Press releases have been in existence for over 100 years now and it’s amazing to think about the revolutionary changes in communication that have taken place over that time. In the Western economies the use of telephones is ubiquitous, while faxes and emails play a daily role in the life of the average business.

Some press releases are still printed off, placed in envelopes and then put into mail boxes to be hand delivered by the postman – but not many that’s for sure. Most are either faxed or emailed through. Increasingly, publicists are also placing news releases onto specialist websites that then distribute them via their own channels including even the microblogging platform Twitter.

There are still many full-time employed journalists writing for regional and national newspapers as well as trade and niche journals, but their numbers are dwindling year-on-year. The era of “dead trees” journalism will never end – there will always be printed publications; but at the moment it is certainly taking a battering from the new media on the World Wide Web.

Blogging, also called citizen journalism, has become a phenomenal success and is widely undertaken by thousands if not millions of writers. Clearly, it would be a huge boon for your business or website if you can effectively reach this mass of online writers as they don’t just reflect public opinion, but help shape it to.

There are a number of free press release sites in existence and to get the best out of submitting an item to these services it is best to take note of some guidelines.

The first part of any press release is, of course, the title. Here you need to make sure it is factual and to the point and preferably add your keyword(s) if you can. For those not familiar with keywords, these are what you expect people to use in search engines. For instance, if you have a shoe shop website you’ll be aware that “shoe shop uk” and “shoe shop com” are common terms used by the public to find information.

The actual style of the title must be dull and factual – “Google prefers this boring headline on Tuesday November 29, 2009″. Don’t create abstract headlines because you think it will stand out from the crowd. It won’t. People are looking for facts. Try these formats:

[Product] will be launched by [company name] on [date]

On [date] [company name] will launch the new [product] to [short description of product in a few words]

The headline is the most important part of an online press release because that is often all the reader will see as they scan down a page. If you can suck a reader into your item just through the headline alone then you have jumped the first hurdle.

The second most important part of an online press release is the summary. Usually no more than 300 characters this should repeat the information as laid out in the title but padded out with more detail.

After the title the summary is the next item that the reader will see and often as part of a long list of other press release titles and summaries all vying for attention. The main body of text itself shouldn’t be no more than three or four paragraphs simply because 79 percent of internet users scan rather than read the content on a page. So the less text the better. Keep all information to the minimum.

Finally, always add contact information which mainly means a contact name, email, website and phone number but also a postal address too. People tend to fell more comfortable with an actual postal address instead of just email details.

So hopefully this will give you a starting point to think about how to layout a press release for the free press release distribution sites on the World Wide Web.

You may not necessary write the perfect press release the first time at trying if you are new to the publicity game, but once you’ve written a few you’ll find that the correct formula is straight forward and you’ll be sending them here, there and everywhere for every event and news story.

Mark Woodham is an editor at free press release distribution site Press Release 001

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Tags: press, release, relation, online

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tags: relation, press, media, conference

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.

For more information, visit this website

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Tags: media, public, relation, interview, training

In today’s world it is far too easy to be ignorant of your online reputation. It is even easier for it to instantly vaporize and let someone tear it into a barely recognizable brand that you will fess up to being involved with. Every blog, community site, customer review, or competitor has hundreds of different options to voice viewpoints and concerns against a company. If you haven’t done it already, start understanding how to use tools to monitor social media and take proactive steps to keep your business in working order.

Your second option is to ask the simple question:

Can this happen to me?

Yep it sure can.

As a case example, I pulled a local article from Washington CEO Magazine on the Top 100 Companies to work for in 2007. I pulled some of the names off the list and did a quick query in Google. Here are some of the headlines I found on the proper names of the “Top 100 companies:

Result 7 – Zillow – Google Headline “How Good are Zillow’s Estimates?”

“Zillow came within 5% of the price in a third of the transactions studied by The Journal. It was more than 25% off target on 11% of them. In 34 of the 1,000 transactions, Zillow was off by more than 50%.”

