Issue a Press Release – An oldie, but goodie. The trick is to make sure your press release is a newsworthy event. For example, starting a new newsletter is not necessarily a newsworthy event (but it might in certain niche markets for smaller publications). Issuing a press release about a large donation you are giving, complete with relevant background story might be newsworthy. It all depends on your target audience and the publication(s). Editors pick up press releases if they think there is news for their readers. They do not care about you or your company. Your press release must be framed that way. “What’s in it for me” is very relevant here.

Create a Newsworthy Event – Here’s an idea that a local stereo and electronics store did that would qualify for a newsworthy press release:
# They arranged a “superstition obstacle course” on Friday the 13th in their parking lot, complete with ladders to walk under, a roaming black cat, mirrors to break, umbrellas to open indoors, etc.
# They called all the local radio stations and invited their morning personalities to come down and take the obstacle course challenge.
# One radio station took them up on their offer, and broadcast live from the event.
# The result was that tons of people came down to their store to watch and take part. And of course pick up some gear or supplies while they were there. And that, of course, not only provided a boost in sales for that day, it brought in new customers and generated lots of “word of mouth” advertising for them.

Any business can do something like this; I don’t care if you’re a conservative lawyer or accountant. The key is to find a theme and run with it. There’s no reason why a jeweler or restaurant couldn’t do something like that for Valentine’s Day. Or a local Irish pub could do for St. Patrick’s Day. Or any retail outlet for Christmas. The list goes on and on.

to be continued….

Nicholas Tan
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Most people do not factor in publicity into their marketing program. They forget about it when planning. Or they think it happens spontaneously with enough word of mouth marketing.
Most people do not plan for their marketing. They have no budget set aside to market. They think their products are so good, people will spontaneously start using them and they will make tons of sales. They launch their product and wait and wait and wait. Sales are dismal, no one is calling, and no one is booking them to speak.

Publicity is letting people know about the product and it is part of marketing. If you think your product is for everyone, right now go back to square one and start over. We do not have time to discuss it here, but trust me on this one, your product is NOT for everyone. Publicity is when media starts talking about you or your product. You may or may not get an interview. However, media typically reaches farther than you can. It will reach people that you could not easily reach or it will reach the numbers you would not normally reach. For example, if you are a speaker who talks to groups of up to 100 or even 500, a newspaper article will take you to thousands of people ( or whatever the circulation is). If you usually speak to authors, a magazine for chef’s might take an interest in you and feature. You would not normally talk to chefs, but here you are, in their favorite magazine. This is what publicity can do for you.

Can you jump start your publicity? Yes, there are a few ways to do so. If you are an author, producers of radio and television are concerned about how you interview. They want to know you can interact with a real person and be interesting. Many authors have speaker-demos. This is a video of you talking to an audience during your lecture or even worse, talking to a group of authors who are all taping their video demo that day. The crowd sits there can claps because they are next and want you to clap for them. These are useful when you want to be booked as a speaker, but a producer is not convinced that you can respond to a live person. Not just respond but create an interesting and memorable interview. That is a producers main concern. A real television or radio interview will do wonders in convincing them that you are a great guest.

There are basically 10 Top Myths about Publicity:
My product is for everyone
Good causes always get on TV
Give the media a general pitch and tell them you can speak about anything
Free publicity just happens
Getting publicity doesn’t mean you need any media training
Publicity is a chance to sell your products
Hosting a Podcast is all the free publicity you need
Free publicity is free
Anyone can write a press release

I am not an expert

Dr. Letitia Wright is the host of the Wright Place TV show, a weekly television business lifestyle show for women seen in Los Angeles on Dish/Direct TV. For the myth-busting answers to the myths above, visit this site.

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Tags: public relations, publicity, marketing, business, advertising

If you haven’t considered sending out a press release, you have yet to consider all your advertising options. Out of all the advertising options you have, sending out a press release that can be picked up by all the major and local newspapers, is the most cost-effective form of advertising. It reaches out to more than just web browsers. Are you willing to tell the community the goods things going on with your business?

With a well-written press release, you can have the local and national press calling to find out more about your business, tell their readership about your products and services, and introduce you to new customers. If the press release is engaging enough, they will print it as written and not take out anything that you want prospects and their readership to know about the latest happenings of your business.

For start-ups, a press release is a must. This is a critical time for your business. You have to let people know that you’re out their, where to find you, and why they should look you up. Without any exposure, you run the risk of finding the same fate that most small businesses run into in their first three years of business. They close the doors or shut down the website.

Maybe, you didn’t know that you could get this kind of exposure. Now, you know. The next step is figuring out how to write a press release. There is a standard form for writing press releases, but we’ll get to that later.

It’s much more important to write well and compel reporters to pick up the phone. It’s dire that an editor wants to know more or print your press release as it is written. So, give them something juicy.

What do I Write?

When I write press releases for my clients, I interview them first. I craft my questions based on the industry that they are in. I look for differences in my client’s products and services and his competitors products and services that might stand out. I want to emphasize these things. Also, I request testimonials from customers they’ve done business with to get an idea of past customer experiences and also searching for someone else who might like to be interviewed for the release. There’s a story somewhere in your business dealings, all you have to do is find it.

Once you found it, then you have to write it. Find the angle. What is your niche in the market right now. What events are you sponsoring in the future that you want to announce? What makes you special? What makes your products and services special? And don’t forget your press release cannot be written as a blatant advertisement. If it is, it will most likely be ignored. Remember, information sells.

Now What’s the Format Requirements?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: These words should appear in the upper left-hand margin, just under your letterhead with every letter capitalized.

Contact Information: Skip a line or two after release statement and list the name, title, telephone and fax numbers of your company spokesperson. It is important to give a number where you can be reached at any time since reporters often work on deadlines and may not be available until after hours.

Headline: Skip two lines after your Contact information and use a boldface type.

