“A recent article by John Stancavage in the Tulsa World business section entitled Staying Focused at Work focused on a report released by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce which revealed that over half the companies surveyed for the report were “having difficulty finding people with a good work ethic or who can do their job without letting personal issues interfere.” Even very basic skills were lacking, such as showing up on time, staying on task and adapting to change. Creating other problems, are the employees who are always having one crisis or another that keeps them from getting to work on time or that distracts them after they arrive. All of these things impact productivity and since employee productivity is credited with helping the United States remain competitive in the global market and there are fewer candidates for every job, it’s an important issue to address.

“It’s not just staff members who have trouble staying on task,” writes Stancavage. “Managers do, too, although often for different reasons. A recent survey by New Hampshire-based NFI Research found that 67 percent of senior executives complained that e-mail distracts them from their core jobs. Other problems included personal interruptions (31 percent) and changing priorities (30 percent).”

I guess I’ve officially gotten old because I found myself thinking “back in my day” when I read this. I applied for my first job as a waitress in our local, small-town restaurant when I was fifteen and a half years old. Thelma, the restaurant manager who hired me, said she really wasn’t supposed to hire anyone under 16 but that we’d just keep quiet about that. She knew my family and figured I’d be a good hire because I’d have a good work ethic — and she was right. I stayed in that job throughout high school, working on weekends and through the summers until I went to college.

The work ethic that Thelma was so sure I possessed was one I learned from my parents. It included getting to the restaurant about 15 minutes before my shift started so that when my shift actually began, I’d be ready to go to work. That didn’t allow for over-sleeping after a late night out with friends. It meant putting in a full day’s work which included finding other things that needed to be done when I wasn’t busy serving customers. Things like filling the salt and pepper shakers, cleaning off tables and counters, sweeping and even, occasionally, helping wash dishes. I was expected to keep up in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining a positive, friendly attitude and sense of humor. Honesty not only applied to the handling of money and supplies but also to taking no more than my two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute meal break during my shift. Any personal problems I might be experiencing were left at home and when I got to work, I was expected to focus only on work. I didn’t give my work ethic a second thought. That was just the way it was. Being on my feet for most of an eight-hour shift was tiring but I was happy to have a job, earning my own money, buying my own car and becoming more self-sufficient.

Maybe today’s workplace is much more complicated than my workplace of many years ago, but I believe the same principles should apply regarding having a good work ethic. People should still show up to work on time, do a good day’s work, not take advantage of their employer, be honest, and leave their problems at home. What’s so hard about that? If I could do those things before I was old enough to have a driver’s license then I believe we should expect adults in today’s workplace to do the same.

Sondra Whitt is a founding partner of Purpose Unlimited, whose purpose is to transform lives, leaders and organizations through the power of purpose. She has a masters degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and consults, coaches, writes and speaks on personal and organizational development. She specializes in problems in the workplace, communication, team-building, selection, and finding and living your purpose in life.

Some industries have so many unscrupulous players that merely being part of such an industry makes you look bad. We all know the industries with bad reputations, for instance; Used Cars, Stock Brokerage Firms, Lawyers, and Bail Bondsmen. But just because someone is in such an industry does not mean they are all that bad. There are some fair, honest and decent people, right? Well, look at the examples I just gave again? See the problem, you hesitated didn’t you, sure you did.

It’s amazing how we stereotype people by profession and industry, even though each individual is just that, an individual. Some folks would never trust a lawyer or a used car salesmen, even if they were in their own family, it’s true, why are people so cruel and harsh, why is it that we think like this? Are people really guilt simply by the industry they work in?

What about politicians, are they all considered crooks? Why? If we are to get honest and decent politicians and we keep calling them all crooks who would want to do that job, see the problem? Now, I have met some pretty disgusting human beings in my life in the very same industries listed above. But, sure enough I have met a few honorable people in those professions too.

Discrimination by industry or guilt by industry association is not a good thing, and it’s a real problem, especially if you are trying to clean up an industry and put a little integrity back into the loop. It’s not going to be easy to stop these stereotypes, but perhaps we all ought to give it our best efforts. Think on this.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Blog Content Service. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance here

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Tags: ethical, business, job, issues, discrimination

If you have a great product and you want to get the word out fast to get traffic to your website then you need to write press releases.

