Many street sweeping companies, which have big large contracts with retail outlets and shopping malls often cheat the company on their services. In fact, as I travel around the country I am appalled at this particular industry. It seems that so many of the contractors who have street sweeping businesses cheat the customer. I asked myself why this is? It appears to me that the lowest bid will get the contract and many of the companies bids are so low that they cannot afford to do the work or by adequate equipment to do the job right.

I have watched Street sweeping folks come into a parking lot and drive around a few times put a little bit of dirt in the air kind of like when you take your home vacuum cleaner and forget to clean out the bag and the vacuum blows all the dust all over the place while you are vacuuming. Then the street sweeper leaves without cleaning anything, as there is still debris in the parking lot and trash. This seems rather dishonest and I guess no one notices that they did not do their job.

Who is to say how clean a parking lot is supposed to be? As long as they showed up and drove around who is to say they didn’t do what they said they were going to do? My question is why show up at all if you’re not going to do the job? It seems there is a lack of integrity in many street sweeping companies. A very smart national firm, which operated professionally and responsibly could probably through economies of scale do the work for the same price and actually do what they say they’re going to do. Please consider this in 2006.

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

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Tags:ethics, news, business, training, code

Jorge was a young construction worker, sitting near the front of the bus. Natasha was an older lady confined to a wheelchair. She asked him about his orange safety vest, “Where do you get those?”

The vests are highly reflective and are easily seen by oncoming automobile traffic. Natasha thought that a similar vest might protect her as she crossed the street from the bus stop to her house in the evening.

Jorge stood up, took the vest off, and presented it to Natasha as a gift.

In a world that seems less concerned with the well being of others, than with grabbing what you can, Jorge’s selflessness stands out as a welcome gesture.

In our personal lives and the business world there is room for improvement in manners and etiquette. In the business etiquette training video America the Rude, the lack of good manners and honesty is pointed out as a growing problem.

“As common courtesy becomes less common and good taste is all but a contradiction of terms, Americans continue to push the envelope of socially acceptable behavior. Does the Golden Rule still apply, or are people too busy to care about the feelings of others? This program probes the apparent erosion of decorum in the United States, which has had a profound impact on respect for authority, trust for one another, and willingness to give a helping hand. Experts include Professor Stephen Carter, of Yale University; psychologist Arnold Nerenberg, author of Overcoming Road Rage; and Pier Forni, of Johns Hopkins University’s Civility Project.”
– Ad copy for America the Rude

Doing nice things for people should be the norm, not the exception. In our shrinking world, we need to make the effort. We still need to adhere to the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Is that really so hard? Of course, if were easy, we wouldn’t need training videos like America the Rude, which is actually the first tape in a two-part series called Truth and Consequences: Is America Going Downhill? The second video is called Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.

Lies and rudeness seem to be so prevalent that small courtesies really stand out. This is good for people and businesses that do practice polite customs like expressing pleasantries and sending thank you notes.

Who really wants to be an oaf or a bumpkin? In today’s world it’s easier than ever to be a gentleman or a lady. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, a nod of recognition, or the gift of a used plastic vest.

Don Doman is a published author, video producer, and corporate trainer. He owns the business training site Ideas and Training, which he says is the home of the no-hassle “free preview” for business training videos. He also owns Human Resources Radio, which broadcasts HR and business training information, program previews, and training samples from some of the world’s great training speakers twenty-four hours a day. You can listen and learn on Human Resources Radio.

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Tags: ethical, news, perspectives, articles, issue

Web 2.0 has changed the way the world does business, and PR practitioners must change their ideas about press releases in order to optimise their use of the global marketplace.

Web 2.0 is the second generation of web development. Its emphasis on sharing information and collaborative social networking and has brought with it some important changes to traditional media practices.

Not the least of these is the fact that market savvy individuals now have the power to disseminate press releases and reach their target markets directly.

While mainstream media still play an important role in many PR initiatives, it’s important to remember that your target audience is no longer a small cluster of journalists.

Thanks to the powers of web 2.0 there are now millions of readers out there who are able to access your press releases and turn them into news. To get you on your way we’ve jotted down a few tips and suggestions:

- Understand your new market. Unlike traditional press releases, a web 2.0 press release has the capacity to reach millions of people through search engines and RSS readers. Before you write, think carefully about your target market, and use phrases that will resonate with them.