Dateline: This should be the city your press release is issued from and the date you are mailing your release.

Lead Paragraph: Consider this the first and only jab you will be able to throw in the marketing press release title bout. Make it count. The first paragraph needs to grasp the reader’s attention and should contain the relevant information to your message such as the five W’s (who, what, when, where, why).

Text: The main body of your press release where your message should fully develop.

Recap: At the lower left hand corner of your last page restate your product’s specifications, highlight a product release date.

Yasheve Miller is web copywriter and internet marketing specialist whose primary focus us to generate leads and convert prospective customers into sales for his client. This website makes small businesses competitive with branding and marketing campaigns tailored to each individual business.

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Tags: public relations, advertising, strategy, press release, publicity

The world of Public Relations and Press Relations is certainly interesting indeed. Sometimes articles in the news are really ad-vertorials and not actually stories or articles at all. That indeed can be a huge problem. Sometimes if the news about your company is too good people will think that you are paying the newspaper, magazine or trade journal reporter, author or writer of the article or story.

Case in point, recently a public relations and press-relations expert say an old article about our company in the Wall Street Journal and said I read your Wall Street Journal Ad. But it was not an advertisement article at all. It was a story and it was not even about our company, but rather our company was mentioned in a few paragraphs along with some other companies too.

That was a story or article not an advertisement, but then I see why she thought that now after I recently re-read it. There have been a couple stories involving our company in the WSJ over the years. It is also telling how someone can be so skeptical of good news about companies. As if to say all entrepreneurs and companies are some how dishonest. In fact it is quite telling of an anti-capitalist belief. What is more fascinating and something I have come to observe over the years is that it is interesting how individuals are portrayed in the media.

The media is a good tool, but dangerous too. They love to build you up, but will not hesitate to tear you down. Politics are deadly and it all about momentum during the weeks of voting. So you have to be careful, another reason why media relations is so vital to brand. The interesting thing about that particular Wall Street Journal article is that I actually remember it.

I talked to the guy for 30-minutes and explained my business enthusiastically, of course I love my business, it was my baby. I am retired now; yet in that half-hour of conversation the two paragraphs or so they wrote was interesting. Reporters are often like that, same with the USA Today article and the Franchising Trade Journal articles about our company. I tell you that the moral of the story is that press relations are important. I hope this article will propel thought in 2007.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance’s Web. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags: advertising, articles, public relations, press releases, media

Perhaps you have seen all the voice IP commercials on TV? They are quite good indeed and millions of Americans have signed up for voice IP telephone service. Unfortunately voice IP also take up significant bandwidth and this can cause problems with the service making people very upset.

Of course you cannot argue with the price especially if you were one who uses a lot of long-distance calling each month. Nevertheless, simple advertising on television maybe very good marketing to increase voice IP subscribers for a voice IP telephone company, but it is not enough. In fact many of these companies lack a real robust public relations and community goodwill program.

All companies need to participate in some form of public relations in order to remain good corporate citizens. One thing a voice IP company can do is help those people who are blind or hard of hearing use their system better and perhaps discounts the extra equipment that will be needed for them to use. Voice IP phone companies must compete with long-distance telephone service companies who work very hard to promote their public-relations strategies.

If voice IP telephone companies do not participate in public-relations strategies they will not be looked upon favorably in the marketplace and this might be their undoing in the future. Perhaps you might consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; here. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags: technology, public relations, publiciy, marketing, advertising

Picture this scenario:

Your chauffeur picks you up for your massage appointment. Your designer suggests one or three custom outfits with matching accessories. Your flight attendant in the private jet pours you a glass of champagne. Your key people worldwide report that everything is peachy keen.

What a fabulous way to start the day…

If you want the fame, prestige and exposure that only the media can provide you’d have to go beyond becoming an average author, speaker or the millionaire next door. You must offer a powerful message of hope to a starving marketplace. A unique message that provides answers to a significant issue. And you must grab more than one media producer’s attention so you can quickly and effectively broadcast your message into the mainstream consciousness.

Maybe your message is saving the planet from global warming. Maybe it’s helping people make and maintain a fortune in investments. Perhaps it’s discovering a cure for a disease. How about being the whistleblower of a major conglomerate? Or maybe you’ve produced the easiest, most powerful, melt-fat-while-you-sleep diet program.

The truth is there are already others, or there will soon be others cashing in on the same marketplace. For example-think about the latest fad diet ads being pumped through the media. And then the many new plans, pills and surgical procedures that attack the same weight-loss market each year. People get numbed with all those messages assaulting them on bookshelves, in the mail and in print advertising.

But I know your message is different.

So where do you fit in? How will you stand out? Is there any significant difference between you and your peers?

After you’ve honed down your message, it’s time to pitch your story to a producer. Getting interviewed on radio or television or being invited as the guest will gain you tons of exposure-if you can pull it off. But how do you get a producer’s attention?

Three keys when pitching a producer:

1) A unique spin. A popular show like Howard Stern caters to a certain audience. If that’s your target market, you should create something to offer Stern’s producer that would interest that particular audience.

Let’s assume you own a cosmetic surgery business you want to spread the news about on Stern’s show. So what? How is your business different from the dozens of others that may be pitching the same producer?

Your wouldn’t want to say: Our Breasts are the Best in the West. That’s ridiculously shallow. And overused.

But you might want to claim: Our Breasts are Certified 100% Safe by the Adult Entertainment Association of America. That’s more specific and sounds almost like an industry endorsement.

2) Your expertise. Who are you? What got you started? Why should audiences listen to you? Have you written a book? Have you been a guest on TV or radio? Do you host your own show? Have you reached celebrity status?

Audiences want to know your story. They want to connect with you. They want to know the reason why you do what you do. They want to see your passion.

Did you study under a certain guru? Did you travel to the jungles of the Amazon to find The Cure? Maybe someone you loved passed away and you wanted to do everything possible to prevent this from happening to others.

