I often get new clients trying to sell tickets for a workshop or event. It might be that they’ve just run an event, and just about broke even, and never want to be in that position again. Or it could be the fact that the workshop is near enough upon them and panic has set in.

Promoting an event or workshop works very differently from raising the profile of a business and it needs a very different strategy. So, if you’ve got a date looming then read on…

1. Revisit why you are holding this event

Is making money the be-all-and-end-all for you? If it is, then fine, at least you know where you stand. But for many of us it can help to take a slightly different angle of things. I know that many of the low-cost workshops I have run in the past have brought me future clients not only from amongst the attendees, but from the people they have gone on to tell about me. If you look at your event or workshop as a possible teaser or opportunity for people to get to know you and your work better you are perhaps taking some of the pressure off yourself, which can’t be a bad thing.

2. The Money’s in The Mailing List

And I’m not talking about any old marketing mailing list here. I’m talking about your own ezine or newsletter, that regularly shows and tells people what you do, how you can help them and gives you ample opportunities to start advertising and promoting your events well before time. I’m in the lucky position of having a large database of newsletter subscribers and often I only have to mention an event once to have it fully booked. But I’ve put 7 years into building up my subscriber list and that’s not to be underestimated. Indeed, I’d say the best approach is a long term one – focus your attention on building your list up before you do anything else, and the rest will follow.

3. Do Your Research

Don’t just come up with something you fancy running. Do your research and find out if there really is a demand. Run a survey to find out what people want right now. Remember, everything goes in cycles. Be prepared to change. Two years ago everyone wanted me to talk about blogging, last year it was Facebook and at the moment it’s Twitter. Who knows what’s next?

4. Don’t Waste Time on Press You Can’t Reach

How far ahead is your event? If it’s next month there’s no point in targeting magazines that often work three to four months ahead. A short run up to your event means that you need short-deadline press – the radio, Internet and weekly and daily newspapers.

5. Strategic Partners

Who do you know that can help you (and how can you help them?)? I often get people emailing asking me to put their workshop or event into my newsletter. I very rarely do, mainly because I’d be inundated with them if I did. But it’s also interesting to notice how few of them offer to return the favour.

But finding those people who have access to the people you want to reach can work wonders. But go fully armed with why they should help – are you offering a cut or affiliate fee, a free place, help with something completely unrelated in the future. Potentially, strategic partnerships are much more than an opportunity to flog a few tickets. It’s a chance to build a relationship that could benefit the both of you, in the long-term.

6. Make it News-worthy

Press releases singing your event’s praises something aren’t enough. It’s great if you’ve got some good name acts and you know they alone will catch people’s eyes. But if you’re selling something drier and you need to grab the attention of every passing journalist then you need to perk it up and tie your release in with something topical.

7. Give a Taster

If you’re getting inquiries about your workshop but still finding that people are reluctant to part with their money, consider running a pre-event teleclass to give them a taster of what you do, and answer questions on the call. Email them straight after with a special buy-now-and-get-a-great-discount-offer and you’ll find that people are much more enthused to get their credit cards out.

Do Your Own PR shows small businesses how to plan and run their own campaigns. Check out their 30 day PR ecourse here

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Tags: public, relation, tips, promote, workshop

Event listing websites can certainly help you along the way with online event promotion campaigns. Event posting services are absolutely free, which means that you benefit from completely free advertising for your event. Since advertising can be quite costly, the advantages of free advertising certainly cannot be overlooked.

You will want to create visually appealing announcements and advertisements for your upcoming event announcements. You will also want to get your upcoming event listed in as many local listing sites as possible. With this in mind, you can take care of both issues at various local event guides. In truth, some directories listing upcoming events give the event lister little control over how the event is listed, how long the event is listed for, and how the event listing appears. This issue is readily alleviated when one turns to dedicated event sites because when you utilize the free services supplied by the site, in conjunction with a free image hosting provider, you can provide event photo albums, visual flyers, and a printed, informative listing pertaining to your upcoming event.