- Use a distribution service to publish your release. Of course, simply writing a brilliant press release isn’t going to increase sales. Once it’s written, take some time to distribute your release through established distribution channels. As a first point of reference you might like to consider sites such as businesswire.com or marketwire.com.

- Include links. Make sure you give your readers plenty of opportunities to link back to your site. A good press release will provide only a brief outline of newsworthy issues, and readers will expect links to a site where they can get more detailed information.

- Emphasize key words. Think like your target market and be sure to use the same keywords that they use when they are searching for information.

- Remember, good content inspires action. Make sure you release quality content and back it up with strong copy on your own site. Your readers won’t be fooled by fluffy content; they’re looking for substance – be sure to give it to them!

If you need help with a web 2.0 press release, visit Affect Media Copywriting and Communications Consultancy

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Tags: pr, press, press release, media, news

Press releases are an easy-to-use tool to attract media attention for your business and changes or events you are having. They should not be considered advertising and they should be used sparingly and appropriately. You want to attract reporters from local or national media and sending out advertisement style press releases won’t work. They have a purpose and that is to entice reporters with a possible story.

Press releases should make your business story clear and should express what is newsworthy about your event or change within your business. The format is pretty straightforward and there are plenty of templates online. They should be written in third person and have all of your contact information including your name, where your business is located (city and state), your phone numbers and email addresses. They are not difficult to write, but do use proper formatting if you want to get noticed.

If you are a business owner who rose up out of poverty to create a viable business, that is a news story. If you have sold a portion of your business to a Fortune 500 company, that is a news story. If you hire only after school high school employees to help you, that is a news story. If you have started a business that has a really strong niche market, that can be a news story. The fact that you have a business that sells widgets for a low cost is NOT a news story. Find an angle in order to entice reporters to write about you.

If you consider yourself less than a good writer, you can outsource the work to a freelance copywriter. They are easy to find on freelance employment sites like Odesk or Elance. For a standard one page press release, you can expect to pay $5-$15. Don’t skimp! You should review writing samples the writer has done in the past. But, if you write at the executive level, you can easily write your own using templates you found online.

Write a press release that is full of detail, but not marketing, sales or industry talk. Write it in common, news style language and be sure the story is obvious to the reader and reporter. Don’t get bogged down in your personal industry jargon. Write it like you’ve never heard of your business before.

Submit your press releases online. There are a variety of services that will deliver your item. Some are paid sites but there are many free site as well. Do a Google or Yahoo search for press release services and register with each of them. There are restrictions for free submissions and each site has particular requirements so review those before submitting.

Using press releases effectively can brand you as an expert in your field. Don’t throw them out for everything you do. Use them judiciously and look for the stories within your business. Once you learn to develop this eye, you build credibility with reporters. Media attention is free marketing so try sending out some and see what kind of interest you generate.

Steve Schlagel is a CPA, CVA, CFP and attorney with over 30 years experience providing small business owners coaching, training and consulting services. Steve understands business, wealth creation, and building successful and valuable enterprises. Visit this site for more articles or to learn more about his services.

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Tags: map, basic, press, press release, news

1. Write your header. The very top of the page should be your company’s logo or, at the very least, the name of your company. The right hand side should state “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,” all in caps. The left hand side should indicate a contact’s name, address, email and phone number.

2. Write your title in all capital letters. Then, write your subtitle in initial caps. Resist your urge to sell in your titles. A reporter isn’t looking to help you get business. Frame your release in a newsworthy fashion. For example, if your product solves a specific problem, use that viewpoint when you write your title.

3. Write your lead. This is the area that journalists skim when they decide whether or not to keep on reading. It sets up the rest of the release, but should be able to stand alone. The lead should be purely fact-based. This isn’t the place to hype a website or product. Instead, develop your framework using the facts of your story.

4. Write the body. Here is where you can introduce your store, pull people into your new forum or talk about your new product. However, you still must keep your newsy framework in mind and work that end of your story too.

5. Write your boilerplate. This is a standard small paragraph about your business. You should be able to use it over and over again on other releases. After the boilerplate section, use 3 of the numeral symbols to indicate the end of the release [ "###" ].