3) Your solution. What problem(s) are you solving? How safe is it? How many people have had positive results? How are you helping families, neighborhoods, and country?

Where is your product produced? What are the ingredients? Is it environmentally friendly? Can you produce test results?

Has your company gone public? Can consumers order online, through the mail, or FAX? Do you offer customer support? Do you send out a newsletter? Is there an online forum or blogs? Do you have repeat customers? Are there retail outlets?

Here’s the kicker…

Producers are extremely busy people. They are listening to pitches all day long. You must condense your three keys into a short, powerful attention-grabbing hook that will benefit the show’s audience.

Linking your pitch to current news, controversial topics, or disastrous events may help. Tying your story to a humongous problem like consumer debt, the subprime mortgage mess, or the war on obesity may help. Sometimes shocking discoveries, claims or beliefs may give you an edge to get on the air.

If you can get a producer’s attention and get invited onto the show, you’ll see a dramatic increase in business like you’ve never seen. There will a buzz for your products or services. And other producers may invite you on their shows.

Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy’s Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today at www.TommyYan.com.

If you’re a speaker, trainer, coach, or a consultant-the major challenge you face is connecting with your audience. You talk, shout, or recite your message while they are dreaming about dinner.

Their eyes are glossy, their minds’ elsewhere, and their bodies ready to bolt. You don’t have a lot of time, so you’ve got to grab their attention fast. Or else, you’ll die wrestling against audience resistance.

But it doesn’t have to be this way…

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Tags: advertising, public, relations, firms, jobs

The answer is a loud YES if you’re a business, non-profit, government agency or association manager. Because somewhere out there is an external audience or two whose behaviors can help or hinder your achieving your managerial objectives. And THAT spells c-r-u-c-i-a-l.

That’s managerial success you cannot ignore. And it works because public relations’ underlying
premise lays the proper foundation: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can bedone. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organizationthe most, the public relations mission is usually
accomplished.

What it boils down to, is this: the right public relationsplanning really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors among key outside audiences, and thus, managerial success.

But keep in mind as you move forward, that your PR effort will demand more than special events, news releases and talk show tactics if you are to receive the quality public relations results you deserve.

You’ll be glad you took such a step when new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures start showing up; new (and very) welcome bounces in show room visits occur; capital givers or specifying sources begin to look your way; customers begin to make repeat purchases; membership applications start to rise; prospects actually start to do business with you; politicians and legislators begin looking at you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; and local leaders begin to seek you out.

By the way, and not so incidentally, your staff PR pros can be of real use for your new opinion monitoring project because they are already in the perception and behavior business. But be certain that the PR staff really accepts why it’s SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Above all, be sure they believe that perceptions almost always result in behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.

Spend a few minutes with staff PR and review your plans with them for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside
audiences. Ask questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you satisfied with the exchange?
Are you familiar with our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Another reality of PR life? Bringing in survey pros to do the opinion gathering work will be considerably more costly than using those PR folks of yours, who are already in the perception business. But regardless of whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking the questions, the objective remains the same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Your call for action will establish your PR goal requiring action on the most serious problem areas you uncovered during your key audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or, stop that potentially painful rumor cold?

Of course, setting your public relations goal will demand an equally specific strategy that tells you how to reach that goal. Only three strategic options are available to you when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like chicken gravy on your fried eels, so be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You certainly don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.

Because you must prepare a persuasive message that will help move your key audience to your way of thinking, good writing becomes paramount. It must be a carefully-written message targeted directly at your key external audience. Select your very best writer because s/he must come up with really corrective language that is not merely compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if it is to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

As you no doubt are aware, your message will be carried to the attention of your target audience by communications tactics. And there are many available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

The WAY you communicate your message is important since the credibility of any message is
fragile and always up for grabs. Thus, initially, you may wish to unveil your corrective message before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher-profile news releases.

To demonstrate progress, you will need to undertake a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You’ll want to use many of the same questions used in the benchmark session. But now, you will be on strict alert for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

In the event there is a loss of program momentum, you should know that you can always speed things up by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

Clearly, PR is crucial to any manager’s success if for no other reason than that s/he needs the kind of public relations effort that leads directly to achieving their managerial objectives. Then, and only then, will they enjoy the best public relations has to offer, especially the quality results they believe they deserve.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.
Only requirements: you must use the Robert A. Kelly
byline, and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2006.

Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published 240 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

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If you read an article and you have the expertise, and you either agree or disagree, send in a rebuttal; you will find that this is the easy way to get into print.

Getting your name into print is not as difficult as it first seems. You do not need to write the original article. You can scan newsletters and look for articles in your field, then write a rebuttal or make a comment and send it in to the editors. If they feel you have something valuable to say, they will print your words and credit you, publishing who you are as well (and often contact information as well).

Once you have done a few rebuttals and comments on hot topics, your name will be better known and it will be easier to get your articles published in the same paper or magazine. Make sure you can back up what you say. If you cannot back it up then you will do more damage to your reputation than you ever wanted. It has been said that it only takes one false claim to ruin years of work. Do not put yourself into such a position.

So what type of articles do you want to make comment on? Those that pertain to your business are the best to start. Gain a reputation, let people know who you are, let them know how to contact you. A person that is really excellent at marketing through rebuttals and recognition is Seth Godin. Just type his name into a search engine and see what sites his name is associated with. He has also written a book that is worth reading called “The Purple Cow” which talks about differentiating yourself from the crowd.

With any print materials you want to make sure that you have the expertise and experience to add to the existing materials. If you want your name to be remembered, comment on everything that pertains to your line of business and get your name known with the editors.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”. Blueprints for Success – Networking: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprints for Success Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2006. For more information visit this site
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Tags: media relations, firm, communications, marketing, advertising

Recently a very innovative and bright business-marketing student had a brilliant idea for her marketing project. Building a filtration and reverse osmosis system to clean car wash water at a car wash and then reuse it for all the other water needs at the car wash such as landscaping, toilets and pressure washing the concrete and facilities. But the question is if someone produces such a system to do this, can they sell it and will car wash owners buy it?

