Getting publicity for your business can be an elusive and intimidating prospect. Yet you can get the media to write about your product or company for free, if you make the effort to let them know about you.

1. Be Informed. Read the media in which you want to be covered. If you want a story in the local newspaper, study it and notice how it covers similar companies. Similarly, if you want to be in InStyle or Fitness, read those publications to find the sections where your product or company might be a good fit. Take notes on journalists’ names, story angles and coverage that can apply to your company. This will be the start of your publicity plan.

2. Be Topical. Notice what the media are already covering–the economy, celebrities, the housing market–and figure out what your company has to say on one of those topics. Perhaps you’re offering a new way for people to save money while grocery shopping, or your pet grooming service is offering “The Aniston” haircut for dogs. The point is to tap into what is already on the media’s radar.

*In addition, you’re an expert on topics related to your industry. Offer yourself to journalists to comment on topical news. For example, if you’re a Realtor, contact the media with suggestions about what homeowners can do to help sell their homes faster in these challenging economic times.

1. Be Shocking. The media like covering something with a bit of an edge to get people talking. The View is a great example. You could add shock value to your company by conducting a survey and releasing the results to the media. If they pick up the story, they’ll most likely say something like: “In a survey released by Acme Inc.” You can conduct a survey cost-effectively, using tools such as software that allows you to poll the audience on your website. If you have a cosmetics company, you might want to release news on who has the most kissable pout in Hollywood.

2. Be Seasonal. Throughout the year, the media are looking for stories related to various holidays. Don’t limit your ideas to Christmas. Consider Earth Day, Labor Day, Valentine’s Day, back-to-school, spring, summer, fall and more. Consider offering your services pro-bono for an upcoming holiday or event.

3. Be Initiating. Public relations is similar to sales in that, to some degree, it’s a numbers game. There are thousands of media outlets to pitch and generally more than one appropriate journalist at each outlet. Possibilities include local broadcasters, local radio stations, magazines, newspapers, daytime talk shows, evening talk shows and the internet. Someone will be interested in your company.

Once you have your first success and see your name in the news, it’s addictive. Even better, media coverage creates momentum: Once one person writes about you, more will follow. That way, if your first “hit” is on a small website or blog, you can leverage that hit to get to your local radio station. That can get you to the local paper, which can get you to a national magazine, and so forth.

Tiffany Pigee
Editor and Founder
Sugar & Spice Magazine
For more information visit her site

Bio:
Tiffany Pigeé is a rising star in the publication and media industry. She is the creator and publisher of Sugar & Spice Magazine, a dynamic publication calling women to the forefront of excellence and carrying her personal slogan for life, Celebrate everything you’re made of! Currently servicing as the CFO of Black Crest United Corporation, Tiffany is a focused entrepreneur and accomplished business woman.
Tiffany’s desire is to motivate and empower women to reach higher, dream bigger and achieve the impossible. A young and loving wife and mother of four, Tiffany has overcome statistical and stereotypical odds through her faith, perseverance and determination. She is driven every second, of every minute, of every day with a passionate calling to embolden women to the fact that they too can live a fulfilled life of purpose and destiny. Her commitment to excellence and integrity is evident in her exemplary leadership and dedication to the kingdom of God.
Through honest, quick witted and thought-provoking delivery, Tiffany Pigee has the ability to speak life into any situation. Her life experiences have provided effective examples and real life scenarios for her topic of discussion. She will leave your audience with a pro-active life perspective, profound solutions for their dilemmas and excited about their destiny.

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Tags: fee, online, pr, media, coverage

As competition increases for online market space B2B marketers need to ensure they attract as much qualified traffic to their websites as possible. One of the most cost effective strategies for search marketing is positioning your products and services within the search engine results pages through optimizing web pages for the best (most profitable) search terms – otherwise known as Search Engine Optimization.

So, why is Digital PR so important?

Issuing optimized press releases for the digital realm creates opportunity for a news story to be picked up in the blogosphere. The more compelling a story the more chance it has in achieving ‘tipping point’.

How to Create a Digital PR Programme

Here I’ll list 5 Steps that you should consider when designing your own online PR campaign.

1. Write With Your Audience in Mind

If you intend to get your news story picked up by the bloggers, then study some of the leading blogs in the particular market you wish to gain presence. Learn their language, read the user comments and style of presentation etc…

People online love to gossip so think about tailoring your releases around celebrity, controversy, quirkiness, real-life happenings and discovery. The goal is to create debate.

2. Know and Understand Your Competition

One of the best things about marketing online is the ability to track your competitors marketing strategy – of course they can track you too! Learn about and be aware of their online presence; observe the strategies they use and you’ll soon see what works and what doesn’t. Remember there is no one size fits all, so don’t just copy them. Strive to be creative.

3. Encourage Interactivity

Within the blogosphere we all like to have our say, voice our opinion on something or other and Digital PR should not be any different. Encourage users to submit videos, links, photos, reviews etc… offer your audience the opportunity to get involved and ask for their views on your new products or services. Don’t be afraid of negative reviews, as long as you respond with a positive comment you will earn respect within the digital world. Freedom of speech.

