It seems that with the advent of reality TV, more and more people – of varying degrees of skill and ability – are seeking their 15 minutes of fame. The opportunity to be, if only for a short while, the most interesting person at the party.

So, how do you achieve this? What quality divides those that are constantly being looked over from those who are simply over looked? In other publications the issue here may be to tackle the question: what lies at the heart of celebrity status? What engine drives the media towards one-person and away from another? In some journals we may well be discussing the merits of 15 minutes of fame as opposed to a hard earned, hard won opportunity to be centre-stage.

That’s not the purpose of this diary entry. The truth is, most of us don’t care why some people are famous and others are not. You just want to know how you can grab a slice of the limelight and your position on that elusive centre stage.

During my career as a publicist and media consultant, I have had the privilege to advise clients ranging from corporate organisations to one-man businesses.

From stars of sports and stage to politicians and otherwise ‘ordinary’ people who suddenly find themselves in the media spotlight. During a career that has spanned nearly two decades (yes, I really am that old) I have been able to identify no less than eight essential factors that should be taken into account if you are to become a star.

1. As far as the media is concerned, there are two types of people in this world: those who, when walking into a room, say, “there you are.” And there are those who walk into a room and declare: “here I am!” To be a celebrity you have to be the latter. You don’t have to be extraordinarily talented, because the truth is talent is grossly overrated. You don’t have to be the most attractive person in the world because looks fade. Or even the smartest or funniest character on the planet. You just have to be able to perfect the ability to draw attention to yourself.

Take a look at your wardrobe. What are you wearing today? Are these the type of clothes that will get you noticed? It seems a superficial tissue but it’s an important one. Some may argue that it doesn’t matter what you look like as long as you have what it takes inside. Don’t be fooled by this argument. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Your outward appearance plays a crucial role in determining whether or not people will want to see you – or even remember having seen you at all.

2. Never ever copy someone else’s style. Unless you’re planning to make a living as a lookalike, it’s virtually the kiss of death to be described as ‘the new so and so.’ I should know. When I first started my career as a publicist I had to the dubious pleasure of being described as “the new Max Clifford.” I thought this was great as it got me noticed almost immediately. But for every interview I did Max was getting a free mention! Eventually I had to insist that, during every interview, the journalist or presenter was not to compare me to any other publicist. By all means pay special attention to celebrities who have achieved stardom despite what appeared to be insurmountable odds. Take inspiration from their success but don’t try to copy them. All imitations are worthless. To set yourself apart from everyone else you have to be different. I can’t stress this enough. If you copy someone else you will always be in their shadow. Do you remember a group called The Jackson Five? Now think about the British version who described themselves as Five Star and you’ll see my point.

Enough said.

3. Don’t try to hide what others might consider to be your shortcomings. Use them to your advantage. It’s not a perfect world and we’re not perfect people. Some of us are too short others are too tall. Some of us haven’t got the best vocal abilities in the world others have strong, strange accents that make others smile. Sometimes we speak with a lisp. Use these shortcomings to set yourself apart. Accept yourself for who you are – and who you will one day become. We all know famous people who are less than the average height. We all know famous people have speech defects, big noses or are going bald. If they can make it despite these so-called shortcomings you have to believe that you can too. Sometimes these minor imperfections are what will give us that valuable edge over everybody else.

4. Set yourself a realistic goal and a time frame to achieve it. Every single day – starting from today – do at least one thing towards achieving your goal. It may be you want to be a pop star. Send a demo tape out as often as possible. Write to record labels as often as possible. Network as much as possible. If you dream of one day becoming a best selling author, write at least one page of your block buster every single day. The universal truth here at is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The more you do the more you’ll get back.

5. Don’t bore family and friends with your constant declarations of determination and how you will one day achieve your dreams. You might think it shows how committed you are but often you will come across as desperate and desperate people never inspire confidence. Keep your goals to yourself and also what you’re doing to achieve them. That way, when you start getting the returns back from your hard labours, everyone will be amazed because they didn’t realize just how hard you have been working. An example from the animal world comes to mind here. Imagine if you can the vision of an elegant swan gently gliding along a clear lake. The swan’s progress appears to be almost effortless but beneath the surface its webbed feet are paddling like crazy.

6. Take an active interest in the field you want to break into. This may seem an obvious point but it’s remarkable how many people want to be a great writers yet claim they haven’t got time to read. If your interest is in a comedy, then visit as many shows as you can. Find out who’s making it in the industry and what sets them apart. Get yourself on the subscription list of industry newsletters and magazines as they can often provide you with valuable information as to openings and possible closings.

7. Cast a critical eye over yourself. Get a pen and paper and write down a list of both your great points and your shortcomings. Do everything you can to draw attention to your good points and work on those shortcomings so that they will work to your favour.

8.If all else fails – or you’re looking for a short cut to fame and fortune – hire a great publicist.

Looking for work in the world of media, whether being a journalist, PR Vacancies or new media. Setting up a website was enjoyable and fun, keep an eye on journalist vacancies that may suite you.

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Tags: public, relation, manager, publicity

If we consider the true purposes of public relations, the first thing that comes to our mind is it’s impact on the growth and development of a business. In order to achieve success in it’s objective, a PR exercises provide information to the people which occur to informative as well as entertaining for them. Public relations can be defined as sweaty palms; involving efforts in convincing a reporter about the range and expertise of your business, or compelling writers to pen down a press release about your organization, or spending countless hours in faxing the stories to hundreds of editors.

The right PR strategy is the right application in the right manners so as to bring rewarding results to your company without much involving in daunting efforts as discussed above. If you implement the right PR strategy with the help of a good public relations company, you can experience constant ringing of phones at your office, can see people showing interest by asking about your products or services, getting credibility and proving yourself a skilled company owner in the industry and hearing thousands of people learning about your services. And this all you accomplish on a very low budget without costing much to you. In order to make a proper business presence, every businessman should go for the right PR strategy.

With the implementation of the following PR strategy following invaluable marketing tactics suggested by a good PR firm, you can avail assured success in your business;

Creation of Creative Story Pitches: With the help of a great story pitch, your products can directly enter into the minds and heart of the people. Unnecessary promotion of your business may not do much for your succession. Instead make a different story which includes financial, professional, emotional and spiritual benefits and entertainment for a reader.

Go to the Target Audience with Right Media Message: It is very important to understand to whom you need to target as the audience of your products. If the customer bases of a product are women in 30s, you probably can not ask media to focus on girls in their teens. This step taken for your PR strategy with the right media Message will help you achieve your marketing objectives.

