Did you know that consumers base their opinions about any given product, person, service or company on their perceptions, and of course what they’ve heard through the grapevine? The sad truth is that perceptions and perspectives provide a very limited amount of information which forces the consumer to fill in the blanks about a product on their own – which can only spell disaster for an entrepreneur. This is why it is so easy for the incredible product to appear to be chocked full of credibility to the average consumer.

While credibility can be measured in many ways when it comes to cooking up a publicity campaign, it is often measured by the number of articles published on the web, in a newspaper or trade magazine about a business. It can also be measured by the amount of referrals or references made towards and about a company. In short, credibility is the gateway to success for the entrepreneur – and it is guaranteed when you are interviewed by the media. You must realize that what is written about your business is of the utmost importance. Words are never harmless – they can be a magic wand and create miraculous things in publicity or they can be a weapon of mass destruction. So be careful.

Moving forward, it could be said that credibility is two parts muscle and one part hustle. While rival entrepreneurs take reverie in knowing that credibility can be instant and guaranteed in publicity they fail to prepare the proper strategy to building it. The muscle of the credibility machine includes the originality, and expertise of the entrepreneur – it’s what you know that interests journalists and consumers.

Your product or service should be unique and your delivery within the interview should be effortless. Furthermore, you must possess a certain level confidence and expertise at what you are selling. That is not to say that you have to have an MBA, but you definitely should know your craft. Think about it – would you buy something from a person who didn’t know what they were selling? What about someone who just did not seem to believe in their own product – would you buy anything from him? I know I wouldn’t. If you do not believe in yourself, or your business then who will? No consumer will support an amateur, so make sure you’re a pro – or at least come off with the confidence of a pro during your interview with the journalist.

The credibility hustle lay deep within the ideal of believability. A consumer will only consider you to be credible if you have a product or service that they can definitely depend on. Something that is both believable and invaluable to the consumer at large. In your interviews you have to forge a sense of trust with both the journalist and the reader or target consumer. They must feel compelled to learn more about your expertise. Without trust, nothing can be accomplished. Not to mention, it takes a journalist only seconds to decide if you work ethic is trustworthy and their perception translated into words will be the basis of how consumers perceive you. Make sure you intrigue the journalist because it is through their words that you will be granted the credibility that you so avidly seek.

Former publicist, turned author of “Write Your Way to Millions” and expert eMarketer, A. G. Fielder has carved a special niche divulging coveted industry secrets and marketing trends to the average Joe entrepreneur. A. G. Fielder is a respected eMarketer and mentors entrepreneurs on jump starting their internet businesses while making money work for them instead of the other way around via her pr advice at this site, or this site.

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Tags: public relations, credibility, publicity, image, media

When you’re pitching a journalist about your company, product or you as an expert, tailor your pitch with a media outlet’s audience in mind, NOT just what you want to talk about.

Getting media results is readily accessible to you. That said, when you start a dialogue with the media, you really need to start with an understanding of why your company would be compelling to that reporter. They’re not going to write about you just because you’re great. Some might, but they’d still have to be the right beat, at the right outlet, working on the right story. The #1 pet peeve we hear from journalists is that they get contacted by people who have absolutely no idea what they cover.

Journalists hate it when you call them about something and don’t know what they cover. Why would you call a news editor about your food product, when there’s a specific editor at that newspaper that covers food?

There are so many different beats that journalists cover, and so many stories that they need to put out, that they don’t always have the capacity to find the information on their own. Yes, there are political correspondents and journalists who cover court cases and go out to war-ravaged countries. These are not the people you would call about your jewelry. But there are fashion editors and writers, or holiday gift guide writers, who would cover your company. Your job is to make your information and expertise as easy and accessible as possible for a journalist, so that they can find a way to cover your company.

And remember, it’s not an ad for your company. You need to put a “framework” to your product or you as an expert. For example, if you are a fitness expert, pitch yourself as a guest on your local news to talk about New Year’s fitness; or if you sell bubble wrap, make yourself the packing expert – tie in with holiday gift shipping; or with stories about people starting out eBay businesses and how to make sure the items arrive undamaged. There is a wealth of media opportunity, but you need to create the framework.

Additionally, you need to target the right contact AND the right outlet for your business. If you know that Ellen Degeneres has never had on a legal expert on her show, you either need to find a compelling editorial reason for her to do so, or you need to target an outlet that is more appropriate to your expertise and offerings.

Visit this site for more resources on how to handle your do-it-yourself publicity campaigns. Regina Novickis is co-founder of Media Tonic and this site. A seasoned public relations executive with more than twelve years of experience managing brand positioning, public relations and media relations efforts on behalf of consumer/entertainment clients, she has secured coverage for clients in every genre of national press ranging from USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek, to Self, Marie Claire, GQ and Maxim, to “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View” and NBC’s “Today” show.

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Tags: media, publicity, company, journalist, coverage

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you done a publicity/marketing plans for 2009?

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

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

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

It wasn’t long ago that public relations were considered a poor stepchild to advertising. The big companies would regularly commit the big bucks to buy big blocks of time on national television shows to reach as many potential customers as possible.

While this still happens (the Super Bowl commands $250,000 for a 30 second commercial) more and more businesses are realizing that throwing gobs of money to try to reach gobs of people is as wasteful as throwing a glass of water out a car and hoping some plants get watered.

The adage by the wise King Solomon that “nothing is new under the sun” does not hold true in today’s marketing world. First, there are many (and I mean many) more vehicles of communication that have become part of our daily lives. Today there are hundreds of cable television channels, internet websites, internet blogs, specialty magazines, enewsletters and emagazines and the list goes on. There is a communication vehicle for every type of person with every interest.

So what’s the bottom line?

Companies have to be in tune with today’s trends, know what their markets are watching, listening to and how they spend their free time, if they want to get their attention. That’s why Smart PR is the wave of the future. Smart PR is a catchy term for the idea that you want to get your product or service in front of people who can and will buy it – in the most cost-effective manner possible.

Some call is Buzz marketing, when everybody is talking about your product. But let’s face it. Most products don’t create Buzz, and those that do, tend to be large companies who end up spending lots of money to create Buzz. What every company needs to do is approach its marketing in a “smarter” and more targeted manner, starting with a PR Plan.

Here are the basic questions to consider and address:

- Where and how does your product fits into the marketplace?

- How is your product unique and different?

- Who are your target market(s)?
- Demographically
- Geographically

How can you get to your target markets(s)?

- Where do they live?