6. Email your release. You can either use your own email list, or you can hire a company to send it for you such as PR Newswire or PressDr.com. PR Newswire will send it out online, but PressDr.com will email directly to editors. It’s up to you which one you choose.

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Tags: pr, press release, press, news, coverage, email

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

You have an upcoming media appearance – an article in a newspaper, magazine, blog, or newsletter or an interview on television, radio or podcast. Great! You’re done until after the appearance, right? WRONG. There is more you can do to make sure you maximize the effect of the publicity. Use these tips to make sure you get the bang for your buck!

1. Tell the people who love you.
No, not your mom. (Okay, tell your mom.) Tell your regular customers through your email blast, with all the details about how they can tune in/read it. Be sure to add a “Forward to a Friend” button!

2. Tell people who don’t know you.
Create a postcard or half-page flier about the upcoming appearance and leave stacks of it around your public space (retail front, lobby, office), in coffee shops, on community bulletin boards… anyplace you can leave some, do. If you’re doing a trade show or fair, hand out the flier. And tuck one into any press kits you’re sending out!

3. Ask if anyone else wants you, too.
If it’s an out-of-town media appearance, contact other outlets and ask if they want to interview you, too. Don’t go to competing outlets – ie, if you’re being interviewed on radio, don’t go to another radio station.

Bonus tip: Make sure other media outlets know about your upcoming appearance – your local media (if it’s out of town), alumni (college and frat), industry outlets, Chamber of Commerce, and any other organizations you belong to (the Home Owners Association of Your Neighborhood?).

Andi Enns is a cutting-edge Public Relations & Marketing Campaign Strategist specializing in small businesses, nonprofits and individuals. She lives in Kansas City, but works with organizations nation-wide. Visit her website or her blog
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Tags: publicity, news, newspaper, magazine, blog

1. Identify your angle, and it better be newsworthy. Starting a new website is not a newsworthy angle unless you are someone special, or the website is something incredibly special. Try to link in your website launch with something that’s happening within your niche, as this is likely to see your press release given much more attention than a typical ‘new product’ mail shot. If you can’t find a newsworthy angle, consult a professional. A press release that has no news is worthless.

2. Make it sound like news, not an advert. Ever wonder what journalists do for most of their day? Well, they sift through advertising in the form of press releases trying to sort out the garbage from the news. Don’t add your press release to this pile of trash. Start thinking as if you are the reporter. Is your press release full of jargon or phrases such as “ground-breaking new product”? If it is, throw it in the bin now, because that’s exactly what the journalist will be doing with it.

3. Proor fead. Er, I mean, proof read. Review your press release and then review it again. Then, get someone else to read it over if possible. Eliminate bad grammar and spelling mistakes. If you can’t do this, you are not serious about the news you are trying to gain coverage for. If you don’t come across as serious and professional, why should any journalist publish anything you send them? Trust is essential. They, their editor, and their employer are extremely liable for wrongly reported facts, and if they have no trust in your ability to be professional, they are likely to question whether what you have written is even factual.

4. Don’t send your press release to every journalist within 100 miles. This is a very simple point. You need to target who you are sending your press release to. A sports journalist is not interested in your business story and he is too busy to have any interest in passing it on. Make sure your press release is getting to the correct person not simply a person.

5. Get your quotes worthy of a place in your press release. Please, please, please. Avoid quotes such as “Bloggs has demonstrated a willingness to innovate when the economic climate allows us to develop our distinctive product range further,” said Joe Bloggs, junior vice-president Bloggs product development. Do an interview and pick a good, powerful quote that will draw readers if the journalist decides to use it.

If all else fails, hire a professional.
We are a team of journalists who, between us, have over 100 years experience of writing award-winning content for national media and international business. Together, we form the team of professional business writers that make up, Visit this Site.

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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

If you are opening a dollar store you’ll soon discover the positive impact that continually creating appropriate press releases for your dollar store can have on the business. However it is important for you to only create and submit press releases for significant events. It is also important that all press releases be created in a way to maximize the number of readers. You’ll soon discover the greater the number of people who are reading about your store the greater the number of people who will actually come into your store. In this article we will focus on how to create press releases for your business.

If you are opening a dollar store – that would be the first topic to cover in a press release. Start by writing a compelling headline. Notice the word; compelling. You must create a headline that will attract attention. It must be persuasive and gripping. After all, the goal of the headline is to motivate readers to read further. And of course reading further means they will discover some important news about your dollar store business.

