First, let’s define the media. From the Glossary, I defined the media as: “A vehicle (or vehicles) used to communicate information, entertainment, news, and advertising messages to an audience or market. TV, cable, magazines, radio, billboards, and newspapers are all examples of a medium.”

In essence, the middleman, messenger, and method of delivery for any sort of message or information. The recipient of these messages are consumers. As such, having good relations with people in the media can often result in your messages and information being delivered.

Here are a few ways to maintain good relations with the media:

• Specify who you target and contact with stories. Not doing this can do some major damage to your PR efforts. Like spam mail consumers receive in the mail, your press release that you spam blast to a reporter that has no interest in your story or announcement will not pay any attention to your release. If they keep track of companies and individuals who do this, it can deter them from running a story or a news release in the future, even if it interest them and falls into the category of what they often report on. That being, do a little research and read up on reporters to figure out what they enjoy, report on, and seem to take an interest in. Keep track of their interests so that you can address them properly with a press release they may be more likely to find value in.
• Have media kits available. Whether you’re having an event, hosting a press conference, or being interviewed for a story, have a media kit available and ready to send. These can greatly help a reporter or journalist in writing about you or your company, and doing so correctly. It can also help make their jobs a little easier with deadlines and questions that may arise. A press kit should include everything they would ever need to know about your company, the product you just released, or the statements you made and the course of action you’re taking on a product recall. They will appreciate not having to keep getting in touch for little bits of information, and their story will be more complete and accurate. This may encourage them to come to you again for a story in their area of interest.
• Get in touch with the media, and maintain contact. Be prepared to call to learn who is best to contact, and be prepared to call again. Persistence (within reason) is good.
• Respond to reporters. If they call, respond. They have deadlines they need to adhere to, and your lack of a response can burn bridges in the future. Even if you can’t do an interview right away, ask for questions they may ask in an interview (to prepare and ensure the interview goes well), and say that you will get back to them before the end of day. Look over your schedule and keep them informed on what you plan to do. Ask them for a deadline as well so that you can try to plan accordingly.
• Keep the entire company up-to-date. If you (as the PR contact) are not available to answer questions, and another person gets asked about a specific product release or company announcement, make sure whomever answers knows what to say. This means keeping everyone on the same page and not leaving anyone in the dark. Not only does this create a sense of camaraderie (which is good in the long run and helpful internally), but it also means that one person isn’t saying one thing and another person saying something different.
• Be honest, and try to avoid “No Comment” statements. Rather than saying no comment, explain what you can, and if the “no comment” would have replaced an answer that would have been negatively received, try to turn it around and make it positive. Avoid eluding the question, and don’t lie.

Ideally, it will help equip individuals with the right tools to effectively and professionally deal with the media and also give a better understanding of how the media works. The end goal is to enhance collaboration with the media in order to strengthen relationships and encourage coverage for a story or press release.

It involves gaining an understanding of a news organizations’ needs in addition to methods to meeting them, being able to communicate in a time of a news crisis, and responding to the media in a way that is effective and succinct, improving communication skills and defining and improving strategic communications. The goal is to learn how the media works, what motivates them, and how you can get coverage for your news.

Typically, media relations involve coordinating directly with the people responsible for producing the news and features in the mass media. The goal of media relations is to maximize positive coverage in the mass media without paying for it directly through advertising.

Many people use the terms “public relations” and “media relations” interchangeably; however, doing so is incorrect. The definition of media relations is somewhat narrower. Media relations refer to the relationship that a company or organization develops with journalists, while public relations extend that relationship beyond the media to the general public.

Dealing with the media presents unique challenges in that the news media cannot be controlled – they have ultimate control over whether news angles pitched to them are of interest to them or their audiences. Because of this, the ongoing facilitation of communication and relationships between an organization and the news media is vital. One way to ensure a positive working relationship with media personnel is to become deeply familiar with their “beats” and areas of interests. Media relations and public relations practitioners should read as many magazines, journals, newspapers, and blogs as possible as they relate to one’s practice – (i.e., if you represent clients in the financial field, it’s obvious practitioners should have a general idea as to the types of stories being covered in this area, and they should read the major dailies as well as The Wall Street Journal in order to develop future strategies).

Working with the media on the behalf of an organization allows for awareness of the entity to be raised as well as the ability to create an impact with a chosen audience. It allows access to both large and small target audiences and helps build public support and mobilizing public opinion for an organization. This is all done through a wide range of media and can be used to encourage two-way communication.

By using media relations effectively, public relations practitioners can enhance the reputation of their respective organizations while establishing good working relationships with journalists that will serve them well in future endeavors.

Key elements of strategically based media relations:

• The media strategy is documented and implemented according to principles agreed between public affairs and senior management.
• A media policy is drawn up with responsibilities, profiles and positioning.
• Media activity is planned to reach target audiences in direct support of your organizational mission and goals.
• Media contact is broadly divided into proactive and reactive activities.
• Systematic use of consistent messages is made (eg. about organizational performance, issues, use of new technologies and corporate behavior including environmental policy, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility).
• Spokespersons’ roles are documented, communicated and supported.
• There are clear triggers for engagement as part of the issues management/stakeholder relations process
• Decisions are agreed beforehand on the follow-up activities after media coverage.

Are you doing your first in-studio TV interview? Are you coaching a client to do one? Here are 12 keys to making the appearance a success.

I presume of course that you have already done your preparation. You’ve become familiar with the program you’ll be on. You’ve prepared memorable messages that the audience will find interesting. You have a clear idea what your objective is in doing the interview.

Following these tips will enable you (or your client) to feel confident and in control of the situation from the moment you leave your home or office until you return. Having that confidence will help you stay focused on interacting with the interviewer to get your message across to the audience.