4. Optimize, Optimize, Optimize

This is a BIG part in developing your site’s natural search rankings as it builds links into a site and places context around those links. Write your news story based on one keyword keyphrase you wish to target and incorporate that into your title, on page copy AND into your anchor text. Incorporating links into your website from the press release not only improves your natural search ranking with increased backlinks BUT will also help search engines decipher what your website is about through semantic indexing and contextual content.

5. Track, Measure & Learn

Rome wasn’t built in a day; neither was hyper targeted Digital PR & marketing campaigns. The only way to really laser target your marketing efforts is by doing. Run a campaign, track it, find what worked (and what didn’t), learn and repeat. Each campaign you run will tell you something about you, your business and your audience. Use defined parameters and analytics tools to track visitors to your site and more importantly track what they do when they get there.

By keeping the above in mind when planning and executing your Digital PR campaigns you will create rewards for your own business – by tracking the effectiveness of each campaign you will learn a great deal about your products and services and what makes your customers/prospects click.

————–
Amplified Media SEO provide complete Small Business SEO Services; they review press releases, optimize content with targeted keywords and create unique landing pages (if needed). The complete search marketing package. Maximize your search, sales and traffic volume starting today.

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Tags: digital, pr, idea, media, sale

Press conferences have a purpose. You gather together press to make an announcement or give them information that will fuel their writing or talking about you in their media. You want bloggers to blog about your, the public to give you information, TV people to talk about your, radio people to report about you, and newspapers and magazines to write articles about you. In extreme cases, you want the kidnappers to give your loved one back. You have to give some information or facts, and then everyone can take it from there.

People may ask questions that you have to deal with or you can say sorry, no questions at the end and walk away. It’s like a buffet, you put it out there, and people take what they need or want and leave. You cannot control what is written about you. You can greatly influence what is written by how you handle the Press conference. Always remember, YOU are the one invited people to the party, so it better be good.

Here a few bad examples: Sarah Palin (you knew I would go there): First of all, get a sitter for your children. The beginning of her press conference, you have to try and hear over her child. Holidays are a great time to get a story out because most media staff is out. She gives the history of Alaska, talks about Alaska’s purpose and destiny. She talks of her administrations accomplishments and uses the example of working tirelessly for Alaskans. Not being from Alaska or living in Alaska, at this point in the press conference, I do not care about anything she has said yet. She is proud to take credit for hiring the right people and not taking a pay raise. She praises her team and says she wishes the media would tell them more about how good they are doing.

Palin explains why she is not taking any federal dollars. Then she says again, you don’t hear about the good stuff in media. Take a hint lady, you cannot speak badly about the press and then want them to carry a message for you. First she says Alaska has had to use tax payer money to deal with the investigations. Then she says that she has personally incurred over $500k in legal bills to defend herself and she has to deal with this instead of working for Alaska.

She says she is making a choice to build up and fight for Alaska and work hard to support others who seek to serve. She says she doesn’t need a title to make a difference and help people. She is setting her state free to progress by not seeking re-election and immediately transferring the power to her Lt. Governor. I understand not seeking election. I am not sure why she cannot finish her time in office. She uses an analogy and tells us she is using one. Please do not assume the media is stupid and think you mean everything literally.

She uses the term Politics as Usual over and over again. And talks about polling her kids (not her husband). One day she tells us her details. She talks about Trig being mocked by people, yet, there he is, in the public. You cannot have it both ways. Have your children in the media and no one talk about them. Strangely she says the world needs more Trigs. I have not seen the media make a comment on that, however, I am sure it’s coming. She says she is putting first things first and first she loves her job. She says she is calling an audible and passing the ball so her team can win. 20 minutes of a speech that says nothing but I am stepping down.

When you do not supply any facts, then the media will make it up. They have to say something. They have to justify the time they spent on your story. It’s best to say something so they do not have to make it up.

Another bad example is one of the first Press Conferences from Michael Jackson’s Family. Upon his death, not many family members were talking. However, the press did find Joe Jackson, his father, who promptly announced his new record label. I think someone did tell him to stop talking to the press directly after that. If the press has questions for you, just answer them.

Here are some tips for good results from a press conference:

1. Give some real facts that have to do with your real reason for being there. General historical facts do not count.
2. Do not bad mouth media during your press conference
3. Control the environment. The wind and your baby crying can be a great distraction.
4. Speak slowly. Trying to talk fast makes it sound like you are not sincere.
5. Make the press release as visual as possible, have plenty of photo opportunities.

Dr. Letitia S. Wright, D.C, is a Celebrity, international speaker, talk show host, author and movie producer. As the host of the Wright Place™ TV Show, now in its 9th season with over 250 shows broadcast on television to over 5.2 million homes each week in Southern California and Atlanta. You can visit at this Site to watch the show online.

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Tags: relation, press, media, conference

Did you know that you can significantly improve your overall search engine rankings with the help of an online press release? For those of you without a marketing background, let me explain the nature of a press release and how you can use this little known SEO technique to improve your search engine rankings.

A press release is a written communication directed at members of the news to announce something of value. Today, most releases are distributed via the internet or emailed to reporters in a specific niche. Commercial press release services distribute thousands of news releases each and every day.

Many companies send out press releases to announce a new product, service, or event. The public relations industry has depended on press releases to both disseminate information as well as help cut through the clutter of millions of daily news stories. Reporters have come to rely on press releases as a way to sift through irrelevant stories and find actual news.