- What is their lifestyle?

- What do they read?

- What do they watch?

- What do they listen to?

- How do they spend their free time?

- How do they communicate with one another?

Answering the above, you can then begin to structure a PR campaign that targets your market, using one or more media that fits the lifestyle and habits of those you want to target.

For example, if you are selling a trendy shoe to teens, you probably won’t want to advertise on 60 Minutes. But you might want to find the coolest boutique shoe stores in major markets and work with them on displays and promotions. You may want to get internet chatrooms and internet blogs talking about your product. You may want to identify upscale schools in target cities and give your shoes to student “leaders” who will give the product visibility. Some of this is called guerrilla marketing. I call it SmartPR.

Since most company executives are busy creating and producing products, a SmartPR consultant can be very helpful. If your current PR consultant produces boring news releases and calls that PR, get his/her termination papers ready. A SmartPR pro will pinpoint the trends, the markets and get your product to the right people who have the means and inclination to actually buy your product. This applies to all products – whether it is a cool new basketball shoe, or an insurance policy. All the same principles apply. If you’re doing any PR for your company at all, it should be SmartPR.

Harvey Farr is president of Farr Marketing Group a public relations, marketing and special events firm. He can be contacted here.

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Tags: high tech, public relations, pr, future, publicity

Two years back I interviewed a self publishing millionaire who had sold 500,000 copies of his Special Effects Cookbook, and had a great way of getting free publicity.

Here is what he said ..

“As the author of a cookbook, I’ve been on full page in the food section of a Newspaper – full color. The whole first page is my face and my story and all my contact information. And if you get a big story in Boston or LA or Chicago or New York, millions of people are going to see that.What do you think happens when a full page comes out in a big city like that?”

I’ll tell you what happened to him…

When a full story breaks in a big city like that, you sell a lot of books! And he did!

As a self-published author, publicity becomes your new best friend. And in most cases, there’s no perfect time to launch a publicity campaign for your self-published book. You do it pretty much all year long.

He began sending press releases by mail during a time that email wasn’t as prominent, but even now, email and just doesn’t work as well. Neither does fax. Instead, direct mail is the way to go. There are special ways to do direct mail. You put your press release in a big red envelope and you use a magic marker for your return address and you just write in big letters all over it so that this envelope really looks special. I’m talking a big red envelope, 8 x 10, #10. You can get them at Staples.

Just be outrageous. Like the guy who wears a red suit, he walks into the room and you’ve got to see him.

So you send your press release out in a big red envelope and with a black magic marker you just write the guy’s name in big black letters. Use a couple of stamps, and hand-write the address. You only need ten a day.

He sent out hundreds a year for his book. You can do a little bit every day so that you get that constant flow of interest from TV, radio or newspapers, lastly of which can work the best because you can get a write-up; usually a full page.

He puts an 800 number in the press release, and a computerized system where it’s all automated that can handle 10,000 calls simultaneously. Calls can come directly to you from the press release.

The way a press release works and looks is that if you have to follow a format. At the very top of the press release, the upper left hand corner, you just type in for immediate release.On the other side, right across from that, you say for further information, contact… and then you’ve got to have your name and your office phone number. You can leave a number with an answering machine, but I don’t recommend that. You want to handle all the media contacts yourself.

The person who calls you is usually a journalist and they have an editor. And the whole point of writing a press release in the format that I recommend is that you’re not selling anything. You can’t sell anything with a press release. Make them look good with your story. When they go to their editor and they say “hey Mr. Editor, I found this great story”…. it makes the editor look good, so you let him write and let him sell it for you. It works like a charm. It really does.

If you want to see your sales skyrocket, put together a publicity campaign that will get you noticed. Be Unique. Let them know there’s no one like you out there. Use his advice on using this big red envelope. It works.

Michael Senoff is a sought-after Internet marketer, interviewer and business coach with more than 50,000 students on four continents. For a limited time he is giving away free over 120 hours of in-depth audio interviews with some of the richest and most successful marketers, copywriters and business experts in the world at his famous Website.

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Tags: online, pr, publicity, envelope, publish

Face it. When you only prepare for a certain event once a year, you’ll forget a lot of the details in another 12 months. That’s one reason humans are willing to volunteer for the same tasks year after year: We forget all the headaches from last time.

So a handbook solves many of those issue. Ideally, everyone on the “Big Event” committee contributes to an overall handbook, but even if that’s not the case, do so for publicity and marketing. Here are some of the details it needs to contain:

1) Goals and objectives. What, specifically, does the event do for your small nonprofit and for the community it serves? Add a new page to this section each year, because goals tend to evolve. That will give you an idea of how marketing also needs to change.

2) Timetables and deadlines. With luck, you’ll open the handbook up next year before the first deadline. We tend to forget just how much time these things tend to take. If there are changes with the media, the schedule or other attributes of the event, insert a new sheet each year rather than using white-out or the like. That way you can track your history.

3) Media contacts. Who do you deal with at which media? Get their names spelled right and phone numbers and emails once and you’ll have them. One of the first things you’ll do each year is make sure this list is up to date. Note here any particulars about each media: did they have special needs, were they helpful or not, etc. If there are personnel changes, pull out your deadline sheet and go over it with the new personnel.

4) The actual publicity. Keep copies of the articles you send out, as well as how it appears, and you’ll learn how to improve (at least in the eyes of the medium that has made changes in your work.) You also won’t have to reinvent the wheel, though there are reasons to be creative each year. But by not having to redo the basic work, you’ll have more time to do other stuff better.

5) Results. When you market, track the results. Details on how that works require a book to itself, but if you can put your finger on any particular results, note that in detail in the handbook.

6) Suggestions. After the event, there’s usually a meeting where everybody has input into what happened, what went wrong and how it can be done better next time. Even if you’re not planning on using all of those ideas for next year’s marketing, at least keep track of them. You’ll never know when one of them might be useful.

Make sure there are multiple copies of your PR and marketing handbook around so that it doesn’t get lost. Put it on a computer somewhere (or better yet, in a non-public part of your website) so it easily can be emailed to your successor or to helpers. Be sure you update all copies equally.

Then enjoy how much easier next year’s event will be to publicize.

Gary Dillard has edited daily and weekly newspapers and trade magazines over the past four decades. He currently is working on a book on PR and Marketing for the Small Nonprofit. A related blog can be found at this site

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Tags: handbook, pr, create, policy, publicity

Millions of people log on to internet daily, and internet, today has become a big market for your products or services. In addition, as you know, marketing your product or service anywhere needs promotion because you need to make your presence felt to the consumers.