1. Find out from the station when you should arrive at the studio. Then give yourself an additional 15 to 30 minutes. You want to have plenty of time to use the restroom, have make up applied, get settled in the green room (the room where guests wait until it is time for their interview), and observe part of the program.
2. From the moment your leave for the studio until you return home, assume everything you say is being taped. I’m not trying to make you paranoid. Well, actually I am! In a world of video cell phones, everything you say could become public. So when you’re not actually in the interview, only say things you would be happy to hear on the air.
3. Wear summer or all-season weight clothes. Even though it may be snowing outside, inside under the lights will be plenty warm enough.
4. Shortly before going on, check you appearance. Otherwise, an off-center necktie, or a loose strand of hair shining in the light, may be more memorable than what you say.
5. Use your time in the green room for one more review of your messages, then relax. Shortly before your segment, do face exercises to loosen up your jaw, cheeks, and forehead. Smile!
6. Once you are on the set and “miked,” you’ll be asked for a sound check. Rather than replying with the usual “testing, one, two, three,” try this: Give your name, your organization, and something interesting about the topic you will be discussing. For example, if I were doing an interview about public speaking, I might say, “This is Lou Hampton of Speak to Lead dot com here with the answer to one of the most frequent questions speakers ask, ‘What do I do with my hands?’”
7. When you are being welcomed to the show, keep your eyes on the host, unless you have been instructed to look at a specific camera. Smile; lighten up the face by raising the cheeks and forehead. Once the interview begins, keep your focus on the interviewer throughout the interview. If there is more than one person, keep your eyes on whoever is talking. The “illusion” of TV is that the viewers are eavesdropping on a private conversation.
8. Start your first answer with the interviewer’s first name.
9. Be enthusiastic about your topic! Don’t expect viewers to be excited if you aren’t.
10. When the segment is over, stay seated and keep focused on the host until you’re told it’s okay to get up.
11. Thank the appropriate folks, gather whatever you left in the green room, and exit the studio.
12. On the ride back think about what went well. Then think about anything you might do differently the next time you’re interviewed.

And now to keep you focused, I invite you to claim your Free Instant Access 400-year-old tool I’ve adapted to help you stay on message by visiting this site

From – Lou Hampton, The QuoteAbility(tm) Coach and Speak to Lead.com

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Tags: interviews, media, media relations, tv, press

This article will define positioning for the business owners and how to use PR to boost their market position.

Positioning has come to mean the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. It is the ‘relative competitive comparison’ their product occupies in a given market as perceived by the target market. It is about what is already in the mind of the target market. You must be in touch with reality, the reality of what is already in the prospects mind. It is very difficult to create something that does not already exist in their minds. Your goal is not to create something new and different. Your goal is to redirect what is already in their minds and retie those connections. Because people are constantly screening advertising information, we have to use positioning to get to our target market. By making our message super-simple we can overcome these filters.

As the business owner you to select the information that has the best chance of getting through to your target market. In advertising and business perception is reality. Getting your super-simple message through may seem like good luck. It is merely the result of great communication to the right audience. One of the easiest ways to get into someone’s mind is to be first. You also have to combine that with NOT giving the customer a reason to switch. Letting your target market know what you are doing is a great way to be first in their minds.

School children are taught that Christopher Columbus found America. However, America is named after Amerigo Vespucci. Why? Because Vespucci spent a lot of time writing about the new world, his discoveries and theories. When he wrote Mundus Novus, it was translated in over 35 languages. Europeans credit Vespucci for discovering America and named it after him. Vespucci understood publicity and PR of his day. Columbus did not communicate a lot about what he found or did not find. No one really knew or understood what he was looking for. Vespucci came to America 5 years after Columbus and communicated, thus making himself first in the minds or Europeans.

Avis is a great example of a similar type story of using the combination of a super-simple message and PR. They used some creative thinking in an unusual way.

Dr. Letitia S. Wright, D.C. is the host of the Wright Place TV Show, now in it’s 10th year on the cable television. You can read the rest of this article at this web and learn more about PR

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Tags: media relations, media, pr, public relations, role

If you’re writing a non-fiction book to get rich, good luck. If you’re writing a book because you’re an expert in your field, you have information that could help others, you want to reach more people and you want to create an amazing PR and marketing platform – you’re on the right track. Both the public and the media tend to listen more, and give more credence to, individuals who have published books in their field.

There are different ways to approach getting a book to market. You can pitch publishers yourself (a long shot, but books have been published in this way), you can send a synopsis and some sample chapters to an agent and have him or her try to land you a deal with a publisher ,or you can self publish. This involves you assuming the cost for the entire process, but you own your book outright and can publish the book you want.

If you’re going to go that route you need to do some homework: learn how to write a book with style and clarity, how to self publish, and then how to promote it. The upside is you have a book – now you’re the expert. And as to promoting your book, to be honest, from my experience, traditional publishers aren’t all that great when it comes to PR and marketing. Unless they’re marketing a known writer, as a new author, you’re basically on your own whether you’re with a mainstream publisher, or are publishing yourself. Yes, it’s a challenge, but having a book, gives you something to promote. You have a reason to pitch your story to the media and they have a reason to interview you as an expert.

In the past, we’ve placed authors, both self-published and those published by the major houses, in a wide range of media outlets from Time Magazine and the New York Times to Oprah and CNN. We’ve had major publishers pick up self published authors we’ve worked with because of their heightened media exposure. More importantly, our clients who are authors have been able to garner huge amounts of media exposure to help promote their businesses, their companies -and their books. So, if you do have expertise in a field, you have something to say, and you want to create an amazing PR and promotional platform – start writing.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

Anthony Mora
President & CEO

Anthony Mora began his media career as a freelance journalist for such publications as Us, Rolling Stone and other local and national publications. He also served as editor-in-chief of two Los Angeles-based entertainment and lifestyle-oriented publications. In 1990, Anthony formed Anthony Mora Communications, Inc. a Los Angeles-based media relations company that specializes in media placement, image development, and media training. AMC Inc. has placed clients in: Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other local, national, and international media outlets. ! Anthony has been featured in: USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, CNN, Entrepreneur, Fox News, MSNBC, and other media. He has written three books. The most recent, “Spin to Win,” is a step-by-step guide on how to define goals and utilize the power of the media to achieve success in any field.

