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

How To Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events

Special events, be they must-attend galas featuring your community's movers and shakers, grand openings, customer-appreciation picnics, trade shows, etc. have huge publicity power...if you do them correctly.

Our new guide, "How to Plan and Promote Sizzling Special Events" ensures that you will NEVER have to spend another sleepless night worrying about your next special event. In it, former event planner Debra J. Schmidt and publicity expert Joan Stewart have created six audiocassettes and a collection of 15 valuable checklists that reveal all the little-known secrets of how to plan and promote sizzling special events.

Posted at 04:02 PM

How to Publish a Profitable Electronic Newsletter

If you haven’t heard by now that electronic newsletters are one of the most profitable ways to sell your products and services, you’re probably still banging away on an old Underwood typewriter.

More commonly known as ezines (pronounced e-zeens), they let you offer helpful advice, position yourself as an expert, market to a global audience, communicate easily with thousands of people as often as you wish, and promote what you’re selling. All that without expensive postage or printing costs, an advertising budget, keeping track of subscription renewals, or other tasks associated with print newsletters.

The reason ezines can be so profitable is relatively simple to understand. You supply compelling, helpful content on a particular topic to anyone who wants to subscribe for free. In return, you have the right to "pitch" your products and services, or things you can sell for other people on commission. If your readers love your ezine, some of them will buy your products and eventually turn into lifetime customers. The bigger your subscription list, the more you sell. You can build your subscriber base far quicker than you can with a paid-subscription print newsletter simply because you have no or little distribution costs, no printing costs, and you can market to the entire world using the Internet.

Here’s a handy guide on how to incorporate ezines into your own PR campaign, or those of your clients. Special Report #38: How to Publish a Profitable Electronic Newsletter

Posted at 03:58 PM

How To Instantly Increase Your PR Success Rate By 75% Or More: Write Killer Headlines!

Have you ever seen headlines like these?

Psychics Predict World Didn't End Yesterday. Soap and Water Still Cleans Well. Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says. Astronaut Takes Blame For Gas in Spacecraft. New Housing For Elderly Not Yet Dead. Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks. Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter. Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim. If Strike Isn't settled quickly, it may last a while.

These actual headlines from newspapers around the United States prove that headlines really do make a difference (and can make you look like a fool if you're not careful...) Here's why . . .

As one of my favorite marketers, Dan Kennedy, frequently says, "the objective of a healine is to get people to read the first sentence. The objective of the first sentence is to get them to read the second sentence..." And you can imagine how he progresses from there.

Good headlines interrupt the train of thought for a moment to draw readers into the story. Good headlines can also:

Posted at 03:52 PM

Media Relations Power

Want to know how to get more success from your public relations efforts?

You need to understand the lingo, walk the walk, talk the talk, and schmooze with the reporters and newsmakers. How easy is that?! It's about to get a whole lot easier.

Our new publication, Media Relations Power is a media seekers dream. This product comes packed with 168 pages worth of powerful information written in such a way that anyone can understand and act upon it. Using this information can boost your business image, gain more clients, and build your credibility with the public.

Here's what you'll get inside

- Questions You can Expect Reporters to Ask During an Interview (Including Nasty Hostile Ones)

- How to Identify Story Ideas Within Your Company or Organization

Posted at 03:46 PM

How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter That Convinces an Editor to Write About You

You’ve called your local newspaper three times in the last year to suggest an article about your organization. But each time, you reached gruff editors or reporters on deadline. They promised to call you back but never did. Or perhaps you tried to call your TV station to suggest a local feature story, but you kept getting shuffled off to someone who was too busy to help you.

Another idea down the drain. Don’t let it happen again. It’s time to send a pitch letter that convinces them to not only return the call but to ask for an interview and a photo.

Why a Pitch Letter?

Posted at 03:42 PM

Utilizing "How-to" Articles to Your Advantage

People love free how-to information - and the media loves to give it to them. Watch your newspaper, favorite magazines and the evening news and you'll see how-to information on everything from losing weight to contacting UFO's using only your toaster, a cucumber, and duct tape.

The truth is, the media loves how-to articles for lots of reasons. They make the media source appear to have the public's best interest at heart. They're great space fillers. They have good information that is short and to the point. And almost anyone will eventually find an article that will meet their needs (though why anyone would use a cucumber to contact aliens is beyond me!) But the point is, many people look to how-to articles as a quick and easy source for basic information.

So why not use them to your advantage? Start writing some how-to articles today!

Posted at 03:35 PM

How to Snag Free Publicity for Your New Business

So you've decided to take the plunge and work 80 hours a week for yourself to avoid working 8 hours a day for someone else. Or perhaps you've been in business several years and you're tired of seeing your competitors get all the publicity.