Let a PR firm or a spokesperson represents your company: Make sure that your company objectives should be expressed by a PR professional. Suppose an editor or a reporter is going to schedule a meeting or an interview with somebody at your workplace to get the information about the product, here a spokesperson is required to deliver the right message in a right manner.

In short, PR is a never-failing marketing strategy that helps your business yield tremendous outcome with the correct implementation. And you need to give serious attention to execute a long-term PR strategy for the benefits of your organization and is impossible to achieve without the help of good Public Relations Firm.

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Tags: pr, strategy, public, relation, firm

With the expansion of multi media and many other means to proliferation of messages through communication channels, it has become essential for a company to have PR as an important part of its business activities and strategies to meet out challenges posed by international competitive environment.

However, in order to align with contemporary competitive wave, if a company is going to select out a public relation agencies to meet out its communication needs, it should be clear about the objectives to be entertained by a PR Agency and future outcomes from the campaign.

While a company is going out to select a Public Relation Agencies, it should be clear about the concept of Public relation and should interview at least two three companies before making a final deal about public relation agencies to judge whether an in house PR practitioner fulfills a demand or company need to hire an outside public relation agency.

The chosen PR agency should have complete knowledge about what is expected from them to accomplish and have a full support of senior management in carrying out communication task, effectively. Budget constraints are another important point that is needed to be thoroughly entertained while making a commitment of business relationship with a Public relation agency. As public relation is a relation building exercise thus what is put into in the process is naturally emerges out as a result.

There are many does and dose not when selecting a PR agency, however, a company should pay attention on certain important points when selecting a public relation agency. The most important point while selecting a Public relation agency is, whether, it understands client business or not. Slightest failure to understand the nature of client business can reverse expected results. The next important point of consideration while selecting Public relation agencies is the information about your business you can provide to an agency or you can rely over them in terms of security of information provided to them.

The other million dollar question while selecting a pr agency is the experience and expertise of the person working within the company and whether experienced person are working on the desired account. Whether a PR agency can reach to target audience is the other important question a company should ask a PR agency before delivering over the project. You should also qualify that agency you are singing to the task is capable of judging communication needs according to business needs of the company. You should also enquire about their relations with local as well as national media ands should call for client testimonials, references, credentials and case studies.

Mansi Aggarwal recommends you to visit this website for more information on public relations.

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Tags: public, relation, agency, right

Public relations agency is now integral to corporate strategy of any company in t competitive environment of global business and no company can survive without public relations. According to a famous definition of public relations, “Public relations are the management function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or an organization with the public interest, and plans and executes a program of action to earn public understanding and acceptance.”

A public relation agency works on two fold methods, on the public side, it disseminates message for a company in public affairs, community relations, investor relations, public press conferences, media events, internal events, internal communications and crisis management whereas on the other side of the picture a public relations company writes a press release, coordinate media contacts, secures credentials and lobby for an article and more.

Public relation has great power to influence public by the methods of community relations. As the community affair initiative taken within the company helps company to build a better image for itself and the major role in this exercise is paid by public relations.

As PR is like telling a good story for creating an image for a company as people prefer reading good stories. And a good PR for a product or services can weave stories around them and influence public opinion. As better is the narration of your story as better it would be accepted by the public. The story here is narrated to target audience and market.

Other important role played by PR in recent time is of a Brand Making along with opinion making. PR Company does all for you by communicating with target market through the process of target market relations. It does all for a company from launching a product, creating image for company and lobbying with government, etc.

PR accomplishes most difficult task for a company by creating contact with news agencies and newspapers that is known as media communication. There are a vast number of outlets that a PR agency contact for media communication like, local paid-for newspaper, local free paper, local council newspaper, free county magazine, local radio and television, trade, technical and professional magazines covering the same product or services operated by the company, national newspapers, consumer and lifestyle magazines, national radio and television, etc.

Next step after knowing your media is developing communication and relation with them. Newspaper is the most conventional and popular media appealing to a public relation agency and Editor is the right person in a newspaper to get in touch with who can decide upon the fate of news article or a press release. As newspapers woks on very tight deadlines, thus news item should be provided well in advance to a newspaper. Hence it can be clearly understood that public relation agency is a must for a modern day business strategies.

Mansi Aggarwal recommends you to visit this site for more information on public relations.

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Tags: public, relation, company, work, agency

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

Today, a company just does not want to restrict itself to locals. The need for expansion is the need of the hour. A company solely just cannot do this. Here arises the need for good public relations firms.

It is not necessary that you choose the very first public relation firm which comes your way. Get in touch with several PR firms and organization and chose the one which understands your business the best. The task of sorting and choosing the right PR firm can be done by some good professionals from your own company. They can be your Brand Manager, the Human Resource Manager or the Finance Head. You can also include some internal members to the team.

While looking for a good PR firm you need to investigate certain aspects of the firms. To start with, look in for the name it holds in the PR world. The experience of the company and the expertise of the professionals working in the company are equally important. Next, look at the clients the company is dealing with. Clientage of the company is equally important. Attend presentations by the PR firms. They help you get a brief idea about the stature of the company.

Once selected, build a good understanding with the PR firm. If you concisely describe your PR firm about what you can expect out of it, the company can do wonders for you. Get your goals clear in front of the PR firm. A good PR firm should be capable of understanding you business and what you expect out of the firm. A good firm will help you beat the challenges brought by ever evolving internationally growing market.

After getting the right PR firm, help the firm operate the task efficiently. Try building a good and trustworthy relationship with the firm. Trust your firm and its professionals.

Once you start searching you will find huge number of PR firms in the market. The list may be endless, but if you search in the right direction, you will definitely be able to find the firm suiting your needs and requirements.

Getting a right PR out of public relations firms is the need of the hour. So, if you plan to expand your businesses switch over to a good PR firm, today.

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Tags: public, relation, firm, pr

Public relations, or PR as it is abbreviated, is known to businesses as the core and fundamental reason their marketing campaigns are successful. Without some sort of PR they might struggle to get their brand out there, and it is for this reason that PR is so widely valued by professionals. If you train in this field then you stand a really good chance of enjoying a fulfilling and long-term career, as PR specialists are very much in-demand.

The Basics

So, what exactly is PR? Well, it basically revolves around the idea of publishing. Those that work in this field are considered to be skilled publicists and they are able to promote a brand and protect its reputation. In the current climate, this is a very important factor for businesses that fear that their brand identity may just get overlooked by those that have done it before, and better. That’s why PR agencies work with you, the business, to promote and enhance your marketing opportunities.