Business Marketing Student Paula Chavis has the whole thing worked out as she uses this innovative concept of hers for her project. She will have a team of sales people call on customers who are interested from advertising, website, catalogs and other sources.

Now then one other point is that will also be needed to sell it will have to be a plan to PR the water conservation story to the community with a PR kit to make the sales team the choice for the carwash owner. Since there are other similar systems which the carwash owner once they have the idea may purchase instead, so this PR kit should include a plaque for their carwash lobby that they recycle and reuse water, some graphics for their website and press releases which your sales person hand delivers to their local newspaper too. That is one benefit, which will have the car wash owner choose you over any competition. Your system idea although not for reusing the water to wash cars like other systems, still gets them the right PR. Consider the merging of investment in water conservation equipment with the PR value for business purposes.

“Lance Winslow” – Online ThinkTank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags: high tech, public relations, advertising, marketing

Positive publicity about your product, service or business can mean the difference between success and failure. It can also mean the difference between modest success and outrageous success. Publicity will increase your name recognition, give you credibility, serve as a platform for you to educate your target market, and help you leap ahead of your competition.

So, you know what’s the real shame about publicity?

That most of the people who achieve it don’t make the most of it.

Publicity is hard earned. So when it does come, you need – to put it bluntly – to milk it for all it’s worth.

If you score a feature article in the local paper or even an expert quote in a major national daily and you rely solely on who happens to read that article – no matter how impressive the circulation numbers – you’re missing out on a huge amount of your potential audience. After all, what about all the people who didn’t pick up the paper that day but who would be just as influenced? Reaching them is up to you.

So, how do you do that? Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to maximizing your publicity potential:

Create a newsroom on your Web site.

Many people neglect one of the easiest ways to remarket their publicity – on their company’s Web site. Simply create an “in the news” tab visitors can link to from your “home” page and post PDF versions of all print news publicity and digitized versions of TV or radio publicity. At our agency, we are fortunate enough to have a very bright account exec who’s also technologically savvy. It takes him just a few minutes to scan originals of articles and convert them to PDF format for posting on our site. Likewise, he can create digitized formats of TV and radio spots for visitors to link to from our Web site. Chances are you have a company Web site already, so don’t miss this easy opportunity to promote yourself to prospects.

Use reprints as mailers.

Using article reprints as mailers is a great way to stay in touch with former clients as well as prospects that you haven’t yet been able to “close.” Simply sticking a high quality, glossy article reprint in an envelope with a handwritten, personalized note that says something like, “Jack – just thought you might be interested in our company’s recent profile in the Sun-Times. As you can see, the reporter was especially interested in how we are ahead of the curve in our production methods, which enables us to keep our costs down to our customers. Hope all is well and I look forward to speaking with you soon.” Bingo. Not only does this put you top of mind with Jack – who might not have thought of you in months – but it also skyrockets your credibility. Whatever the reason for your publicity, mention it as in the above example and just wait to see if Jack – or Jill, for that matter – doesn’t call.

Take advantage of your “captive audience.”

This is especially valuable for professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, who have “captive audiences” waiting in reception areas. We represent several cosmetic physicians who are very savvy marketers. These doctors take advantage of their office waiting rooms in two ways. First, they frame reprints of their print publicity and hang them around the reception area for patients to peruse while waiting (hey, it’s better than the three-year-old copies of Good Housekeeping). Second, they hire a professional video company to string their TV appearances onto a continuously running “loop,” which then plays in the waiting room. The result? Patients, prospects and everyone else who enters their offices leaves with a reinforced sense that these people are leaders in their fields.

Following the suggestions above will take you well on your way to maximizing the exposure of your hard-earned media coverage, enabling you to reach even more of your target audience and, ultimately, positively impact your bottom line.

© 2006, Diana Laverdure

All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in your print or e-mail newsletter, as long as you do not alter its content in any way and you include a complete attribution, including a live Web site link.

Publicity expert Diana Laverdure (the “pr princess”) is vice president of Reeves Laverdure Public Relations and president of PRoActive Publicity, Inc., which provides information resources and tools for anyone who wants to boost their business with the power of free media publicity. To grab her free MEDIA JUICE e-zine full of tips, tricks and strategies to generate massive publicity, plus her free SPECIAL REPORT, “Six FREE Strategies to Massively Increase Your Online Publicity,” visit this website.

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Tags: consumer, public, relations, marketing, advertising

Positive publicity about your product, service or business can mean the difference between success and failure. It can also mean the difference between modest success and outrageous success. Publicity will increase your name recognition, give you credibility, serve as a platform for you to educate your target market, and help you leap ahead of your competition.

So, you know what’s the real shame about publicity?

That most of the people who achieve it don’t make the most of it.

Publicity is hard earned. So when it does come, you need – to put it bluntly – to milk it for all it’s worth.

If you score a feature article in the local paper or even an expert quote in a major national daily and you rely solely on who happens to read that article – no matter how impressive the circulation numbers – you’re missing out on a huge amount of your potential audience. After all, what about all the people who didn’t pick up the paper that day but who would be just as influenced? Reaching them is up to you.

So, how do you do that? Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to maximizing your publicity potential:

Create a newsroom on your Web site.

Many people neglect one of the easiest ways to remarket their publicity – on their company’s Web site. Simply create an “in the news” tab visitors can link to from your “home” page and post PDF versions of all print news publicity and digitized versions of TV or radio publicity. At our agency, we are fortunate enough to have a very bright account exec who’s also technologically savvy. It takes him just a few minutes to scan originals of articles and convert them to PDF format for posting on our site. Likewise, he can create digitized formats of TV and radio spots for visitors to link to from our Web site. Chances are you have a company Web site already, so don’t miss this easy opportunity to promote yourself to prospects.