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Tags: pr, platform, media, media relations, public relations

So, here’s where publishers and I usually differ, whereas most publishers pitch the book, I prefer to pitch the author. I have had quite a few heated discussions with publishers about this approach. I understand their perspective, they published the book and that’s what they want to promote. The only problem with that approach is that it’s wrong. Pitch your book and you have a certain number of stories and media hooks, pitch yourself, your life experiences, your anecdotal stories and your book and you’ve suddenly broadened the bulls eye.

Remember, when it comes to landing media coverage, it still all comes back to the media hook, to offering them a strong story. It’s the story that will interest the press. Don’t simply send out your book and information to the media, thinking that they’ll be so knocked out by your writing or the book’s subject matter that they’ll be clamoring to interview you. It seldom works that way. Develop hooks and story ideas that you can use to spotlight your book. If your book is non-fiction or a how-to this becomes a much easier task. We have represented authors who have written books on fashion, beauty, health, relationships, sex, and a variety of other topics.

Even though we focus on the books in our campaigns, we do not limit ourselves to the book exclusively. Our objective remains the same: to establish our clients as experts in their field. The book becomes a part of the story, but it never defines the entire campaign. If you can place an article in a magazine or a segment on a talk show that revolves specifically around your book, you’ve hit pay dirt. But that’s not always an easy task. Certainly pitch your book as one of your hooks, but don’t limit your campaign. Come up with other story ideas which can include your book, but do not revolve specifically around it.

For example, we worked with a psychotherapist who wrote a book on how to save a troubled marriage. Although we included the book in all of our pitches, the focus remained on the psychotherapist’s expertise in relationship issues. We pitched the women’s magazines and talk shows, relationship-oriented stories in which our client could appear as an expert. The media reacted well to our pitches and interviews were scheduled. Although some of the stories were about marriages and romantic relationships, others were about other types of relationships, such as parent child relationships or sibling relationships.

Even though those issues did not revolve specifically around the topic of our client’s book, she could expertly address them. When she appeared on talk shows, our client was introduced as the author of her book and was asked questions about her book during the interview. Although the shows themselves did not always revolve around the book, the book and client were always highlighted. If we had insisted on segments or articles that only featured or revolved around the book, we would have severely limited the media opportunities. We were branding her as an expert. Whenever she was interviewed, she discussed her book, which garnered her book more coverage and led to more media specifically focused on her book. The approach worked.

So, broaden your media horizons. Make a list of all the potential story ideas about you, your journey and your book and start writing again – writing press releases that is.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit this web
Anthony Mora began his media career as a journalist and magazine editor. In 1990, Anthony formed Anthony Mora Communications, Inc., a Los Angeles-based public relations company that has placed clients in: Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, USA Today, Oprah, The New York Times, Vogue, and other media. Anthony, who is the author of “Spin to Win,” has been featured in: USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, , The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, CNN, Fox News, and other media outlets.

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Tags: media relations, media, pitch, story, news

Having a reputation for being a good person can do a lot for you. People are comfortable placing their trust in you because you are known to be a trustworthy person. Similar in business, reputation is just as important too. Reputation plays a very important role in business. When you get into business you have to understand that it is important for your customers and the people you do business with to trust you. Having their trust can make business a lot easier for you. It takes time to build a solid image in the business community but you will find that it is well worth it because in the business community, your reputation usually precedes you.

It is not easy to build a healthy image but it is important when you are doing business. Competition is fierce in business and business people are wary of the people they do business with especially if they are doing business with somebody for the first time. In business you will need to form alliances with other people for the purpose of stability and growth. When forming alliances and partnerships your reputation plays an important part. It can be difficult to find businessmen willing to form business alliances with you if you have a bad reputation. Businessmen are very protective of their business. They wouldn’t want to take unnecessary risks unless it’s absolutely unavoidable. That’s why they do research on the person and the business that they are planning to form an alliance or a partnership with.

Everyone tends to be cautious when it comes to business. A small mistake such as forming an alliance with the wrong people can cost you a lot. That is why you have to build a solid reputation for being a businessman and a good name for your business as well. It takes time to build a good reputation in business but having the right public perception can be instrumental to the success of your business. Having the right aura for products and services can help you capture a bigger market and help you develop a following. This is very important; the reputation of your business is responsible for its success and failure. Having a reliable name as a businessman can help you gain the trust and confidence of your peers in the business community. Forming alliances and partnership for more progressive business is a lot easier if you are known to be a reputable person to deal with.

Your reputation can do a lot for you in your personal life and it can do a lot for you as a businessman. Don’t take your image for granted. It will take you time to build a good and solid name and you have to protect your it at all times. You will have to prove yourself to a lot of people when building your persona but it is well worth it. People in the business community take their reputation seriously and so should you. It’s your passport to successful business.

Neoko Cortwell is a freelance writer and web designer. If you want to start your own creative journey to becoming a freelance designer yourself, visit Sitegrinder for more information.

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Tags: media, media relations, reputation, image, company

How you treat and respond to reporters, editors and analysts can greatly effect how your company is perceived in its marketplace. The relationship between “you” and “them” is so important it has its own name (media relations), its own experts (PR pros and firms that specialize in media relations) and its own set of rules. Following are 12 laws of media relations. Follow them, and you’re well on your way to gaining your company the positive visibility you desire. Break them at your own peril.

1. Every reporter is a “key” reporter. Reporters change jobs. I’ve seen local weekly reporters go on to work for publications such as the Wall Street Journal. If you make the mistake of blowing a reporter off because they don’t work for an influential publication, you may pay the price for it down the road.