With the headline created, you are ready to move on to the body of the press release. Take a few minutes to outline the key messages you want to convey about your dollar store. Include information about the size of the store, the products you sell, something about you, and other important information you’d like to share. Then start writing the details about each of those key messages.

Remember to make the first topic covered in the press release the most important. This topic needs to be the primary reason you are communicating. Each successive item covered should be important, but of lower importance than the item listed above. Information to include should answer questions of ‘who, what, where, when, how’ about the topic of the press release. Stay on-point, never adding in non-value-added details.

When opening a dollar store it is important develop the habit of writing press releases whenever there is an appropriate topic to share. Don’t allow these opportunities to communicate about your dollar store to pass without creating a quality press release. However be sure you are following the simple process covered in this article. You’ll write attention-grabbing press releases that will be read. More important; you find new shoppers walking through the doors of your store because of the press releases you write and submit.

To your dollar store success!

Find out how you can open your own dollar store business.

Bob Hamilton is an entrepreneur, author, writer, business consultant and trainer.

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Tag: write, press release, press, news, coverage

An effective SEO press release can generate increased online visibility and introduce your products and services in front of a new audience, but they need to be distributed wisely. Otherwise, the news item will likely go unnoticed by important search engines and missed by potential customers. The main method of distribution is through online PR distribution sites. Not all sites have the same value, so you will need to choose wisely in order to get the best results.

Free Vs Paid Press Release Submission Sites

The benefit of free press release submission sites is that they are free! However, everything free comes with a ‘price.’ News stories published on free press release submission sites are generally supported through ads displayed along the sides of the piece. Free press releases don’t usually offer all of the aesthetic and search engine-friendly benefits of a those that have even a nominal fee. Some allow images and a limited number of anchor text or URLs. Others restrict an SEO press release to nothing more than just the basic text with no clickable items.

Paid press release distribution sites generally provide a variety of different options and perks such as pull quotes (large quotes that are pulled out of the text for added interest), images, and anchor text. They may also offer inclusion in search engine news feeds and various RSS feeds on the web. In some cases, you are required to pay a large monthly or yearly fee to join, but in many cases you can pay per press release submission.

What Features To Look For When Choosing A Press Release Submission Site

When selecting a press release submission site to enhance your internet marketing campaign, you’ll want to be on the lookout for those that offer the right combination of features:

Look for a press release distribution site that makes the title of the press release into the title tag for the item. This greatly improves its ranking in the various search engines and increases its visibility when you use your keywords in your press release titles.

While not a must, social bookmarking buttons are a definite benefit. Social media sites like Stumble Upon, Del.icio.us, Technorati, Furl, Digg, and others expose your item to millions more readers to increase the excitement around your news.

One of the most important features to look for in a press release distribution site is the availability of anchor text links. Building anchor text backlinks is an essential part of any search engine marketing campaign. Avoid sites that use text link advertising. These direct readers away from your news and generally clutter up your SEO press release.

Since press releases are ultimately written for the reader, look for sites that keep the reader in mind. The news items should be easy to read and use a standard format. This allows the reader to find the information he or she is interested in and directs their attention to the important things. Pull quotes, for example, instantly catch the reader’s eye and make the press release more visually appealing and work to pull the reader into your message.

A professional look makes it possible for you to send the link to potential customers. You can also include the link in newsletters and emails to current clients to keep them updated on the latest happenings within your company.

Christine O’Kelly is the founder of the SEO copywriting firm, SEO Content Solutions and the co-founder of Online PR News.com, a press release submission resource where businesses can submit free press releases or submit SEO press releases for just $6.

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Tags: public relation, press release, seo, online, news

The time intensive way to submit a press release is to go to different third party people who publish this type of content and submit the article individually to each one. This can take quite a bit of time on your part, and it could be time you could be using to monetize your site or increase the perceived value of your product offerings. Needless to say, it’s also mind-numbing and very tedious repetitive work. So, why not get someone else to do it for you?

That’s were press release services help not only to reach more news outlets, but it keeps you from burning out submitting press release after press release. A good press release service will also help you to optimize your submission so that when it is sent out, it will have the most impact on the search engines, by giving you keyword fields to add that information. And, they will often have so many publishers lined up to publish your press release that it would take you considerably more time to get as many on your own.