For Every Business

We all know the dangers of not having a brand that’s a well-known success. Even those brands that think they have got it covered can suddenly end up folding, so there really is no room for error at the moment. Public relations agencies are helping businesses up and down the UK who need that bit of extra help to keep their brand in the public eye. From the SME businesses to the larger, corporate conglomerates, PR has a home in all of them and that’s why companies are calling on professional public relations services to do their brand justice.

Help When You Need It Most

Public relations professionals cover that middle ground between the business and the consumer. Indeed, you may have a great business up and running but if no-one knows about you then it won’t be long before everything will collapse in front of you. Branding is all about staying power and PR pros know exactly what needs to be done to get you that attention you deserve. A PR agency will also do research to ensure they are capitalising on all known aspects of marketing opportunities available.

The Best Advice

In the competitive business world of today, there is nothing more important than generating brand awareness. The best way to do this is to seek the work from a specialist agency who will have a number of trained professionals who have acquired valuable skills in a number of different sectors, yours included. This then allows you, the business owner, to spend more time on the other important company matters, all the while feeling reassured that your brand promotion is well underway and going to be a success.

Author Mark Woodcock is a Webmaster of a wide variety of online specialty shops including a very popular site on Public Relations. Visit this Site.

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Tags: PR, definition, public, relation

So you’ve decided that you could benefit from a relationship with a public relations firm. Good decision. Well, maybe.

If you don’t have a personal referral from someone, finding the right PR firm can be a daunting task. Think about it. If you need a lawyer, how do you find a lawyer that has the experience, time and fee structure that is right for you? Unfortunately, when retaining the services of any consultant, be it an attorney, accountant or PR firm, you often don’t know what you are buying until you’ve already bought it.

Here are some tips on hiring the right firm for you.

First, decide on a budget. How much can you reasonably afford to spend on a public relations company over the course of at least six months. PR firms, good ones, need at least six months to get results. So having a budget in mind, just like you know how much rent you can afford, is a good place to start because it will immediately narrow down the list.

Then, define your objectives. This may seem obvious, but you want a firm that has experience in the PR area you need. Whatever you do, don’t fall for the line that “we know PR and can market anything.” That is like an estate planning lawyer doing a criminal defense case. It is not his/her area. There in nothing wrong with that, but you want a firm with experience in the area you are in need of.

When you are ready, the best thing to do is ask some of your associates who have worked with PR consultants for a recommendation. Hopefully the recommendations you get are from firms that know your business.

If your associates can’t offer a good recommendation, then the best thing to do is turn to the web. Everything of substance is on the internet. Use Google and insert keywords for the type of PR work you are interested in. Examples might be “financial PR” or “nonprofit PR” and so forth. And, make sure to include the city you are in. You want a firm that is relatively close to you.

When you have a list of five or so firms, shoot them an inquiry email. You’d be surprised how much you can learn from a company that you contact cold. I believe that firms that respond to blind inquiries are firms that will work even harder for clients. Companies that ignore people they don’t know are firms that are too busy to go the extra mile for their clients.

When you have narrowed down the list, have in-person meetings with them. Make sure you find out how they charge, exactly who will be working on your account, what results you can expect, their experience in your industry and how long they believe it will take to achieve results.

Last, a major indicator that you have found the right PR consultant is simple chemistry. Do you seem to get along with them and can you talk freely and openly? Remember, you will be working with your PR consultant day in and day out. You want it to be a pleasurable and rewarding experience.

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Tags: relation, public, firm, right, way

The longevity of a Hollywood star’s career totally depends on how they are perceived in the public eye. If a star falls out of favor with the public, or if they aren’t in plain view on a regular basis, then no matter what their level of talent – the jobs begin to go away and they eventually get forgotten.

So how does a typical Hollywood star keep all this from happening, and stay in the good graces of the general populous? Enter a top notch public relations company – a good PR company can handle a wide variety of tasks to ensure that their Hollywood star clients continue to be considered for the best parts available.

Good Deeds Widely Advertised

A good public relations firm will make sure that word on any and all good deeds and acts of good will are widely distributed to the public. Participation in charity events and charitable contributions, volunteer work and active membership in advocacy groups and organizations are all things that are flooded into the public eye.

Well written press releases, press conferences, interviews and appearances will all be scheduled to get the word out to as many ears and eyes as possible. When a star does anything good for humanity or the environment – a good pr company will do its best to make sure that every last person that may be interested or impressed by the news gets to hear it.

Marathons for charities, adoptions, picketing for causes and getting their hands dirty to aid in disaster recovery are all things that can sky rocket a Hollywood star’s status and whether they’re doing those things because the cause is really and truly important to them or just to win favor with their dwindling fan base – a good public relations firm will get the good word out to all fronts.

Fixing Problems

For every celebrity that breaks their back performing dozens of good deeds, there is another who can’t stop using drugs, can’t keep their mouth closed when necessary or can’t keep their clothes on in public. For this group of Hollywood stars, a good pr company is a necessity to keep things from falling apart as the drama unfolds.

As much as good publicity can turn a career around for the better, bad publicity can send it right down the toilet. As much as the public wants to hear about all of the Hollywood stars who are having troubles, not so many want those problem laden stars to be a huge success and studios don’t want to associate themselves with Hollywood stars who have nothing but problems.

A good public relations firm can literally make most of the bad scenarios go away. Drug addictions that need rehab are released to the media as treatments for exhaustion from being overworked and for problems that are more severe or pronounced, public heartfelt apologies are made through press releases and appearances. Even the most heinous incidents will often be forgiven if a wayward Hollywood star makes an apology with a believable amount of remorse for the situation.

Media Tours

For the typical star with no problems to speak of, or no outstanding contributions to society, a pr company can send them on a whirlwind media tour to talk about their work. The daytime and evening talk show circuit and sit down interviews with entertainment magazines will keep the star exactly where they need to be – positively placed directly in the view of potential fans. A pr firm will set up all of these interviews and make sure that they are structured in a manner as to shed positive light on their client.

The tasks that a good PR company is capable are many, but the single main objective for a PR company working with anyone in the entertainment industry is simple – keep them looking good to the public and make sure that their fan base gets bigger rather than smaller.

Toronto-based PR Company offers a full suite of communication services such as media relations, special event planning, and spokesperson training. When seeking representation for your company, consider Polaris Public Relations.