How to generate profit with press release writing:

Press releases are an essential part of your advertising and promotional campaign online, and hence writing an effective press release, which is newsworthy, and attention grabbing is the most important. Only writing the PR does not help your purpose. It needs to be well complemented with proper use, to get the most effective result.

• Remember that the usual audience of your press release are the reporters and the writers and the reporters and writers gazing for something fresh to write about, get about ten to fifty press releases daily. Hence, your PR need to stand out among the rest fifty and make the reporter or writer read the whole idea and make them think that it was newsworthy and it is something they want to write.
• The more writers contact you about your PR, more and more advertising you will be getting online. Hence, the body of the PR should be factual and informative giving the readers, the writers and reporters a reason to read your press release.
• The only thing that makes your press release disappear is the delete button and hence your press release should be written in such a way that it is irresistible and entices the reporters and the readers to read it and write about it and not pressing the delete button to remove it from their list.
• After identification of your target market, you should write your PR keeping in mind the maturity level and the attitude of the target market. Write more versions of the same press release to cater to the different fragments of your objective market.
• Before writing It settle on Its content so that it is efficient in all ways. Remember only an effectual press release is capable of getting you business.
• It should be news leaning rather than just another promotion tool of your company, as this will develop faith of your reader in you. At the same time, use day-to-day life examples and quotes to make it interesting as this will help in leaving a long lasting impression on the reader.
• The titles of the press release are as important as its content and hence make your title attractive that is able to compel the reader to read your PR.

Many a times, companies hire press release writers who are convincing enough as PR forms one of the most important tools of advertising over internet. However, if the above tips and tricks are kept in mind while writing it, you can write an effective and newsworthy PR, which in turn will help you make profit.

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Tags: pr, profit, press release, publicity, interview

You are a marketing diplomat, problem-solver and die-hard detail person. You are a living, breathing publicity whiz kid and a nouveau dynamo at the PR game. So, why don’t you have any hip and happening articles floating around about your service or business yet? It may have a lot to do with your mindset about publicity and how to WORK IT and WIN at it!

To WORK IT and WIN at the publicity game requires all of the three Ps put into action: planning, persistence, and a positive attitude. Take a look at the four steps to winning active publicity.

1. Have a strategic publicity plan for every campaign: At the most basic level, you need to know who you are targeting (audience/consumer as well as publications). Are you going to target internet publications only, or are you going for community newspapers? Have you restricted yourself to domestic press or have you included international press as well (**Tip** International Press are also online so reach out to the editors).

2. Develop rapport with editors: This step is self explanatory. Publicity is like anything else, you’ll never know the outcome unless you try. This means you will have to be proactive and seek out editors of publications that reach your niche demographic consumer. It’s much easier than you think, and email can be a sure bet when it comes to securing a positive response from an editor. You will definitely need to write a query or pitch letter – which should be no more than three paragraphs. Get in there with the introduction about you, your company and/or service, and sell the editor on how interviewing you will benefit the readers of the publication. Keep it brief, yet witty and entertaining. Always thank the editor for their time and consideration when closing the letter and leave your contact information. This is where persistence kicks in, because you will definitely need to follow-up with the editor. Remember, you are not the only one out there pitching an editor!

3. Learn how to power talk and power write (speaking and writing with confidence): Whether you know it or not there is a writer and public speaker inside of everyone. It is your job to build the confidence in your writing and speaking skills needed to ensure a solid publicity campaign. After all, publicity includes persuading the masses that you are an expert at what you do. Take time out each day to write something positive about your company or service. Yes, you may want to consider purchasing a journal. If you jot down a paragraph a day, and follow-up by recording yourself reading each paragraph, you will notice a definite boost in your level of confidence within as little as 30 days. Publicity relies more on the art of persuasion than the art of manipulation.

4. “Know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em”: When it comes to editors of newspapers or magazines you are dealing with the dealer. Just like in poker where the dealer decides the rules of the hand being played, when it comes to the wonderful world of publicity, the editor decides the rules of play at his or her publication. So, play your cards right! Know when to compromise and when to hold your ground. Negotiation is key so you’ll definitely need to be open to it.

I hope these steps have helped you jumpstart your publicity campaign and team up to work it and win at the PR game.

For more Low Budget PR tips and pointers stop at this site or check me out on the Low Budget PR Blog. Until next time, cheers and here’s to your success!

Former publicist, turned author of “Write Your Way to Millions” and expert eMarketer, A. G. Fielder has carved a special niche divulging coveted industry secrets and marketing trends to the average Joe entrepreneur. A. G. Fielder is a respected eMarketer and mentors entrepreneurs on jumpstarting their internet businesses while making money work for them instead of the other way around via her pr advice at this site, or this site.

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Tags: pr, win, publicity, team, budget

A free publicity idea is another thing that business people or those who handle events and promotions must be able to generate when fabricating an excellent marketing program for a certain, business, event, product or service. There are many free publicity ideas that we can think of for every particular businesses, events, products or services. Of you happen to deal with things like promoting businesses, events, products or services this article is perfect for you. Let me share with you some ideas that you can start with and what benefits things like an excellent free publicity idea can do to ease your job and make your mission a total success.

If for instance you are going to grace an event like a concert or an exhibit, you can actually e-mail everyone in your contact list about the event you are gracing. Provide a catchy headline, a brief and concise information about the event. This may contain, the date the event will take place, where it is going to happen, who are the people involved, how much will it cost if there will be any payment required, what to wear if it’s a formal event and how much fun to be there and how much they would miss in case they have decided to snob the event you are pulling together. Aside from an e-mail marathon, posting a blog about it is also pretty much helpful. You can also post announcements to your social network sites like FaceBook, MySpace, Bebo or Multiply. You may leave your contact information in your announcements and blogs so that if somebody got interested they will be able to reach you where ever you may be. Just make sure that you always dash at least a pinch of creativity to your compositions. You also must not forget that people are as extremely busy as you. So always make your articles brief, catchy yet concise. Give it a little punch that will make your readers go really excited. They have to end up looking forward to your event after reading your article. If you are selling products and services, you might want to try inviting some people to try the services you offer for free or for a discounted price. You have to make sure that they end up satisfied with what you have just offered them so that it wont be too much of you to ask a simple review that they may upload over the internet through a blog or by asking them to let their friends know about you.