So, using someone who is knowledgeable about how to submit and publish press releases simplifies the process for you and garners much more media attention down the line. This increases the traffic potential of your press release while keeping you free to pay attention to more money-making opportunities.

Some additional reasons to use a press or news release service are:

• You reach many different Internet readers that you normally wouldn’t reach,
• You will end up submitting it through a process that helps you to write better releases,
• You get indexed by Google News, MSN News, and more by submitting to only one press release service,
• They are available to numerous RSS readers who rely on this format to scan tons of news items daily,
• It drives tons of traffic to your site for minimal effort,
• It can help you defend the branding of your web site,
• It generates publicity from mainstream news sources.

By the way…do you want to learn exactly how to create a high income online business by meeting the needs of people in your niche through coaching, consulting, and teaching online classes?

Download my new recording: “How to Sell High Ticket Products Online” here

Or…do you want to learn how to increase your online income by adding coaching, consulting, and online classes to your existing practice or business? Find out how here: Internet Marketing Coaching

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: public relations, information, interactive, press release, news

The time intensive way to submit a press release is to go to different third party people who publish this type of content and submit the article individually to each one. This can take quite a bit of time on your part, and it could be time you could be using to monetize your site or increase the perceived value of your product offerings. Needless to say, it’s also mind-numbing and very tedious repetitive work. So, why not get someone else to do it for you?

That’s were press release services help not only to reach more news outlets, but it keeps you from burning out submitting press release after press release. A good press release service will also help you to optimize your submission so that when it is sent out, it will have the most impact on the search engines, by giving you keyword fields to add that information. And, they will often have so many publishers lined up to publish your press release that it would take you considerably more time to get as many on your own.

So, using someone who is knowledgeable about how to submit and publish press releases simplifies the process for you and garners much more media attention down the line. This increases the traffic potential of your press release while keeping you free to pay attention to more money-making opportunities.

Some additional reasons to use a press or news release service are:

• You reach many different Internet readers that you normally wouldn’t reach,
• You will end up submitting it through a process that helps you to write better releases,
• You get indexed by Google News, MSN News, and more by submitting to only one press release service,
• They are available to numerous RSS readers who rely on this format to scan tons of news items daily,
• It drives tons of traffic to your site for minimal effort,
• It can help you defend the branding of your web site,
• It generates publicity from mainstream news sources.

By the way…do you want to learn exactly how to create a high income online business by meeting the needs of people in your niche through coaching, consulting, and teaching online classes?

Download my new recording: “How to Sell High Ticket Products Online” hereSource
Or…do you want to learn how to increase your online income by adding coaching, consulting, and online classes to your existing practice or business? Find out how here: Internet Marketing Coaching

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: public relations, information, interactive, press release, news

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

A Press Release serves two purposes, one is to advertise your business, product, or service, and the other is to get name recognition for marketing purposes. The thing is you do not want the press release to sound like and advertisement. It is an introduction, and information about whatever you are offering be it a service or product.

There are templates for press releases readily available on the internet. What you need to include is the logo of the company, an eye catching headline, a descriptive subhead about the headline, Dateline which includes date of release and city the business originated in, a lead paragraph which better be interesting, second paragraph which goes into more details, keywords for SEO purposes, good quotes, body of press release it includes facts, testimonials, and any statistics you might have, boilerplate which is where you tell the background of your organization, and contact information.

All of this information is usually placed on one or two pages. It should be well written, with good grammar, eye catching text, and include everything a prospective client might need to know. It should make them want to take action by visiting the website of the company.

The logo is important to get the brand out there and in the minds of the prospective clients. The headline should jump out at you so that you will want to read it, and read more. The subhead may or may not be used it depends on the clients wants and needs. The dateline is a must, because it adds legitimacy and urgency to the press release.

The lead paragraph needs to draw your reader in, so it must be interesting, creative, and informative. This is the paragraph that could sway the prospective clients to continue reading, or to move on to something else. This is really the most important paragraph in the press release.

The second paragraph gives more details about the item or service being offered and why they client would need it. What will it do for them? Let them know how it will help them. Include keywords or phrases throughout the press release, just make sure they are spaced out and do not read like they were just stuffed in to the press release.