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Tags: public, relation, company, hollywood, star

It is rare that economic commentators all converge to agree on one thing. However, to a man (and women) they say 2009 is going to present some of the most challenging conditions businesses have experienced in almost two decades.

Adding to the difficulties is impending deflation as consumers hoard cash and cut back on spending, despite recent incentives provided by cuts to interest rates and VAT.

All this has a natural knock-on for local businesses – big and small. Those who sell direct to consumers will feel the pinch as spending stalls and those who trade with other businesses will see revenues decline as many of their clients see a drop in demand.

When businesses pull back, so-called discretionary spending comes under the spotlight. Public relations (or reputation management) along with advertising, design, events and other creative services are often first in the firing line when cuts have to made.

There are some very good business reasons for rejecting this strategy, however there’s every chance that in this downturn, short-sighted financial directors will revert to type and agencies will see revenues drop – perhaps suddenly.

So how will the marketing industry in the UK adapt to the coming financial perfect storm of rising debt, lack of credit and failing consumer confidence?

Increasing, as clients struggle themselves, they will look for flexibility from their suppliers and that could mean moving from retained work to less-secure projects on a campaign-by-campaign basis. This presents a problem for the larger agencies as they can have account teams waiting for project briefs. One solution is to negotiate an agreed level of work to cover key periods in the business cycle. Going down this route might just keep the relationship alive until confidence returns.

Offering added-value is not just the preserve of retailers – it goes for service providers too. PR agencies are going to have to go the extra mile (or two) to cement their position with clients and make them an integral part of their business. It might mean over-servicing; a major influence on profitability and definitely a no, no for most agencies, but serious times mean taking exceptional action.

The coming year could be a boon time for small agencies and individual practitioners as companies look for more tailored services to cover peak periods such as exhibitions, product launches and events. With their lower cost base, smaller players can afford to take smaller fee business and at the same time provide experienced hands-on help.

In short, it’s going to be a tough year. PR people are known for their applied creativity, so perhaps it is time to turn the spotlight on their businesses. The Smart Start was launched to offer cost-effective, on-demand PR and marketing services for small and medium-sized businesses.

Nigel Charlesworth, director, The Smart Agency

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Tags: public, relation, strategy, tactic, agency

You spend 8 hours a day or more healing people. You perform miracles regularly in your practice. You heal without drugs and surgery. How many people are you telling about your day?

This subject is the subject of PR. Public relations. This subject has been thwarted by big agencies. It has created a confusion as what is PR and what is Marketing? Public relations is simply this: Your good works, successes with patients, etc. well publicized .

Who do you tell? Anyone and everyone where it is appropriate. Here are some ideas for you to implement and improve your pr immediately:

1. At the end of your patient’s recommended treatment program ask them if they see a change from when they first came in. Ask them how they feel specifically and ask specifically for differences. You may even want to ask them how the treatment has changed things for them. Plan on hearing successes as early as the first visit if you are getting results.

2. Once they have spoken you should acknowledge their wins and ask them if they would be willing to write it down on your success sheet (keep on of these in each patients folder) while putting it in their hands.

3. At the bottom of the form have some verbiage that reads similar to this: OK to publish with a place for them to put a check mark next to it. They are giving you permission to use it in your marketing and pr efforts.

4. Now that you have this make a copy and put the copy in a manila folder labeled SUCCESSES 2009. The original stays in their folder of course.

5. If you have a newsletter add a section that mentions recent patients successes. List the successes from the month in there.

6. You can also put them in a book with clear sleeves in it that reads PATIENT SUCCESSES and this will stay in the waiting room for the patients waiting to read.

7. Here’s a HUGE idea! Send monthly postcards or greeting cards to your existing patient base as a way to keep in touch. I have a company I use exclusively who gives me a great deal and can show you how to do this. In there list out one of the most compelling successes. Keeping in touch is different than following up. This will activate the inactive quicker than anything you can do other than speaking on a subject they are interested in without having to be pushy or look desperate.

8. You should always be adding successes to your website.

9. When people ask you “How are things going for you”? Tell them specifically by sharing with them one of your patient’s successes (keep name to yourself of course unless you have permission to use it). People want to know that you get results!

10. Use successes in any advertising that you do (14% of America responds to Ads therefore I do not recommend advertising but if you feel you should please use successes). Your prospects do not care about the technology so much as the result. They are asking themselves, “Is this doctor the one for me?” Remember that most people do not know what the words “Chiropractic” or “Acupuncture” mean, therefore they can’t reach for you. Help them understand that you help them with their condition.

The more specific the success/testimonial the better. It is “realer” to everyone. You have seen websites and other promo that had general testimonials on it. You know it is ineffective and possibly not genuine. Don’t do it. These 10 ideas above when done regularly will begin to make a very loud noise in your area and start to attract to you those whom you are meant to attract. After all it is about attracting rather than chasing right?

Rob Thomas is a certified Book Yourself Solid Coach who helps natural health care doctors get booked solid with new patients. You are invited to sign up for his free e-mini course called “Getting Patients Out the Wazoo!” by visit this Site.

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Tags: public, relation, strategy, client

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s an example:

BAD

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

GOOD

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

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

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

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

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

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

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

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Tags: media, public, relation, interview, training

In a nut shell – if you have the capability to write and follow a few simple rules of style and formatting you can capture the attention of your audience with a single press release distribution.

Typically, press releases are a one to two page article containing up-to-date news and information about a company that is distributed to the media for distribution. Many times these articles are published verbatim; however, other press releases are used solely for background purposes – either way one must keep in mind that the content should be interesting, timely and catch the attention of the reader.

A properly formatted press release is separated into sections, each extremely important to the process. The first section is the Contact Information, which will provide the editor the information he or she needs to contact you directly. This particular area of the press release should contain the company name and the contact person as well as his or her phone number and email address.

The second section is the Release Date, or the date in which you wish the information to be released to the public. If your information is not date specific, you simply put “For Immediate Release” so that the editor knows that your press release is ready to be published. If by chance your information is date specific, you want to make sure that you include the specific date the information can distributed to the public – for example, “For Release: April 1, 2008.”

The next section is KEY to your press release – the Headline, as this particular item is the text that ultimately attracts the attention of the editor. Keep in mind that media outlets receive numerous press releases on a daily basis, so you are in essence competing against several companies for the editor’s attention. The best headlines provide a very brief summary of the uniqueness of your press release – in other words the headline answers the question of “Why” the information is newsworthy.