Use reprints as mailers.

Using article reprints as mailers is a great way to stay in touch with former clients as well as prospects that you haven’t yet been able to “close.” Simply sticking a high quality, glossy article reprint in an envelope with a handwritten, personalized note that says something like, “Jack – just thought you might be interested in our company’s recent profile in the Sun-Times. As you can see, the reporter was especially interested in how we are ahead of the curve in our production methods, which enables us to keep our costs down to our customers. Hope all is well and I look forward to speaking with you soon.” Bingo. Not only does this put you top of mind with Jack – who might not have thought of you in months – but it also skyrockets your credibility. Whatever the reason for your publicity, mention it as in the above example and just wait to see if Jack – or Jill, for that matter – doesn’t call.

Take advantage of your “captive audience.”

This is especially valuable for professionals, such as doctors and lawyers, who have “captive audiences” waiting in reception areas. We represent several cosmetic physicians who are very savvy marketers. These doctors take advantage of their office waiting rooms in two ways. First, they frame reprints of their print publicity and hang them around the reception area for patients to peruse while waiting (hey, it’s better than the three-year-old copies of Good Housekeeping). Second, they hire a professional video company to string their TV appearances onto a continuously running “loop,” which then plays in the waiting room. The result? Patients, prospects and everyone else who enters their offices leaves with a reinforced sense that these people are leaders in their fields.

Following the suggestions above will take you well on your way to maximizing the exposure of your hard-earned media coverage, enabling you to reach even more of your target audience and, ultimately, positively impact your bottom line.

© 2006, Diana Laverdure

All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in your print or e-mail newsletter, as long as you do not alter its content in any way and you include a complete attribution, including a live Web site link.

Publicity expert Diana Laverdure (the “pr princess”) is vice president of Reeves Laverdure Public Relations and president of PRoActive Publicity, Inc., which provides information resources and tools for anyone who wants to boost their business with the power of free media publicity. To grab her free MEDIA JUICE e-zine full of tips, tricks and strategies to generate massive publicity, plus her free SPECIAL REPORT, “Six FREE Strategies to Massively Increase Your Online Publicity,” visit this website.

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Tags: consumer, public, relations, marketing, advertising

Recently mainstream media coverage of the packaging industry is more in-depth than usual. I see several articles about packaging every week. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the news articles deal with negative perceptions of packaging and its influence on society. In fact, dozens of articles were recently written in response to the Consumer Reports “Oyster Awards” with such titles as: “Today’s Packaging Can Drive The Mild-Mannered To Rage” and “Open UP.” Most of what was written in these articles did not bode well for packaging.

So how can you get your product packaging seen by the media in a more favorable light? Make sure that your packaging is connected to one of the more popular news trends. Consider what the media will be covering outside of the obvious “breaking” news. Think about your product and how it can connect with the media coverage. A few examples of topics they will be covering in the future include:

• Anything to do with diets, weight loss or healthy eating. This topic perennially becomes newsworthy as spring break and swim suit season approaches. It also offers opportunities in other niche targeted publications too, such as woman oriented and fitness publications.

• Products that are marketed to or are designed for the 50 + generation. The “Boomers” topic is getting much media play in virtually every type publication. If you are marketing in this space, find out what they will be covering in the next issue.

I will also be speaking about this topic at The Supply Side exposition in New York this spring. The Supply Side brings together manufacturers, suppliers and decision-makers from the social stationery, giftware and graphic arts industries. Presented in conjunction with the 60th annual National Stationery Show (NSS), The Supply Side provides a forum for the more than 1,400 National Stationery Show exhibitors to source key vendors at a time and place that’s both practical and convenient.

Packaging for Profit: Attracting the Baby Boomers. Check Here.

So if you have a packaged product that is relevant to this category please contact me with more information.

• Look for media spin on anything to do with the environment, recycled materials and bio-based packaging products. The environment is hot right now and with the upcoming “International Earth Day” on March 20.

I was contacted last week by a marketing class that was using my article “13 Packaging Trends” as a case study. Each student was required to write an expanded paper and presentation. One student, Jana, contacted me about trend # 8 “Green and Greener.” I did a quick search for her and found numerous positive in mainstream media articles about the positive aspects of packaging and the environment. So this topic is definitely worth getting excited about.

As a case in point, the Timberland Company just had a big spread in “Industry Week.” It focused on branding the environmental aspects of its new packaging. Read more Here.

Here is another example of a good use of the environmental niche.
Cereplast CEO Delivers Speech at Commodity Classic 2006, the National Corn Growers Association Annual Conference — Cereplast, Inc., reports today that the company’s CEO, Frederic Scheer, delivered a speech at this year’s Commodity Classic entitled “Displacing Petroleum-Based Plastics with Bioproducts.”

Investigate a pitch less commonplace media too. As I mentioned when I spoke at the Marketing To Women Conference recently, condom marketing has gone main stream in places like Wal-Mart. Consider a headline like this:

Condoms Mix Sex and the City; City Will Debut NYC-Themed Packaging for Prophylactics
Really! The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will be debuting unique New York-specific condom packaging designs within four to six months. The program, which is still in development, aims to promote sexual health awareness and aid in distribution tracking. “In an effort to track our continuing effort to distribute millions of condoms throughout the city, we wanted to develop condom packaging that was noticeable and memorable so that we can later track the effectiveness of our distribution,” said Sandra Mullin, communications director for the department. “We also aim to use the packaging to promote condom use and awareness.” Now that’s using the media to gain exposure (tee hee).

With packaging becoming a “hot topic” it can help counteract negative publicity about the industry such as the “Oyster Award article” which condemns the vast over packaging of many products. So, keep your eyes and nose (“Does Your Packaging Umm, Smell?”) on the look out for ways and opportunities the make your product packaging newsworthy in the coming weeks.