Quotes from other businesses or articles, or any other important industry person should be used when they can be. In the body of the press release keep it light, put easy to read facts about the business, statistics about future or current trends that would include your service or product should also be included here. You want it to be interesting to read, not just facts and figures thrown out there.

The boilerplate is where you give a brief history about the company, and how the service or product came to be. Who made it and why. Then you need to include all of the contact information including website, phone number, and address. This way immediate action can be taken by the potential client. This will make a good press release and it should help to bring in business if it is well written and informative.

Rebecca Game is a 30 year entrepreneur who founded the online community for women in business at Digital-Women.com It provides resources and tools for women starting a business of their own. Please visit her site: Digital Women – Loans for Women

This article may be freely used when author/resource box is totally intact with live link.

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Rebecca Game – EzineArticles Expert Author

Tags: write, press release, marketing, advertising, news

During my 25 years as an Editor I saw some shocking press releases that immediately got rejected. Do your efforts make these five deadly mistakes or are you one of the 5% that succeed?

Nothing but a sales spiel – This is last thing an Editor wants to see is a sales or selling pitch masquerading as a news story. It’s attempting to cheat the system and ends up in immediate rejection of that release and potentially each future one that is submitted.

The wrong people write it – I hate press releases that are by PR folk as they typically have one thing in common they know so very little about the service or product that they are describing that it shows. This phenomenon is so much worse if you are a tiny company hiring a third party PR company.

Don’t do it – There are those that have great stories to tell of innovative products or great services but keep them to themselves as they never release a press release. There can be many reasons for this and one may be because perhaps they don’t realise that a press release is both one of the most effective forms of internet marketing but also one of the most cost effective. The worst and most common reason is that they feel that a press release is just for the big companies with big PR departments and not for them.

Spend a fortune for nothing – Its a sad fact that too many people are being conned, scammed, over charged and generally ripped off throughout the internet and sadly the area of press releases is no exception. There are too many ways to waste money whether it be getting a press release written or submitted with extra or bonus options that eat up money but deliver very little. Your focus should not be on whats promised but on the results that are delivered.

Bend the truth – No matter how tempting it may be you must never bend the truth to make a better story for your press release. Nor should you copy or plagiarise as you will be found out find that publicity harder to handle.

I gained a unique view of press releases as I would trash 95% of them when I was a magazine Editor. Now I have released the Press Release Video Course to help you enjoy press release success and the Free Press Release Distribution Software to help you send your press release to 10 submissions sites for zero dollars!

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Tags: press release, mistake, press, pr, news, coverage

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

The creation and distribution of a press release is done to communicate with media representative about all the worthy events taking place around the globe. Its target is to catch media attention. A press release not only helps the event to be attended by these media personnel’s but also encourages them to write an assess on the same. The presentation behind such writings is very much essentials.

In today’s world, press release writing has turned into a major source of profitability. It helps in publicizing the product for which it is written. These releases eventually help the business to grow and earn handsomely at the same time. These press releases are a form of marketing which helps in bringing out unbiased views from across the globe. People are persuaded by such opinions towards these products. They hardly consider other surveys conducted by the company that give a feedback positive in nature believing them to be tricks and trades of the business owners adapted to popularize their product.

We should always follow certain code of conducts for realizing maximum Profitability from press release writing.

Think like a reader

It is a good practice to have a mind of a reader while writing such press releases. It helps us to gain the point of views and requirements of the readers from the product concerned. We should assure that all the queries, possibly hovering in the mind of the readers should be cleared with proper details. Sketching the content is a very important aspect of the press release.

Proper way of presentation

The presentation is a very important aspect of a news release. The notion delivered by such writing should not be that of an advertisement. It should rather have an essence that is generally related to breaking news that pulls the attention of the readers towards it. Presentation is vastly helped by inserting images related to the topic as it adds beauty to the release and buys the attention of the reader.

Support with examples

A press release can completely absorb the attention of its readers only when the writing is provided with examples. It helps the reader to relate the product to the example and extract a comprehensive decision relating to the product.

Writing for the mass

While writing a press release with profitability in mind, we should not consider a group of reader as our subject. The whole mass should be taken into consideration. To benefit the mass, simple but impressive words should be used throughout the release. It draws attention of more readers as they prefer uncomplicated reviews to complex releases. The grammar used should be profound.