The Body of the press release is the next section and this section delivers the information to the public. The first paragraph should begin with the dateline, for example “Kansas City, MO, April 2008 -” followed by the first sentence immediately after the dash. The city and state are most generally the geographical location of your company; however, if your press release contains news and information that warrants a different location then provide the appropriate information.

The First Paragraph of your press release is just as important as the Headline and it is imperative that you pack this area with information in such a fashion that if no other aspect of the article is published you have still managed to tell your story. Many times press releases are printed in their entirety; however, not always. As a rule of thumb, news editors shorten from the back forward so make sure that you have told your story in the first paragraph of your press release.

Finally, the last section of your press release is the Response Information. This tells the reader how they can get in touch with you for more information about your products and services. Including this information in your press release is VERY critical, as if you leave it out of your article chances are the editors will not put it in the copy for you. In order for your press release campaign to be successful you must receive inquiries, so make sure you include any pertinent contact information – including your name, address, telephone number and email.

You can hire a freelance writer to write a press release if you would prefer; however, if you choose to write your own press releases remember – when it comes to your business you are the expert. Tell your story by keeping it news worthy, keep the information timely and create headlines that catch the editor’s eye!

Staci J. Nauman is a freelance writer and has been in the business since 2000. She has worked with numerous clients providing quality copywriting services for both online and printed documents. She recently titled her company Captivating Copywriting, which will be housed Here once the site is complete.

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Tags: marketing, communications, consultancy, public, relations

Lots of questions there, here is the answer in a nutshell:

Adverts are not usually perceived as being credible, but PR on the other hand seems much more believable because people believe that the papers, magazines, radio, TV etc would not publicise the stories if they were not legitimate.

The media are just looking for stories they do not really care if it is believable or not, but the public on the other hand take more notice of editorial and news stories rather than adverts which is why you seriously need to consider getting some PR for your building firm.

It is incredibly easy to get in the media with your stories, not sure what to write about, no problem, just pick up your local newspaper and read the stories that are already in there, write something similar and send it in. It is that easy.

If you see a story relevant to your business you can piggy back that story, you simply write a press release that helps solve a problem or give a suggestion to help the people involved in the story that you are piggy backing.

The media needs you – you have the stories that they need, they do not care where they come from as long as it is of interest to their readers.

Contact the papers and ask them how and where to send your Press Release write your story with an attention gabbing headline and keep it to one A4 page. If they need more information they can contact you. Do not follow it up with a phone call it will only annoy them and hinder your chances of getting your PR.

Be imaginative, you could write about you latest building project you have just completed which has made a real difference to someone’s life or you write about the progress of your new apprentice encouraging other local business owners to take on more apprentices. Your stories need a human angle, people like to read about people.

UK Builders – Do you want to discover powerful marketing strategies that will help you to grow your profits? Download this: Marketing Guide for UK Builders.

Leonardo Wood specialises in helping UK contractors and small business owners with their sales & marketing to help them grow their businesses.

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1) Price, Service, Selection

Although consumers might appreciate your company’s “great prices, great selection, and great service,” reporters find it boring. Think about it…where is the “story” in those phrases? Your publicity goals are better served by mentioning how a specific product you carry solves a problem for consumers. For example, if you are a physician who ONLY makes house calls, well that’s a novelty in today’s market. If you must focus on service, find the “story” in the service component.

2) Hype and The Hard Sell

Stay away from promotional hype. Also avoid using words like free and secret as they are mostly used by spammers and businesses promoting to consumers and infomercial marketers. If you’re writing to a reporter using email, filters will screen out your press release. Consider your audience carefully. Are you sending your press release to consumers? No. You’re trying to get the attention of a smart reporter. Don’t play games. Tell them what’s different or exciting about your product or service without all the hype and teasers.

3) Green and Giving

Is “green” still the new black? Does giving back get you anywhere? In today’s business environment most companies are giving a portion of their profits to charity, or are in some way going “green” by monitoring their carbon footprint. Stating that your company is giving back to the community is not going to guarantee you press coverage. It’s fine to mention something about charitable contributions at the end of your release, but it’s not a strong enough angle for a “stand alone” press release.

4) Trends

Ignore trends and you’re sunk. Reporters are in the business of reporting change. Part of your job as a business owner and publicist is monitoring shifts in business and service trends. What if you’re a company selling bedding and you notice a run on heavy quilts. Can you connect that to an increase in oil prices and consumers figuring they will need to keep their thermostats lower this winter? Customer feedback (used with permission) can often yield valuable trend information. Reporters working at daily newspapers actually welcome information citing real-time consumer trends.

5) Ignoring the Power of Pictures

Pictures still tell stories. Do you have a picture that says 1,000 words? Some products and services lend themselves to using images as much as words. The sand artist who builds exact replicas of castles along shorelines needs to have photographs of his work handy, and in various resolutions and file formats, that can be emailed to reporters instantly. You never want to say to a reporter, “I’ll send you something in a couple of days.” Send it the minute you get off the phone with them.

Lisa King is an editor and writer for the Xpress Press News Service. For more information visit this website

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Tags: public, relations, communications, corporate, manager

If you want to get quoted in the media, learn to talk in sound bites. It’s the single most effective way of transmitting a message. In this age of headline news, you must appeal to people with short attention spans and limited time. So regardless of what you have to say, say it quickly and with impact.

It’s not that the public doesn’t care about your expertise; it’s just that they won’t pay attention (nor will the reporter) unless you make your point interesting and concise.

In my years of media training and coaching, I’ve seen interviewees make the same mistake again and again: “I’m very smart; thus, everyone wants to listen to me tell them how smart I am.”

Wrong. Few of us have the time or inclination to stay tuned in for more than a few minutes. We skim articles, maybe read the text under subheads, and keep our finger on the remote at all times.

So, how do you get your message heard?

The answer is the KISS principle – Keep It Simple (for) Sound bites. By remembering the following three tips when talking to reporters, you can control the message and improve the odds it will be heard.

1.Write down your main points – and limit the number to just three or four.

This requires preparation. Before an interview, consider the primary points you want to make. You may think you know them off the top of your head but just wait until the reporter doesn’t ask you, “Hey, what are the major points you want to make?”

The truth is that it’s hard to gather your thoughts and communicate effectively when you’re trying to respond earnestly and honestly to questions. If you write down your major points beforehand and practice saying them, you’ll be prepared to state them over and over.

2.Say your main points over and over.

(See tip #1.) The more you say it, the greater the chance the reporter will use it. This is not to suggest that you should be devious, unresponsive or aloof. Just remember that all questions lead back to your key messages. Or, in other words, “That’s a great question, but the real issue is…”

3.Be prepared to give a closing statement.