Our view: If you are a user or an investor of Zillow, you’ve more than likely been exposed to this article and several like it. How does it make someone feel that the Wall Street Journal (considered to be one of the most respectable news sources) is saying Zillow zestimates are 50% off?

Result 6 – Comcast – Google Headline “A Comcast Technician Sleeping on My Couch” A Comcast cable technician came to replace a cable modem and fell asleep while waiting for the customer service group. As of this article it was viewed: 1,219,303 times! (At 58 seconds long, that is A LOT of bad reviews for Comcast.) It had 714 comments.

Our View: Holy smokes Batman. 1,219,303 views! I don’t know any company that wouldn’t suffer a marginal impact to marketing, sales, and customer service numbers when a million different people have watched how lackluster Comcast support is.

Result 3 – Spokane Federal Credit Union Review – Citysearch Review – “I had an account with Spokane Federal for many years and I was never really that impressed, they pretty much just took care of what I needed and nothing more, overall I would say that they met, not exceeded my expectations”

Our View: Even though Spokane Federal Credit Union has plenty of coverage, it would be easy to bump off a lack-luster review saying they are nothing but mediocre.

Result 3 – Zango – PC Hell: Zango Removal Instructions – “Zango is a entertainment site with free access to videos, music, games, and other downloads. The site is free to all users, but is paid for by advertisements. Visitors are presented with an end user license agreement that they accept before downloading any content.”

Our View: Here is a Desktop Software company that has hordes of people using Zango gaming software, and every time someone Google’s their name you get “PC Hell – Zango Removal Instructions” thrown at you. If I bought a desktop system that had them pre-installed on it, you can bet that I would remove it in a heartbeat. I don’t need some casual gaming platform slowing down my PC while I need to number crunch my data or send an important e-mail.

It doesn’t make a difference of who you are (how big, or how little), this can happen to you.

It happens to Comcast and Zillow.

It also happens to the little guys.

If you look at this problem from a strictly numbers point of view, Comcast buys it’s own keyword of “comcast” from Google so that it can keep company branding and results at the top of Google. If I were to buy that keyword, it would cost roughly $1.25 per click, and there are 5500 estimated clicks per day on it (that is a daily budget of $6000 to $8000 per day on that keyword).

If Comcast is paying only $.25 per visitor for that keyword- imagine that those 1,219,303 video views cost Comcast a minimum of $250k in lost “clicks”, not counting how many customer service problems and public relations issues it causes.

Barry Hurd is President, author, speaker, and voice of 123 Social Media – Brand Control Management He has a history of over fifteen years working on numerous innovative efforts with online business models: past projects have included NIKE, REI, TMP Worldwide, Monster.com, Verizon Superpages, Intuit, and RIS Media.

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One of the things that have kept people honest on sites like eBay has been a serious take on reputation. Doing business through that portal has required that the chatter about you as a buyer or a seller be good, something like a credit rating. Too many “negs” on your record and you can be branded a bad risk. But what happens when that reputation-intensive mindset escapes the controlled, hot-house environs of eBay and lands on the mean streets of Google, Yahoo and the other major search engines? Consider this example:

You are the Stan of Stan’s Pizza and Goulash, an up-and-coming pizza and goulash place in a hip downtown area. Being the tech-savvy child of the ’90s that you are, you have a great website with all sorts of bells and whistles like online ordering, e-mail reservations and even live chat to help work out any special problems. You have spent time and effort getting to the top of the search engines and now, whenever someone types in “pizza and goulash,” the first listing is yours!

Imagine your horror when you see the second result from some fairly critical blogger who wrote:

Stan’s Pizza and Goulash is Armageddon on a plate, a veritable dietary Megiddo in the heart of our city! There was nothing more disturbing than having the so-called pizza and goulash actually delivered to the table. You don’t know which dish is which and the way it tastes, you don’t care! Stay away from Stan’s and pray that his mother goes straight to hell for bringing this gastronomic anti-Christ into the world in the first place!