Don’t forget to keep me in the loop too. The more I know about your product the more I can help you get the word out about your packaging.

JoAnn Hines the Packaging Diva has been on TV, traveled to China, worked with the SBA and spoken at the White House (twice). Why do they seek her out? Because she knows how to package products so that people will buy them. When Faith Popcorn made her business trend predictions for 2006, she called JoAnn to find out what was going on in the world of packaging. Businesses large and small call upon her to solve their packaging problems.

She loves to share her proficiency in packaging. JoAnn speaks on the subject around the globe and made the packaging world more understandable when she created several web portals, to answer packaging questions and resolve packaging problems.

Her expertise is important because packaging is the third largest industry. In fact, 10% of every dollar spent at retail goes directly to packaging materials. Most importantly, you cannot have a product without a package.

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If you own a mobile oil change business then you know that it behooves you to find as many customers in one spot as possible. One because it costs nearly $3.00 in fuel to drive around and two, because you make money when you are parked with cars lined up in a row and you are burning valuable time and costs when you are in route to the customer.

One on-site oil change company owner asks; “Many of the small tenants participated. However, I have had some difficulty reaching anyone in the bigger companies. Any ideas there?”

Well indeed it makes sense to contact the Human Resource Directors and Facilities Maintenance guys will be your decision maker. There are many ways to do this and there are lists and phone numbers often available at the Chamber of Commerce or the Business Journals; “Book of Lists”. For our company we always noticed that when we were involved in the community we always ended up with more business without really selling, marketing or trying. For instance; if you want to reach these companies do car wash fundraisers for civic groups in your area;

Or perhaps do mobile oil changes for the elderly free at certain churches twice per year. A little giving back to the community really goes a long way and it is surprising how much your business will thank you when you are thanking the community for doing business with you. Consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online ThinkTank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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Tags: advertising, product, public, relation

With the popularity of the Internet, it appears that many of the “old-school” marketing rules are evolving, and mostly for the better. One example of this is the way news releases (more commonly known as press releases) are sent, distributed, and read by consumers.

The most positive change for small businesses is that there are so many ways to distribute press releases on the web, it has leveled the playing field between small businesses and their larger competitors. In the past, press releases were expensive to distribute, and companies had to pay a wire service to send the release to various news outlets. Then, it was up to the media journalists to decide whether they would publish your company’s news or not. If the media didn’t write about your press release, then nobody saw it.

Today, press releases can be distributed via the web in any number of ways, including many low-cost or free methods available to anyone. Once it’s out there on the web, your press release can be viewed directly by anyone with an internet connection and access to search engines, RSS feeds, news sites, etc.

Also, you don’t need to wait for some big company milestone to write a press release; you can write about any type of interesting company news – such as a new customer win or a new product feature. Since press releases can be viewed by anyone, though, you need to make sure you are speaking the language of your target audience. Think about who your readers are, what motivates them, what problems your company can help solve, and how you can convince them to become your customer. All of these things will help you write effective press releases that potential customers will be interested in reading.

It’s important to note that traditional news wire services and other PR services are always a valuable part of any marketing program, especially if these types of services are in your budget. But for smaller businesses that cannot afford it, the web is a great way to get press releases out to the world without spending a lot of money.

Lauren Hobson is the Editor of Biz Talk Newsletter, a free monthly publication designed to provide small businesses and non-profits with tips and techniques to help them make the most of their web sites and marketing efforts without spending a lot of money. Biz Talk is published by Five Sparrows, LLC. Visit us Here or subscribe to Biz Talk.

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Mistakes happen. Every person, company, organization, or government, will one day face the reality of having made a bone-head mistake, that requires you having to handle the problem with the public and the press. Unfortunately, most mistakes are not addressed properly… which leads to even more problems, regulatory intervention, lawsuits, or just plain embarrassment for your lack of planning or incompetence. Here are five simple tactics that anyone can (and should) use to make the best out of a bad situation…

1. ACT IMMEDIATELY… Speed is your ally. Delay is your worst enemy. Attempting to sweep the problem under the rug… or stonewall the media… is an invitation to disaster. Nothing can stir up a media feeding frenzy faster than a hint of foot dragging in your response. The delay is perceived as you “having something to hide” and it makes reporters, regulators, and the public more curious. The words ‘no comment’ are a bright red flag that will result in the worst opinions and conclusions about you. Immediate action on your part is perceived as honesty, forthrightness, and decisiveness. Even if the mistake is a huge one… quick action will help diffuse the problem.

2. ADMIT YOUR MISTAKE… this is not time for hedging or mealy-mouthed excuses or passing the buck. Take the problem head-on. President Truman was famous for his desk sign which said “The Buck Stops Here”. Every CEO should have one on his/her desk… and pay attention to it. Direct action by top management will be seen as the sign of strong leadership and responsibility. It may ward off legal actions or regulatory intrusions. It’s savvy PR… and good business.

3. APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR MISTAKE… say the words. “We regret and apologize for this error.”. Those, or similar, words will take a lot of heat away from the situation instantly. The public is generally forgiving of honest errors in judgement… IF you admit the error quickly. Wait too long to make an honest apology and you will be perceived as acting out of pressure or hind-sight. Delay your apology and you aggravate the situation unnecessarily.

4. OUTLINE, IN SPECIFIC TERMS, WHAT YOU ARE DOING TODAY TO RECTIFY YOUR MISTAKE. Nothing will put you on the right side of the issue any faster than outlining a specific plan-of-action to make amends for your errors. Again this is seen as honesty and decisiveness. Reporters will often start reporting the responsible way in which you addressed the problem… instead of beating you to death with the problem itself. Responsiveness and taking responsibility with a quick plan of action are the order of the day.