Ninety-nine percent of the time at the end of an interview, a reporter will ask, “Is there anything else I’ve forgotten to ask you or that you’d like to share with me?” This is the perfect time to restate your key points.

While these tips may seem like common sense, when you’re under the gun it’s hard to be articulate and persuasive. It’s human nature to want to answer any and all questions. Just remember that you can be informative and send your key messages at the same time.

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

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Tags: media, relations, training, courses, public

When you know the basics about press releases and how they can be an effective online marketing technique, you should now learn how to write an effective press release and use them to grow your business.

Press releases may vary in length, but to be effective they should be between 300 and 800 words. Moreover, many written publications usually prefer press releases to be printed on one page or two pages with the content on the reverse.

Most media companies have a huge amount of material to print. Therefore, your press release has to stand out in order to be published. It may be easier to have your press release published on the internet, but to make it an effective marketing tool, you need to make sure it gets maximum exposure.

You should be aware of the fact that despite the popularity of the internet, there are still quite a few people who tend to believe traditionally printed material more than what they read on the internet. You can see why it’s essential to build your credibility when marketing online.

You should avoid writing press releases that sound like sales letters, which is one of the biggest mistakes people often make. We all know that business press releases are written with the ultimate intention of increasing sales. However, to increase the likelihood of getting published, you should write your press release in a newsworthy fashion. In other words, the content should contain more information than sales pitch. If you’re a talented writer you can sell without selling.

Choosing your angle is very important when writing a press release. Tell a story about your business or company, and make it interesting so that it becomes a newsworthy piece of information. When writing your press release, start with a catchy title so that the readers will be intrigued and want to read more. Your title and opening line should be both compelling and keyword rich.

Consider adding a personal touch to your press release by including quotes from the owners (you and your business partners). Remember, your objective is to make the media companies and readers want to read your news release and get more information about your company or business. Press releases are very important for the success of your business, so if you’re not comfortable writing them yourself, you should hire a qualified ghostwriter.

Besides reading the content of your press release, the media and your potential customers should also have the desire to contact you or your company. A press release becomes a powerful marketing tool when it accomplishes this objective. If your press release is in print form, it’s very important to add your contact information as there is no link for your potential clients to click.

Following the above tips should enable you to get started writing an effective press release that you can use as a marketing tool to develop your business.

Aiden Wangsa is an internet business owner. Learn why writing articles is a great internet marketing technique.

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Tags: public, relations, writing, media, courses

Public Relations and Marketing are vital for business success and business growth. Traditional methods of marketing and public relations can be expensive but there are many cheap and effective options that you can look at to boost your business whilst saving you money. To boost your presence and your brand you could consider:

* Press Releases- Press Releases can be submitted in two ways, online and offline. If you or your business has something newsworthy to say, you should submit a press release to all offline news sources. You can also submit press releases online, which can see your business name mentioned in a variety of online news sources. Press Releases are also great for Search Engine Optimisation as they can become ranked in the Search Engines in their own right.
* Blogs- Another cheap option to boost your brand, your marketing and your public relations is to use a blog. Blogs are a great way for you to connect directly with your target audiences, as well as provide instantaneous feedback.
* Forums- Web Forums are another great way for business owners to network with customers and potential business partners. They are a great way to network and to build your reputation as an expert.
* Articles- Submitting articles to online article directories are great for Search Engine Optimisation and for building your expertise. If you provide valuable information, you will get great click through rates, and back links to your main site can help boost the ranking of your main site in the search engines.
* Search Engine Optimisation- Build back links through directories, submit articles and have blogs to make sure that your main sites appear high in the Search Engines. Make sure you do proper keyword research to ensure that you are actually appearing for results that people are searching for.
* Web 2.0- Social Networking sites such as facebook and myspace can be a new and vital way for you to network with potential customers. Web 2.0, and user generated content can be a great way to boost your business.

Hamish Jones is the founder of Best Business Deals, and is a public relations specialist.

If you want to cut your costs or grow your business, contact him here

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Tags: small, business, public, relations, services

Using PR to get noticed by clients and prospects can be one of the most effective tools you can use as a small business owner or manager. There are five key elements you need to know if you want to get great PR results for your small business on a consistent basis. They will help to put you ahead of the competition and secure results time and again. Here are the top five to get your PR on its way:

You need to understand that it’s all about the audience It’s very easy, whatever your business, to get advertising and PR confused. It’s important to understand that they are very different. As far as PR is concerned the programme or publication you are targeting is not interested in your business alone. What they need is information, news and stories that will be of interest to their readers, viewers, listeners, website visitors etc.

You need to get your timing right Timing is crucial. Knowing when to contact a journalist with an idea or a story is key to your potential PR success. That means knowing the timescales journalists work to and timing your approach so that it presses their buttons.

You need to understand how journalists think The way you package your news story or idea needs to make it as easy as possible for the journalist to use what you have to offer. That means understanding how they think and what they want and ensuring that you can give it to them. You need to be one step ahead and aware of the type of information they want and the best way to give it to them.

You need to think ahead It can be thrilling to get results from your PR efforts but the key is to build a relationship with journalists so that each conversation helps to lead onto another opportunity. Always have the next idea in mind when liaising with journalists – so you can plant the seed early on and encourage them to see you as a trusted source. Ideally, you want your PR to work so that journalists contact you for comment rather than always having to chase them.

You need to be persistent Results do not happen over night and it’s easy to get downhearted. The key is to understand that, as with most things in business, you need to keep trying and not to give up. Just because a journalist turns you down once do not think all is lost. This is an ideal opportunity to understand why your idea or news story is not relevant and to fine tune your next approach – it’s all a learning experience.

Access more free articles, tips and information on how to make the most of small business PR by visiting this site

Debbie Leven is an award winning PR expert – here

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Tags: small, business, public, relations, services

In today’s challenging economy it is imperative for businesses to be proactive with marketing and advertising efforts. However, marketing and advertising can become quite expensive and often times only last for a small period of time and then – its forgotten. That is why it’s so important for small businesses to take advantage of PR efforts. Not only is public relations a great alternative to spending thousands on advertising and marketing, but its much more effective and highly respected.

Any business, well mostly any business, can go out and purchase an ad in the newspaper or magazine. But on the contrary, not any company or entrepreneur can have a respected journalist or publication write an article or broadcast information about their business. Only small businesses that understand the importance of branding itself and building a reputation with its targeted audience, receive the benefits of community recognition and respect among consumers, media and investors. This can only be achieved through strategic public relation efforts.