The good things that you will be getting from these simple steps are really remarkable and most likely longer lasting than an expensive marketing program. Imagine the low cost that it needs compared to getting an ad published in a newspaper. It is even much less effort for you. In free publicity ideas mentioned you can even create ties to people who are listened to and are credible enough. You can also generate new costumers because through the power of the word of mouth. This can establish your credibility and will produce higher demands and good association with the right people.

Ready to really learn all about the best free publicity idea? Paul Hartunians free publicity information center will teach you and many other aspects of publicity. Visit this site now to get powerful profit-producing publicity tips!

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Tags: public relations, publicity, idea, event, marketing

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

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

Here’s how you do it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tags: publicity, media, information, reliable, resource

If you happen to have a business, an event, services to offer or a product to sell, there’s nothing better than getting a free publicity. A free publicity can get you the chance to be noticed and have your services or products be availed by the public or your event or business be known to the public. In order to get free publicity, you need first to understand what makes it. A free publicity starts with a published press release. You’ll be surprised to get the good things in your advantage that follows a successful press release. You might end up being interviewed in a noon time talk show over the radio or by one of the most famous TV show hosts in your local TV. This is how free publicity goes. You get invited to events and programs to talk about what you know and what you can offer. The next thing you need to know is how to get free publicity?

As I have mentioned, a successful press release is the first step on getting a free publicity. And a successful press release is basically a published press release. You need to create a really good and catchy press release to get things started. There are a lot of sites in the World Wide Web that can provide you tips on how to write press releases that gets published. When you have made your press release published, the next thing that you need to do is to get interviewed. It may be on TV, radio or print. Whichever you may be interviewed you have to make sure that you are able to spill your information in a credible and marketable manner.

Another effective tool that can be used in order to get free publicity is the internet. You can take advantage of the social networks out there by being active in forums and online discussions. Making your own blog and promoting your blog through e-mails and social network forums will be really of great help. You can also make your own audio-visual presentation and have it uploaded to video streaming sites like YouTube.com. You can also try making an eBook that tackles the things that you wish people to know and or use and eventually advertise your products or services in that material. You should maximize the utilization these features in order to make things like free publicity happen. It just takes an effort and time but when good results get to accumulate, all your efforts will be all worth it.

It will also be helpful to speak to groups and make them see and value your credibility when it regards to the subject matter you wish to ponder. There are groups out there which provide seminars and workshops that will surely need speakers and someone like you might be the right person that they actually need. Another thing that you can work on is to offer discounted or free samples of your services or your products. Getting clients satisfied with your services and products will generate another form of free publicity which happens to be the word of mouth.

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

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There are several components to the standard Press Release format that you must follow whether you submit it online or by conventional methods. Make it easy for your reader to take in your information quickly.

Follow this format structure:

* Headline – Be sure to include keywords or phrases in your headlines for online Press Releases. Grab the attention of journalists and quickly summarize the story.

* Dateline -give the reader the date and location of the story.

* Introduction – this paragraph gives basic answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and why. It outlines the interest point for your reader.

* Body – further explanation, statistics, background, or other details relevant to the news.

* Boilerplate – this is usually the credibility info on your company.

* Close – usually a symbol that shows the journalist that the PR part of the release is over. It usually looks like the following symbol – ###.

* Media Contact Information – this section covers the name, phone, email or other contact information needed for follow up.

Create a compelling press release that highlights the major newsworthy points of your story. Remember that your story must be interesting to become newsworthy. Story editors are often swamped with press releases so they aren’t going to spend a lot of time going through your unless they find something interesting.

So there you have it. It can be that easy if you follow the process from start to finish. Be sure to create an online Press Release at least once or twice a month to keep your company name in the news.

Dennis Morales Francis is a small business coach and the author of “Double My Revenues In 12 Months or Less” and “Push Button Profits! A 30 Day Program For Making $120,000 A Year On Auto Pilot” Head over to the site sign up for your free course now before it’s too late!

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Tags: online, pr, press release,publicity, write

The more free publicity you can get, the wider your marketing message can reach and the greater your results are likely to be. The internet has made getting free publicity so much easier and today there are a number of ways that you can get free publicity.

Go Online for Free Publicity

The first step towards getting more free publicity is to take your marketing message online, if you have not done so already. There are a number of excellent free publicity resources available online such as social media, article directories, press release directories and other tools.

Create a Referral Program

Another great way to get more free publicity is to create a referral program. Although you may choose to give your referral partners a commission when they refer people to you, this will usually be after you have already made a sale and so the cost will come from the sale instead of paying upfront.

Form Joint Ventures

Joint ventures are another way of cutting your advertising costs by partnering with another business owner and using resources you already have to help gain you more publicity. You could, for example, exchange mailing lists, thus getting publicity from their mailing list and not needing to pay anything for it.

Can You Get a Free Press Release?

There are a number of places online that you can post free press releases about your company, but you may also be able to submit a press release to an offline newspaper for free and get greater exposure in this way. Press releases often open up many other opportunities for more publicity.

There are many free publicity tools available online but you may also choose to create an offline referral program or a joint venture partnership (online or offline) to increase your publicity without increasing your costs.

Mitch Carson is an award-winning direct marketer, consultant, author and columnist who has consulted for the BEST of the BEST in marketing including, Legendary marketer Dan Kennedy, Jay Conrad Levinson author of “Guerilla Marketing”, Joe Vitale, Ron LeGrand #1 How to Get Rich in Real Estate, Ted Thomas, Internet Marketing Guru Yanik Silver, Mark Victor Hansen, Co-author #1 Best Selling Series, “Chicken Soup for the Soul”, and other marketing experts on advanced direct marketing techniques. He has had been written up in over 140 newspapers worldwide (including the Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Washington Post and more), over 600 radio stations, and has been featured in over 200 spots on QVC, Home Shopping Network, Fox News, and Reuters Worldwide. He can be reached at this site and this site

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Tags: strategy, publicity, online, referral, press release

Most everyone has heard the “Want free publicity, write a press release” spiel. Yet, too many small business owners still neglect this excellent source of exposure for their company and products.

“I’ll just run an ad. It’s easier,” they say.

Yet, if they really understood the impact of a press release compared to an advertisement, I don’t think they’d hesitate to make the most of this marketing strategy.

Let me share an exercise that I conducted in a networking meeting awhile back that should help you better understand the difference between a press release and an ad. This will also help you determine for yourself which is a better marketing strategy for your business.