Choosing an apt title

The basic thing that we should never forget while writing a press release is formulating a catchy title. This is important, as it is the first thing in the release that is noticed by the reader. A catchy title can draw attention of the reader. The title gives its reader the reason to continue. At the same time, a scrappy title can deliver the wrong theme and might result in receiving a negative feedback from them.

Adding the Contact details

The press release should contain all the information that is required in relation to the article with proper research on the same. It should also contain information regarding the contact person, telephone no.s, email ids and web sites for clearing further doubts related to the product. The contact info should be appended to the end of the release.

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Tags: pr, press release, job, write, news, newsworthy

Public Relations or PR is often an overlooked part of the marketing mix. Many organisations feel it is too expensive, and doesn’t really deliver results. In most cases the opposite is true and cost effective, well managed PR campaigns can generate awareness and in many instances deliver business leads. So here are just a few tips to ensure you make the most out of your PR approach.

Tip 1

DIY or Consultant- whether or not you use a PR consultant or agency is up to you. However unless you have the contacts, time and imagination to generate PR for your company, then work with a PR professional. They have the contacts with the journalists, understand how the PR process works and can have a real impact on the success of your PR campaigns.

Tip 2

Choosing a consultant- see at least three PR consultants and ensure you give them a brief for the type of PR services you require. The brief should include your PR objectives for the next year, your target audience, key messages and any measurable objectives. Once you have met with them to see how they would address your objective, you will be in a better position to decide who can deliver the services you need. Also take up references from their current customers, call them to find out how well they have performed.

Tip 3

Press releases – they are the most traditional way of letting journalists know about any news that you may have. They can work, but should not be the only part of an effective approach to PR. Journalists and editors get hundreds of press releases a day and you have to be pretty imaginative to get your press release noticed. Sending out endless press releases does not equate to an effective approach to PR. Think before you send out your next press release, is it really newsworthy?

Tip 4

Relationships – ensure that either you or your consultant has good relationships with relevant journalists. These types of contacts are invaluable as the journalists and editors are more likely to take a call from someone they know. Keeping in regular contact with them ensures that you or your consultant know about the articles they are currently working on and you can introduce them to your key spokesperson who is able to give them quotes when they need them.

Tip 5

The Story – whatever your PR approach make sure you have good stories to tell that create publicity and are interesting. Try and create an angle, something that makes your organisation stand out.

Tip 6

Target – targeting the right media is vitally important, pick a range of publications and online media which are relevant to your organisation and target them. It is much easier to build a rapport with journalists and get included in articles in 10 key publications than a 100 that you send press releases to. This also means that the readers will become familiar with your organisation if they are regular readers.

Tip 7

Key Spokesperson(s) – no matter how large or small your organisation is, you must have one or two key spokespersons for the company who have been trained to talk to the media, it also gives journalists a better chance of remembering who to ask for if they want a quote from you. This ensures that you communicate the information you want, and stops wrong or inconsistent information being issued. This is vitally important if you ever have to handle any bad publicity and you need to ensure that all comments come from a verified source.

Tip 8

Forward features – all publications publish a list of the features and articles they are intending to run in the future. It is important that you know what they are, and which journalists are writing them so that either you or you PR consultant can keep in touch to see if you can contribute with quotes and relevant stories.

Tip 9

E-media – remember it’s not just the printed page where you can gain coverage, there are a range of e-publications that are either a web version of the printed version or are specifically web based. Many of them send out regular newsletters to subscribers on a daily or weekly basis, with a click through to main news stories on their web site. They turn around information very quickly and it pays to have good contacts within these types of e-publications.

Tip 10

Measurement – Measure your PR effectiveness, it’s important you do it for direct mail, so why not for PR. There are various measurement schemes you can use and they are especially useful for ensuring that a PR agency is delivering the objectives you have set them and you are getting a good ROI. One measurement scheme you could use is simple and provides a benchmark for the coverage you are getting month on month. It is a point based system and works like this;

* 1 point-headline contains your company name
* 1 point- a key message was communicated in the article
* 1 point- an image or picture was used
* 1 point- there was a quote from a key spokesperson
* 1 point- prominent position in the publication
* 5 points-A whole 5 points is awarded if the whole article was about your company

For more articles like this, visit this website and take a look at our marketing articles page

Joanne Morley – Brighter Marketing click here for information.