A press release is easy to create. Most include the date of the release, a headline, body copy, and a brief company description. Online releases include the same information with a link back to the company’s website or product page. The challenge is creating a release that’s newsworthy and gets attention.

Over the last decade, hundreds of online press release websites have come online, helping reporters sift through these notifications and find the information they need. What does this mean to internet marketing? It means that there are sites that publish your news and are viewed by tens of thousands of people seeking targeted information daily.

This is good news for anyone trying to promote a new product, service, website or blog. But how do you get noticed? When I started out in Internet marketing, I thought it was all about writing a fantastic release and having it distributed across the web. And even today, that still holds true. However, when using press releases for SEO value, the key is simply to write a good release that helps build back links to your website or blog.

There are a few press release services out there, much like article directories that allow you to submit your release and include a link back to your website. Unlike article directories, many of these sites are not free. However, a small handful cost nothing, dozens charge less than twenty dollars and others will charge more.

When I need to build a ton of back links to my website quickly, I always gravitate toward online press releases. You can implement this today. Do a Google search for free press releases and look at the top 10 results. You will find many that do not charge. Be mindful though that a lot of these sites do not let you include a link unless you are going to pay a fee.

I’m okay as long as the fees are less than twenty dollars. With a small budget, you can have your release, and your links, distributed across the internet. Try using press releases to build back links to your website. You will be amazed by the results.

Are you looking to improve your search engine rankings? Go now to The Marketing Tips Blog to get your FREE SEO lessons. Find more SEO tips to improve search engine rankings at The Webmasters Book of Secrets website.

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Tags: online, press release, press, news, coverage, media

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

Peter Jennings, the late ABC News World News Tonight anchor, was fond of keeping his correspondents on their toes. He would routinely ask his reporters an unexpected question on-the-air, perhaps as a way of determining which correspondents lived up to his high journalistic standards. They occasionally fumbled their answers, looking amateurish in front of millions of viewers.

I was thinking of this recently when I realized that few fears make our media training students as uneasy as “going blank” during a media interview.

It’s a legitimate fear, especially since we’ve all seen a spokesperson with that “deer in headlights” look when the correct answer escapes them.

The good news is that with a little bit of preparation, you’ll never go blank again.

Mr. Jennings’ correspondents developed a useful system to get out of the interview intact. When asked a question they didn’t know the answer to, they would never say, “I don’t know, Peter.” Instead, they would tell their anchorman what they did know.

Here’s an example:

BAD

Peter Jennings: “How much money are Republicans putting into their tax cut proposal for the elderly?”
Correspondent: “Well, I just saw this proposal for the first time five minutes ago, so I’m not sure yet.”

GOOD

Peter Jennings: “How much money are Republicans putting into their tax cut proposal for the elderly?”
Correspondent: “Well, you know Peter, that’s one of the questions Republicans and Democrats will likely be squabbling over for some time. We know that the proposal contains a five percent cut in the capital gains tax, and would give an additional cut of $30 billion to small businesses.”

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

If your interview is not live – say a print interview or a taped broadcast interview – it’s okay not to know an answer. Just tell the reporter you’ll be back in touch with the correct answer as quickly as you can find it.

But if your interview is live, and you’re asked a question that leaves you totally blank, view the question as an invitation to tell the reporter what you do know on that topic.

It’s important to note that this device may not work well in an especially hostile interview – an aggressive reporter will ask follow-up questions to determine whether you know the answer or are bluffing. But the vast majority of interviews (I’d say somewhere in the neighborhood of 95 percent) are friendlier in tone, and most reporters aren’t looking to embarrass you.

Telling the reporter what you know may not be as good as really knowing the full answer – but it’s a whole lot better than being caught staring blankly into the camera’s headlights.

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 website

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Tags: media, public, relation, interview, training

This is all part of why public relations (PR) is so important. Whether you are a small business or a huge corporation, people only know about you what you show them. The idea is to get them to explore you more deeply and understand you better; but they won’t be doing any of that, and probably won’t be giving you their business, unless they feel they have good reason to do so in the first place.

Now, with PR, you also can make the best first impression to the greatest number of people at one time. And…you can even change a negative perception of your company.

PR is also more than building consumer awareness and influencing consumer opinion. It’s also very important that you create good relations with the new media. And, it’s highly beneficial as marketing, since you get to create positive editorials that get across the brand message for free. In fact, PR is sometimes also the tell-tale abbreviation for “press release”.

PR can also be used to fight against negative talk about your business, especially if this negative talk is being propagated by the news media. The media usually just want a juicy story first and foremost, and we all know that given human nature a juicy story is all too often a negative or even sordid one. If your business is supposed to be involved in a scandal or if you are alleged to not be paying your employees, or if you are supposedly throwing radioactive waste into the local bird sanctuary river, when you come forth with your own PR you can address any allegations and then tell the real story about what’s going on. This may sound opportunistic, but if you’re getting broadsided what choice do you have as a business but to turn a negative into a potential positive?