So what is a press release you ask? It’s condensed article that is written in the style of a journalist not and sales letter or an advertisement.

The purpose of writing press releases is to inform the public of a new product or service that is going public. Make your press release newsworthy and exciting so editors will publish it. The idea is to get people excited about your new product and want to learn more.

I’m sure you would probably want to know how to write a press release sense you never wrote one before. So here are ten tips of the critical things you need before you submit press releases to the public.

1. Have a powerful and eye shocking headline.

Your headline should get the attention of the media and the journalist. Make then want to read more and not toss it aside.

2. Is it worth writing about?

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes for one moment. Decide what is newsworthy about your business. Will this interest anybody who sees it. Does it answer all the “5 Ws” that your potential customers are going to be looking for.

3. Focus on your target Audience.

You want your press release to go to the people who are interested in what your provide. It’s not good enough to just tell people in general if they have no reason to use your product.

4. Give only the facts.

Avoid hype and jargon in your press release. You are not selling here, you job is to inform the public only. Saying things like “The best you will see” or “Greatest in the world” will make you lose credibility. Also avoid using words like “you, he, she” in your release. Don’t say “You can learn more” say “One can learn more”.

5. Don’t write your life story.

Press releases are for informing the public of your new product. Don’t bore the media with who you are and where you came from ect.

6. Keep it short and sweet.

Keep you release at around 500 words or less. Avoid to many adjectives, redundant language, and flowery expressions. Make it to the point.

7. Give examples.

Use real life examples of how your business solves a problem or answer a question. Explain what benefits your business or product offers to the public. You will seem more credible.

8. Find an angle.

Try to make your release related to a newsworthy development or event. If you can link your release with a current event or a social issue you are bound to get your release published.

9. Provide contact information.

Provide more than one way to be contacted. Give your name and address, website url, email, and phone number so the media can get a hold of you in case they want to interview you.

10. Decide how and where to send your press release.

Is your business local or world wide? Can your business deal with the traffic that you will gain. Generate a list of the media in your area to determine which one is best for you.

In summary.

Well there you have it. Use these tips to generate a huge amount of traffic to your business or website. The best thing about using press releases is that they are low cost, some free, and they ad credibility to your business. So start writing now and good luck.

Ellis Jackson jr is a website owner who has been helping others to get started in the niche website business. If you would like to learn more then please go to this site – If you would like more tips then pleasure check our page here at: Tips and Tricks

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Tags: write, media, press, release, job

To get the buzz going, you should focus on the “opinion leaders” or “hubs” in the world of your market. There are four kinds of hubs and the common denominator among them is that people listen to them.

Regular Hubs
Regular hubs are easiest to reach and to develop relationships with. Here are a few traits to look for when trying to identify regular hubs in your area:

* People who are connected: Their job or position requires that they come into contact with a lot of people. They’re good networkers and they create links between their local network and the outside world.

* People who are ahead in adoption: Though not necessarily the first to adopt a new technology or idea, they’re open to them.

* People who are information-hungry: They read everything, especially material that will help them do their jobs better.

* People who are vocal: They write, they speak, they’re out there. They need content. They have a blog or a newsletter (or both) in which your product or service could be featured.

Expert hubs
Expert hubs are folks who go beyond making recommendations. They’re experts and specialists on a particular topic, and people listen to them because of their expertise and credentials. For example, Michael McLaughlin is an author and expert on the consulting industry. His regular e-mail newsletter, Management Consulting News, is read by thousands, which makes him an expert hub on management consulting. Identify the person in your industry who functions as a respected expert. (You don’t need to know these people personally.)

Social hubs
Social hubs are people who are charismatic, socially active, and trusted by their peers. In a small town or neighborhood, a social hub-type person is often symbolically referred to as “the mayor” of his or her social group, community, or area of interest.

Mega hubs
The media, celebrities, politicians, and other really big names make up the mega hubs. Of course, the attention of mega hubs is the hardest to get, but if you succeed, the buzz will keep on coming. But keep in mind that “mega” is relative. Think about people you know of who would be considered “mega” in the market of your customers. For example, Michael Masterson is the publisher of Early To Rise, a daily e-mail newsletter that goes to more than 400,000 people. His readers respond almost religiously to his recommendations. Identify whose blessing would translate into gold for you.