2. Don’t ignore online publications. Online publications are often looking for news. In addition, many offline publications also have an online presence (Time, Wall Street Journal, Inc., for example). If you pitch a story to an offline version when their online counterpart just published a similar story, you’ll end up with egg on your face.

3. Respect deadlines. Reporters are in a critical, time-sensitive business. Nothing will kill your chances for positive coverage faster than ignoring deadlines or not being responsive enough. If you can’t make their timeline, tell them quickly so they can get what they need elsewhere; or, if it’s information for your company, try very hard to get them someone to speak to who’s been advised on how to speak to the press.

4. Make/show your news to be newsworthy. Just because your company came out with version 2.1.5 of its product doesn’t mean it’s newsworthy. Try to find the “news” in your product or press release and lead with that.

5. Humanize your quotes. If you’re giving an interview or writing a press release, think quotable. Don’t come off sounding stiff and formal and rehearsed, though. Think in human terms, and try to find an analogy that will be broadly understood.

6a. Know the publication and its target audience. It’s important to do your research before pitching a story or giving an interview. Read back issues of the publication if you’re not a subscriber; find out about its readership demographics. This will tell you the approach the publication will most likely take, and will help you gear your materials appropriately. Be sensitive to the publications that emphasize the different points of view or product differences of you and your competitors.

6b. Don’t trade one magazine against another. Find a way to get different articles for each magazine – a different angle, a different aspect of the same story. Pit one against the other, and you’ll end up losing the goodwill of both.

7. Think long-term. Don’t expect reporters to be there for you, printing your company’s news at your bidding, then ignore them when you don’t have news to push. Return the favor by supplying them with industry reports, new sources and articles pertinent to their area of expertise. Be a resource the media finds credible and helpful and you will greatly aid your company when future opportunities in your industry arise.

8. Share your sources. Give your reporters referrals for background information. Make your clients and customers available. Make your key personnel available. Create an automatic “request and OK” of your clients and customers to be referred for editorial contact. Offer guidance and media training to your clients and customers. At the very least, always provide a “cheat” sheet with pertinent information to them if you will be referring a reporter to them.

9. Know your competition. Know what your competition is saying about themselves, and about you. This will help you frame your answers and prepare your materials to combat any negative perceptions a reporter may have about your company or its products or services. Never say, “there is no competition,” to a reporter. Suggest you have researched the competitive area and today cannot find a competitive product, but perhaps some company large or small is working on a similar concept confidentially.

10. Follow up intelligently; don’t be a pest. If an interview or press release requires a follow up, by all means, do so. But don’t call to find out if your press release has been received, or when news might be forthcoming. This is a major turn-off to reporters and editors alike.

11. Prepare all of your press materials according to the magazine’s and reporters’ requirements. If in doubt, ask. There’s nothing worse than learning, just before press time, that your story was cut or compromised because of incorrectly supplied content.

12. Be ethical. This is true for all your public relations activities, not just media relations. Don’t compromise your core values for short-term gains. It’s just not worth it in the long run. You will be found out, and you will compromise the reputation you and your company are trying to build. (If you occasionally make a mistake, admit it and apologize for it.)

Yvonne Meacham Buchanan is a public relations instructor for PR Essentials, an online public relations course available through Careers in Public Relations.

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Tags: media, media relations, firm, laws, pr

I had always thought that media training was important in order to learn how to distill and deliver one’s message, but after that interview, I realized its importance was much more basic. If my client had worked with a media trainer prior to going on the show, he would have practiced ways to mention where he was based without making it feel shoe-horned, the information would have been second nature.

Since then I have become an avid media training advocate. If you’re launching a PR campaign and have never been media trained – you need it! But even if you’ve appeared on the media before, or feel you’re an old hand at doing interviews, chances are you’d still benefit from a media training session. If you are presenting a new topic, launching a new service or product, you need to work on the style, delivery and verbiage that best presents your new message. You want to make the best presentation possible, you owe it to yourself and to the media to be as well prepared as possible.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

Anthony Mora
President & CEO

Anthony Mora began his media career as a freelance journalist for such publications as Us, Rolling Stone and other local and national publications. He also served as editor-in-chief of two Los Angeles-based entertainment and lifestyle-oriented publications. In 1990, Anthony formed Anthony Mora Communications, Inc. a Los Angeles-based media relations company that specializes in media placement, image development, and media training. AMC Inc. has placed clients in: Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other local, national, and international media outlets. Anthony has been featured in: USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, CNN, Entrepreneur, Fox News, MSNBC, and other media. He has written three books. The most recent, “Spin to Win,” is a step-by-step guide on how to define goals and utilize the power of the media to achieve success in any field.

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Tags: media, training, media relations, news, coverage

Earned media is more important than ever. The economic crisis has forced many organizations to slash their advertising budgets and rely on PR, or “earned media,” to get their message out. Targeted PR is considerably less expensive than advertising and helps establish third-party credibility.

But do you have a story to tell? To get reporters interested, you have to be newsworthy. This means your story is intriguing enough to entice a reporter to take your call, read your email (and maybe even respond), or, best-case scenario, agree to meet you for coffee.

Keep in mind that reporters receive dozens of pitches every week. At the major media outlets, they may receive dozens of pitches every day. The competition for media mindshare is fierce. So while you (or your client) may think your story belongs on the front page of the New York Times, the newspaper’s editors probably won’t.

The most effective PR pros will manage their client’s expectations realistically from the onset. Don’t promise the Washington Post and deliver the Smallville Times. For most organizations, a good media “hit” is a feature article in their local newspaper or trade publication. Therefore, set goals that are measurable and achievable.

The following checklist will help you determine whether it’s time to pitch a story or wait until a meatier opportunity comes along.

A newsworthy story includes at least one of the following attributes:

1. Local

People care about events that happen close to home. A warehouse fire in Atlanta has local interest but probably won’t be covered in other cities, unless it’s catastrophic (significant fatalities, explosions, etc.). Then it’s a national story as well (see “Catastrophic” below).