Now, when using PR, you should create a new product’s or even a new company’s credibility before you give it a higher profile through actions. Credibility almost always has to come before trust, and advertising, even as it creates awareness of your brand, does nothing for credibility; consumers frankly don’t trust advertising, and most only use it to learn that you exist and what types of products you offer. But PR is carefully, even artfully, written and costs a company but a tiny amount of money. PR is supposed to cite verifiable facts and quote knowledgeable people who would never risk their reputations to tell lies. Whether or not this is always true, it’s what consumers assume.

Bert Steiner has worked in business for many years and owned his own small companies.

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Tags: pr, public relations, business, perception, media

No successful media interview includes “no comment” as an answer to a reporter’s question. Here are five reasons why:

1) By not answering a question yourself, you allow someone else to fill in the blanks as they choose and — very possibly — provide a detrimental and incorrect answer.

2) You sacrifice an opportunity to shape your own message and stress key points important to you.

3) You could create the impression that you are hiding something or are guilty of a wrongdoing.

4) You could create the impression that you hold the media in contempt.

5) You lose control of the story’s impact on your image and reputation.

We’ve all seen actors in movies shouting “no comment, no comment” when pushing through a crowd of reporters and photographers outside a courthouse or police station.

Such scenes, for some, have created the impression that “no comment” is a viable response they can use to avoid answering reporters’ tough questions. Actually it is a flippant and potentially damaging non-answer.

So how should you respond if a reporter asks a question that you really can’t answer? Many times, as the primary spokesperson for numerous companies facing difficult circumstances, I’ve found myself in that exact situation. As always, the best solution was and is to tell the truth.

By explaining why you can’t provide a specific answer, reporters usually will understand. For example, these are some of the responses I’ve used:

* “Our company is in litigation over this issue, which prohibits me from discussing anything concerning the case at this time.”

* “I’m not the right person to answer your question. I will arrange an interview with the person who is.”

* “The situation is still unfolding and I do not have enough information at this time to answer your question. I will call you back when I have all the facts.”

* “I can’t answer a question concerning a hypothetical situation.”

* “I can’t answer for someone who is not associated with our company.”

* “The information you’ve been given is incorrect, so your question does not apply. These are the facts…”

If your response includes calling back the reporter, arranging an interview or otherwise providing information, it is vital to follow through with your promise in a timely manner.

Every prospective interview presents you with an opportunity to tell your own story, provide the facts and burnish your reputation.

“No comment” gets you nowhere.

Brian R. Salisbury, a writer and a public relations and communications consultant, combines a wealth of communications know-how with an engaging writing style to help his clients shape the most effective messages and deliver them with the greatest impact where they count most. Visit Brian’s website here and subscribe to his free public relations newsletter and receive his free report “Ten Key Components of a Successful Public Relations Program.”

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Tags: strategy, media, interviews, press, press release

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

Over the last decade, consumers have learned the do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. They scan and bag their own groceries, pump their own gas, and serve themselves at restaurants from coolers or a buffet line. Consumers also have become their own music producers, creating custom MP3 mixes from iTunes, their own retail outlets through eBay and one-person TV stations with YouTube. Social media and cheap web access makes everyone a content provider. So it was, perhaps, inevitable that consumers would also come to realize that they don’t need traditional media in order to consume the product and services information that used to use media as its channel.

With the rise of search engines, WiFi and a DIY mindset, today’s consumers are more empowered than ever before. Not only do they believe they’re entitled to information, they have unprecedented access to information on a global scale. An increasing number of consumers turn first to the Internet when they want to make a purchase-even if the product will be bought off-line.

That’s why any PR strategy focused solely on media gatekeepers is missing a large piece of the market. While there’s still value in sending your message via traditional media, more and more prospective customers are doing their own research online, bypassing newspaper, magazines, radio and TV completely.

Here are five tips for creating successful direct-to-consumer PR:

#1: Think like a consumer. Too much traditional advertising pushed features instead of benefits. The consumer is looking for a product or service to meet his/her needs. Your press release must focus on needs met and problems solved. Generic categories and words related to the need or outcome are much more likely to snag users who haven’t gotten to the point of selecting a specific product or provider yet.

#2: Realize that consumers and reporters need different things. A reporter’s job is to entertain or inform. So press releases must do one of those two things. A consumer is looking to meet a need or solve a problem. They are searching with a specific goal in mind. Your press release must be keyword-rich with the words your prospect is likely to use in a query-words that probably don’t include the name of your product or service. Case studies, videos and human-interest features should make it easy for consumers to immediately identify with the need/solution. Traditional press releases don’t usually include “how to buy” information, but consumer-focused releases should have a way for readers who discover the solution they need to take immediate action.

#3: Recognize that Boomers and Millennials are shifting rapidly away from consuming traditional media. Newspaper and magazine readership has been declining for quite a while. Broadcast TV has been supplanted by 800 cable channels, Netflix and TiVo, all of which make it easy to skip commercials. Satellite radio and MP3 players mean fewer listeners to regular radio. Many consumers have abandoned traditional media altogether, preferring to have their own news choices delivered via RSS, downloading their own music and following their favorite TV shows via YouTube, DVD or pay-per-view. The world has changed since the days when everyone watched the same three channels and saw the same ads. Your message must be where your consumers have chosen to go.