Before the meeting, where I was the presenter, I cut several articles and news clippings from our local paper. None of the articles had bylines (“by Author’s Name”). The stories were published on various pages of the paper. Each was about a different topic.

As I began the presentation, I asked the group of about 20 small business owners to look briefly at each clipping and tell me what was significant about these stories.

Various items were mentioned — the subjects of the articles, the locations, the lengths. Yet no one touched on the one similarity. Almost without a doubt, each of these news stories were generated through a press release.

(Now, you may ask how I know that. In another town, I might not have, but I was personally familiar with this particular newspaper and knew their specific policy and format for printing news stories. Because there was no byline, and because the stories were not part of their regular columns, I was relatively sure that each of the stories I had chosen had been generated by a press release and written by a junior staff member.)

The purpose in this exercise was to point out that while some people (like me with personal knowledge of this paper and a journalism background) would know these were press releases, the majority of people wouldn’t. Most people, even well-educated ones like these business owners, would perceive these stories to be simply news stories written by the newspaper’s staff.

And that can be VERY significant to your business. Let’s consider…

If you read an article in the paper, what do you think? Usually, that it’s true. At least most of the time.

While we’ve learned that “you can’t believe everything you read,” to a certain extent, we still tend to believe that if a notable newspaper publishes a story, it’s true. Period.

On the other hand, how many advertisements that you read do you believe without question? Probably very few.

Reading an ad does not necessarily make you believe in that product. You know that someone paid to run that ad. You know the advertiser has an ulterior motive — profit. You know the purpose of an ad is to sell you something. So you don’t believe what an ad says just because you read it… EVEN IF YOU READ IT IN THE SAME NEWSPAPER.

That’s the significance!

We believe a news story because, in our minds, a news story is impartial. Its purpose is to educate and inform, not to earn a profit. A news story is, in effect, the opposite of an ad. And because we believe a news story, we are MUCH more likely to act on it… to purchase the product it recommends, to do business with the company it describes. We TRUST a news story… therefore we TRUST the subject of that story.

And that’s the whole purpose of advertising — to build trust in our customers and prospects.

—–
Article copyright © 2008 by Darlene ‘Dee’ Bishop. All rights reserved worldwide.

Darlene ‘Dee’ Bishop is a professional writer with over 25 years experience writing and editing ezines and newsletters, press releases, website content, magazine features and more. Visit her online to discover how she can help you build your business one word at a time™.

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Tags: public relations, press release, advetising, marketing, publicity

Last week on the fourth hour of NBC’s “Today” show, Kathie Lee Gifford announced survey results that stated two out of three Americans would rather be stranded on a desert island with their pet over their partner or spouse. Disturbing (or inspiring!) as the results may be, the survey was sponsored by a major pet insurance carrier. Because of the “shock” value to the survey, it garnered national news coverage, and earned the insurance company an on-air mention of its brand.

Throughout my career, we have utilized surveys as a publicity tactic for various products and brands. Because you want the survey to be statistically accurate, it’s best to have it fielded by a professional company. There are a number of ones that specialize in this, and a common term for it is “Omnibus” survey. Typically, the surveys will be fielded to about 1,000 participants, and can have either open or closed-ended questions. In fact, you may have unknowingly participated in one in the past. Have you ever had a random company call you and ask if you have five minutes to answer some survey questions? This may have been a compilation for various companies, the results which were then leveraged for various product development and marketing purposes, including being released in survey form for publicity purposes.

Most survey fielding companies will work with you to help you formulate the questions and parameters for the participants so you have the best possible results to match your objectives. However, some things you should think about before you begin:
# Who am I trying to reach? For example, if you want moms, you can limit the screening process so the survey company only asks the questions to moms. Or if you want to show consumers the misperception men have about “X” factor in raising kids, you can screen only dads.
# What sort of “shock” or “interest” value can I try to determine that will make my product or brand more interesting?
# Is there something already in the news on which I can capitalize, i.e., elections, holidays, etc.?

Overall, identifying that nugget of information that is quirky enough to make your survey results interesting can yield big publicity results.

Visit here for more resources on how to handle your do-it-yourself publicity campaigns. Regina Novickis is co-founder of Media Tonic and Publicity411.com. A seasoned public relations executive with more than twelve years of experience managing brand positioning, public relations and media relations efforts on behalf of consumer/entertainment clients, she has secured coverage for clients in every genre of national press ranging from USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek, to Self, Marie Claire, GQ and Maxim, to “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View” and NBC’s “Today” show.

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Tags: pr, professionals, publicity, tool, recommend

Are advertising and publicity the same thing? Twelve years ago, I asked my then-college-roommate that very question. She had just started an internship at an advertising agency, and I truly did not understand the difference. Little did I know at the time that I would go on to build a long-standing career in public relations.

The answer is, they are very different. But it’s easy to understand why publicity remains elusive to so many people. Advertising makes sense. A company comes up with a campaign, buys the space or air time, and you see an ad on television or in your magazine.

Publicity, on the other hand, remains more elusive to the uninitiated. Growing up, we’re presented with images of the media which portray journalists investigating criminal activity, reporting in war zones, and following political campaigns. While these are all realistic functions for certain types of journalists, there is a world of opportunity with others who are looking for products and information from experts to include in their stories. This is where your publicity efforts come into play.

This bears repeating. You can call a journalist and secure a news item about a company, event or yourself as an expert. Publicity appears as a news item or feature story in the mass media, and is not done in exchange for money. Material is submitted to the news department at a TV station, or an editor at a magazine or newspaper, by someone who wants to get the word out about their company. The journalist then determines whether the material can be utilized as a stand-alone news story, or incorporated into an existing news story.

Because it’s unpaid, and contingent upon your newsworthiness to a particular media outlet, publicity can take a longer time to secure results, and unlike in advertising, you do not entirely control the messages. However, studies have shown that consumers hold more trust in what they read or see as editorial coverage, versus what they are told in advertising.

Visit this site for more resources on how to handle your do-it-yourself publicity campaigns. Regina Novickis is co-founder of Media Tonic and Publicity411.com. A seasoned public relations executive with more than twelve years of experience managing brand positioning, public relations and media relations efforts on behalf of consumer/entertainment clients, she has secured coverage for clients in every genre of national press ranging from USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek, to Self, Marie Claire, GQ and Maxim, to “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View” and NBC’s “Today” show.

