not want to admit it, crises happen, to us!

Posted at 01:32 PM

It Won't Do Any Good If Nobody Comes

We have talked about the importance of generating traffic to your website, and how to use Pay Per Click Advertising to do so. (Get more information on Pay Per Click and how it works visit:)

Now let's talk about the other side of generating traffic to your website, the free search engines.

As you're no doubt aware, when people visit a search engine, 70% click on a link from the first page of the search, only 15% click on a link from the second page, and 10% from the third page, with the remaining 5% going beyond that.

So if you're not on the first page or two of search engine results for the keywords that define your business, you're not getting seen. And, what's most interesting, is that once you move from page 2 onto page 1, you'll suddenly see huge increases in your traffic simply from that change (assuming that this occurs with high traffic keywords.)

Posted at 01:14 PM

The Clueless

It is rumored that there are clueless people in the world in all areas of life. For example, there were probably some very clueless people that were the reason these warning labels were created:

On a package in Japan: "Not to be used for anything else."

On an unknown vaccuum cleaner: "Do not use to pick up anything that is currently burning."

Nabisco Easy Cheese: "For best results, remove cap."

Unknown 500 piece puzzle: "Some assembly required."

Swedish Chainsaw: "Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals." I shudder when I think about this one...

We may laugh, but there are some sad individuals out there who might have had troublesome run-ins with these products.

In public relations, there are clueless people too.

Posted at 11:52 AM

June 23, 2004

Briefs, Fillers and Quizzes: How to Write Them and Why Editors LOVE Them

Briefs, fillers and quizzes are some of the easiest ways to get into a major magazine or newspaper. Editors love them because they are short and fill odd-size holes on a page. They engage the reader. They require little if any editing. And they are wonderfully sneaky ways to promote your product or service without making it sound like a blatant promotion.

Here are five ideas on how to use quizzes:

- If you're sponsoring an event, create a quiz that ties into it. A cherry festival, for example, would be the perfect chance to create a true-or-false quiz about cherries.

- Want to get into a trade publication? Identify a problem its readers are facing. Then create a quiz that ties into your product or service.

Posted at 05:22 PM

Powerful Publicity Tips for Your Fund-Raiser or Special Event

Many companies spend wads of money sponsoring community events, staging fund-raisers, giving away products to the needy and doing pro bono work.Yet they never think of getting added mileage through publicity because they don't want to look like they're bragging.

They should borrow an idea from the Great Harvest Bread Company, an admirable corporate citizen that really knows how to let the world know about all the good it is doing. They have lots of in-store displays about their community activities. They do direct mail campaigns. They sponsor sporting events. They even have a "Baker for a Day" campaign in which deserving nonprofit groups own "Great Harvest" one day a year, run the store and keep all the proceeds.

Posted at 05:16 PM

How to Create a Sizzling Special Event

Why is it that during the summer, the seemingly most relaxing time of the year, that PR and marketing people still seem stressed out? Could it be your responsibility to plan that "big event" - the company picnic, grand opening, convention or holiday party?

If you're dealing with those challenges (or may sometime soon), you will need to consider a whole host of questions and issues. For example, here are some location-related questions:

Posted at 05:12 PM

Electronic Media Kits: How to Create Them, Deliver Them and See INSTANT Results

One of the most powerful tools you can have today to help build your media presence is an online media kit. In fact, just last week I was talking to a reporter from USA Today who told me that he "never" even looks at USA Today's internal files until after he's checked the company out on the web.

I'm sure he's not alone.

A big piece of getting written up the way you want to be is to make sure that the media has quick and easy online access to your media kit and the information that you want them to see.

This CD seminar gives you the tools to do just that. In this one-hour telephone seminar, Joan Stewart interviews publicist Bev Harris on exactly how to set up an online media kit. Plus, you'll get a ton of tips on some other subjects besides just online media kits.

Posted at 05:03 PM

Media Kits On A Shoestring

Take a minute and think about what your local reporters have in their files about you right at this very moment...

Nothing?

You've got a ton of work to do.

A business card?

I'll tell you this much, I'm not basing my future on the information communicated on a 2" x 3.5" piece of cardboard!

If you're normal, that's probably all they have. But is it what you want them to have? Don't you want them to have information carefully chosen by you to accurately reflect your business and your specialties?

That's where a media kit comes in.

Posted at 04:58 PM

How To Make Sure Your Web Site Works Effectively With The Media

Right now, while you're reading this, reporters might be at your company’s web site without you knowing it, snooping around to see if the company is interesting enough to warrant a story.

If they don't like what they see, they'll bail out, never to be heard from again.

Lots of people believe that one of the secrets of promoting yourself online is to have online media kit. That's true. But before you develop your online media kit, it's important to make sure that your base web site is ready for traffic. Only after that's done is it time to get the online media kit up and running.

Here are some of the most egregious sins at corporate web sites that confuse, offend and generally turn off visitors, including the media:

Posted at 04:49 PM

Public Relations Disasters: A Dozen Press Releases From Hell and How to Fix Them

Public Relations is much more than sending out stacks of press releases every month and hoping. It's building relationships with the media, identifying newsworthy stories, packaging those stories in a way that meets the needs of specific media sources, then feeding them that package in a way that meets their needs.

But at the same time, press releases and announcements are an essential part of a viable Public Relations strategy.

And they can be VERY successful, IF you do them right.

But what is right?

Posted at 04:40 PM

Email Story Pitches

Jump in your local time machine with me and let's travel back 20 years...

You've got an emergency story that your local reporter has agreed to run tomorrow, if you get him the copy by 2:00. You start by looking for the copywriter write the story. But he's on vacation, so you decide to let the English major at the front desk (who's been begging to get into marketing) write it. While he slowly pecks away at the typewriter and slogs through a pint of whiteout, you pace.

By the time you get the copy back ("It's perfect!", he says), you find that it's the quality of a "What I Did Over Summer Vacation paper" someone would write in the third grade. So you blow off your lunch and slog through it yourself. By now, it's late, so you decide you have to courier it over to get it delivered before the deadline. The courier, in his zeal to get it there on time, spills hot cocoa in his lap and swerves causing a 3-car pileup. He's escorted to the police station. The story pitch does get delivered about 3 hours later (covered in cocoa). You're relieved...until you find out that not only did they reject your story because you missed the deadline but they decided to cover the accident instead, mentioning it was caused by an overzealous courier delivering a story pitch for your company!

Posted at 04:25 PM

How To Create "Word of Mouth" In Print

All of us know that "word of mouth" can be the most powerful motivating tool in marketing. But how do you get the advantages of word of mouth in print or on the web?

Scenario: You sit down in front of the computer to see what you can dredge up in the lonely back roads of the Internet superhighway. As you surf, you get neck deep in sites, ads and popups offering everything from herbal supplements, to used space-time flux inhibitors from a stranded time traveler from the future nation of Wicki-Wicki.

Who writes this junk? And, since you're seeing these ads all over the place, it seems they may actually be selling stuff. How are they doing that? The answer to the first question may never be known. But the answer to the second lies in something many great ads (and articles for that matter) have in common: customer testimonials.

Posted at 04:10 PM