#4: Maximize your PR “searchability.” Posting your release via online distribution services like PR Newswire and PR Web makes sense in a world where consumers turn to the Internet for information. But don’t stop there. There are dozens of free PR posting sites that help your releases rise in the search engine rankings and search results. All those postings also provide inbound links to your web site, boosting its rankings. Press releases should have relevant tags, making it easier for search engines to match them to queries. Your online press room should be consumer-friendly and not just media-oriented. Serve up your information in multiple formats: video, podcast, blog, web audio as well as text. Consumers researching online often consider the posting date of information to determine “freshness,” so keep your news current by maintaining a constant stream of relevant new content.

#5: Create a two-way conversation. Traditional PR may create a dialogue between the sender and the reporter, but it creates a monologue between the media outlet and the consumer. Today’s DIY consumer expects real dialogue with access to people in positions of authority and the chance to have their input valued. The companies that create the most successful PR invite consumers to become partners in actually creating the message as well as sharing it. This requires letting go of some of the iron-fisted control traditional PR sought to wield over the message, but the payoff is huge. (Imagine if Mentos and Diet Coke had tried to sue the creators of the now-famous YouTube video. Instead, both companies got a free PR bonanza with millions of voluntary views.) RSS gives consumers the chance to choose what news they want to receive and social media enables them to respond in near real-time-and tell their thousands of online friends.

Direct-to-consumer PR requires a fresh perspective on how public relations works and how the message is ultimately consumed. It demands that PR professionals worry less about total control of the message and more about meeting the needs of the consumer. It creates an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate with users to build better products, spread global word of mouth and establish real and profitable win-win marketing relationships.

Gail Z. Martin owns DreamSpinner Communications and helps companies and solo professionals in the U.S. and Canada save money and get results through exceptional writing and marketing. Gail has an MBA in marketing and over 20 years of corporate and non-profit experience at senior executive levels. Gail hosts the Shared Dreams Marketing Podcast and the 30 Day Marketing Restart videoblog and she hosts the Shared Dreams Become Reality group on Facebook. She is also the author of The Summoner and The Blood King fantasy adventure novels.

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Tag: public relations, pr, consumer, contact, media

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.

Compiling a media list is the first fundamental building block of any PR program. The following methods will help you to create one.

There are many benefits when issuing an online press release. But first, you need to understand the similarities and differences between a traditional press release and an online press release.

A traditional press release is an article that helps promote your business, or your products and services. Since it’s a press release, the way that it is written must follow a strict format. There are several reasons as to why you must adhere to a strict format.

Traditional press releases are meant to be printed on paper. So a fixed format helps to ensure that printing proceeds smoothly. Also, in the world of traditional press releasing, press agents are often flooded with work. A properly formatted press release allows the press agents to “process” these release easily and decide whether to publish them or not.

A properly formatted press release usually contains a headline, the words “For Immediate Release”, the content, the company info, and the contact info. The release usually ends with the word “ENDS” or the symbols “###”. Sometimes, you may see the number of words, although this is optional.

This has been the format for traditional press releases. However, since the invention of the Internet, the media has been moving their activities online. More and more people are spending time in front of the computer instead of the television. As a strong contender for people’s attention, the media has little choice but to flow with the trends.

But the Internet is very different from the television in many aspects. There are no paper involved, as information is transmitted digitally. And unlike traditional TV, you can communicate with others easily over the Internet.

Many marketers looking to market their businesses online have been looking to issue press releases online. Online press releases have taken on similar formats as traditional press releases. However, the concept of distributing a press release is very different.

In the traditional sense, a press release is distributed to as many publishers as possible, in the hope that some publishers find the story interesting enough to publish it, thus giving free publicity to the Company.

However, on the Internet, it’s all about links. Of course, Internet marketers still expect publishers to pick up their story and publish on their websites. But they are doing this for links. Theoretically speaking, the more links they get, the more traffic they get.

In addition, search engines are going to stumble upon these links and visit their websites more often. In many cases, marketers have seen a rise in their search engine rankings, and that means even more traffic.

Traffic is everything on the Internet, and it’s just like oxygen. Without traffic, the website is dead. Nothing ever happens online without traffic. There are no enquiries, no sales, no registrations, etc. So to ensure that online businesses thrive, Internet marketers have been actively issuing press releases.

As you can see, press release is an effective way to market a website. When your story is published, you get to enjoy lots of attention from potential buyers, and that will eventually lead to a boost in profits.

To get a quality provider of a Press Release Service or other link building services like Manual Directory Submissions please visit Nationsubmit.

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Tags: online, pr, press release, media, internet

Companies seeking a media relations consultant to generate publicity for their organization often stipulate they want a person with “solid contacts” to the media covering their industry. Presumably, a consultant’s links to the right reporters results in articles about the company appearing in newspapers or on TV, radio or on-line.

At first, this requirement sounds quite reasonable: a media relations consultant with solid media contacts.

But I see two glaring problems with it:

* First, just because a consultant has solid media contacts does not mean he/she knows those specific reporters or important journalists who cover the requesting company’s business and

* Second, it incorrectly assumes that when a consultant knows a reporter, the journalist will automatically run articles about companies the consultant has presented.

Actually, this second assumption is quite insulting and presumptuous because it comes too close to assuming the reporter or editor is in the consultant’s “back pocket.”

Sure, if a media relations consultant has worked with or assisted a journalist previously, the consultant should — up to a point — enjoy the reporter’s trust and familiarity. But, at best, that familiarity only means the reporter will take the consultant’s initial phone call and listen to his/her pitch.