The act of promoting your event means that you will need to make the event appealing to the target audience. Online photo album creation gives you a chance to grab the attention of people with busy schedules, individuals that don’t have time to read about every single available event, and those individuals that prefer visual advertisements over text advertisements. In a sense, you are painting a picture of the upcoming event, and you can even use previous images of similar events in order to gain the attention of your selected audience.

You will also benefit from brochure posting. A brochure will supply your target audience with all of the pertinent upcoming event information required with a dash of visually appealing imagery. The unison of information and illustrations or images can reach out to a broad audience and inform people quickly about your upcoming event. Flyers are equally effective means for appealing to the masses, and you can benefit from an Internet resource that provides you with all of the latter options at a single location.

The visually appealing advertisement, online brochure and/or flyer are a major attractant for many consumers and empower you to better reach a target audience about your upcoming event. In addition, you have the ability to list as many as twenty listings simultaneously, which means more power for your advertising campaign. Further, events listed on the site are put into an RSS feed, which reaches and even broader audience.

Clearly, a superlative resource, Visit this site which is completely free, and amazingly powerful.

Joe Deacon is an amateur event planner with experience promoting events online.

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Tags: promote, service, event, online, campaign

Looking for a new way to promote your organization and establish credibility among your audiences? Perhaps you need to find a ghost.

No, I’m not suggesting you tag along with Scooby-Doo and Shaggy to a creepy tropical island (besides, we already know that the caretaker is the guilty party). Nor do I think your global headquarters would benefit from an exorcism.

What I’m talking about is the marketing value in ghostwritten articles. If you’re not familiar with the term, a ghostwriter is a professional writer who develops articles that carry somebody else’s byline – such as yours. Many of the articles that are “authored” by top corporate executives are actually written on their behalf by ghostwriters.

Perhaps your engineer has developed a process that eliminates one of the most common nightmares in your customers’ industry. Maybe your sales manager has a unique understanding of one of your key markets. Or it could be that your CEO has spotted threats in a proposed piece of legislation. All of those are great opportunities for developing and submitting articles.

Publishing such articles can be a very powerful marketing tool. Prospects who won’t sit still for a quick sales call will read through an entire article and absorb more information than your best salesperson could deliver. Savvy organizations distribute reprints of articles to their customers, prospects, and industry thought leaders. It’s not unusual for published authors to be invited to speak to trade groups or at industry conferences.

However, most companies face obstacles to getting articles written and published. Your engineer may be a brilliant woman, but you have trouble reading her memos without a dictionary. Every minute that your sales manager spends at the keyboard takes his eyes away from the sales force. And it’s easier to land a space on President Bush’s appointment calendar than to get ten minutes of quality time with your CEO.

All of those are excellent reasons for working with a ghostwriter. Even if the executive or employee in question writes well, writing probably isn’t the most effective use of his or her time. In addition, many editors would rather work through a seasoned ghostwriter. Their goal is to publish content that will be interesting and useful to their readers, and a good ghostwriter will present the information in a more meaningful and engaging way. Busy editors know that a ghostwritten story will require less polishing than one submitted by a non-writer.

Some people think that there’s something inherently unethical or dishonest about ghostwriting. But an effective ghostwriter captures what you know and presents it in a way that reflects your attitude and personality. For example, I’ll typically interview the “author” in person or by phone to better understand the gist of the article, gather the facts, and listen for subtleties in the way he or she explains the points. Those subtleties find their way into the article as phrases or tones that make it sound as though the “author” had written them.

The next time you pick up a trade magazine or scroll through an online publication like this one, glance at the articles from folks in your industry. Could similar articles have been written by your executives or employees? Could your organization be basking in the good impressions and expert status those articles are creating?

Maybe it’s time you teamed up with a ghost of your own.

Scott Flood creates effective copy for companies and other organizations. To learn more, visit this site ©2008 Scott Flood All rights reserved.