Small businesses that generate a lot of media attention are often better off than those that don't. That’s because media coverage establishes you as an expert and gives you credibility that can be far more valuable than paid advertising. Even if you can't afford paid ads and many small businesses can't-you can claim thousands of dollars in print space and air time.

Send Press Releases

If you're just starting your business, send a news release to local newspapers, magazines and trade publications that serve your industry. If you join your local chamber of commerce, ask if they can write a short item about you in their newsletter. A simple news release of one or two pages will probably result in no more than a few paragraphs in your local weekly newspaper, or just a brief item in your weekly business journal. But it’s a start, and it will let people know that you're open for business. If your business is very unusual for example, if you offer pet-sitting services the media might call you for a feature story.

Posted at 03:29 PM

Secrets of Effective Press Release Distribution

Sending out press releases has changed since the good old days of paper cuts on your tongue from licking letters. Now there are many options, including electronic distribution, faxes and good old fashioned mail services.

Which is best? What are the pros and cons of each?

Secrets of Effective Press Release Distribution is a 52-page ebook that answers all of your questions about press release distribution. Contents include:

Complete reviews of the top eight electronic distribution services and electronic newswires, including complete contact information, scope of distribution, costs and formats. But more than just a list, a complete analysis is provided, discussing pros and cons and which one(s) is(are) best for your particular organization to use.

Posted at 03:25 PM

Send a Press Release Through the Right Channels

So, you've got great information that you want to send out through a press release? Want to make sure it gets published?

First, some basics:

1. Make sure that all the information is accurate. This includes phone numbers, addresses (Internet and real world), and names.

2. Keep it short! A really long press release will make a really short trip into the round file.

Posted at 03:20 PM

Give Something Away For Free

We all know the value of giving away free stuff in creating consumer demand, but how often do you utilize that tool to power up your publicity?

There's many ways to do this - some giveaways, like a free trip to the international space station (you do have an extra $20 million laying around, don't you?) are news in and of themselves. Most others are simply another point in your pitch.

A great tool is to offer a free information-based product as part of the byline in your articles, or at the end of your radio interview. Some have taken this step to a totally new level by including the reference in the article itself (sending a copy of the totally-non-sales-oriented giveaway along with the article so the editor can see it and won't edit the reference out), generates a significantly higher level of response.

Posted at 03:13 PM

Crisis Planning -Of Prime Importance

Of all the materials that we have produced, the one that seems to generate the most calls and emails is our PR Toolkit on Crisis Planning.

It seems that the world is very focused on this vital key area, and more and more people every week are coming to understand the importance of preparing themselves in advance for the crises that inevitably will occur at some point in the future.

Are you prepared? Do you have a written plan in place?

Doesn't that sound like a key resolution for the new year?

Pick up a copy of our special PR Toolkit on Crisis Planning today. You really need this info!

Posted at 03:04 PM

PRWeb - Online Press Release Distribution Service

We get a lot of questions about services that distribute press releases. There's many different avenues you can use, depending on your specific needs.

One of the reports that we offer deals directly with this question, providing comparisions of the different press release distribution services. You can get more information on it by clicking Secrets of Effective Press Release Distribution

One tool that we invariably use, sometimes as a stand-alone service, and sometimes as a backup to whatever other distribution service we use is http://prweb.com
PRWeb is a free press release distribution service.

Posted at 03:00 PM

Get the Local Angle

One of the best ways to get free publicity is to offer yourself as the local angle to national or international stories you see in print or on TV or radio. Local media are hungry for the local angle. That’s because local news is their bread and butter. Any time they can find someone in their area who can offer background, commentary or story ideas that piggyback off a national event, or someone who is part of a national trend, they will usually bite.

In fact, it’s standard practice in newsrooms all over the globe to pursue the local angle. Reporters sometimes labor for hours trying to track down someone in their area who can shed new light on a national issue, or who can offer an interesting local visual to accompany a national story.

13 ways to be the Local Angle

Here are 13 ways to get into print and broadcast stories by being the local angle:

Posted at 02:41 PM

You Could Have Your Own Column

I spoke to my parents on the phone last night. They were surprised to hear that I was writing this online newsletter, especially since I spent so much time getting a degree from a business school. I explained how I managed to get into this position. I didn't apply for it. I certainly didn't submit samples of my writing. The newsletter was not going out due to a great deal of other things to do, so I took over one day and wrote it. Suddenly, I had a new position...writer! My parents were so pleased to hear this news, that they are now part of the readership of the newsletter, even though they really don't care much for public relations. Did I just boost my own publicity through writing? Yes! Maybe one day, I'll write for a big newspaper.