The key to connecting with any journalist, especially when your ultimate intention is to generate publicity for your company, is to identify your story’s uniqueness and newsworthiness.

* What makes it news?

* Why should that reporter be interested in what you have to say?

Another way to look at is by asking yourself what the reporter can say to his/her editor when asked to explain the suggested topic’s news value. “The media relations consultant is my good friend,” isn’t the right answer.

When seeking a strong media relations specialist for your company — whether as a consultant or a member of your staff — look for a person who can

* Identify your organization’s newsworthy activities and attributes and determine the best way to present them to a reporter;

* Identify the most effective reporters and editors associated with news and information outlets who communicate to your company’s desired audiences;

* Persist and eventually contact important journalists, even when many reporters don’t return calls after three or four tries;

* Communicate comfortably with most any journalist, even if they’ve never spoken to a particular journalist before;

* Strengthen media contacts and build trust by meeting journalists’ deadlines and providing assistance or information — especially in emergency situations.

A media relations pro with these attributes stands the best chance of converting media contacts into media placements, regardless of their previous association — if any — with specific reporters and editors who cover your field.

Brian R. Salisbury, a writer and a public relations and communications consultant, combines a wealth of communications know-how with an engaging writing style to help his clients shape the most effective messages and deliver them with the greatest impact where they count most. Visit Brian’s website and subscribe to his free public relations newsletter and receive his free report “Ten Key Components of a Successful Public Relations Program.”

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Tags: media, contact, placement, pr, public relations

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,

Meanwhile in 2001, ‘spin doctor’ Jo Moore made the headlines herself when she suggested that the UK government use the opportunity to ‘bury bad news’ on September 11th as the twin towers blazed in New York. Months later she was forced to resign her position and the first indelible association of Tony Blair’s government with ‘spin’ was created. It was an association they found impossible to shift.

Two different cases, but each highlighting the phenonema of living in media-saturated age. As rolling news and the internet create an ever-short life cycle for a ‘story’, journalists and bloggers alike have developed incredible attenae for the detection of a ‘gaffe’ . An unguarded word in front of a small audience can reach the attention of millions within minutes and any sense of nuance or contect is quickly buried under a torrent of instant comment and shrill demands for retribution.

Any organisation that needs (or wants to) interface with the media must now face this reality. When any and every communication can be pulled apart by story-hungry audiences for a newsworthy angle, professional communications are no longer a luxury – but a necessity.

So how can a PR agency help you develop a media strategy? Firstly, they are attuned to the way the media works. It is often the case that people are unaware of how journalists create stories – or even what can be deemed newsworthy. An effective PR operation can coach and advise anybody who is likely to speak to the media to make sure that what they say is free from ambiguity or angles that the press can use to their detriment. Often, companies are forced to release bad news to their customers or investors – particularly true during these times of economic uncertainty and retrenchment.

They can also develop effective methods of response in case something does creep out. Nothing is more likely to confirm the ‘truth’ of even the most egregious story in the mind of the public than a stuttering performance from a spokesman who declares it all to be ‘preposterous nonsense.’ Effective PR in such circumstances must be measured, calm and in command of the facts. Even the old standbys of ‘no comment’ and ‘quoted out of context’ carry considerable weight, because they imply that the story is worthless, and can draw the sting from a story surprisingly quickly.

Of course, a lot of these events catch organisations by surprise. This is because without a media monitoring service, they are simply unaware of a developing story. The first they know of it is when they are doorstepped by an enterprising journalist and effectively trapped into saying the wrong thing.

A good PR company will be monitoring the press for mention of your organisation and how to respond to anything negative. That way, when the first mentions of the story are hitting the news you are prepared, briefed and have a line of attack that will nullify the negative aspects of the story.

So if you are anywhere near the public sphere, it is crucial that you look to employ a reputable and reliable PR company. For all you might think that it is a expensive overhead you can do without, if you decide to go it alone the very reputation of your company is in the hands of the media and five seconds of careless speech can undo decades of patient work.

Paul has been a passionate advocate of PR for many years. When he’s not perusing the press for public relations disasters, he is busily engaged with raising two young children and playing with his band. Unfortunately, his musical audience is far too small for him to follow his own advice and hire a publicist!

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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

As the end of 2008 quickly approaches, now is a great time to put the finishing touches on basic tools that you will need for your marketing efforts in 2009. One of these tools is a boilerplate. Not sure what this is? Let me explain.

In public relations terms, a boilerplate is a statement that is placed at the end of a press release (or other public relations document). It simply and quickly covers the 5 W’s of your business, products, and services and lets the press and general public know what your business has to offer.

A boilerplate is usually no more than several sentences long so choose your words carefully. In essence, what you are doing by creating a boilerplate is taking your 30-second elevator pitch about your company and putting it on paper.

Here are a few key points to cover when drafting your boilerplate:

1. Include a short, clear description of your business (what you do, who you do it for, and why you do it).

2. If you’ve won awards or been recognized in any way, use stand-out words like “award winning” or “best-in-class” when describing your products and services. Also use any stand-out numbers about your business (e.g., more than ? products sold or more than ? customers served).