After you’ve identified the hubs or media outlets in the best position to reach your customers, you must make sure that they have what they need to spread the word. Educate using a press-release, but because buzz is less formal, don’t hesitate to provide samples, put on seminars, or even take reporters to lunch.

Some buzz-worthy examples that I like:

A family-owned florist based in Chicago put on a stunt that was picked up by local media. On a busy street, they gave out bouquets containing five roses to curious onlookers. Each bouquet came with a printed coupon that read: “Share the love!” and asked that each rose be shared with five other people to “make new friends and share goodwill to neighbors.

In the late 90′s, Ken Hakuta (of Wacky Wall Walker fame), started an Internet site called AllHerb.com, which was basically another me-too vitamin site. AllHerb.com sought to differentiate itself by positioning itself as “the most authentic resource for herbal medicine available today.” So they hired an unusual and captivating spokesman — a shaman, tribal healer and herbalist from the Amazon rain forest of Peru — to share his ancient wisdom and interact with visitors at the site. They gave him a computer and he answered email from people all over. As you can imagine, this created an enormous amount of buzz about the ecommerce site, not to mention the traffic it drove to the site.

LaserMonks is an office-supply company run by monks. There’s nothing unique about the product – printer cartridges, for now – but they have capitalized on their unique and charming story to create strong word of mouth and get a lot of PR, too. (You can read their story on their Web site.) In addition, the experience they provide to the customer is worth talking about: The monks pray for all their customers, handwritten thank-you notes are sometimes slipped into shipments, and when callers are put on hold, they hear a Gregorian chant. So far the strategy has paid off – satisfied customers have been telling friends and colleagues, and the media has picked up the story and spread it even further.

You can also enlist the help of your most loyal customers in the following ways:

Provide recognition-awards, certificates, and gift cards to say thank you. Offer visibility or “15 minutes of fame” by featuring your advocates in your marketing.

Provide tools. Your business cards, brochures, and other information will make it easier for them to spread the word.

Recruit new advocates, teach them about the benefits of your products, and encourage them to spread the buzz.

Ilise Benun
Marketing Mentor

Founded by self promotion guru, Ilise Benun, Marketing Mentor is a growing team of experts with extensive experience in marketing and self-promotion. We have done it all – for ourselves and on behalf of our clients – and we practice what we preach.

The mission of Marketing Mentor is to help you get your marketing and self promotion on track so that your business can grow and you can succeed.

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Tags: media relations, build, business, job, media

Ever sit open-mouthed in amazement while reading a news story? Ever get so irritated that you hurl pillows at your television? If so, you’re not alone.

“We’re all tired of the teasers, of the stories that go nowhere,” says Gerard Braud of Gerard Braud Communications. “Reporters set up a situation, promise hard legwork but when you see the story, you get facts that are either loosely related or aren’t related at all. It’s a big letdown.”

For communicators, however, it can be much worse than a letdown. It can be a disaster. Reporters will act as judge and jury if you let them,” says Braud. “Too many reporters have only three things on their mind. ‘One, this story has to be great because I want to impress the boss. Two, I want to win an award. Three, I want to put this story on my resume so I can get a more prestigious, higher paying job.’”

Braud knows. Before starting his consulting firm, he worked for 15 years as a reporter in print, radio and television. “I left the business because stories were getting more and more superficial,” he says. “Reporters were also lumping all sorts of unrelated facts together to make it appear that something sinister was going on in corporate America. Where communicators see a company working in the best interests of its employees and customers, reporters connect the same dots to come up with a picture of the monster that lives under the bed.”

So Braud urges corporate America to be a “control freak.” That means executives must end their denial about the severity of negative news, while corporate communicators have to go above and beyond what they do now to protect their company. “A lot of communicators just go through the motions,” he says. “They write a crisis communications plan, but they don’t test it or review it annually. They conduct media training but don’t hold refreshers on a regular basis. They often don’t role play with executives before an interview. Like Tiger Woods, you must practice your technique constantly. That’s the only way to win.”