How would I go about getting into the newspapers with my writing? That's a great question. Being a columnist for a newspaper could be a very prestigious position to be in. This position could add instant fame to you. Let's look into this further.

Posted at 02:33 PM

How to Identify Story Ideas Within Your Company or Organization

Does this sound like you?

You can't understand why the business reporter at your local newspaper has quoted your competitor in five separate stories but hasn't called you once.

Your company sends out more than two dozen press releases every year about new employees and promotions, but they result in little more than a few lines of type.

The 12-page speech your boss wrote when he spoke at the local Rotary Club luncheon would have made an excellent column for the local business magazine. But after you mailed it to the editor, you never heard a word.

Posted at 02:24 PM

When The Reporter Calls

I received two very interesting calls from the media this past week.

The first was a failure, the second an absolute success. I think there's value in sharing these stories with you, as there are lessons to be learned from each.

First the failure.

The phone rang, on the other end was the BBC. I got excited, I don't hear from international media very often.

It seems that Britain had just passed it's version of an anti junk em%ail bill. But, like America's new Can-Sp%am bill (I put the extra characters in so that this will pass the filters and get to you), it only has penalties for unwanted em%ail sent from within the country.

So what would a bright lowlife sp%ammer do? Go offshore of course!

Posted at 01:53 PM

How To Get Your Site Seen On The Web

I just got off the phone with one of my Internet marketing friends. I was telling him about how, over the first six months of this year, one of my clients has been able to generate over 30 million website visitors at a total marketing cost of less than $100,000.

Sales totalled over $4 million. And that's not selling one big contract, or selling information products. That's selling real stuff, like you buy in the stores!

Who says money can't be made online!

And that's just one of my clients...

One of the major tools we use to flood a site with tons of interested visitors is pay per click search advertising. Pay per click advertising literally puts your site on the first page of the search engine listings.

Which is exactly where you want to be!

And best of all, you only pay a few cents each time someone clicks on your ad and you don't pay at all if they don't click!

Posted at 01:39 PM

Newsletters and the Art of Writing

There is a fine art to writing a newsletter and we can tell you that it's not always easy. But as we come into our 1 year anniversary of publications our subscriber base has grown from literally 0 (the first issue went out to each of our employees and about 3 friends) to over 6000 subscribers! Do you have any idea what this has done for business?! Traffic to our website is way up, and profits are too. I'd give numbers, but confidentiality reigns.

Want to increase your sales and profits too? One great way is to get your information in front of thousands of wired readers by starting an online newsletter. But not just any newsletter. Start a newsletter that keeps people glued to their screens and that helps to build your business. Let's get down to brass tacks here with some of the things that we've learned over the past year:

Posted at 01:25 PM

Creating Powerful Press Releases

Let me ask you this: How many times have we told you that you need to write to get your publicity moving? How many times have we told you about press releases and how many of them have gone wrong because the writers didn't follow guidelines? We know you don't want to end up like those.

These two new products have been in the works for several weeks now. They concern themselves with these very issues. Quite often, a poor release gets someone nowhere because they don't take the time to craft a good release, or they simply didn't know how to do it well. Our newest Product, Creating Powerful Press Releases covers every aspect of proper press release creation giving you step by step instructions to help you to understand all of the finer points while allowing creativity.

Press releases -they're a mainstay of the public relations business - one of the few viable methods of communicating news to the media. Are they the core of a public relations strategy?  No, that would be creating and maintaining relationships with key media contacts. But they are a key method of spreading your company’s news and making announcements to the world.

Posted at 12:00 PM

Differentiation, Part Two

It's amazing to me how many companies have never thought about the need to create a differentiation between themselves and their competitors. They simply say, "here's what I make, now let's go sell it."

In fact, as I speak to audiences all around the US I often ask the managers in the room to write down what differentiates them from their competition. Most struggle, then finally write something down. I then ask those in the audience who said what makes them different from their competition is "quality" or "service" to raise their hands. Invariably, 90% of the hands in the room go up.

For some reason, we in America, have bought into the idea that we can be superior to our competition by producing high quality products and giving great service.

Posted at 11:09 AM

June 22, 2004

Media Release Hint

The next time you write a media release, try developing a specific page that adds more information about that release's subject on your website, then adding a link that goes directly to that page into your release in the BODY (not the boilerplate final paragraph) of your release.

For example, in the 3rd paragraph, refer the reader to www.yoursite.com/newproducts.html for some piece of information that they can only get through that URL.

Then put your normal www.yoursite.com link in the boilerplate final paragraph.