3. Avoid industry jargon that the general public will not understand.

4. List your company website or other online destinations so that people can learn more about your business.

Also note that you can have one boilerplate or multiple descriptions if you have a number of product/service lines. You will be pleasantly surprised at how your boilerplate will come in handy during your marketing efforts once it is completed.

An expert in marketing communications, Kristina Hill provides integrated marketing consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses through MarComm Creative Group, LLC. The business offers an array of services, including: public relations and media relations; media planning and placement; integrated marketing plan development and execution; and article, website, advertising, editorial, and sponsorship writing.

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Tags: media, relations, press release, organization, marketing

“Failure is not the only punishment for laziness. There is also the success of others.” –Jules Renard

I’ve been working in PR for over 15 years, so you can bet I’ve got some expert thoughts in how to make the absolute worst PR decisions possible. Below are my top 5 ways to ensure the worst PR outcomes.

1. Be inconsistent in your messages. Sure, big successful companies come up with a clear platform of messages around their product that they use over and over again, but that’s so boring. Rework your key messages frequently and make sure they change radically. Use lots of industry lingo too, to make your messages obscure. People should have to work to be able to understand who you are and what you stand for. Don’t make it so easy for them.

2. Hire a professional PR firm but don’t listen to them. It’s true, you weren’t getting great results on your own, which is why you hired the professionals in the first place. But once they start getting results, (or even before), decide that you know better and over-rule their recommendations.

3. Only reach out to the media when you want something. Don’t bother to familiarize yourself with media outlets. They won’t notice. And take your time responding to media requests. They overstate the importance of deadlines anyway. Operate your media relations on a sporadic basis, and only when it suits you. Keep your focus on how important you are. Everyone will realize it soon enough.

4. Don’t work from an annual plan. Shoot from the hip. Planning is too fussy and besides things are always changing anyway. It’s more fun to make decisions about what people think about your company on the fly.

5. Don’t respond to your PR firm in a timely manner but still expect them to produce quality deliverables on time. They can pick up your brainwaves. After all, telepathy is a valid means of communications in many television shows and Hollywood movies.

I suppose that by now you’ve noticed that my tongue is firmly in my cheek for this list, but I truly have seen people implement these tactics and still expect great results. Don’t let that be you.

This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included. ©2009 Barbara Wayman, BlueTree Media, LLC.

Barbara Wayman, APR, president of BlueTree Media, LLC, publishes The Stand Out Newsletter, a free monthly ezine for people who want to know how to leverage the power of marketing and public relations. Get your free subscription today at this site.

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Tags: pr, media relations, professional, media, plan

The best and most common way of communicating with the media is through preparing and distributing a media release to them. A media release is also known as a press release or a news release.

A media release is a document containing the message you want to tell them. It takes a specific format.

Your media release should include:
· Your business name and logo at the top.
· Your contact details near the top.
· The date.
· A heading that grabs the reader’s attention.
· The news formatted into individual short paragraphs, with the most interesting information summarised in the first paragraph.
· Background information about yourself or your business at the conclusion of the media release with its own heading.
· Check your media release for spelling and grammar. If your media release contains grammatical and spelling errors, it becomes illegible and doesn’t maintain your professional image.

Generally, the media release should not be more than a page, and I cannot stress enough how important it is to summarise the important and interesting information in the first one or two paragraphs. Why? Because journalists receive literally dozens of media releases a day, and do not have the time to read each and every one from top to bottom to work out whether or not it is of interest. They need to know immediately, and if your media release waffles on and on without getting to the point, I can guarantee that it will end up in the bin.

The language you use needs to be simple and to the point. Do not use technical jargon or unnecessary adjectives. Quotes, from yourself or relevant people in your business, are viewed upon favourably by the journalist. The best way to get an idea about how to write it is to read a newspaper – if you can get it to sound like a news article, that is perfect for the journalist. This means they can use much of the media release for the article as it is, without too many alterations.

The media release needs to answer the following questions where possible, and it’s a good idea to always keep the following in mind when writing it:
· What – what is it about, what’s happening?
· When – when is the event taking place or when did it happen?
· Where – is this Australia-wide, or local? What is the location?
· Who – who are the key people, and indeed the business, involved?
· How – what are the details?

Learn how using the media can propel your business to huge success! Diva Promotions can do that for you with our very own PR expert. Come and have a look at this site

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Tags: media relations, write, media, tips, business

A big obstacle that people will face is their lack of awareness about what they need to do to build relationships with media contacts. When you apply a a strategy to approach them correctly, you will set yourself apart from people who are not thinking things through before they contact people in the media.

All too often, well-intended people take the wrong approach. They either want to present something that is a new product, may be something that they believe would be good for the magazine’s subscriber list. Asking yourself and acting on what you can do to help the media contact is really something you want to pay attention to. Ask yourself a few questions:

How can I help this reporter or this magazine with content that I have that’s relevant to their readers? What can I do to make the media contact’s job easier? At what times and with what frequency should I make attempts to reach contact in the media at a specific media outlet?

Also, knowing when to time your conversations and your dialog with people in the media is very important to helping you get engaged with them. It comes as a surprise to me that a lot of times when people are trying to sell themselves or their ideas, they’re not focused on what they need to do to build the relationship with a media contact.