Communicators can also take the offensive – and penetrate the media’s psyche. “Corporate communicators are covered by the same first amendment rights as the media,” Braud explains, “and they have the right to inquire into reporters’ motives.” If communications professionals can penetrate the media’s psyche, they can predict the behavior of reporters, editors, and producers. They owe it to their organization to go that extra mile. Doing so will also enhance their reputation and increase their value.

“You have the right to control the way the press covers your organization,” says Braud. “Obviously, you don’t have control over the final edit or the final rewrite, but you have control of everything leading up to that.” You don’t have to guess what the media will do; you have the ability to find out ahead of time.

How? By asking lots of tough questions. Before agreeing to give the media access to your company and your management, conduct extensive interviews with the producer or the reporter to find out where the story is going. When you get your questions answered, you begin to discover what the reporter wants to do. Nine times out of 10, you will be able to isolate specific topics and explain them. The result: the reporter will have to start discarding information and speculation that would otherwise have gone into the story.

True, some members of the media will resist. After all, if they tell you everything they believe and you show them where their assumptions are incorrect, they will see their story start to evaporate right before their eyes. They don’t want to see that happen. To encourage them to talk to you, lay down some ground rules. “When you tell a reporter or a producer that you are willing to cooperate and be completely open – add that you expect the same from them,” Braud suggests. “Tell them that you will share information with them and in return you want them to share information with you. They usually agree.”

Still, many communicators balk at asking a long list of questions. They know reporters and producers don’t want to answer them all. They may also feel that their inquiries are intrusive, even rude, and that their persistence will anger the media. But their determination to get what they need will demonstrate their strength and intelligence, leading the media to be more careful checking their facts. “The media needs to know that you are going to hold them to such a high standard that there will be hell to pay if they don’t live up to it or get the facts wrong,” says Braud.

You will also be able to evaluate the situation. Why wait until after the fact to discover that the story angle was motivated by personal wants or needs? Braud remembers one network magazine producer who wanted to do a report on sexual dysfunction in females. Her hook was “Is there a female version of Viagra?” “My client was a sex therapist at a major teaching medical center and her research had to do with unlocking mental blocks to having good sex,” says Braud. “The producer kept trying to steer the story and get the therapist to discuss issues outside of her cutting-edge research.”

In preliminary conversations with the producer, Braud concluded that the producer suffered from the sexual dysfunction she was exploring in the story, that she was embarrassed about seeking help, and that she wanted to “force” the story so she could obtain information for herself. After meeting with the producer herself, the therapist agreed. In the end, she decided not to participate because her research did not fit the story angle. The last thing she wanted was to have her work misrepresented.

“Communicators must level the playing field,” says Braud. “You need to know that you have both the right and the responsibility to probe deeply into reporters’ psyches. Give yourself the license to flush out the media’s motives. If you don’t, your organization and its stakeholders will suffer for it.”

Copyright © Rose Communications, Inc.

Eve B. Rose, ABC, CIMA® is a writer and editor with more than 25 years of experience in marketing and organizational communications. In addition to marketing brochures and other collateral, she writes white papers, shareholder report commentaries, newsletter and magazine articles, and management communications – among other things. To learn more about Eve and her services, visit her site

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Tags: communications, relations, media, job, public

Whether you are starting a new business or sprucing up your existing enterprise, you will find yourself fielding requests for a headshot. A good headshot is a business essential. It gives you a leg up when it comes to publicity, a professional web presence, or a potential speaking contract. A strong business portrait personalizes your business. People see who you are and are more likely to want to work with you.

In contrast, an unflattering, badly posed or technically inferior headshot can work against you. The subconscious questions that may come up are: Does this person take herself seriously? Is she a consummate professional? Will she give my account the attention it deserves?

Your headshot should showcase you as an accomplished yet accessible professional. Depending on your business, you may want to show a softer side, a no-nonsense attitude, good listening skills, compassion, or a combination of these. And you want to look your best!