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Tags: pr, marketing, promote, public relations, write

New and established companies need constant exposure in order for people to keep the products or services of the company in mind. Writing a press release about the company will not only bolster further interest but it also allows the public a chance to know the company’s progress and undertakings.

A press release should convey vital information on a topic such as what is it about, why is the subject being written, and if an event or new product is being launched-when and where will this take place and who will be attending. Also, a brief summary or explanation of how the process will take place or how something happened, for instance, should be included. These details provide key information that will provide readers with a thorough understanding of the company. However, not all of these questions can be answered because each issue may not contain all of the information mentioned.

Another form of press release that can be issued is an interview with a prominent figure in the company. Distinguished persons spur interest and show that the company is exceptional to have remarkable people standing behind its name. Success stories or advice can entice readers to take note of a press release.

However, if your company does not have writers to generate information then outsource news press release is the solution for this. The writer just has to be informed about the mission, goals, inner workings and developments in the company in order to create an article that will best suit the needs of the company.

The author is a staff member at AgentsofValue, a webmaster outsourcing company. Check out the services available on the website here

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Tags: company, promote, communications, public relations, press release

Understand that although promoting yourself may seem a bit uncomfortable, it’s not only warranted, it’s necessary. Steven Spielberg, Oprah, Bill Gates – all of these people excel in their fields, but why is it you know them by name? It’s not the ads or commercials, or direct mail pieces that validate these people; it’s the TV interviews, the magazine articles, the constant media coverage. Even Mother Theresa’s publisher publicized her book.

Understand the importance of promoting yourself. If you believe what you do is important, then it is of equal importance to let others know about it, otherwise you’re not serving your business, yourself, or the public. What good is it to offer a quality product, if no one is ever going to know it exists? What good is all of your hard work, if it’s kept a secret? You may be an expert at what you do, but if it is not in some way brought to the attention of others, your career or business will assuredly fail.

Start thinking like a savvy business person, and a proud one at that. Effective public relations is an integral and extremely necessary part of any kind of business overview. People don’t shy away when they hear that they need a business plan, an office, a phone, or business stationery, yet they often cringe at the thought of PR. Effective media relations should be as integral a part of your business as paying your bills, or buying your materials.

If you have trouble promoting yourself, keep in mind that your job is to get your message across. Your message is what you are working to promote. This isn’t a beauty contest, but a campaign designed to educate and bring your message to the general public. You want to reach the largest audience possible, and the media is the most effective and expedient way to do it.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2007

Anthony Mora
President & CEO

For further information visit his site

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: effective, public relations, promote, pr, publicity

Small businesses with more time than money may find publicity marketing a great way to get the word out about their products and services. But do your homework and pursue this tactic carefully.

Strive to become a media source, not just the subject of a one-time feature story. How?

1. Study the publication carefully to understand the types of articles it publishes.
2. Identify a trend related to your expertise and show how it affects the media’s audience.
3. Develop a list of key tips and ideas that would interest the readers of a newspaper or magazine.
4. Present your list in a well-written press release with a compelling headline, a powerful lead or first paragraph, and a summary paragraph that pulls the list together.
5. Limit your press release to one page, two at the most.
6. Make sure the trend or list leaves people wanting more. Drive the readers to your website for more ideas or suggestions on how to implement them.

Send a press release to a specific beat reporter or desk editor. Take the time to get the name and title of the person you are sending the release to, before contacting them. If you write well, volunteer to write an article as a guest expert.

Check your spelling and grammar carefully. If a media person receives a release that is riddled with errors and misspellings, they tend not to trust the source. Such a release is destined for the trash can.

Create a media kit on your website and include every press release you issue on your website with the date it was issued, along with other background material about your company.

Send your press releases to PRWeb.com and other online media outlets. But before you send a press release, check to see if the publication issues submission guidelines. Make sure your release complies.

Keep in mind that reporters and editors are busy people. Do everything you can to make their lives easier. If you are suggesting a trend piece, consider other experts or trade association executives they could interview to flesh out the story. Include the names, phone numbers and email addresses of your contacts in a cover letter to make it easy for them to reach people who can provide additional information and great quotes on the topic you are suggesting.