This allows you to:

Posted at 02:52 PM

The Magic Of Differentiation

Driving across Wyoming isn't my favorite thing to do...

First off, I always hit it either at the end of a long drive, or at the beginning of one.

Second, it's always windy, often snowy, and the road curves around quite a bit which when one hits it bored and tired at 85 mph, sometimes makes for some interesting manuevers.

So I traditionally treat Wyoming as a place to be crossed in as little time as possible.

But there is one place in Wyoming that is a must-stop location on our every trip.

It's not the type of place that one would normally put on their list of must-see places.

To quote my 14-year-old daugher Marci - "it's about as far away from anyplace you can get" - maybe an exaggeration, but she's pretty close.

Posted at 02:36 PM

How To Get Onto Your Local News Tomorrow

Want to get on your local news? Would tomorrow be soon enough?

Try using food!

Bagels and cream cheese, cans of caramel corn and pretty baskets filled with fresh-baked croissants make your local TV station look more like a gourmet food shop than a newsroom. Yet that's often how the game is played. Find out the name of the assignment editor or the producer of the 6 o'clock news and send a sweet treat along with your story pitch. Before you know it, you're often on the air.

Shawne Duperon, who has been in TV news for more than 10 years, knows the game all too well. The food bribe worked beautifully recently when she did some pro bono PR work trying to drum up TV coverage for an Easy Bake Oven Bake-off sponsored by General Motors at two inner-city schools in Detroit. The kids baked cookies in an Easy Bake Oven, which uses a light bulb as the heat source.

Posted at 02:24 PM

The Proper Use of News Conferences

When you were younger, did you ever have a classmate that was always a showoff? You know the type...They claimed they could do anything. They'd even brag that they could chew through a brick wall with dentures.

Some adults are still this way and will do anything to get attention. Such is the case with many people who call news conferences.

Few media events are as misunderstood and abused as the press conference.
* News makers * love the concept of calling a press conference because it makes them feel important. Schedule a press conference, they reason, and reporters will trip all over each other to get the best seats in the house.

That couldn't be further from the truth. The media actually despise press conferences for several reasons:

Posted at 02:18 PM

The (Sort Of) History Of The Media

How did the media get it's power?

It all started with a German named Gutenberg who succeeded in enraging the mighty religious groups (who used to BE the media) of the day by producing low-cost Bibles. His printing press was a marvel. Everyone was so astonished that they promptly started creating business plans for Kinko's franchises. Before you knew it, everyone had to have a newspaper in their city. Tabloids came along shortly after because someone just had to reveal how the British Royalty was regularly being visited by aliens, and touting the benefits of miraculously losing weight (Headline: General loses fifty pounds instantly - They cut off his head!).

Ad agencies came along next when they found out they could take a cut on the exorbitant amounts of money being used to sell cottage mortgages, Super Oxy-clean, and McDonald's Happy Meals to the peasants and those who dwelt outside the castle walls.

Posted at 02:10 PM

The Holidays Are Coming!

Yes, it is that time of year again. The holidays will be quickly upon us. Personally, I think it is the best time of year. I enjoy snow (when I don't have to drive in it), lots of food (lots of antacids), and the general kind demeanor of most everyone. But this isn't just a great time for individuals. Businesses get it really good too.

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, the phone rings. It's a reporter from who knows where, calling to find out what the status of online retailing is for the holidays. What a great question! What an even better opportunity!

The holidays are a great time to build publicity. This is the time of year when people thank you by opening their wallets. Sounds rather commercialized, doesn't it? Don't get me wrong...I love the holidays for their traditions, family, friends and everything else. But if it can build your business in huge ways, why not let it make your holidays even better than they already are?!

Posted at 01:55 PM

PR Window Of Opportunity

It only happens once a year...

Past readers know that the very best time to get publicity is during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

Even hotter is the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Why? Simple - the politicians have gone on vacation, (or, thankfully, into hibernation). Many other news sources are also on vacation. Companies shut down for the holidays, schools are out. In short, there's not a great deal of news that happens during this period of time.

But people still expect to get their newspapers, to have something on when they turn on their TV or radio news or talk programs. So the reporters still have to fill the same amount of space/time as they do in hot news times.

Posted at 01:40 PM

Secrets For Getting Through To The Media Online

Did you ever wonder how Clark Kent got any work done? It seems to me that he spends very little time actually doing any journalism. My only guess is that perhaps the whole city provides plenty of fabulous material for him to use, that he never had to actually write anything.

Ok. Let's get real. We know that's not the case in real life. In fact, we can be quite sure that television is not anything like real life. Reporters and editors need good ideas constantly. So why not give them some and have them thank you profusely while your name gets into print.