It’s important to choose a seasoned photographer who will be proficient in lighting, composition, and posing, and who will work with you to understand the nuances of your business and the message you want to send. Here are some questions you might want to ask your photographer before booking:

* How long will the photo shoot last?
* Will I have an opportunity to be photographed with a variety of expressions?
* How do you elicit different moods?
* How many images will be taken?
* How many do I get to keep?
* How are the proofs presented? As digital files? As contact sheets? As prints?
* Will I have the opportunity to have a clothing change for a different look?
* Are the images available in print, as a digital file, or both?
* Will my chosen images be retouched?
* Will I have unlimited use of the images, or will I need to pay more for additional usage?
* Is there a makeup artist or hair stylist available at the studio?
* What is your policy in case I don’t like any of the photographs?

Once you have made your appointment, there is still some preparation to do for your session! Here are a few pointers:

1. If you are having your hair cut, do so several days before the shoot so it will have time to settle down.

2. If you wear a suit, be sure the jacket or blouse fits well. This is critical! The camera blatantly shows if seams are straining, or if your shoulders are swimming in extra material. Choose a solid color that is somewhat darker than your natural skin tone. Tweeds or patterns are distracting, and may cause a moiré pattern in a digital file. Come to the session with your clothes clean and pressed.

3. Consider booking a few sessions with an image consultant prior to your photo session. You can get great advice that can have a positive impact on the photo session and your general appearance.

4. Have your makeup professionally done for the shoot, or wear a little more makeup than you normally would. Photographic lighting can wash out your features.

5. During the shoot, imagine you are greeting a favorite client as he or she walks through the door. This exercise keeps you from worrying about how you look and brings out your warmth and accessibility.

Your headshot is part of your brand. Be sure it is sending a message compatible with your professionalism.

Gretje Ferguson is a portrait photographer based in Dedham, Massachusetts, where she runs a portrait studio. Her passion for people, the Arts and the human condition has fueled her photographic journey for more than 25 years. She has photographed hundreds of Canadian and U.S. artists and business executives, has been published in more than 50 international magazines, and has shown her work in one-woman exhibitions across Canada and the Eastern United States. Her recent project, Confronting Cancer: Images of Strength and Hope, highlights the strength and optimism shared by many people undergoing cancer treatment. Her portraits of prominent cinematographers have appeared in international full-page color ads for Kodak motion picture film. She was the only media photographer permitted to document the making of the United Nations 50th Anniversary portrait of 186 diplomats.

Visit this site

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With the markets steady as a loose guy-wire in a gale, we’ve seen considerable IRO hand-wringing lately. The lament: Who’s behind this knee-jerk selling?

Let’s look at the answer this way. Monday, Bear Stearns bought out the minority interest in NYSE specialist firm Bear Wagner and wrote down the investment. Why? For now at least, electronic trading nearly neuters specialists (Nasdaq folks, stay with me; this applies to you too).

As Marketwatch columnist David Weidner observed in a piece today, “Only about 50% of the orders in NYSE-listed stocks are appearing on the specialists’ book and most of those orders are electronic. That means they are anonymous to the specialist. The orders come in “shredded,” or in the form of an algorithm, and the specialist won’t even know that multiple orders are from the same client…This veiling, combined with the growth of private markets or “dark pools” where anonymous trading is the calling card, is leaving many investor-relations departments less sure about who owns or doesn’t own the company.”

Yet answers aren’t elusive if you tweak your IRO thinking. With algorithms engineering market entries and exits, it’s darned difficult to find Fidelity, for instance. But you can see buyside and trading styles ebb and flow. In others words, you can map the footprints of Fidelity-style folks, thanks to marketplace rules and structure today (happy to revisit Rule 606, Best Execution, etc., but for space I’ll skip them here).

Whether fundamental or quantitative, investors react to changes in market structure. Ironically, changes – even before they happen – are starkly evident in order flow. Case in point: we noted last week how market structure went haywire with July monthly options expirations. Yet the tripwire triggering quantitative selling didn’t strike until August 26. The same features are evident in individual equities – that is, in your stock.

One last thing, we said last week that by August 27 basic supply and demand had harmonized. Were we wrong? Be sure we are at times! But not this time. The markets reflect characteristics of a loose guy-wire now chiefly because risk-management strategies employed on a colossal scale have not yet reset (some have resulted in margin calls, sales of underlying assets, reduced exposure, covered puts and calls…and more). This also means that markets have been wide open to short-term exploitation – and we see it in the order flow. Further proof: our broad glance at order flow by type on August 3 was a nearly perfect mirror image of structure on August 27. The point? It’s about hedges, not equities at present.