Avoid the crunch times leading up to their deadlines. Send a press release or media kit first, and follow up with a brief, well-timed phone call to see if the reporter or editor received the release and needs any other information.

Always make sure you are available after you send your release and get back to the reporter as quickly as possible when contacted, to answer their questions.

Media coverage is more valuable than a pricey ad in the same publication because you cannot buy an article which gives it greater credibility.

A press release must be compelling, fresh and timely. But even if your release is perfect, it might not be used because the publication carried a similar piece last month. Or it might have a wonderful angle, but it arrived the same day as the plane crash that half the news room was pressed into covering.

Think of publicity marketing as a long-term strategy. You are building a relationship with the media that may not pay off every time you send a release, but that will reap benefits over time in the way your company is perceived by the editorial staff and their readers.

Marcia Ming, a former business reporter, is publisher of Savvy Marketing Secrets, a new ezine about marketing for small business owners. Visit her Website to learn more and sign up for a free eBook, Building Traffic with Content.

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

Without question it must be really nice to be Oprah Winfrey. After all who truly reach the heights to have an annual show appearance that becomes the holiday season biggest rave and be able to give away millions of dollars in prizes to the audience? This year’s Oprah’s Favorite Things show for 2007 give away over 2 million dollars in prizes to the audience, awarding over 300 audience members prizes worth over $7,247.33 a person.

Oprah typically selects 20 companies and products to feature during her favorite things show. What about the other hundreds of millions of other companies and products out there? They can generally wait another hundred million years to make the list or turn the hype from Oprah’s Favorite Things show into their own publicity campaign. This theory proves to be a sure bet for success as Oprah even selected her very own book to appear on Oprah’s Favorite Things as her #19 pick – O’s Guide To Life. No wonders how this will impact her book sales?

The first thing is to understand the hype surrounding Oprah and the power her name carries in the media. Oprah’s Favorite Things show is an instant boost to the economy and for the lucky 20 companies selected a mega revenue surge. Just knowing this information you would think that most companies would kick down doors to be apart of this publicity. However, few take advantage of this golden opportunity to increase brand awareness or revenue earnings.

Publicity tips to capitalize from the hype of Oprah’s Favorite Things:

1. Item Category – Review Oprah’s Favorite Things and search for a product that is in your same category. Highlight features and benefits that make your product standout.

2. Promote Category Selection – Prepare a media release about Oprah’s Favorite Things selecting your product category. Tell what makes your product’s features and benefits standout. If possible reveal customer testimonials, experiences etc.

Here is how a good sample header would appear:

Oprah’s Favorite Things Wows Audience With Body Butter

XYZ Company offers a wide selection of body butter including the same scent selected on Oprah’s Favorite Things list with all 100% pure and natural elements.

3. Next Year’s Campaign – Now is an excellent time to start campaigning to make Oprah’s Favorite Things list for 2008. Pitch Oprah’s producers on how you started your business, if you borrowed a loan from your father-in-law or took on a second job stress those points. Let them know about your struggles to success. Tell them why your product should be featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things for 2008. Don’t forget to include product samples and customer testimonials.

4. Target Similar Lists – There are thousands of other media resources that are searching for holiday products to highlight. Often many of them trend themselves after Oprah’s Favorite Things and looking for similar products or bigger better ideas to top Oprah’s list. A good start would be to target holiday gift guides, magazines, newspapers, etc. Contact your local area newspapers, radio stations, talk shows etc. Often times you can create a local buzz and turn it into national news.

5. Christmas In July – July is the ultimate time to target publications for December, which Christmas features most often need six months plus. Present your pitch why your product is a favorite things holiday gift idea.

Utilizing the publicity power of Oprah’s Favorite Things is a great strategy to increase brand awareness. This is the golden opportunity to take rejection and turn it into something positive. The power of the O factor is limitless.