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Tags: publicity, marketing, advertising, public relations, campaign

Press releases: from the newspaper page to the Web page

Writing a good press release is not exactly a talent that was born as a result of the Internet. Marketers and business owners have long since been submitting press releases to editors, reporters and other journalists in the hopes that the news story may get published in the newspaper, or better yet, may inspire reporters to write related stories. Now that the Internet has taken over as the one and only information super highway, it only makes sense that today’s advertisers are battling for online space, instead of a spot in their local newspapers.

Why write an optimized press release

Even if you have managed to get a couple of your press releases published in your local newspaper, you can still benefit from the fruits of your efforts if you write an Internet-friendly press release. One of the biggest reasons why you should target the Internet is the fact that you will be reaching a much bigger audience. More and more people today are turning to the World Wide Web for their latest dose of news. Logging online and searching for the news items that they are interested in is much easier and more convenient rather than waiting for the news report on BBC or CNN. Even these giant news corporations are maintaining and promoting their own websites to keep up with the online world. Imagine how many people you will reach if you become featured in a popular news website or engine.

Another advantage of writing optimized press releases is that it lets you track how much readership your news story is receiving. This is virtually impossible with newspapers. Even if you keep track of how many people purchase newspapers, there’s a huge possibility that they’re buying for the comics, the classified ads or even just to have a shelter from the rain!

The power of keywords

Just like in the optimization of any online content, keywords will play a major role in the optimization of your press release. You need to research which keywords are the most relevant to your business or news story. These keywords can range from single words to whole phrases. Once you have decided on the most relevant keyword for you, be sure to use this in the title of the press release. You can also use related phrases in the subtitle and throughout the entire body of the article as long as the text reads well. Never overdo this tactic as quality content matters more than artificially trying to trick the search engines.

Target human readership

Even though you are vying for a top position in the search engine results, this doesn’t mean that you have to put all your effort into pleasing the spiders or other software that handles the positioning of the search results. Remember that you are, first and foremost, appealing to your readers. Create a press release that is newsworthy, informative and interesting and you can rest assured that your news story will gain online popularity in due course.

At PR Friend, you can learn all about how to promote your organization in a digital age. We offer a free press release posting service and other promotional advice. You can also sign up for our newsletter.

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Tags: press release, optimize, write, news, publicity

PICTURE THIS: you just secured an interview on the local news station. Or in your town’s daily paper. Or on CNN. Or in a trade publication. Or on the local morning radio show.

Congratulations!

Now all you have to do is remember ONE word.

L-E-V-E-R-A-G-E!!

See, without leverage, your interview may as well have never happened.

Because being That Guy is about repeated impressions.

It’s about credibility.
It’s about staying in front of people.
It’s about getting the maximum mileage out of your media appearances.

Otherwise, you may as well just be winking in the dark!

For example, let’s say you did a three-minute interview on your local radio station.

You’d want to ask yourself three questions:

1. How many people tuned it?
2. How many people missed it?
3. What can I do to keep that appearance alive?

And that’s the challenge: keeping it alive. Leveraging your interview in as many ways as possible.

Now, how do I know all of this?

Because I’ve done hundreds of them.

Big AND small.

CNN, 20/20, COSMO, WSJ, USA TODAY, The Today Show…

Local news, Internet radio stations, random TV shows watched by 13 viewers…

I’ve done them all. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s how to leverage a media appearance.
Here’s a list offers 39 ways to do so.

(NOTE: not all of these ideas are applicable to every type of appearance. Some are more conducive to TV, radio, print and the like. Pick the ones that work best for you…)

BEFORE YOUR APPEARANCE

1. Ezine. At least a week in advance, tell everyone on your mailing list to tune in. To keep their eyes open. Remind them to set their Tivos, check the magazine racks and (not) to change that dial!

2. Text. Most cell phones have a feature that enables you to send a mass-text. This is a great way to save time AND contact a large group of people whose emails you might not have.

3. Call. When I was on 20/20, I physically called every single person in my cell phone. Probably about 150 numbers. (It took about two days. Mostly, I just left messages.) This technique is a great way to spread the word to your closest friends, who will gladly help build buzz around your appearance.

4. Email. Personally email clients, prospects, friends, family members and other people with big mouths. If you have a link ahead of time, send that for their reference. Make it SUPER easy for them to tune in so they don’t miss anything.

5. Blog. Make an official announcement on your blog. Think of it as a press release. Make your headline pithy, catchy and detailed enough so that 6 months from now, a total stranger could read your headline and know EXACTLY what to expect.

6. Teaser. At the end of every blog post up until the day your piece airs, include a teaser or a countdown as your signature line. For example, “Watch Sandy on Channel 9 News Next Week!” or “Only 17 more days until Mark’s Oprah Appearance!” Get people excited! REMEMBER: you’re kind of a big deal.

7. Schedule. If you have a tour or appearance schedule on your website, include your media spot as one of the dates. For example, “January 13th, 2007: Hear Mark’s Spot on K-ROCK FM!”

DAY OF YOUR APPEARANCE

8. Blog. When your spot airs (or the publication issue hits the racks), tell everyone! Encourage people not only to tune in, but also to do so with friends. Tell them to have listening parties! In fact, if you’re going to appear on a major media outlet, have a party yourself!

9. Media Accessibility. Whether or not you do your interview LIVE, be sure to be accessible on the day of. Media outlets LOVE to tune into each other. Springboard interviews often come about; as do emails, phone calls, instant messages and the like. Be ready! Leverage is about being able to answer the phone five minutes after your TV spot and say, “Sure, Oprah, let me just check my calendar.”

10. Customer Accessibility. In addition to the media, potential customers will (hopefully) be calling and emailing soon after they hear about you. Be ready! Leverage is about being able to answer the phone five minutes after your TV spot and say, “Yes, that was me you saw on the news! Sure, I’d love to take an order. 20,000 units? No problem!”

DAY AFTER YOUR MEDIA APPEARANCE

11. Web. On your blog or website, post a screen shot of the website you were on. Scan a copy of the article. Take an actual picture of the television screen with your mug on it. PROVE to people that you were, in fact, in the news. People need proof.

12. Accessibility. Although #9 and #10 already addressed this issue, it’s worth repeating. Be accessible the day after for the people who might not have seen, heard or read your interview the day of. (Same goes for interviews on weekends: be ready the WEEK after too. Patience, grasshopper. They’ll call.)

ANY TIME AFTER YOUR APPEARANCE FOR THE REST OF YOUR CAREER

13. Images. The pictures you captured from #9 can be used as slides in your PowerPoint presentation. Builds credibility with your audience.