Tim Quast is a fifteen-year Investor Relations veteran and founder and managing director of ModernIR.com, which parses and categorizes over a half-billion shares per week with its trading intelligence systems. More information is at here.

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Tags: pr, market, job, firm, agency

In the traditional offering of media evaluation there is a prevalent view that the service provides a descriptive and historical perspective of news. Whilst there are providers who continue to reinforce this view it is even more important to deliver understanding and analytical insights, that allow clients to redirect and refine their strategies, ensuring that our research plays an essential role in the development of communications.

Identifying a research protocol

The absolute key to a successful research project is the development of a protocol that will provide a framework from which we are able to deliver the requisite insights.
Media evaluation companies need to be experts in the assessment of what is likely (and indeed unlikely) to be reported in the media. With this knowledge we work to create a series of messages, both positive and negative, as well as issues, and underlying themes.

To illustrate this point, recently one of our clients from the pharmacy industry asked us what was affecting their association with the developing world. 12 months earlier we had independently decided to break this subject out into other areas, as we believed this was a growing issue, and one which we believed could be used to provide greater insight. Therefore we were able to demonstrate that, for example, medical donations were viewed extremely positively, yet financial donations were not. The client intends to use this information to influence future strategy.

It is vital that media evaluation companies provide data that enables the analyst to seek out the connections and triggers that are driving the coverage, thereby arming the communications team with knowledge to shape future strategy. Therefore a forensic examination of an evaluation/analysis should identify the commentators who are leading the debate, and which specific angles are creating points of conflict or misunderstanding.

Selecting the media

Many companies tend to search and analyze virtually all media. However this can often be a process based on vanity, and serves only to ramp up costs, and slow down the reporting process. Companies can still deliver valuable insight by carefully selecting the correct media.

As with any analysis you should identify the media which will have a significant impact on the debate. The identification of the press is relatively straightforward and our experience over time will inevitably give companies comprehensive knowledge of the most influential titles. In recent years this influence has also expanded further into online social media which is having a growing impact on how companies measure their reputations.

Speed of Reporting

Following on from how to carefully select the media one of the ways in which to stand out from the crowd is increasing the speed of reporting. By reducing the reading list reports can be delivered to clients faster which will always impress clients but particularly help when dealing with crisis situations.

Journalists & publications

Its also helpful if media evaluation reports produce data on which Journalists are leading the debates and which are not. It is then possible to trace histories and predilections allowing the PR team to tailor an effective approach to each. Often, but not always, this research should be combined with a detailed journalist audit, which as well as highlighting their current positions will cast light on which other channels they would go to to seek out information.

Our work with one particular client allowed us the opportunity to highlight how many respected journalists were misreading the properties of Tamiflu and the role it would have in tackling a pandemic. Whilst recent work for the pharmacy industry provided us with the detail on which journalists were focusing on the controversy surrounding Pfizer and fatal drug trials in Nigeria.

Contextualisation of campaigns

When delivering media evaluation reports its important to recognize that at any given moment the news agenda can change radically, and undermine the most crafted of campaigns. An extreme example of this was the 7/7 Underground attack which coincided with a major Government agency releasing their most significant announcement of the year – and one which they had wanted to carefully gauge reaction. Whilst we were able to deliver this information we had to include a strong caveat regarding how the events of the day had impacted on the take-up of the press release.

Howard Davies is the head of business development at Mediatrack a world leading media evaluation and media analysis company that offers a wide range of measurement and research programs to deliver better business results in all stakeholder communications. Visit this site for more details.

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Tags: media, evaluation, public relations, socal, job, service

With the economy moving quickly we often find that new technologies will come about and end up hyper advancing others. When this happens those old or not so old industries and industry sub-sectors are no longer needed and therefore those jobs are eliminated for the new up and coming and the consumer moves into the realm of the new technology and embraces those products or services instead.

When this natural evolution occurs we find people displaced and needing job re-training, but if the folks do not know how or where to get re-trained they will find themselves under-employed and this has been a problem in America that is quite serious indeed.