“CR” Cataunya Ransom is the Co-founder of Mosnar Communications, INC. She developed a niche for Luxury PR & Global Marketing. Guiding clients on how to brand, market, and promote luxury products, events, and services. Highly respected as a luxury public relations expert! “CR” consults clients and speaks to audiences about luxury public relations and global marketing practices. Visit “CR” at this site

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Tags: media relations, promote, person, product, information

Press releases are used to tell the world about your business. They are ideal for promoting any type of business, particularly MLM Businesses. Press releases are used for a variety of reasons and in a variety of different mediums such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, and the most popular medium, the internet. In this article, we will discuss press releases and how they can benefit your Multi Level Marketing business, when used properly.

What Is A Press Release?

A press release is an announcement issued by your business to specific publications and news related media. The press release increases public awareness of developments and activities within your company. Essentially, a press release is a statement made by your company to promote a person, event, or product that occurs within your MLM business.

Typically, press releases are used solitarily and sent to any of the chosen mediums via postal mail, fax, or email. However, many companies choose to make press releases an integral part of their complete press kits or send along with a pitch letter sent to potential investors, distributors, or clients.

When Should A Press Release Be Used?

This is perhaps the most fundamental aspect of concern for any MLM business. When is a press release appropriate?

A press release should only be used when you have something news worthy to portray. A press release has a specific format that must be followed and in general, it is the same for most all mediums. With that being said, here is a guide you can follow for understanding rather any aspect of your MLM business is press release worthy.

1. Grand Opening – When you first open your MLM business, this is an appropriate time for a press release. It create exposure and knowledge of your business.

2. New Partner – If you have brought a new partner into the mix, this is news worthy and again, creates exposure.

3. New Products – If you have added an exciting line of new products to your MLM business, this is press release worthy news.

4. New Divisions – If you have added a new division within your company, let the world know with a press release.

5. Events – Huge sales, customer appreciation, and other major events within your company are press release worthy.

It is important to remember that press releases are only used for news worthy items. You have to have actual news, it cannot be simply because you feel like writing a press release. It has to tell a story, portray news, and give your customers a reason to read the release.

How Can Press Releases Grow Your Business?

Essentially, press releases are free advertisements. If well written, they can increase awareness, knowledge, and interest in your MLM business. Consider all the money you spend on advertising, well, a well-formed and properly distributed press release can create more revenue than your advertising campaigns put together, and the best part, is that it’s free.

If you have something to say, news, that is exciting to the general public, you will find that your MLM business begins to prosper. You will see more sales, more interest, and more visits altogether.

Tips For Writing A Successful Press Release

The following are some tips that will help your write your press release successfully.

1. Find your angle – What is your news? What will grab the attention of a reporter and a reader?

2. Remember The Format – Company Logo, Contact Information, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (or date of release), Title, Sub-Title, Body, Boiler Plate, and Company Information.

3. Make a Great Headline – It has to attract, inform, and lure the reader.

4. Keep to the facts – Don’t hype up your company, don’t sell your company, and definitely don’t fluff. Lead in with solid and hard-core, verifiable facts.

5. Quotes – Use them, but sparingly and appropriately. Make sure they are exact and in the proper format. Attribute the quotes to its source.

6. Phrases – Some phrases instill boredom and instant dislike. Avoid using phrases that are “hype-like”, such as state of the art, unique, and breakthrough.

7. 3rd Person – Never write a press release and use the first person perspective. Avoid using instances of we or I, unless these words are used in an exact quote.

8. Length – Your press release does not need to be several pages long. Keep it at a maximum of two pages, but shoot for a one page press release.

Writing a press release can help your MLM business gain the exposure and increase awareness. However, they must be well-written, informative, and news worthy to make it work for, instead of, against your business.

Discover Kevin Sinclair’s system for making profits regardless of whether anyone joins your network marketing business.

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Tags: public relations, marketing, press, press release, promote

As a Guerrilla Marketing Coach, I’m a strong believer in implementing free or low cost strategies to publicize your business. As a start-up, with cash flow being slow or non-existent, it’s imperative to find ways where you can gain visibility without spending a lot of money. These tips and tricks are just a sampling of some of the creative ideas you can use to generate publicity now! Try a few to find out which ones work best for you.