Now anyone who finds your restaurant and may be interested in coming down for pizza and goulash will see this blogger’s end-of-days take on your food. True, it sounds like Jeremiah Wright on a bender, and the temptation to dismiss it as such is very strong, but you can’t ignore it. The fact is that rational or raving, it’s still going to cost you business. Knowing that, what will you do?

The short answer is that what you do depends heavily on what you have already done.

Planning for Reputation Management

There was a time when a business’ website was really little more than an online brochure with some contact information and a live e-mail link. Those days are long gone. Today, a business’ website is far more sophisticated. This is no surprise since the Internet environment is also far more sophisticated and part of that sophistication is what we now know as social media. Through forums, blogs, chat rooms, instant messaging and, of course, e-mail, people are talking to each other like never before. They are also sharing opinions like never before. Whereas before, Stan’s might have had newspaper and magazine articles to worry about; today the opinions that once took hours or even days to reach their audience now take little more time than the time to write the piece in the first place. Delivery is nearly instantaneous. That means if you don’t plan ahead, you will find yourself playing catch-up, doing your best to mitigate damage that should have been prevented in the first place.

This is where planning comes in.

According to Glen Allsopp, the author of Online Reputation Management: All You’ll Ever Need to Monitor and Manage Your Reputation Online, online reputation management is the “process of monitoring a brand online, knowing how to deal with any negativity and understanding how you can pro-actively protect your brand via conversation channels.” Essentially, this means you will have to use the same social media to repair the damage that the blogger in this case used to inflict it.

There are, says Allsopp, three steps to effective online reputation management-management, monitoring and repair. You have to take each of these into account when you develop your reputation management strategy.

* Management. This includes a strategy to monitor your brand, having a solid understanding of how to deal with issues, developing multiple conversation channels (a presence on various social media sites) so they are available when needed, and actively building your brand in a positive way.
* Monitoring. As self-evident as this may be, there are some specific things that need to be included in any monitoring plan such as why you should monitor your brand online, what you should be monitoring such as keywords or phrases and what tools you should be using to do it.
* Repair. The damage is done, now what? Effective repair can be accomplished once you know why the writer said what he did, can deal with the issue correctly, and can take ownership of the search results and change them.

Taken together, these three parts can create a powerful reputation management strategy that will serve you well. The key to repairing damage, though, is being able to change the search results and that means taking advantage of those multiple conversation channels you have been building up.

Take Advantage of Social Media: Fighting Fire with Fire

The goal is to either raise your brand name above the troublesome search engine result or bury it-however you look at it, it is the same thing. The more results that you can get between the page top and that awful review the lower on the page it goes. Then, if that continues, the nasty thing drops off the first page altogether. Whatever you call it, the complaint is gone and you can move on to more pleasant things.

I think maybe Joe Pesci said it best in the movie, Casino, “There are a lot holes in the desert; and a lot of problems are buried in those holes.” You have to have a similar mindset when it comes to your reputation: You have to bury the problems. I am not suggesting digging a hole and then inviting the offending blogger to a picnic, but I am suggesting that you bury their words.

Unlike the release of the original piece that caused all this consternation, burial can be a time-consuming process. It could take hours, days or even weeks to generate enough search engine results to push that problem into the hole and bury it. That is going to depend on how active you have been with the social media sites, those multiple conversation channels that you should have been cultivating since Day One.

Burying the Problem

This may sound negative, but the process of digging your hole and burying your problematic search engine result is really a very productive one. It is all based on generating as much positive material as you can. Just remember that whatever you do, use the same search terms that brought up the negative result as the keywords for anything you create.