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Tags: public relations, techniques, news, article, release

To keep the show moving I would need dynamic topics and guests. Needless to say is the fact that I was bombarded with press releases and phone calls from potential guests pitching me topics they could talk about if only I’d let them come on the show. However, it was my job as a producer to really sort out the best content and the most media savvy people of the bunch. And when it came to ratings it meant also getting people on that would really put a bit of entertaining into the show.

Here’s the part of the article you need to pay attention to:

The most important thing you need to keep in mind when seeking publicity for yourself is that you must be determined to get the publicity by creating your platform through an allotted time frame that will almost never be immediately.

I remember receiving press releases and having the P.R. person call me and asking me to have their client on the show the next day. Unless you are on the FBI most wanted list and are ready to talk, you will not get on immediately.

Here are some Tips you need to keep in mind when looking to land a TV interview:

1. Send your Press Releases with catchy, relative topic ideas on a consistent basis. This will allow the producer to be acquainted with you and what you can offer.

2. Call the Producer to build rapport. Don’t be pushy, arrogant or critical of the show. This will not help you. Instead, introduce yourself, make note of the numerous Press Releases you have sent and offer to be available whenever needed.

3. Be prepared to offer something really good as far as content and delivery. If your content is blah, and you presence is blah, you can follow the best P.R. blueprint and you just wont make it on the show. Remember T.V. is a business and producers need to have ratings. So really set yourself apart from the many other experts who are trying to land that on-air time.

4. Don’t bribe the producer. It’s usually the least likely person to get the interview that will try to dazzle the producer with expensive gifts and V.I.P. invitations. Again, if your content is no good and you don’t seem to be a charismatic, charming media darling; chances are the producers may keep your expensive gifts and you won’t get the exposure you so badly want.

5. Do go the extra mile in making the Producers life a little easier. Pitch hard to resist topics, have any information about you, your products and services easily available to them. Provide them with quality pictures of yourself and your book if you have one. This is one less task they would have to produce.

Remember that landing a T.V. interview will take some time. So prepare your campaign with time and in the meantime sharpen your image and media performance so you can be your best once the spotlight is on you.

© 2008 Julissa M. Fernandez

Entrepreneur Julissa Fernandez a.k.a “The Sassy Media Guru” is a Media Coach and Media Consultant helping other women entrepreneurs become Media Darlings. To learn more visit this site

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Tags: public relations, tv, interview, press, news

One of the best ways that you can advertise, even on a small budget, is to use press releases. Of course if you decide to advertise through press releases, you need to make sure that they are news worthy so they actually get published. If you’re wondering how to write a news-worthy press release, here are some top tips to help.

Make Sure You Have a Catchy Headline

Probably the most important thing you can do when working to write a news-worthy press release is to make sure that you have a catchy headline. It should actually summarize the entire press release for you. Not only will you be competing with other press releases to get published, but you’ll also be working to grab the readers’ attention as well.

If people aren’t drawn in by the headline, chances are that they won’t give the press release a second look. So, make sure the headline catches the attention of the reader and is an accurate portrayal of what is in the press release.

Ensure the Body Supports the Headline

Next you’ll want to make sure that your press release body supports your headline. It should work off the headline by providing the who, what, where, why, and when. It should take that headline and go deeper into the topic, providing important news that readers want to know. If your body does not support your headline, you’ll have a problem even getting the press release accepted.

Avoid Any Hype

The quickest way to get your press release rejected is to put hype into the release. Press releases that are news worthy are to be written from a journalistic point of view. This means that it should be unbiased and only provide the facts. Too much hype will make it look like a sales letter and editors are not going to publish that kind of a press release.

Always Add Contact Information

Adding your contact information and a brief profile of your company is important as well when writing a news-worthy press release. This is especially important if editors and readers are not familiar with your company. You’ll give them some background information that is useful, and of course you want the contact information included so that people can contact you for more information or even visit your website.

After you write the press release, make sure that you go back and look it over carefully. Tighten up the writing, look for errors, and ensure that it is easy to read. Then you’ll be ready to submit the press release.

Chris Simpson is dedicated to helping people find honest and legitimate work at home online and home based business opportunities. Find a legitimate work at home opportunity and learn to start working at home today at this site

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Tags: pr, write, news, press release, newsworthy