Not only is the competition for small businesses fierce, but there’s almost a new business established everyday. And the launching of that new company could potentially put yours out of business. But if you already have a solid foundation and reputation within your community, its very likely that your customers and audience have a sense of loyalty and trust within your organization and will not jump ship very easily.

But what exactly is public relations and how do you achieve that consistent, trusted and recognizable image? Simple… the first thing you do is consult an experienced PR specialist to assist you with branding your company and creating a unique identity. Your PR Pro will help you identify your competition and develop a strategic plan to propel you ahead of your competitors, while implementing a comprehensive campaign to reach your audience. The key to a successful PR campaign is consistency and creativity. Consistency basically means to incorporate ongoing strategies and not something that’s just going to disappear in a few months and to understand the point of constantly communicating your message and remaining in the public eye. And well the creativity part speaks for itself… don’t just do the same old thing that everyone else is doing or has done. Incorporate a twist, a spark or something that catches attention and grabs interest.

Public relations is an important tool for the survival of your business. If you’re not communicating your organization’s message and informing the community what you have to offer, then how will they know? And what’s worst is to communicate, but not communicate effectively which could only confuse your audience and have them quickly running to your competitors. Don’t make that crucial mistake – Take advantage of public relations to ensure the success of your small business.

Manuel Public Relations is an upscale, innovative entertainment and events publicity agency. We specialize in creating dynamic media/publicity plans. We also offer convenient and cost-effective press release and media distribution writing services.

Visit here

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Want more copywriting clients? The easiest way to get them is to develop a public relations campaign, just as you would for a business which hired you. This time you’re your own client.

All public relations (PR) starts with setting measurable goals. So write a goal for your PR campaign.

Your goal could be to:

* Increase your stable of clients by 20 to 50 per cent (or even get your first client, if you’re a brand new copywriter); or

* Publicize a new offering – perhaps you’ve added Web copywriting to the services you provide.

Next, describe your audience. And please – don’t omit this step. Targeting is essential. Describe your audience in 100 words, and think about them. What needs does your audience have? When their needs and your publicity goals mesh, you’ll get ideas for the perfect pitch which will attract their interest.

What’s the Pitch? Summarize your Pitch in a Sentence

By now, you should have ideas for a pitch which will appeal to your audience. Write it down, in a sentence.

Create a PR Plan, With a Timeline

In a PR campaign, everything works together. The centerpiece of your campaign will be several press releases, which will work in together with your Web site, blog, and any advertising you’re doing, to make your pitch. It’s essential that you “stay on message” – that is, repeat your pitch for the time of your campaign.

Staying on message for the length of your campaign ensures that your message (pitch) gets through to your audience. It’s been said we need to hear a marketing message at least seven times before we remember it, so make sure your message gets through.

Remember to stay on message when media get in touch. When doing an interview on radio or with a reporter for a story, stay on message! Don’t get sidetracked.

Once you’ve completed your timeline, and have entered the dates into your calendar, you’re ready to go.

Write a Report When Your Campaign’s Over

When your PR campaign is done, write a report, just as you’d do for a client. What did you achieve? What surprised you? Did you meet your goals? What follow up activities will you perform?

Great publicity never happens by chance; it’s all in the planning. Start planning today and create some great buzz for your copywriting business.

Want guidance to learn copywriting? Angela Booth’s “Copywriting Master Class – Ten Weeks to Copywriting Genius” helps you to start and run your own copywriting services business and/or write copy for your own business.

Angela’s ebook “Seven Days To Easy Money: Copywriting Success” takes you from novice to pro copywriter in just seven days. This popular ebook has been turning writers into successful copywriters for five years. Packed with information, the ebook also includes exercises which become your copywriter’s marketing processes and portfolio. You could be signing up your first clients within two days.

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Writing a good press release is a powerful marketing tool. If you want the attention that the document deserves you will want to follow some guidelines that are standard for writing good releases. Here are some tips that can help writers understand the process for writing the best press release and getting some well-planned attention.

Good Press Release Tip #1 – Remember who you’re writing for. If you plan to submit to online media outlets then you will need to make sure to include keywords in your headline and keywords throughout the document. You are writing for search engines and online readers. Search engines will pick up on the press document only if you are sure to include the keywords in the first part of your headline. Online readers will only actually read a document if you give them a catchy headline and some entertaining content.

If the plan is to submit the press document to traditional news and media outlets then the audience are journalists. Journalists are very busy people and they will need to be convinced very quickly that your press release is newsworthy enough for them to follow up on. If you can’t capture their attention in the summary part of your press offering, which will be at the beginning of the document then you won’t capture them at all. Focus your attention on this summary and make it sound as exciting as possible. You should also give them a reason why your news release is newsworthy. This is the lead.

Good Press Release Tip #2 – Figure out what your angle for the story will be. Journalists love good news stories. It is what they are all about. Make the item timely and connected to current news happenings and you will likely get their attention. Find the angle, or the hook and you will have a great press release on your hands.

Use the five w’s and an h approach to your document. Who is involved, what is the story, where is it happening, when will it happen and why should anyone care. The h question is how can someone take an action based on this press release. For instance, if a new product is being introduced, how can someone get more information on the product?

Good Press Release Tip #3 – Add a human element to your story. Was there a particular problem that was resolved by the company? Is there a community implication to your news release? These human elements can be a very good hook for a reader.

Good Press Release Tip #4 – Finally, don’t bloat the document with unnecessary words. People like to get the information and move on. If they are looking for flowery prose they will pick up the latest offering from James Patterson not a news document. Keep it simple and to the point. Following these good press release tips will help you write the most effective documents on the internet.

Rod C. Beckwith, co-creator of the Press Equalizer software, has made hundreds of media contacts and distributed thousands of press releases online. If you need to distribute press releases online, then check out his software package.

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Business, non-profit or association managers hurt their own public relations results when they become fascinated with PR tactics – press releases, publications and brochures and, particularly, fun-to-manage special events – while failing to plan for the perceptions and behaviors of the very people who probably hold their managerial success in their hands.

We’re talking about those important outside audiences whose behaviors most affect their departments, groups, divisions or subsidiaries.

Obviously, some of the less sensitive among those managers just don’t get it – the fact that the right public relations alters individual perceptions leading to changed behaviors among key external audience members and, thus, the achievement of managerial objectives.