Consider this scenario: A real estate developer is breaking ground on a new shopping center – a legitimate news hook for the local newspaper and maybe real estate trade publications, especially if there’s a unique twist to the project (see “Unusual” below). Will Business Week care? Probably not, but the developers are reaching their target audience (i.e., local retailers and future shoppers), and that’s the goal.

2. Controversial

How many times does your local TV news show cover a city council meeting? Probably not much – they’re routine and (no offense) rather dull. But what if 100 angry citizens show up to protest a proposed sales tax increase? Now that’s a newsworthy event.

Or, say the local Chamber of Commerce learns about the city council’s proposed new sales tax. Concerned that it might negatively affect local businesses, the Chamber issues a statement strongly disagreeing with the “controversial” proposed tax. You get the picture.

3. Seasonal

We’ve all seen them – the feel-good Thanksgiving news stories or the profile of a local war hero on Veteran’s Day. Maybe they’re cliche, but the media is always looking for a local angle when covering holidays, anniversaries, etc. Check your calendar to see when an upcoming event may present an opportunity for your organization to pitch a timely story.

4. Unusual (first, largest, smallest, etc.)

Reporters like stories that are exceptions to the rule. Remember the real estate developer breaking ground on a new retail complex? What if the complex will house the area’s first outdoor ice-skating rink? Go through the checklist. It’s local and it’s the first. What if the rink is the largest in the Southeast? Even more potential media interest.

5. Human interest

A human interest story is the PR equivalent of a homerun, but they’re hard to score, especially as newspapers scale back on staff and “feature” writers. Pitching a human interest story requires creativity and finding the right reporter at the right time. Suppose that the real estate developer wants to build an ice rink in his shopping center because he’s a former professional hockey player and loves the sport? Interesting…

6. Catastrophic

Catastrophic (i.e. hurricanes, tornadoes, bombs) will always be newsworthy – because they’re unusual, involve a human interest component and, frankly, feed our natural fascination with cataclysmic events.

From a PR perspective, a catastrophic event might highlight the actions of a non-profit, a corporate donation, or an even individual act of kindness (i.e., relief supplies for Hurricane Katrina victims).

7. Visual

Never underestimate the power of telling your story visually. If your media pitch includes a visual hook, you’re ahead of the game. The city’s first ice skating rink on opening day – local, unusual and visual!

8. Celebrity

Let’s put it this way: everything President Obama does is newsworthy because of his celebrity – playing basketball, buying a new dog, walking down the Capitol steps. That’s why he has an entire press team to handle the volume of media requests he gets in a single day.

Karen Preiss Miller is a partner in JKP Group, a marketing communications consulting company. For more tips, visit this site

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Tags: newsworthy, media, media relations, specialist, relations

After the introduction always include a quote either by you or by some member of your organization, I also like to include a link to your website in the second paragraph.

Example 1:

“As adware and spyware developers are finding more and more ways of how to sneak in your computer, everyone should pay more attention to what he downloads from the internet, but most importantly one should use an adware and spyware protection program. There is no need to use a high priced adware protection software, in fact url here outlines many tips you can use to make sure that you computer remains spyware and adware free” said a spokesperson for this website in a comment.

Example 2 :

The Website owner when interviewed stated that “Overall URL here is a fresh idea for a website it is targeting a particular niche of the internet users since not everyone can afford a Ferrari, but everyone can dream of having one, and with this site anyone can try to find a second hand well kept Ferrari that is within his budget so this makes the website not just for the rich, but also for Ferrari lovers all over the world.”

Example 3 :

In an online interview the creator of guitar guide said that “Even if you are a complete new beginner and you never even touched a guitar in your hand, you should read this ebook and you will remain amazed by how fast you can pick up a guitar and get confidence in playing tunes after you read this simple step by step guide, you will get the needed self-assurance in playing in front of an audience in no time”

Example 4 :

In an online interview, Dean states “To set up a profitable business, you just have to do 3 things; attract highly targeted prospects to your website, convert these prospects into buyers and convert these buyers into repeat buyers. While this sounds really simple, the fact is it isn’t! The words you choose to display on your website can literally make or break your business. Such is their importance! Business owners are only now starting to realize how important sales copy is.”

In the second paragraph you can ‘talk’ directly to your readers with the excuse of a mini interview taking place, but in reality your aim should be to include another link in the press release so that people will click it and visit your website and as we all know More Traffic = More Sales!

By the way, are you a coach, consultant, entrepreneur, speaker, small business owner or online marketer who is tired of getting paid less than you are worth for your coaching and consulting?

What if you could learn how to package and sell your coaching packages for $4k, $8k, even $12k or $25k and enroll multiple clients per month at those prices?

To begin learning how you can sell your own coaching for between $4k and $25k per client, download my new recording: “How to Sell High Ticket Products Online” here:

High Ticket Selling Secrets

Sean Mize teaches coaches, consultants, and small business owners how to package their knowledge and sell it in high priced coaching, consulting, and online class packages. Sean says “If you have an existing marketable service or skill that you can teach others, I can teach you to package it into a high-priced class or coaching program, guaranteed”

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Tags: media relations, write, paragraph, press release, article

What You Should Know about Press Releases and Press Kits

It’s not too late to make your publicity plans for 2009. Although most businesses have already mapped out their strategies, with a little thought, publicity virgins can still create a plan to get free media exposure that could lead to big business opportunities.

So how exactly do you start getting media attention, even if you don’t know where to start? I’ve vowed to recommit to several things and you can use this formula as well:

1.) Keep a close eye on industry trends.
Since my ultimate goal is to be a nationally recognized media mogul, I have to keep an eye on what my mentors are doing and saying. I’ll be studying their successful strategies and looking closely at important changes in my field. At the same time, I’ll also be positioning myself to add my expertise to the marketplace. When I see articles, blogposts and the like, I’ll weigh in on the dialogue and offer compelling ideas. This strategy helps you earn a reputation as an industry thought leader. I’ll apply this same technique for my clients in their respective industries. Do you practice this technique?