Would you like to know:

- How to reach hundreds and thousands of people without media gatekeepers?

- How to use a news wire to get your news releases to the media?

Posted at 01:32 PM

Lions and Tigers and Romans Oh My!

Did you ever wonder how famous people in history achieved their fame without the use of television or radio? I sometimes do too. In fact, I was watching the Discovery channel last night, and I saw an advertisement that was touting the great achievements of a man who was a thorn in the side of the Romans for quite some time . . . Spartacus! Who was this man who ticked off the Romans so much, that he inspired a movie, and documentary?

It is speculated that Spartacus was a soldier for the Romans. But, he deserted, fled, was captured, sold as a slave, and was trained as a gladiator. He was quite successful at spilling blood all over the coliseum floor.

Posted at 01:29 PM

Crisis Management

My wife hates shopping with me because I drive her crazy.

It's the "Marketer's Curse" that does it.

Very simply, it’s the inability, once you've learned how marketing really works (what makes a great ad, what makes a package sell product, how to position your company), it becomes physically impossible to view the world without doing it through marketing lenses.

That’s why my wife hates shopping with me. What she wants is for me to help us both get out of the store faster, by each of us taking half of the list then meeting together at the checkout counter.

Posted at 01:20 PM

Tying Your PR Into the Holidays

It's that time of year again. You remember from last year: You went to the mall to buy one item. After driving in circles around the mall for over two hours, you found a parking space - except it's for a compact car, and you drive an SUV. No matter . . . you took it anyway.

You got inside the mall, and attempted to part the mass of traffic there. Two map stops, 15 different stores (all of which were out of stock on your item), a Santa picture, a lost child, and Mrs. Fields Cookie later, you finally found a store that had one in the back room... but they were holding it for someone who never came back to pick it up.

So, frustrated, restless, confused, and fuming, you searched across the frozen tundra of the parking lot trying to figure out where you parked. When you finally got there, you found that you had been given a parking ticket, some careless teenager had dented your door, and your right rear tire is flat.

Happy holidays!

So what does this have to do with public relations? Everything! Keep in mind that most of those people who were clogging up the aisles in the mall have money in their pockets, which they are ready and excited to spend.

Posted at 01:14 PM

How to Make Your Story Pitch Stand Out in the Email Jungle

One of the keys of getting your stories into the press is to get them noticed by the reporters. And in today's world, that means email.

But how do you get your story to stand out in the email jungle. Remember, reporters are just like us, they get hundreds of spam email messages per day, plus all of the press releases that people send to them. Unfortunately, most pitches get lost in the daily "I've got to get rid of all of these trash email" sessions.

But there are ways of cutting through the fog (sticking with the holiday theme...) just like Rudolph's nose to get your email noticed.

Posted at 01:03 PM

Get On Today's Hottest TV Talk Shows

Want to get on the hottest TV talk shows? The first step is to determine whether you have a topic that might fit. Here's a look at the topics two of the hottest TV talk shows are on-air today:

The Oprah Show:

The Oprah Show gives us two great ways to help us determine what topics she covers. First is a list of upcoming shows, found at http://www.oprah.com/tows/intheworks/tows_works_main.jhtml

Here's what's currently listed there (each of these can be clicked on at her site to find a page with more description and a form where you can provide your information and "tell your story" - remember, Oprah loves stories!):

Posted at 12:51 PM

On the Air: How to Create Valuable TV Coverage

When you think TV, don't just think Oprah, Rosie and the nightly news with Peter Jennings. Think about the many local news shows that need compelling guests. Those include the early-morning feature shows, mid-morning talk shows, noon and nightly news shows, and weekend public affairs programs. Authors, speakers, consultants, successful small-business people and anyone who has an interesting story to tell are all likely prospects.

TV producers want good visuals to go with the story. That’s the most important thing you can offer a TV station. Without visuals, you stand a far less chance of making them interested in your story.

That means you must be well-groomed and dressed correctly. It also means that interesting props increase your ability to get booked on a show. Let’s say you've written a book about cosmetic surgery and you can offer the producer before-and-after photos of people who have had various procedures done and who have given their permission to appear on TV. The producer will be more interested than if you simply offered the cover of your book as a prop.

Posted at 12:32 PM

Today's Magnetic Storm and PR

1. Get ready, it's coming, this afternoon!

Yes, there's a sunspot bigger than the size of Jupiter, that's hurtling electromagnetic rays at the earth, which are probably hitting you as you read this.

There was talk this morning of everything from power grids shutting down, to cell phone calls being dropped, to the need to wear tin-foil hats on your head. Probably won't happen, but you can bet there are some fanatics having a great time today!