14. Signature. At the end of every blog post (for the next month or so), link to your original “day of” blog post. Include an image of the media outlet’s logo or a screen shot to offer proof and get readers excited. (See the bottom of this blog post for a great example.)

15. Schedule. Be sure to keep your announcement on the “Past Events” or “Past Appearances” page of your website. Five years from now, somebody could accidentally come across it and say, “Wow! Randy was on Fox News? Cool! I think I’ll hire him now.”

16. Cross Sell. In future interviews, speeches, conversations and writings, reference it. Causally say, “When I did a spot on Channel 5,” or “During my interview with Oprah, I learned…” Don’t be shy. You deserve it.

17. Intro. Next time you give a speech, mention your appearance in your introduction.

18. Bio. Add the appearance to your bio sheet.

19. About. Add the appearance to the “About” page on your website. If you did a TV or radio spot, be sure to have your clip viewable, listenable and downloadable.

20. Author. If you’re an author, include your media appearances in the “About the Author” page of your books.

21. Materials. Add the appearance to your brochure, one-sheet or other marketing materials.

22. Article. Add the appearance to the bio box or byline at the end of your articles. (You DO write articles regularly, don’t you?)

23. Post. If you did a spot on TV, call a clipping service, pay $70 and get a copy of your interview THE NEXT DAY. First, post the video on YouTube. Then, use the tags to embed that video on every other website/blog you have.

24. Mass Email. In your next ezine or newsletter, tell people they can watch/read/listen to your recent spot on your website.

25. Personal Email. Send personal emails to clients and especially hot prospects. For example, “Hey Cheri! Not sure if you read the article in the business journal, but here’s the link just in case. Enjoy!” Don’t sell. Just send the article, let them read it, then wait for them to buy. It works.

26. Tear Sheet. If you did a print piece, get a reprint or really nice copy of it and make it into its own marketing piece. Add it to your media page and press kit.

27. Trade Shows. Take your tear sheet to your next trade show. Give copies to everyone! Make a cardboard cutout of the article. If it’s video, make sure every single person who passes by your booth watches it.

28. Direct Mail. Turn that tear sheet into a one-page direct mail sheet. Send it to prospects, friends, colleagues and other people who know you.

29. Enshrine. Frame the clip or picture of your appearance. Post it in the lobby of your office or on the front door of your store. Make sure every single person who walks in the door sees it. YOUR GOAL: by the time a potential customers comes to your office, she’s already seen proof from a third-party that your company ROCKS. Think Zagat.

30. TV. If you have several clips of video from various appearances, create a montage and make it part of your inner-company closed circuit or lobby TV.

31. Walls. Get a copy of the magazine cover or newspaper article, frame it and stick it on the wall of your office. Every time you look at it, it will serve as a reminder to stay in the media regularly AND to leverage those appearances.

32. Sticker. It’s all about the sticker. On your website, book covers and storefronts, you MUST enshrine. Read how to do this here.

33. Reference. Write subsequent articles and blog posts that expand on the topic you addressed in your interview. Reference the interview during the piece. Include link to actual interview at the end.

34. Card. Turn your appearance into a Holiday Card.

35. WOM. Have your girlfriend tell everyone she knows. Then tell everyone in your family. Best word of mouth ever.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you leveraging that interview?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For the list called, “46 Marketing Mistakes Your Company Is (Probably) Making,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

© 2007 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg, aka “The Nametag Guy,” is an author, speaker, award-winning blogger and entrepreneur. As the creator of NametagTV.com, he teaches people how to GET noticed, GET remembered and GET business.

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Tags: pr, leverage, media, appearance, publicity

The Modern Press Release Goes Beyond Geographical Boundaries

Press releases were originally for the sole purpose of relaying updates and other pertinent information to the media about a company or organization. They served as some sort of personal correspondence between the media and a company. In the perfect world, the press release is designed to be publicized through the media so that people would learn about your product or service if the media chose to run your story.

But in the not-so-perfect world, the traditional press release has a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the paper shredder in various news organizations. It all depends on the editor’s judgement and his or her idea of newsworthy information. So in the past, releasing these materials to the press was always likely to result in no take-up of the message that you were trying to convey.

These days, however, the press release takes on another purpose and is redefined by the increased accessibility of online media. In recent years, the press release has gone online – just like other marketing tools – and is now made open for mass readership. They are no longer limited to the people in the media. Anyone who is interested in a company or industry can access your press release directly through distribution sites and news release sites.

But what has defined the newfound role of the press release is the fact that it rides on the pervasiveness of the Internet, the medium through which it is distributed. Over the past decade, cyberspace has continued to accommodate more users. People are starting to appreciate the convenience of getting everything that they need with just a click of the mouse. You don’t go to the newspaper to find out what is new about a company but to blogs and other resources. Under Web 2.0, everyone can have their say about a product or service, not just journalists. Going online is your first port of call nowadays and you start by searching for what you are looking for. And how convenient if the first thing you read is a nicely constructed press release leading back to the organizations website!

This is a practice that is common to many internet users. The medium is an information resource so a person in Hongkong looking for information on X Company may end up looking at the same page as somebody else located in Paris. Unlike its traditional counterpart, the online press release is capable of disseminating information beyond the boundaries of the company’s geographical location.

Online press releases have greatly benefited from the wider reach of the Internet. They are not anymore limited to providing information for people within the organization’s locality. They are now designed to cater to mass audiences located in any part of the world. So long as these people share the same interest, the online press release is accessible regardless of where they are in the world. This makes it easier for various companies to offer their products and services to a wider clientele as well. You don’t need to be based in the United States to tap into that market. All you need to do is start on your press release marketing campaign.

Submit your unique press release on sites such as Fast Press Releaser or Press Release Home. An informative and unique press release placed on a reputable site will enhance your reputation in your area of expertise.

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Tags: pr, online, press, release, service, publicity

1. Set the Time and Place

There will be many factors to be taken into account when choosing the location and date for your news conference but remember that you are in charge. You can usually choose when and where to have it. If the event is being held to make an important policy announcement you need to be fully prepared (see below). If you are holding the news conference to respond to some criticism or some emergency, it is even more essential that you are not panicked into making hasty decisions.

2. Prepare a ‘Press Pack’

The pack of information given to those attending should include a printed copy of any statement by your client or his employees. Include a copy of any press release prepared for the event, any background information, statistics and relevant photographs. But do not include any junk.