1. Publicize With a Press Release

Go to www.prleap.com and sign up for a free account! Cultivate a habit around issuing press releases about newsworthy items related to your business. Use them to announce new additions to your staff, a new book you’ve published, an upcoming workshop or seminar, or the availability of an e-course. Don’t let this wonderful and free opportunity pass you by. In fact, you should make an effort to create some sort of consistent buzz around your business which you can share through a regular press release campaign.

2. Write and Publish Articles Online

Write articles and submit them to websites like Ideamarketers, Goarticles, or Ezinearticles. These websites, in turn, offer your articles, for free or fee, to other online newsletters or ezines. As a result, your articles are spread throughout the internet. You can include a captivating byline, complete with your contact information so any inquiries will be directed back to you. If you don’t like to write, hire a ghostwriter. Publishing articles online is a fast, quick, and free way to spread your name everywhere. Writing is a wonderful way to increase your visibility and credibility with your target market.

3. Craft a Captivating Email Signature

Each time you send an email, you have an opportunity to generate free publicity. Make sure your email signature includes the basics such as your name, company, telephone number, fax number, and email address. Consider adding other information to capture the attention of readers — like a catchy slogan, a link to your blog, or your Skype address. Better yet, if you have a new seminar to offer or you’ve written a book, an e-book or an article, include a line about each of those as well. You might want to experiment with different typestyles and colors, but don’t go overboard. Your primary concern should be readability and to provide useful information. Dress up your email signature and make every email count!

4. Write a Newspaper Article or a Column for Your Local Paper

No matter what your niche, you can always find something interesting to write about. Newspapers editors regularly look for filler for their papers, so if you have something interesting to share, consider presenting your idea to your local paper. It’s best to have several examples of your writing on hand as most of them will request writing samples. You may even consider offering a proposal to write a regular column. Again, check with the editor about the types of stories or ideas he or she is looking to promote. Most likely, you won’t be paid for your contributions, but you’ll probably be supplied with a byline that includes your name and contact information. This is a great way to receive free publicity in your local community. If you write a weekly or monthly column, there’s always a chance you may end up in syndication, with your articles being picked up by newspapers nationwide. Also, don’t hesitate to contact papers outside your local geography. Papers across the nation and the world are always looking for high-quality, well-written content.

5. Contact your Local Talk Radio Station

Local talk radio stations are always looking for interesting people to invite as guests. In order to receive an invitation, you must have something captivating to talk about. Think about how you can relate your product or service to health, wealth, happiness or relationships — four primary areas heavily promoted on talk radio. What’s unique about your product or service? What interesting way can you position yourself as a guest? Keep your eyes and ears open to current events, celebrities in the news, and upcoming holidays to see how you might relate your business to what’s happening in the world around you. If you can find the right angle, rest assured that radio hosts will be eager to speak with you! Radio is a wonderful medium to publicize your company to the masses.

Tara Alexandra Kachaturoff is a business consultant, writer, speaker, Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and the creator/producer/host of Michigan Entrepreneur Television. Drawing on over 15 years of corporate experience, she coaches executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs on business and lifestyle issues and has been featured in print, radio and television. Her websites include VirtualLeverage, Tarakachaturoff, and Michiganentrepreneurtv

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Tags: public, relation, promote, business

Public relations for the local bar is something that they must do in order to keep their bar in business. Too often bars will sell alcohol to people who will then get into their automobiles and drive and when they do they end up causing problems in the community, getting into accidents or perhaps even killing someone.

Since people know that people who drink and drive are bad news they often look at the bars for the reasons that these horrific accidents occur. Because of that negative publicity and public relations it is very hard for the bars to maintain positive community goodwill. However, it is possible for bars to do quite well if they understand how to bring it all together in the community.

One thing a local bar can do is to have it become a place where local singles who meet on the Internet can come to meet each other in person. Then it would be considered a safe haven and neutral point for that first meeting.