The best part? They're saying that there should be some pretty cool northern lights out tonight. Unfortunately, we're cloud locked here in Wisconsin, so I'll be missing them. If you've never seen them before, or even if you have, go outside and check them out - they're really cool!

Posted at 12:18 PM

Generating Powerful Publicity For Small Business

Looking at the paper, it seems that only the big, multi-million dollar companies with huge PR firms and budgets have any hope of getting their businesses publicized online.

Can small companies really get any meaningful publicity?

Absolutely, says Jeff Zbar, The Small Business Administration's 2001 Journalist of the Year.

In our brand new audio CD (it's so new that we're editing the recording as we write this!)
"The Fastest, Easiest, Cheapest Ways To Publicize Your Small Business -- Even If You're a Solo Entrepreneur," Jeff shares a series of tips and techniques that apply both to small businesses and large, including:

Posted at 12:02 PM

Secrets of Perfect Pitching To Reporters

Dan Janal interviews Joan Stewart during this one-hour telephone seminar available on Tape or CD for only $29.95.

You will learn:

The worst mistake people make when pitching reporters

The first thing you should say to reporters as soon as they answer the phone

What to ask them if they don't have time to talk to you

The one question you must NEVER ask reporters

Posted at 11:55 AM

The Power of Written (and cryptic) Language

Just three earthly revolutions ago, I acquired a new electronic desktop computational device comprised of premanufactured integrants. Utilizing my fountain of technological proficiency, I investigated the merits and stature of the individual detachable constituents. Drawing upon the consummation of the resultant outcomes, I ascertained that any and all of the contemporary electronic desktop computational device constructors either subsumed zero or a small but non-zero summation of the segments that were requisite. After an exigent pursuit, I pinpointed a bantam assemblage on the internet that was clearly competant to sufficiently appease my design specifications. I instigated an intercommunication that catalogued my preconditions. They adequately fulfilled my expectance.

What on earth is going on here?!!

I wrote the above in an attempt to make a point. Here's the problem . . . Somewhere, within the realms of chaos came an idea that anyone, even mildly educated, must write in obscure, and extremely difficult to understand terms. Are they showing off? Were they raised in a dictionary printing press? Is it effective?

Posted at 11:43 AM

How To Win The Hunt for Media E-mail Addresses

You're desperate to contact a reporter via e-mail but don't know their e-mail address. Joan Stewart recently interviewed Marcia Yudkin, who knows all the tricks of how to track down media people. Here are 5 tips that she passed along:

- Visit the media outlet's website and look for a directory of staff members. This is often the most accurate listing you'll find anywhere.

- If there's a search function at the website, do a search for the reporter's name. You just might find one of their articles, along with an e-mail address at the end.

- Check the Bacon's Directory, which can found at most major public libraries. Even though the directory might be out of date, the big advantage to Bacon's is that it tells you how a particular reporter or media outlet prefers to be contacted--by phone, fax, snail-mail or e-mail.

Posted at 11:32 AM

How To Get Top TV Talk Show Producers To Book You As A Guest

Your phone rings. You answer it and hear:

"Hello, this is Jonathan Gray, a producer for the ________ show" (insert whichever talk show you would give up a week's food budget to be invited to be a guest on), "have you got a minute?"

If you're normal, the first thing that goes through your mind is that you're in the midst of some kind of cruel joke played by one of your most devious friends.

But then the thought occurs to you, "what if this is for real?"

You wisely decide that, real or not, you'd better say something now, as convention requires you to reply when someone asks you such a question.

You stammer out a "yes."

A few moments later, you realize that this is no joke and suddenly you get VERY interested in this call.

Posted at 10:43 AM

Media Munchies

Do you own a cat? I did. I owned two when I was a kid. They were great pets, but they had a really gross habit. At night, they would head off to the back fields and hunt for whatever munchies might be available (kind of like humans rummaging through the fridge at night, trying to find something good to eat in there without waking their spouse). In the morning they would leave me a gift to let me know that they loved me: a half-eaten carcass of a bird, gopher, snake, scorpion, mouse, rat, or some undiscovered species would be left on the back porch. I guess this was my cat's way of showing how much they care. For a cat, nothing communicates love quite like your share of a dead field animal. Just watch your step. Ewwwwww....

Think about Valentines Day and what you're going to give that special someone (For all of you hunters, a half eaten deer or elk carcass on your loved one's front porch isn't a good idea...) However, chocolates sound like a great idea. Once again, food is a great gift.

Once again we ask the question, how does this apply to the media?

Posted at 10:32 AM

Are You Ready For The Big Time?