2.) Make news.
At least once a quarter, I’ll be doing something that is newsworthy. Whether it’s hosting a special event, making a major corporate announcement, conducting a workshop, authoring an e-book/whitepaper or announcing a special honor I’ve received, I’ll do a press release about it. Can’t be afraid to toot your own horn, right? When it comes to my clients, I’ll help them do the same. I’ll be identifying opportunities where they can get interviewed for feature stories and help them find ways to make some news of their own. What newsworthy events can you create to generate publicity?

3.) Build relationships.
You can send out all the press releases in the world, but unless you have solid media relationships your presence in the media will be haphazard at best. I plan to build relationships with more people in the media here locally as well as nationally. How will I do this? More offline networking events and using Facebook and Twitter to connect with my colleagues around the nation. You can do the same thing. You don’t have to be in the media to build media relationships. Think about ways you can get to know editors of your local papers and make sure they start to see you as a worthy source who they can go to for information, an exclusive interview or a breaking news story. What media professional can you reach out to and connect with today?

4.) Have a goal in mind
Do you want your publicity efforts to build your brand? Drive traffic? Position you as an expert? Sell your book? Grow your list or all of the above? Know exactly what outcome you want and let that be your guiding principle. Here’s a tip: your marketing and publicity plan should tie into your business plan for best results. I plan to use publicity to build brand awareness about me as a top notch TV personality. Maybe I’ll be the next “you know who…!”

Have you done a publicity/marketing plans for 2009?

Best known as a former award-winning radio talk show host on Chicago’s WVON AM, Monique Caradine is currently the host of “Perspective,” a weekly community affairs show which airs on WPWR TV My50 Chicago. She also runs a thriving media relations consulting company in Chicago’s South Suburbs. Her clients have received high-impact publicity in numerous local and national media outlets including the New York Times, Crain’s, Black Enterprise, Chicago Tribune Magazine and ESSENCE.

To get your free copy of Monique’s downloadable special report entitled “How to Make Your Story Irresistible to the Media,” visit here

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Tags: media relations, publicity, position, relationship, news

I was recently on a train from Washington, DC to New York, and overheard a PR professional speaking to a colleague on her cell phone.

“The reporter from the Philadelphia Daily News completely blew the story,” she said, clearly exasperated. “I sent him two pages of material, and he totally missed the point!”

I immediately started questioning if the problem was that she sent him too much material, and wondered whether she would have been better served sending him less.

THE MORE YOU SAY, THE MORE YOU STRAY

Imagine you’re a climate change scientist, and a reporter asks you to explain why global warming is a problem. Since you’ve been working on the issue for the past decade, your answer could easily take hours. You could further illustrate your points with colorful anecdotes and compelling data.

But how about answering the question in seven seconds, the average length of an evening news television sound bite?

Many spokespersons bristle at the apparent superficiality of such a challenge. But the challenge is actually one that will help you control your message.

I often ask media trainees to answer this question: What is the single most important takeaway message you’d like the audience to remember or, better yet, act upon? Once you’ve identified that message, everything you say should be specifically related to that point. If it’s not, you may get quoted saying something less important, thus missing an opportunity to communicate your most important point to the audience.

Note: For many interviews, it’s appropriate to develop up to three one-sentence main messages. Every answer should tie into at least one of those messages.

DON’T DEMONSTRATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE – ORGANIZE IT

When speaking to journalists, I often observe them scribbling notes furiously in a reporter’s notebook. In order to capture everything, they usually write in big, barely legible characters, and flip the pages at an almost manic pace. By the end of the interview, reporters may have dozens of pages of notes.

GOOD: Great spokespersons organize their thoughts so clearly, that reporters will immediately know which three points are most important. They may have 12 pages of notes – but you’ve been so effective, they’ve probably underlined or starred your most important thoughts. As a result, you’ve dramatically increased the probability that at least one of your most important points will make it into the story.

BAD: Alternatively, you may have just spoken without prioritizing your main points, giving the reporter 12 pages of information from which to choose. Your quote in tomorrow’s paper may or may not be one of your most important points, likely wasting an opportunity to influence thousands of people.

THE WOMAN ON THE TRAIN

In fairness to the woman I overheard on the train, I have no idea what information she provided to the reporter in Philadelphia. She may have been perfectly on message and simply fallen victim to his ineptitude.

More likely, though, the document she sent contained non-essential information that allowed the reporter to stray from the intended message.

Increase the odds of your perfect headline appearing in tomorrow’s paper by staying on message – and not straying from it!

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the world’s second largest environmental group.

For more information, visit this web

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Tags: media relations, tips, media, public relations, news

The good thing about press releases is that it is much cheaper than cooking a huge ad campaign and the results if successful is even better than the result of an ad campaign that required an enormous amount of money. Now press releases are actually different from a resume, an advertisement or a sales document. It is actually an article written with a journalist’s touch that aims to highlight the interesting and newsworthy element of your company, product or event. In making press releases you need to consider that you are having two target audiences whenever you write one. You need to think of the journalists who will first asses your press release and the audience who will read it after the journalist found it newsworthy and had it published.

Since you still need first pass through a ruthless and intensive judgment of a journalist, you need to make sure that your press release will be able to convince the journalist that your press release is newsworthy to be published. Now these people are really busy and they really get tons of press releases each day. One thing that you really need to work on is how to make your press release unique and different from any other press releases that they get each day. It must be able to catch their attention just by the first look. And you also have to keep in mind that since journalists are super busy people, a long and flowery press release won’t appeal them. So make your press release brief and concise. In order for you to have this achieved, I have prepared some tips that will be very helpful when you make one.