Local bars can also increase their image by promoting themselves to local corporations as a place to do business deals. If a bar works on upscale clientele it will find itself with less hassles down the road from bar fights out in the parking lot, damaged vehicles or drunk drivers who can not handle the alcoholic drink. Please consider all this in 2006.

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

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Tags: bars, public relations, promote, business, publicity

You would think that public relations for the Blue Angels Navy aerobatic sports team would be easy, but it isn’t and in some areas where there are a lot of liberals or Democrats living who are against the war sometimes the Blue Angels have a tough row to hoe. Without advance publicity air shows have a tough time attracting the number of people that make it worthwhile for the Navy Blue Angels team to show up.

The Navy blue Angels team is to promote the United States military and specifically the United States Navy and naval aviation in general. Perhaps you have noticed when the blue Angels came to a city near you that they often got front-page press with a picture of jet fighters flying across the front of the newspaper in color. This is because people like Top Gun and they like to see jet airplanes on the front of the newspaper.

This helps in many ways; it helps our military recruit more people and it gives the public more understanding and education about what our military does for them. After all it is the government’s responsibility to protect the American people; that is and should be their primary concern.

When we see the ominous jet fighters flying overhead in formation it is exhilarating and exciting and that certainly helps the public-relations specialist in handling the account for the Blue Angels. Perhaps you might consider all this in 2006.

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

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Tags: public relations, air show, promote, military, pubicity

Television is nothing without pictures. So don’t expect your exciting new product to feature on the evening news simply because you agree to an interview. Television needs more than talking heads. And you will increase your chances of positive exposure if you help the reporter assemble their story. To do that, you need to start thinking like a television reporter…

In the case of new products, reporters will want to record video images of your assembly lines. Or they may ask to film consumers sampling your new product. There’s nothing to stop you suggesting these or other ideas. The more visual the story, the more likely it is to appear on television.

Interview locations are important. Most offices are boring – with only venetian blinds and a potted plant. Suggest an interview in front of your branded reception area. For a more informal look, head to the factory floor, a sales outlet or distribution centre. To convey a more caring ‘green’ image, abandon the corporate environment and suggest an interview in a nearby park.

Your appearance during television interviews is extremely important. What you wear says a lot about who you are, and what you and your company represent. A modern shirt with open neck is now acceptable for men. If you must wear a suit, keep it buttoned when standing and unbuttoned when seated. Avoid a white shirt without jacket – it will drain the colour from your face. Wear new clothes – not old fashions.

Finally, be available early. Television reporters prefer to interview in the morning or early afternoon at the latest. From 2pm onwards, they need to be editing and writing their stories. (Later deadlines apply to late evening news.)

Greg Ward is a New Zealand journalist and professional media training. Greg’s website.tv offers a comprehensive range of media tips, articles and strategies for news interviews and presentatations.

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Tags: promote, company, news, television, program

Many corporations will endorse sports figures or celebrities to promote their products and services and it makes sense because so often these people are indeed looked up to by others and they will influence buying decisions, fashion and society to a large degree. But what happens when a sports endorsement goes bad? What happens when your athlete has been caught with a hooker, tested positive for steroids or committed a crime?

Then what do you do? Well sometimes you do nothing and simply pull the ads off Television, sometimes you can the athlete and sometimes you make a public statement that you do not condone that activity and this irresponsible behavior is not what we stand for and sack the quarterbacks endorsement big time.

There are so many examples of public relations sports endorsement disasters and then there are super successes with athletes such as; Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Namath and Magic Johnson. Millions of dollars of products have been sold at very high prices by such companies as Nike, Adidas, L.A. Gear, Wilson sporting goods and Reebok using high-profile athletes and endorsement strategies.

Often when endorsements go bad it can be a public relations short-term nightmare. Other times if the company is quick to act and ax the endorsement; they can put out press releases making them selves look good because they don’t stand for that kind of crap. Often they make more money for canning and athlete due to their behavior than they did for endorsing them in the first place. Because as they say in public relations and advertising; all news is good news. Please consider this in 2006.