Imagine...

Your phone rings, you check the caller ID, it says Harpo Productions.

As a GreatPR person who understands the power of big-time media exposure, your heart skips a beat.

You pick up the phone...

And find out that despite popular belief, it is actually true that there are producers at The Oprah Show, and one of them's on the line wanting to talk with you!

It turns out that they're running a show next week on one of your subject areas, they've found you on the Internet, and would you be interested in doing a pre-show interview to see if you'd be a fit for the show.

Posted at 10:22 AM

Pitching Reporters Over the Phone

You've got a terrific story idea. You've researched the magazine you're pitching to, and you know that the reporter doesn't mind story pitches over the phone.

You dial her number and wait patiently for her to answer. When you hear her voice, you suddenly freeze up. you've rehearsed what you'll say at least a dozen times, but she sounds busy and angry. So you start babbling.

"What exactly do you want?" she asks brusquely. Suddenly, you realize you've blown it. Another opportunity lost forever.

Pitching reporters over the telephone is one of the most difficult tasks in media relations. That’s because the reporter on the other end of the line can be easily distracted by others in the newsroom, might be working on deadline, or just doesn't want to talk you. You make the problem worse when you call unprepared, don't have notes in front of you and try to pitch "off the cuff," then get rattled when you hear a response you aren't expecting.

Posted at 10:04 AM

Pitching a Story Idea Through Email

As I'm sure you're aware, email is becoming increasingly important as a way to pitch reporters and distribute press releases. It's extremely efficient. It's fast, and can pass through more terrain in one second than the postal service can pass through in a week.

But there's one important thing that you need to know - if you think you get lots of junk email, you should be in the media. They probably get triple the amount of sp^am email that the normal person gets, plus they also get tons of press releases and story pitches that we don't normally receive.

So what does that mean for us?

Posted at 09:52 AM

When's The Best Time To Pitch a Story?

For those of you who are new to the list, we have
discovered that many people have never been taught how to
do one of the three most important things in public
relations - pitching stories. So we run a occasional
version of our Pitching University. This issue is one of
those...

When's the best time to pitch a story?

There is a definitive answer...

That answer is: "it depends."

Posted at 09:45 AM

June 21, 2004

The Good, The Bad, And The Atrocious

Every now and then, a commercial of such great quality is aired on television that people just can't get enough of it. Then there's the rest of the time. Many should have just been left off the air.

I was watching TV just the other night and saw one that fit the latter category.

First, some historical background:

A long time ago in a land far from here, there was a group of angry Greek soldiers. They were strong soldiers with quite a few kills under their belts, but the holidays recently over and they were getting bored. So they decided that besieging a city seemed like a great way to lose those extra holiday pounds. They encircled the city of Troy, and settled down for the evening.

Posted at 05:35 PM

Whom Do You Trust?

Within almost every town or city, there is a section where you just don't go. Sometimes, nobody really knows why. Perhaps it's just rumors. Usually it's because of your fear of the people in those areas. They may be out to mug you, rob you, beat you, or just scam you. Let's talk about scams.

We hear about scams on our daily news all the time. Everybody fears them and nobody wants to be a victim of a scam.

Unfortunately, in the business world, especially if you do business online, there's not a lot of information that's readily available to help keep you from getting caught in a scam.

Posted at 04:51 PM

June 16, 2004

Fun Surveys and a Quiz

Joan Stewart reminds us that the media love (and are highly likely to run) surveys and quizzes, especially those that are offbeat or controversial. Here are two surveys and a quiz she found last weekend:

- The Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin has the best restroom in America.

So says the Cincinnati-based Cintas Corp., a provider of restroom hygiene services for businesses. The contest attracted more than 200 entrants, ranging from businesses, movie theaters, high schools and golf courses to museums, restaurants, gymnasiums and nightclubs. If the Kohler name sounds familiar, it should be. Kohler makes designer toilets, tubs, and sinks.

- San Francisco, California is the Number 1 market for wireless Internet accessibility, according to the recent "Most Unwired Cities" survey sponsored by Intel.

Posted at 05:32 PM

Get Free Article Placement

Do you have (or should you have) articles, tips, quizzes, or other information on business-related topics?

If so, we'd like to include them on this new site BusinessKnowledgeSource.com

This site features sections on management, marketing and sales, small business, finance, manufacturing and technology and they're seeking articles to add to the collection. So, if you have articles that you're willing to allow us to publish (giving you complete credit, including a link to your site), email copies of those articles to submissions#businessknowledgesource.com (replace the # with an @ as you send your mail.)

It's a great way to build your publicity and online links.