5. OUTLINE, IN SPECIFIC TERMS, STEPS YOU ARE TAKING TODAY TO INSURE THIS MISTAKE NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. This is where you set yourself apart from most problem reconciliation methods. It’s this last step, combined with the first four above, that sets you head and shoulders above the pack.

So, there you have it… a simple formula to turn publicity nightmares into advantages. Every corporate and government executive should stencil this formula on his/her forehead.

Copyright 2006… Thom Reece is the CEO of Online Marketing Group, a Hawaii based direct response marketing and web site development firm. He is the founder of the Online Marketing Resource Center at this website

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Tags : public, relations, strategies, marketing, advertising

Every day, hundreds of so-called experts are quoted in the newspapers, on the radio, on news-oriented Web sites and on television. Yet advertising it these same media costs thousands of dollars. We never seem to question the budget line for advertising expenses, yet we often balk at adding a line for public relations services. How often do you hear fellow business owners say, “There’s no direct line between public relations and increased sales”?

Well, they’re wrong. Ask any manufacturer, entertainment executive, restauranteur, innkeeper or book publisher how important product reviews are, and they’ll tell you there is a direct line to purchases.

When you read a review for a new restaurant, or note a nice pair of unusual earrings in a holiday gift guide, or observe Kate Winslet wearing the latest fashion designs, you’re seeing the direct results of public relations. Sales skyrocket.

For service industries, however, that “line” to sales is indeed murkier. The power of public relations is built in a layering effect, in which each mention in the press heightens your visibility, adding another layer of credibility to your company. This credibility in turn creates a desire among viewers and listeners to pay attention to you. In effect, you’ve been sanctioned by a trustworthy, objective third party.

If the New York Times calls on someone for an opinion, he must be good. Hey, the Wall Street Journal is quoting this guy too. And now he’s on CNN. He must be very good. He must be important, a leader in the industry.

Chances are good, you’re already an expert in your industry. You just haven’t been positioned as such to the writers, editors and producers who need experts to comment on issues and stories of the day.

No matter what your business, you’re selling an image of yourself, your products and your services. Public relations manages that image. Whether you represent a Fortune 500 corporation or a private company, media placements—interviews on radio and TV and in print—increase your perceived worth, and the worth of your company, in the eyes of your customers, clients and your industry. All because of media exposure.

Even on the golf course, people will comment that they saw you quoted in Forbes or Investors Business Daily. Don’t underestimate the power of radio, either. Commuters and salespeople listen in their cars, but many office workers and entrepreneurs keep their radios on all day every day.

It is the function of public relations to consistently get your message out to the media. Here’s how it works: PR people read and watch and listen to the news, always on the lookout for stories that may dovetail with your message. Then they call the writers, editors or producers responsible for that news with a story angle, suggesting you, your product or your service as a focus point. They answer the question the media always wants answered: “Why you? Why now?”

PR specialists also push “perennial” or “timeless” stories, those not dependent on an event or particular news story. These feature stories can be invaluable when added to your corporate marketing materials and sent to clients and prospects.

Another way PR firms make sure you’re quoted in stories is to focus on issues of the day. Politicians aren’t the only ones who have opinions on issues. In every industry, including politics, there are issues that need to be aired. If your competitor tells one side of the story, public relations makes sure you voice your opinion. Having an opinion is especially effective in industry trade media, where you’ll reach your niche audience.

For those in highly competitive industries, PR can be an effective means to outwit your competition. How often have you seen a guest being interviewed over and over again, even though you know their products or services aren’t necessarily the best in the business? That’s effective public relations. Shouldn’t you be quoted in articles and interviewed on TV and radio so you have a leg up on your competition?

Although PR professionals have often been called “spin doctors,” sometimes spin is exactly what you need. There are times when bad things happen to good people. How do you manage a crisis? With persistent, consistent public relations. “Tell the truth, tell it all, tell it fast” is the most effective recipe for crisis management.

Creative positioning can take your company, no matter what level you’re at, up a notch within your industry. You may feel your services are geared only to your city or region. National and international media placements, however, can put you head and shoulders above your local competition, because clients and prospects will perceive you to be “better” than just the local Jane or Joe. Clients like to be associated with winners; appearing in the national or international press makes you a winner.

Public relations creates marketplace demand for your products and services, which will increase your sales. It may not happen overnight, but like the best word-of-mouth campaigns, the media’s nod of approval can be one of the most powerful sales tools in your arsenal.

Gaye Carleton is the president of Mantra, Empowered Public Relations. For more information on the benefits of public relations, see here.

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Tags: advertising, public, relations, marketing, agency

You are a business. You do well. Why do you need to worry about what Entertainment and Media Production companies can do for you? Why would you need to hire some weird artist to make your company’s exposure to the public more attractive? Let’s get to the bottom line. Revenue! You can actually increase your revenue through the way that you expose yourself in the media. This is not a new idea it’s just advertising.

Entertainment and Media Production companies can do a lot for your business. They can make you literature more visually appealing and easy to read and understand. They can make your TV and radio commercials for you. They can even make great designs your internal newsletter. How does this affect the bottom line? It draws people in to what you want them to read, see or hear. That generates more sales leads, which in turn generate more revenue.

Good and attractive media helps your company look professional. Looking professional helps customers trust you. These customers can be individual buyer or business to business customers. People are more likely to buy from you if the trust you. Many times all the customer sees is your literature. In many businesses they don’t see you office building, or your factory, all they see is your literature and your product. Make your product look great. Then, make you literature look great too.

Good entertainment media, like ads and TV spots can actually work hard for you. A good ad can raise the top of mind awareness for your company or product. As it does this it also positions your company in their mind. Let’s say you own a bank and you ask your entertainment media production department to come up with a TV spot promoting your bank. If they create a TV spot that looks like it was done in a garage, then your bank will be positioned in the minds of the consumers as an unprofessional banking firm. However, if they do an excellent job and make a TV spot that has the feeling of solidarity, then the consumers will position you as a secure bank. In short, find your position then let your ads, TV spots and literature exemplify that position.