When they compound that oversight by not persuading those awfully important outside folks to their way of thinking, then moving them to take actions that allowtheir units to succeed, bingo!, they badly hurt their PR results.

Needn’t be the case. Take a moment and savor this approach: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is usually accomplished.

Look at what could come their way: fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; community leaders beginning to seek you out; rising membership applications; welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with you; customers making repeat purchases; and new approaches by capital givers and specifying sources not to mention politicians and legislators viewing you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

A few questions as to how this work might be assigned. To an outside PR agency team? To folks assigned to your operation? To your own public relations people? Just realize that regardless of where they come from, they need to be committed to you and your PR plan beginning with key audience perception monitoring.

You should meet with your public relations team in order to be certain that those assigned to you are clear on why it’s vital to know precisely how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. They must accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.

Discuss your PR operating plan with them, especially how you will monitor and gather erceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. For instance, how much do you know about our chief executive? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Have no hesitation (other than budget) in using professional survey firms in the perception monitoring phases of your program. But remember that your PR people are also in the perception and behavior business and can go after the same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

The most damaging distortions you discovered during your key audience perception monitoring will respond to the right kind of PR goal by calling for straightening out that dangerous misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy, or stopping that potentially fatal rumor as quickly as possible..

Big challenge here is selecting the right strategy. Namely, a strategy that tells you how to move forward. Please remember that there are just three strategic options available to you when it comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Since the wrong strategy pick will taste like sea salt on your rice pudding, be certain the new strategy fits comfortably with your new public relations goal. You don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate a “reinforce” strategy.

It’s inevitable and unavoidable — someone on your PR staff will have to write a strong message and aim it at members of your target audience. Because crafting action-forcing language to persuade an audience to your way of thinking really is hard work, you need your best, first-string writer to put together some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to correct something and shift perception/opinion towards your point of view leading to the behaviors you are targeting.

Less taxing, and occasionally fun, is the selection of the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Do this after you run the draft by your PR people for impact and persuasiveness. There are dozens of tactics available to you. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

As we all know, the method by which we communicate a message, if tainted in any way, can affect its believability and credibility. So, if unsure, you may wish to limit its initial scope by unveiling it before smaller meetings and presentations rather than through higher-profile news releases.

Suggestions that progress reports might be a nice touch, should be viewed as an early warning that a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience, be undertaken. Many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session can be used again. But this time, you will be watching carefully for signs that the problem perception is being altered in your direction.

If you suspect the program is lagging, accelerate matters with more communications tactics, then increase their frequencies.

Thus, instead of hurting your PR results, you will indeed increase the chances of program success. And once you as a manager digest the underlying premise of managerial public relations, as outlined above, you’ll understand how the right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to those changed behaviors you need.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource boxin your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. Word count is 1135 including guidelines and resource box.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

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Among all of the ways to get free and instant publicity for your site, product, or project, press releases have to be one of the most effective methods. Press releases have been used for decades by anyone hoping to gain attention for whatever they have done, or are planning to do. This method of advertising, and it really is an advertisement, gets your message out to the entire subscribed readership of whatever publisher decides to print your press release. Let’s look at how you can submit a press release to reap the rewards of this great tool.

First, and foremost, you must write the press release. It should be well-written and include the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your sale, opening, or whatever else you’d be announcing. The writing should be clear and to the point, effectively using proper grammar. All words should be checked for spelling. The last thing you want is to put out shoddy work that won’t make it past the desk of it’s recipient. The publisher has total choice in whether or not to publish your press release, so you’re going to have to sell him or her on it. If you don’t feel that you have the ability to write an effective press release, consider having someone else write it for you. Sure, you may have to pay a fee for the service, but the rewards of a good press release make it well worth whatever you might have to pay.

Once you have the press release written, you will need to know where to send it. To do this you will have to compile the contact information of all the publishers you will want the release to go to. The most efficient way for you to do this is with an online search. Most everyone these days has a website for their business, and publishers of news and other writing are no exception. So get that list together, and send the release to each of them in the format they require. Bear in mind that you may have to alter the document several times to meet the requirements of individual publishers.

You may be contacted about the press release. If you are, answer their questions politely and thoroughly. They may be looking for a little more than what you put in the release, so it is to your advantage to be available for their questions. Once they have everything they need, they will publish your press release and potentially millions of readers all over the world will know about what your company is doing. What better, more instant way can you think of to do all that?

Ted Jones is 19 yr. Old Ex college student who has consistently been averaging thousands per day with the #1 fastest growing internet marketing business on the net. Nobody can do what I can do, Posting 1000 Ads on craigslist everyday is easy when you know how. Let me show you how to get 200-400 Opt-ins per day no matter what program your in.

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Recently, I told a friend (who’s a business owner) that she needed to write a book. Although she’s a good writer with terrific ideas, she said, “Do I really have to do it?”

For her — and for those of you who have a business — the answer is yes. Here’s why:

1. Additional revenue. I don’t just mean revenue from book sales, although that can sometimes be substantial. I’m also thinking of speaking engagements. Speaking engagements can be very lucrative, and a book gives you great material for speeches!

2. Business development. Some of the people who purchase your book or e-book may become even bigger customers, buying additional services/products from you. As an example, I have had several major clients who bought my e-book, The Do-It-Yourself Public Relations KitT, and then came to me for additional assistance. Now, I would have been happy if they just bought the book. But often, they grow and need more services than my book can provide. And since they’ve already had a “taste” of my P.R. expertise from my book, they feel more comfortable working with me on a bigger scale.

3. Word-of-mouth. Like many others, I’m a big fan of Michael Gerber’s books, on the E-Myth. Just this week I sent a copy of the book to a friend, and told several others how the E-myth principles could help their businesses. Did Michael Gerber pay me? No. But I am such a big proponent of the ideas in the book that I want to share them (thanks by the way to Jeff Bolton, who originally got me excited about the book). The word-of-mouth from many people leads to referrals and sales of products and services for Michael Gerber (he has a hugely successful organization).

4. Publicity opportunities. Wouldn’t I be remiss if I didn’t say this? When choosing between someone who has written a book and someone who hasn’t, the vast majority of media people will prefer to use the author as a source. Why? Again, because this person has obviously gone the extra mile, putting in the time and effort to put his or her expertise out there, and gotten a book published.

Copyright 2008 Margie Fisher All Rights Reserved

Margie Fisher, President of Zable Fisher Public Relations, is the author of the Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit. For more information on the Kit, the Pay for Results Publicity Program, and to sign up for the complimentary PRactical P.R. newsletter, visit on this site.

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