You need to first put on your release date. This will let your journalist when to report your affair. Contact information should follow the release date. It should include your name and number and other contact details. A very informative, comprehensive and yet catchy headline must be punched in after your contact information. This should be catchy enough without too many words such as adjectives and adverbs. It must be able to answer at least three of the Wh and H questions. The introduction is next and this opening paragraph must be similar to the dateline of a news article. You have to maintain the simplicity and the newsworthiness even in this part of your press release. This should be able to provide the basic information about the event being discussed in your press release. The body of your press release must expand the information discussed in your introduction. This is where you put your supporting facts and issues that may be of help if your press release gets published. A line or two about your company and its mission shall complete the last part of your press release which happens to be the company profile. It is sometimes referred to as the boilerplate. Then you can just put the word END at the bottom of your press release as an indicator that your article is finished. It will also be helpful if you will put a more detailed and expanded contact information at the very bottom of your paper. Adding your company logo will also help your press release to get the authentic and official look.

Ready to really learn how to properly write a press release? Paul Hartunians free publicity information center will teach you and many other aspects of publicity. Visit this site now to get powerful profit-producing publicity tips!

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Tags: media relations, press release, media, news, newsworthy

If you want to get the attention of the press, you have to think like the press.

In the 20+ years I’ve been in public relations, one of the most difficult elements of the game to teach clients is that the press is not a service organization whose sole purpose is to cover what PR people pitch them. Their business model is simple; they exist to inform and entertain their readers, so they can grow their subscriber base and sell advertising against those numbers.

So, if you want to participate in the “press game” it is vital to recognize what wins the press loyal readers and increases their circulation…and then help them to do it! Step one is to get together a power-packed pitch. According to the Associated Press Stylebook the preferred term for a press release is not press release; it’s NEWS release. After all, it’s not called a press-paper – it’s called a NEWSpaper. Like it or not, public relations people don’t get to determine what the news is. Only news professionals get to do that when they choose what to write, print or air.

So, just because your company opened a new store in Cincinnati, doesn’t make it NEWS. However, there may very well be a nugget of newsworthiness that you can offer up to the press in order to get them interested in the opening of your store.

Where do you find those nuggets? Here are a few suggestions to help you mine the news gold in all your announcements:

Read Your Local Newspapers -You can’t find a news hook until you know what the news of the day actually is. And, because it changes every day, you need to stay on top of the news (or hire an agency to perform that function for you, and trust their judgment when they advise you of potential news hooks).

Determine How Your Story is Relevant – This is the lowest hanging fruit in the news hook orchard. Look for anything in your business that is relevant to news taking place in your community or nationally. If you’re opening a new bicycle shop in Los Angeles, then do some news searches to see what reporters have been writing about the area.

Say you discover that the area is economically depressed, in which case you can pitch to the press the idea that a new retailer opening there is a boost to the local economy, and that you’re willing to take a chance on success in that community. Or you may discover that bicycle ridership has increased nationally by 10 percent over the previous year, with new riders indicating they have started because they are trying to get fit. Now you can pitch the local press on the angle that your new shop is aimed at capitalizing on this national trend.

This strategy is known as “localizing” a national story, which every newspaper and TV producer loves. Because it’s a national story, they are going to report it anyway, but they’d prefer to have a local hook so they can be more relevant to the local audience.

Develop Stories That Have a Beginning, Middle and End – Make sure you tell reporters a full story. Let’s use the bicycle shop as an example. Opening a bicycle shop may not be much of a story on its own, but what’s the story behind the story? Did the owners overcome any unusual obstacles in fulfilling the dream of opening their store? Was the owner ever a competitive bicyclist? Have the owners used their knowledge of the sport or inventory to help any children’s charities or causes? Are they active in their community? Identify the story behind the story, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to find a news hook that’s relevant.

Take Action – There is a reason why so many commercial enterprises and not-for-profit charities and community organizations partner up for special events – it’s a win-win situation for everyone. It’s important for every commercial enterprise to be a good citizen and use some of their resources to help others, and it also helps to make sometimes un-newsworthy events relevant. Opening a bicycle shop isn’t a big deal, but holding a grand opening event for a local children’s charity makes the opening more relevant. If the owners use the event to help raise money and donate excess inventory to needy children, it is both a worthy venture and a genuinely heartwarming feel-good story worthy of news coverage.

Helping people should be its own reward, of course, but that’s also why newspapers and charities love these events. It not only gives editors and TV crews something joyful and happy to report, but it also enables the charities to get their messages out to the community at large. Your business improves its public image, and deservedly so, as long as the help is genuine and comes not from the pocketbook, but from the heart.

At the end of the day, most of the time you can find news hooks in even the most mundane of news releases. The key thing to remember is that the focus of the release isn’t to sell, sell, sell – it’s to convince a reporter that you have news to report and that their readers would be informed or entertained by what you have to tell them.

Think like the journalist, help them do their job, and you’ll find that your enterprise will generate more press coverage as a result.

For 20 years Marsha Friedman has been a leading authority on public relations as CEO of EMS Incorporated. Go to this website to learn how to explode your business through harnessing the power of public relations today and get your free Ebook!

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Tags: media relations, 2008, news, newsrelease, press

Knowing what you can do to increase your chance of getting free media coverage can be of great value and benefit to you and your business. All too often, I hear of people who want to get free media and press coverage, but they may not understand what they need to do to start the process and make it work correctly.

Before he was interviewed on camera he was nervous but was able to recall the media training that we put him through a few weeks earlier. That, along with a pep talk, and he was good to go.

What about YOU? Are you ready to be interviewed by local or national TV? If you’ve not had media training, believe me it’s too late once you get the call. You may have to get in a car or on a plane within an hour’s notice. It’s too late to get the training then. That’s why you need to be prepared before you get the call.

My experience as a publicist has convinced me that one of the greatest concerns about being interviewed on television is what to wear. For radio or newspaper interviews, fashion doesn’t matter but how you appear is critical for TV. When my clients agree to media coaching, my first choice for them to work with is TJ Walker, CEO of Media Training Worldwide www.mediatrainingworldwide.com/

TJ Walker is one of the leading authorities on media training in the world. With more than 20 years of media training experience, Walker has trained thousands of CEOs, authors, and experts, including leading government officials in the United States, European Prime Ministers, and African diplomats.