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

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Tags: sports, pr, figures, promote, public relations

An online press kit is a set of documents and resources used by journalists learn more information about your company. Journalists constantly seek fresh story ideas need information rich content and credible sources to back their articles. They are often on a deadline and juggling numerous projects so offering quick access to the information they seek in your online press kit gives your company an edge over the competition.

Organizing Your Online Press Kit:

Make your online press kit easy to find with a top level tab and organize the information within the press pages logically. The pages need to load quickly and contain with valuable and timely information. Journalists spend a lot of time online and will be more irritated by slow loading page than impressed by flashy graphics or PDF documents. Create a page with HTML links with the topic title and a short description of the contents within the topic. Some documents to include in your online press kit are:

* Press releases

* Fact sheets

* Frequently asked questions

* News Clippings

* Story ideas

* Company background

* Executive bios

* Quotes

* Photos, graphics, and charts

* Impartial source list

* Contact information

Stocking Your Online Press Kit:

The items in the list below are suggestions for inclusion in your online press kit. Choose only the most relevant of these items.

Press Releases:

Regularly writing and distributing SEO press releases not only alerts journalists about interesting things happening within your company, search engine optimized press releases also help your site establish important backlinks that help your website rank higher in the search engines. Press releases give journalists a starting point for story ideas and offers some insight into angles that have already been covered. Add the option for journalists to subscribe to your press releases for access to upcoming news topics.

Fact Sheet:

Offer journalists brief snippets of highly relevant content about your products and services, reasons why your company stands apart from the competition, original research and study results, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Save journalists and yourself time by including a list of questions frequently asked by the media in your online press kit. Update your FAQ on a regular basis when you come across new questions that aren’t included on the list. The more time you can save a journalist by providing information up front, the more likely your company will receive press over a competitor that forces a journalist to dig for information.

News Clippings:

Make it easy for journalists to find timely information that is relative to their story. Organize news clippings by date and include the publishing company’s name, the article title, a link to the full article, and a short paragraph from the article in which your company is mentioned. Television and radio coverage and interviews can also be sectioned off under news clippings. Include the media files as well as transcripts in addition to reference information.

Story Ideas:

A common yet widely underused practice is to offer story ideas for journalists in an online press kit. No one knows your product and how it relates to the market better than you do. You don’t need to wait for people to figure it out. Offering journalists powerful story ideas is beneficial for you, the journalist, and interested readers.

Company Information:

If you already have an About Us page with company information, it’s fine to repeat some of the information in a context that is relevant to the press. Journalists will often comment on company history to give an article additional depth.

Executive Bios:

Short, relevant, biographies about the founders or management team can be useful for journalists to insert throughout articles and back up claims or actions with facts from past successes and accomplishments.

Quotes:

Quotes help bring articles to life and most journalists will include them to write a richer article. Offer a few quotes for journalists in your online press kit that help to simply explain the personal opinions and observations.

Photos, graphics, and charts:

Make it simple for journalists to build a complete article with images and supporting graphical material. Offer relevant images of event photos, charts and graphs, website screenshots, and logos in a variety of file types and sizes in your online press kit.

Impartial Sources:

List List some names of authoritative individuals that journalists can contact for unbiased information. You may also wish to include a list of clients and contact information along with testimonials from satisfied customers.

Media Contact Information:

Make it simple for journalists to get in touch with the correct people at your company. List contact information and short biographies of area experts within the company in your online press kit along with one main contact name and a personal email address (as opposed to press @). State the expected amount of time it will take you to respond as journalists are usually working with short deadlines and need to know if a contact is worth attempting.

Christine OKelly is an SEO copywriter and founder of one of the search industry’s leading SEO copywriting companies. Christine is also the author of the blog Self Made Chick, a blog that offers practical advice and empowerment to those who wish to escape the cubicle and start a freelance business.

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Tags: online, press, media, promote, media relations