Be careful with entertainment media. Vulgarity, offensiveness and even humor can get you in to trouble. You media should never be vulgar or offensive. You are trying to entice people to trust you not turn them away. Humor can be a great tool but it can also be a stumbling block. When you use humor, make sure that it has a purpose (i.e. sell a product or position you company in the mind of the consumers). If it is funny but unrelated. Don’t do it! It won’t help.
Here are a few guidelines about how to use entertainment media.

1. Make it look professional
2. Don’t be uptight. It is okay to have fun as long you don’t forget your purpose
3. Be Fresh but tight. Make all of entertainment media productions clean and appealing
4. Make it memorable
5. Make it friendly (this applies to most businesses
6. Don’t put anything in that is vulgar or offensive
7. Make it fun. Remember that it is called entertainment media production, there should be an element of entertainment.
8. Make your views feel like you are a long-time friend
9. Make it speak your company values. Make your media speak volumes about your company by their layout and design not just the type.
10. Get it done professionally!

Entertainment media production is a powerful tool in helping generate revenue. Let me close with and example. A few years ago BMW took an interesting approach to advertising. They produced a few of short films that featured their cars. These were actual films but every drove BMW cars. They offered these for free to whom ever wanted one and on the DVD was a brochure for their cars. The films were a great way to promote their cars. Be creative when you work with media and it will serve you well.

Justin Grover is a client account specialist for 10xMarketing – More Visitors –More Buyers –More Revenue.

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Tags: advertising, public, relations, marketing, agency

Do you know who your ideal client is? Most business owners don’t really know. They guess!

And because they guess, they’re working way to hard, marketing too much, spending too much money. I know I’ve been there, done that.

Now, my bottom line definition of an ideal client would include a client who:

–Easily pays you top dollar, and on time, for your services.

–Comes to you already understanding what you services can help them accomplish.

–Refers you to others without you even asking.

–Comes back for more of your services, whenever they’re ready for another “shot” of what you offer.

–Gives you “energy” – emotionally and financially!

I made two big mistakes when I started my business. I didn’t create two of the most important “business keys” upfront – a business plan and an ideal client profile. The result? Well,I ended up broke, used the money from the sale of my home to live. Of course, since then, I’ve made some hefty changes!

One of those changes was getting over my “fear” about narrowing my client base. You see, I thought that if I created such a small base to get clients, I’d be broke and bored – a place I found myself in anyway, because I was doing thing “my way”.

Here’s what I learned:

Niching does not mean that I can’t accept clients outside my niche. Niching is done to make MY life – and YOUR life – easier. It’s another one of those business tools that is created to help save money and time. For marketing purposes, for the sake of clarity, for a business owner’s health and well being, so you’re not all over the place “chasing” marketing – spending dollar after dollar after dollar. Heck, isn’t there more than enough “stuff” for us to do as business owners?

I remember the first time I went into a networking meeting and introduced myself simply as a “Business Consultant and Coach” who helped “women who own service business and service professionals.” I left the “life” off in front of “Coach.” I left the word “career” out of the sentence about who I helped.

I was so nervous! And what happened? Well, I survived the meeting, obviously. And, after the meeting, someone asked if I could coach their husband who was in transition between CAREERS! Boy, did that teach me a valuable lesson. If you are clear and confident (or seem that way) people will provide you with wonderful business opportunities that you can say yes to… or no to.

Do I ever go out of my niche for meetings or to speak? Yes, although rarely these days. There are 5 or 6 life topics that I speak on – usually at recovery conferences or for stressed out business owners who are just tired of the same old speakers speaking about business :)

Even after you define your niche, that doesn’t mean that you can’t choose to take on clients outside that niche – if that’s what you want to do.

And even after you choose a niche, that doesn’t mean that you can’t change it. I did just this year. I’m big on monitoring my efforts and I noticed that 40% of my best – ideal clients – clients are men, while 60% are women. That’s a big change over 2 years ago, when most of my clients were women. So I decided to “drop” the women service business part of my niche. And that allows me to change who I market to; for example, I no longer look for organizations that have the word “women” in their name. I’m actually more interested in knowing how many business owners are in their membership who have been in business at least 2 years.

What else happens when you niche and really monitor your business? You have time to start notice patterns in what your clients are doing. Here’s two examples I’ve noticed recently: 1) 95% of my new clients want to create multiple streams of business income from their knowledge and expertise – ebooks, CDs, audios, etc., 2) All the solo-preneurs who hire me are ready to hire consultants or employees. Now, what am I going to do with that information? Use it in the way I market. Use it to create programs that will attract my niche.

Niching is also about knowing what makes you special – or what’s known as your USP – unique selling proposition. Knowing what makes me special in the large world of business consulting, coaching and training, has led folks to know me as “that NY Coach” (I currently live in Washington State, so my accent and attitude stick out just a teensy bit). I’ve taken another part of what I’m known for – as the person service business go to for resources and to get organized by creating systems and plans – and become The Resource Queen. I’m known as the business consultant who can speak “geek” but does it in plain English. Heck, to be remembered – for some wonderful worthwhile things – that’s part of what counts!

So…. take a risk – and niche!

©2008 Maria Marsala, the founder of Elevating Your Business, is a business strategist, speaker, author and former Wall Street trader. Since 1998, Maria has helped service sector CEOs, presidents, professionals and management teams struggling with the problems of quickly expanding businesses by helping them to streamlining and automating their planning, operations and marketing processes. The results? Many have doubled their sales, they have more free time, and enjoy a higher quality life. Would you like to be next? Learn more and receive a free business building audio at ElevatingYourBusiness.

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Tags: public, relations, clients, group, advertising