3. Choose a Firm Chairperson

The chairperson of the news conference is one of the most important people. He or she will have to be fully briefed on the subject of the conference, needs to be ready to answer questions (which may sometimes be hostile), needs to be prepared to say ‘No’ when necessary, and must bring the event to a tidy conclusion.

4. Anticipate Problems

Do not assume you can always control the questions reporters will ask. Prepare a list of the possible questions and write down the answers as part of the chairperson’s briefing. You must be honest with yourself and anticipate all the controversial issues. Be ready with positive answers but also be ready to give a strong defence in cases of controversy.

5. Invite the News Media

This piece of advice is not as silly as it seems. Make sure journalists can find you and give them detailed information on date, time, location and include a map. Give them plenty of time to enter your invitation in their busy diaries. You will probably be competing with other organizations who are holding press events on the same day. Be careful also to check the credentials of those who attend, and admit only those who can prove they were invited.

6. Make an Opening Statement

The chairperson of the news conference is in the best position to set the agenda, and the opening statement should be short, clear and to the point. Explain why you have invited reporters and describe the supporting documents you have produced for the press pack. When the statement is completed, invite questions.

7. Be Assertive with Journalists

Ask each person to identify themselves before they ask their question. If you do not understand the question ask them to repeat it. Always offer an answer to the question, even if you have to say, ‘I don’t know.’ Be positive, and if some details are not readily available make sure they are passed on later to the journalist who asked for them. Make sure reporters address all questions to the chairperson. It is the chairperson’s job to re-direct questions to the appropriate person if he/she can answer them better.

8. Be Prepared for Interviews

Radio and television reporters always prefer one-to-one interviews. It is often a good idea to have one well-briefed spokesperson for interviews. It is best to delay these arrangements until after the news conference. By that time the spokesperson will be familiar with the questions (and answers). Use a small tape recorder to keep your own record of the news conference and interviews. It is also a good idea for the spokesperson to be trained in radio and television interview techniques.

9. Close the Conference when Appropriate

Never allow a news conference to drift. If you feel that the reporters have got answers to all the most important questions, the chairperson should politely close the conference and thank everyone for attending.

If you follow these nine principles, your news conference should be a resounding success and garner lots of valuable publicity for you or your client.

You can make very good money as a self-employed PR consultant. Maple Academy (UK) runs a highly successful PR training course for anyone hoping to set up in this field. For full details, see here

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Tags: media relations, organize, news, conference, publicity

Even the best products and companies can fall into some sticky situations. How do you deal when the media wants to talk to you about it?

Achieving trust is the aim of anyone practicing public relations. The most practical consideration in achieving trust is through your dealings with the news media – anything less than total honesty will destroy credibility, not only for you personally, but for your company as well. The news media will be depending on you as a source to provide honest information about your company that they, in turn, convey to their readers and listeners.

So what to do when you’re under fire?

Above all, prepare in advance, and keep your cool. This is true for every interview, but particularly when you have a difficult situation to discuss, you never want to come off as angry, embarrassed or flustered.

In all your dealings with the press, if you don’t know the answer to something, the only acceptable way to address this is to say you don’t know, but will look into it and see if you can find a response – then follow up in a timely fashion. Never make up an answer to something you don’t know or about which you are unsure. And if there is something that you simply wish not to answer, you can simply say that the particular information requested is not available at this time.

If the journalist presses, you are under no obligation to provide a response. You can utilize a technique called “bridging,” in which you use the line of questioning as a way to turn your response into something positive. For example, “That information is not available at this time, but what I can tell you is that we have a new line of products about which we are very excited.”

Sometimes a reporter will inaccurately cite information; this may be a way to trick you. Only deny the accuracy of the information – do not correct it unless it helps your story.

Remember, what may seem beneficial in the short- term, could come back to haunt you down the road. It is far better to build a long-standing and trustworthy relationship, than to jeopardize your credibility for immediate gain.

Visit this site for more resources on how to handle your do-it-yourself publicity campaigns. Regina Novickis is co-founder of Media Tonic and this web. A seasoned public relations executive with more than twelve years of experience managing brand positioning, public relations and media relations efforts on behalf of consumer/entertainment clients, she has secured coverage for clients in every genre of national press ranging from USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek, to Self, Marie Claire, GQ and Maxim, to “Entertainment Tonight,” “The View” and NBC’s “Today” show.

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Tags: tips, media, interviews, publicity, news

Creating an effective press release represents one of the most fundamental elements of any public relations program, and there are several basic rules to help you write one.

1) Choose a newsworthy topic.

The emphasis for newsworthy is on the word “new.” The release must discuss a recent development or frame the topic as a new one.

2) Use the local angle as a news hook.

You can increase the coverage of your release by focusing, in the headline and the body of the release, on your organization’s physical location. For example, “Church Sends Group to Rebuild House in New Orleans” may not garner as much regional publicity as “Greenwich Church Sends Group to Rebuild House in New Orleans.”

3) Keep the writing factual and concise.

A press release should state the facts in a direct, succinct manner.

4) Use the inverted pyramid style.

The most important, newsworthy facts belong at the beginning of the release with supporting information below. The “inverted pyramid” also refers to the decreasing newsworthy value in each subsequent paragraph.

5) Re-state the headline in the first paragraph.

The first paragraph of the press release should re-state the headline almost word for word. It should only be two-to-three sentences long.

6) Describe and quantify the newsworthy element in the second paragraph.

The second paragraph should describe why the first paragraph is newsworthy and provide any supporting numerical data.

7) Provide a quotation with a favorable opinion in the third paragraph.

The third paragraph should contain a quote from your CEO, and this is the only place in the entire release to include an opinion about the topic. Also, you should not introduce new facts in the quotation. These facts belong in the body of the release.

8) At the end of the release include a “boilerplate” describing your company.

The boilerplate should be the same in every release you distribute and should be given a subhead, “About [My Company].” It should be about two paragraphs long and include your company’s main activities and prominent clients as well as its qualifications. For smaller companies, the boilerplate should also provide a short bio of the CEO.

9) Keep the length short.

No press release should EVER be more than two pages.

10) Check carefully for spelling, grammatical or punctuation errors.

Editors may receive up to 300 press releases per day. Errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation make your release look unprofessional and may result in its immediate rejection.

In 2003, Willy Gissen founded Cut-It-Out Communications, a full-service Westchester public relations firm. With over 10 years of related experience, he trained with a former SVP of a top New York City PR firm, Hill & Knowlton, and served on the communications staff of the McCall/Mehiel gubernatorial campaign. He holds a BA in Government from Harvard College.

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