Posted at 05:30 PM

What's That Again? 9x13 Cake Pan

From an actual classified ad:

"Would like to trade a 9x13 cake pan for a 13x9 cake pan. Call 319-463-...."

Maybe a 9x13 didn't fit in her oven?

Posted at 05:24 PM

Summer Story Ideas To Pitch

Summer's just arrived, and so are summer story opportunities. Here's a few that you may want to pitch to your local media:

- Anything patriotic, focusing on July 4th, our troops overseas, even the elections

- 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)

Posted at 05:23 PM

Lessons Learned From Rich People

They buried one of my friends not long ago.

Sam Johnson, Chairman of SC Johnson Wax, died May 22nd of cancer.

And while I only met Sam four times personally, I consider him to be one of my friends because of the first words that he ever said to me.

I was working on the new products team for the company (big company, lots of employees) and was part of a cross-functional team developing some promising new technologies. Somehow, I was invited to Sam's house for a dinner party. I met Sam out next to the paddle ball court.

When he heard my name he smiled and said "I know about you - you're the future of this company."

He had an instant friend.

Posted at 05:22 PM

June 10, 2004

Dance With "Them That Brought You" - Lessons Learned From Jelly Beans

This week's 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.

The story is told that Jelly Belly sent him some samples, and he discoved that these really were incredible beans.

Now, here's where Jelly Belly got really smart. Instead of viewing him as just another customer, they took advantage of the public relations and marketing opportunities that this presented.

For example,

Posted at 06:42 PM

Press Release Writing Services

Because of the publicity surrounding our two best selling products on media releases, Creating Powerful Press Releases: 11 Steps To Creating Press Releases That Get Printed! and Press Release Templates: 10 Templates to Assist in Great Press Release Creation we constantly get asked about whether we will write media releases for other people's companies.

We wanted to make sure that if we would offer this service, that we there would be something that made us different from the hundreds of companies and freelancers out there who provide press release writing services in place first.

We finally found that differentiation, so, beginning today, we now offer press release writing services.

What's the difference?

Posted at 06:39 PM

What's That Again? A Tribute To Dads

This was taken from a newspaper caption below a picture of a kid out playing hockey on the lake:

"Before taking to the ice with his friends, Peter Lyden, 13, of Denville, says he uses his 300-pound dad to test whether the ice will hold."

Dad's are useful for so many things!

Posted at 06:35 PM

Chasing Chipmunks

I almost had a heart attack last Friday.

I walked down into my kitchen and heard a sound behind the garbage can. I reached down and moved the can...

Out darted something about 8" long, moving like a lightening bolt and sliding around so much on the hardwood floor that I couldn't tell what it was.

I don't know about you, but I'm not used to undomesticated living things running around in my house.

I was so startled that the hospital just about got another heart attack patient.

Then I heard him do that chirping thing that chipmunks do when they're angry. I knew what he was.

I still have no idea how he got inside (we think it might be through a recently-vacated dryer vent).

But for the next 5 hours, I found myself having a Caddyshack-type battle with this rascally rodent.

Posted at 06:34 PM

June 01, 2004

Competitive Drafting: Getting Effortless PR By Letting Your Competitors Do The Work!

Ever hear of drafting?

It's what geese do when they fly in a V - the front goose does the bulk of the work of cutting through the air. Behind him there's a pocket in the air where another goose can sit, and with something like 20% of the effort, keep up the same speed as the poor guy in front.

They do it cooperatively, (everyone gets their turn to be in front), others, like bicyclists, race car drivers and swimmers do it competitively. They let the competitor do the work and glide along behind. Then at the last minute, they dart out and take the flag.

Is is possible to draft in the public relations business - letting your competitor do the work while you enjoy the benefits?

Funny you should ask...

3 ideas jump immediately to mind:

Posted at 01:27 PM

What's That Again? Cause of House Fire

From a newspaper police report:

Residential fire, Loss $4,500. Cause: burning cockroaches in bed with portable torch.

Wouldn't a well-applied shoe sole have been a better idea?

Posted at 01:21 PM

Talking Directly With The Media

Have you ever wished there was a way to eliminate the hassles of trying to get through to the right person at the major news sources? No phone messages, email screeners, unread press releases...

What if there was a way to get key media people into one place at one time so that all you had to do was to walk around and pitch appropriate media sources with your story? And maybe you could even get some feedback on why they are or aren't interested in your story, by talking to them in person?

What if we could get people there from top national publications like Newsweek, People magazine, Health, Money magazine and the New York Times?

And throw in producers from top TV shows like Oprah, ABC's The View, Montel, CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel?

Now there is!

Posted at 01:18 PM