Think about and act on what you need to do to build the relationship and empathize with that person who works for the media. Think about what may go through their mind when someone like you is actually approaching them. Thinking through what you can do on the front end to build relationships with media contacts the smart way can really set you apart from others who may not be doing this effectively. Once it’s done correctly, the benefits are enormous. Once you have a relationship with someone in the media, you’ll find that it’s a lot easier to approach them on projects that come up in the future.

As with any other form of business, people need to trust you. People need to know who you are, where you’ve been, why you’re trying to work with them and most important, having that trust can really set you apart from others who are not working on the relationship.

To learn more about how you can save thousands of dollars in advertising costs visit this site
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Tags: media relations, build, relationship, media, contact

The best and most common way of communicating with the media is through preparing and distributing a media release to them. A media release is also known as a press release or a news release.

A media release is a document containing the message you want to tell them. It takes a specific format.

Your media release should include:
· Your business name and logo at the top.
· Your contact details near the top.
· The date.
· A heading that grabs the reader’s attention.
· The news formatted into individual short paragraphs, with the most interesting information summarised in the first paragraph.
· Background information about yourself or your business at the conclusion of the media release with its own heading.
· Check your media release for spelling and grammar. If your media release contains grammatical and spelling errors, it becomes illegible and doesn’t maintain your professional image.

Generally, the media release should not be more than a page, and I cannot stress enough how important it is to summarise the important and interesting information in the first one or two paragraphs. Why? Because journalists receive literally dozens of media releases a day, and do not have the time to read each and every one from top to bottom to work out whether or not it is of interest. They need to know immediately, and if your media release waffles on and on without getting to the point, I can guarantee that it will end up in the bin.

The language you use needs to be simple and to the point. Do not use technical jargon or unnecessary adjectives. Quotes, from yourself or relevant people in your business, are viewed upon favourably by the journalist. The best way to get an idea about how to write it is to read a newspaper – if you can get it to sound like a news article, that is perfect for the journalist. This means they can use much of the media release for the article as it is, without too many alterations.

The media release needs to answer the following questions where possible, and it’s a good idea to always keep the following in mind when writing it:
· What – what is it about, what’s happening?
· When – when is the event taking place or when did it happen?
· Where – is this Australia-wide, or local? What is the location?
· Who – who are the key people, and indeed the business, involved?
· How – what are the details?

Learn how using the media can propel your business to huge success! Diva Promotions can do that for you with our very own PR expert. Come and have a look at this site

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Tags: media relations, write, media, tips, business

Editors and reporters are constantly slaving over hot deadlines. And no one helps them more to meet these deadlines than reliable industry experts and trusted authorities who rapidly provide information and add clarity to feature articles and news stories — especially when time is tight. These are the people who get quoted in the news and have their names peppered throughout the Internet.

To reap the benefits of being the media’s “go-to” guy or girl for your industry, you’ve got to earn editors’ and reporters’ trust by establishing yourself as a dependable, responsive expert in your particular field. And by helping journalists gather information and meet their deadlines, you’ll generate your own positive publicity and strengthen your reputation among audiences important to you.

Here’s how you do it.

1) Identify key print, broadcast and Internet editors and reporters who cover your industry. Don’t forget on-line resources such as bogs. Journalists often peruse a variety of blogs to identify trends, search for potential story leads, research articles and generally stay abreast of industry scuttlebutt.

2) After becoming thoroughly familiar with key editors’ and reporters’ work, send each an email or call them directly — or do both — to comment on a particular story or your industry in general. Introduce yourself as the industry expert you are. Establish your credentials and offer to assist with the development of future stories. Suggest a few article ideas of your own, but make sure they’re not puff pieces about your company.

3) Start adding your comments, insights and observations to blogs that cover your industry. Project your name and your company’s name into cyberspace.

4) Maintain communication with media contacts by providing useful, unsolicited information, observations and article ideas. Your objective is to build trusting relationships, show your industry knowledge and keep your name on the media’s radar.

5) Be proactive. Contact reporters and offer your expertise when a story is breaking — or about to break.

6) Most importantly, when a reporter or editor contacts you for information, make it a top priority to respond quickly and accurately within deadline. Reporters often throw the same question to many potential sources. The first to respond with the most interesting and useful information gets quoted in the article or on the air. By not responding in a timely manner, you’re likely to erase all the goodwill and credibility you’ve established to that point with a particular journalist.

7) When a journalist quotes you or otherwise refers to you or your organization in a good way, leverage that publicity by sending the article to your clients, industry associates and other audiences you’d like to reach. Post it on your website. Use the exposure to reinforce your professional stature and present yourself and your organization in a positive light.

8) Thank the reporter for the opportunity to help with the story. Cultivating solid media contacts and establishing your reputation among reporters and editors as your industry’s go-to expert of choice is a systematic process. Do it right and you will become a vital media resource while generating effective, favorable publicity where it counts most for you and your organization.

Brian R. Salisbury, a writer and a public relations and communications consultant, combines a wealth of communications know-how with an engaging writing style to help his clients shape the most effective messages and deliver them with the greatest impact where they count most. Visit Brian’s website and subscribe to his free public relations newsletter and receive his free report “Ten Key Components of a Successful Public Relations Program.”.

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Tags: publicity, media, information, reliable, resource