Often, folks who lose their job will feel like they are of no value to society and this hurts their psyche and can lead to stress and depression. Unfortunately stress and depression can also lead to health problems. But if we can get these people back into the workforce and retrain them to be active and important members of society and industry once again, then they can regain their self-esteem.

It is imperative for job retraining centers and tech colleges to promote their importance and solutions to our society and civilization through a positive reinforcement, which will enhance their public relations program and community goodwill. Please consider this in 2006.

“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: public relations, job, training, people, employ

If you plan on using PR and publicity to increase your sales and expand your business, you will probably use press releases to get your story out to the media. However, many press releases that are released are never covered because the writer forgot one major point; objectivity.

Journalists are trained to be objective and it is their job to exercise it at all times. When they find a news release that is not objective, they cannot use it without radically changing the entire release. They will not do this, in most cases, and will simply discard the release.

If you want to be covered by the media and reap the rewards it offers, you must learn how to be objective about your product or service. With this in mind, entrepreneurs live their business every day and find it very hard to detach themselves from it and speak objectively. However, there are some things that you can do to improve the objectivity of your press release and increase the chance that it will be used.

First, try to imagine what a person who has never heard of your product or service before would think when they first hear about it. Ask people you know but who are not directly involved in your business what they think about it. This can help you get into the right mindset.

Second, imagine what the journalist who first reads the release will think. The average editor receives anywhere from dozens to hundreds of news releases every day so you must ask yourself what sets your news apart.

Finally, make sure you do not exaggerate about your product or service. Journalists hate exaggerations and can see right through them, so make sure that your report “just the facts”.

You may find that it is hard to think objectively about your product. That isn’t always a bad thing and can help an entrepreneur keep his or her perseverance, but it will not necessarily help you get press. If you are unable to think objectively about your product even after some work, you may want to think about hiring a freelance writer or company to write your press release for you. This can help ensure accuracy that will make your news appeal to journalists everywhere.

Bryan Thompson is a young entrepreneur and President of PR Writing Online. In his experience as a freelance publicist, writer and entrepreneur, he has worked with dozens of small, mid-size and large companies. You may contact him here

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Tags: pr, job, firm, agency, career

In my discussions with many entrepreneurs, the question inevitably arises of ”why should a story on my business in the local media matter?” It is a valid question. Most think of dealing with the media and public relations as in the realm of big corporations and politicians. The fact is public relations has a very commercial application. When promoting your business, you need to consider all the possible marketing methods and advertising efforts.

In any successful organization, PR is in fact an integral part of the marketing mix. Imagine if the local newspaper or radio station offered you a free advertisement or even a series of free advertising. What effect could that have on your marketing efforts?

Properly developed media relations and a well crafted story can do the same!

Left with that thought, what is a small business owner to do? How can you get your business in the news? With some careful thought on how you can apply a few suggestions to your situation, here are a few ideas to consider:

# Ever made a mistake? Of course you have! Tell the world about it and how you overcame it. If it’s timely enough, it may make the news and position yourself in a light with which most can relate. If you don’t feel comfortable talking about your mistakes, talk about some of the common mistakes made in your industry or those made by your customers. Be certain not to be too self-serving however. You run the risk that your story will be dropped like a hot potato.

# Has your business or someone in your organization backed a charity or community initiative recently? If you put the focus on the initiative and what it’s looking to achieve, the indirect attention your company recieves as a backer of this cause could mean very direct and positive publicity.

# What’s currently going on in pop culture or even in the news? Think carefully. Is there anywhere or any how that you could provide your two cents as an expert? If your input is credible enough or provides input that is a little off the wall, you may get yourself posted in the media’s rolodex or regularly sought experts. I have seen numerous examples of professionals who have built a practice from the publicity they gain by being regularly in the news.

The options really are endless when it comes to getting your small business in the news. The key to success is formulating a real story. Whatever you try to formulate and present to the media in gaining publicity, approach your strategy from the angle of ”What would make me stop and watch this on the 6 o’clock news?”.

Most importantly, understand that this is not a chance to directly sell but rather, a chance to profile.

Mark Buzan is the owner of action-strategies, a public affairs & marketing communications consultancy. You can subscribe now to his monthly PR tips newsletter by visiting and dropping down the “newsletter” menu. You can also subscribe to his RSS feed on his blog.

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