Here’s a quick list of “What to Wear and Not Wear!” that TJ Walker and other media coaches have developed that I share with you now so you can look terrific for your TV interview.

1. Don’t wear white, black or red. White glows and becomes the most noticeable thing on the TV screen. Black is too harsh and can suck up all the light. Reds “bleed” on camera and are distracting.

2. Pastel shirts work well on TV.

3. The safest color on TV is blue.

4. Don’t wear dangly earrings. They distract.

5. Remove jewelry that moves, makes noise, or could hit your microphone.

6. Be wrinkle-free.

7. Don’t wear stripes, herringbone, small intricate designs, or flashy jewelry. They are hard for a TV camera to pick up on.

8. Don’t wear checks.

9. Dress in a simple, boring manner, unless you are a fashion designer.

10. TV viewers should focus on your face and what you say, not your clothes.

11. Men should have about an inch of their shirt cuff showing.

12. Avoid light colored pants.

13. Wear over-the-calf socks so your skin doesn’t show if you cross your legs.

14. Don’t wear more than one ring per hand.

15. Women shouldn’t wear short skirts if you want people to focus on your message.

16. If you wear a dark shirt, dark suit, and dark tie, you will look like you are auditioning to be a hit man on the “Sopranos.”

17. Vests look stuffy on TV.

18. Don’t wear stripes. They dance around on the screen and are distracting.

19. Avoid hair products that add shine.

20. No visible logos or companies or brands, except for your own company logo.

21. People shouldn’t judge you by your appearance, but they will.

22. If you do or wear anything distracting on TV, people will remember that
and nothing you say.

Clothes are the major factor in controlling how you appear to viewers. While appearance is critical for success on television you also must be concerned about the words that come out of your mouth, the knowledge you display, and the self-confidence you demonstrate. Media coaches like TJ Walker and marketing experts like myself will make sure you are fully prepared for your big day!

The bottom line: RELAX, you’ll do fine. The butterflies you’re feeling are what will drive you to do your best! Remember, it’s not like they are going to ask you the square root of 656! They’re asking you about your book, your company, your story which you obviously know. Just follow these helpful tips and you’ll look as good as you sound.

Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with individuals and entrepreneurs to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz has handled public relations and marketing for numerous authors, doctors, lawyers, inventors and entrepreneurs. As a book marketing expert Lorenz is called upon by top execs and bestselling authors to promote their books. Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at this site.

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Tags: media, strategy, tv, interview, media relations,

You have all these great story ideas about your company and its products, you’ve written your press releases with a sure hand and are ready to get the word out. But where do you start? Other than reading the bylines in your local newspaper, you know no journalists. Well, it’s time to start meeting some and begin building relationships with them, just as you would with a new customer or prospective lead.

Building media lists is very much like building your database of key customers or a list of new leads: you must know your audience and your market intimately. First, think about the geographic regions you want to target, based on where your customers and potential customers are. Then, think about the publications of interest to your customers in those regions. It could be a daily newspaper, a local magazine, or even a trade publication. What are the local TV affiliates in these areas? Are there any local community newsletters? Create a master list, then find out the correct contact at each outlet for your type of business story or product area. Sending a release about a new piece of software to the travel editor at the Boston Globe will simply wind up in the circular file. But by learning the name of the technology editor of the business section and finding out how she likes to receive newsworthy information (phone, fax, email, snail mail only), you will be one step closer to having your story heard and considered by the right person.

Where to Find Media Contact Information
There are many free and paid resources available to help you build your media database. Visit your local library for a listing of regional publications or free online sources like political parties (they sometimes have listings). Or use search engines to find specific newspapers, magazines, or local TV stations. Look up the media outlet online. Many of them have specific places on their websites where you can submit your release directly to the publication. There are also paid services like PR Newswire and Vocus that will not only build your lists for you, but handle the distribution as well. These services offer huge master databases housing every publication from The Town Tattler to the New York Times. Gather all the information you can, including the journalist’s name, specific title or department, phone, fax, email, and snail mail address. If possible, determine how the journalist would like to receive information. Some prefer email, others fax, and some still say “write only,” which means if they receive anything other than the old-school press release in a #10 envelopes officially stamped by the United States Post Office, there’s a good chance you’ll never hear from them.

Be sensitive to these folks’ time, too. Calling a reporter to “chat about an idea” while he’s on deadline trying to file a story will not only aggravate him, but will most likely ruin your chances of any story placement in that publication.

Lead Times
If you’re looking for some free publicity for an event, don’t call two days before it’s scheduled to take place to see if the newspaper “could put something in tomorrow’s paper.” Newspapers traditionally work on a three to four week lead-time; magazines anywhere from six to 12 months. TV, sometimes in less than an hour! If your event is on June 12, you’ll want to send out your press release by the middle of May. If your new product launch is slated for fall 2009, start thinking about sending information to magazines by spring/summer 2008.

Understanding the journalists’ world and how they operate is the key to building a successful media list, one that’s juicy with hot contacts and leads looking for the right story to tell. Just remember, developing your media list is like developing your customer list. Get to the heart of what the media want and when they want it – then deliver it! And while a big mass media list covers more territory, your story pitch may not apply to all on the list, reducing your chance for good quality editorial success. But if you have a targeted, well-thought out list that contains up-to-date contacts, there’s a good chance you have the start of some beautiful relationships, which ultimately will garner some fantastic free publicity!

A dedicated marketing professional, Michelle Kabele has been helping technology companies develop award-winning channel partner programs and marketing strategies for over 10 years. Michelle has worked extensively with small businesses throughout North America.

Michelle has an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Evanston, Ill.)

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Tags: media, media relations, professional, ideas, journalist