* Build on someone else’s site. No, we are talking about hacking into someone’s website, we are talking about social networking sites, forums and other sites where you can build pages with links back to your site, set up profiles in the name of your website or company and communicate with people. With these, you are trading on the authority and good name of the sites you are active on, such as twitter, mySpace, Squidoo or Hubpages. Just remember that if the offending blog came from one of the sites you plan to pursue, you will need to drop that site since your entry on it will not out rank the problematic entry.
* Build-up your website. You have the URL, you have the relevance for the keywords. Build some useful pages for your site that concentrate on those keywords. Make sure you follow good search engine optimization protocols and this tactic can only help your existing ranking while adding search engine results that will push the offending entry down toward the bottom of the page. One interesting tactic that falls under this strategy is to create your own negative pages about yourself. I know, it seems a bit counter-intuitive, but people do tend to look for negative search engine results first, so if you create pages that sound critical in their keyword use, but are loaded with positive content, you can diffuse potential issues. For example, the negative phrase “high prices” can be turned into something like “High prices are no problem at Stan’s!” With a little work and creativity, you should be able to head off many critical searches this way.
* Answer the challenge. This is simple, it is straightforward and it will make you look good to boot. If the criticism is on a blog or a forum, then stand up to it, answer the critic as professionally as you can and try to help them. Why do this? You do it because anyone who finds that page will also find your response. They will, in effect, get both sides of the argument and will see you as concerned and professional.

Keep it an Isolated Incident

Do you want to spend your time doing business or acting like some cyber-Pesci digging holes in the Internet desert? Churchill once pointed out that criticism is like pain in the body, it tells us that there is something wrong. When someone criticizes your company, it is time to take a look-a good, hard look-at what that person is complaining about. This is your opportunity to improve your product, your service, maybe your internal procedures. If you are getting complaints about certain things, then look at those issues and solve them. Be open, communicative and above all honest and you will head off further reputation problems.

The Bottom Line

Even the best companies get negative feedback and dings to their reputations, but they can rise above it because they can deal with the feedback and mitigate the effects it can have. That is a skill you need to cultivate for your own business as a part of your public relations effort. After all, it’s your good name on the line. Protect it.

Charles Cooper is the Web Editor and blogger for gowithabc.com -the Web site for America’s Best Companies. He is also a staff writer for America’s Best: The Magazine for Small Business Owners.

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Both advertising and public relations face a common enemy called ‘clutter’. As an illustration, in advertising companies advertise in television programs that are hopefully being watched by its target audience. You have to remember that not all of its target audience is watching that particular program. Even if they do, there’s no guarantee that the audience will see your commercial because people like to zap between commercial breaks.

Traditional public relations also face the same problem. For your message to get to your audience, you must go through a series of gatekeepers. Editors in chiefs assign journalists of what is worth covering or news worthy, journalists decide what angle they want to use, for a balance report they must get other point of view or sources, editors decide what type of information is relevant, media has a fix format that they must fill or not exceed, newspapers has their own views and idealism. All of these factors resulted in your message being partially transmitted, twisted, distorted or even not get through at all.

The digital solution that we offer is to employ the “push pull” strategy. We “push” the message out by way of viral communications and word of mouth. If people see good things about your product or image and think it is important and relevant to them, people will tell their friends and their friends and so on. With digital public relations, we are no longer be the sole communicators, the users are the communicators. Another is to “pull” people to your website by ways of Pay per Click (PPC) ads, creating links and Really Simple Syndication (RSS). This is where digital public relations stood above the traditional, customizing and tailoring the message to the users interactively. For more information visit this site

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You’ve sent the press releases and after what seems like an eternity of waiting, you finally get the call! The call that says, “Hey, we loved the press release and think there is a story to be written!”
What do you do now?

Don’t panic. Take a deep breath, say a silent prayer of thanks, and ask the reporter how you can help him or her.
Don’t forget to jot down the name of the reporter.
If you were in so much shock, that you didn’t get the name, simply say, “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.” The reporter will repeat his or her name.
Then say, “How may I help you?”

The reporter will mention your press release and an angle that he or she wants to use to write a story about you or your business. If you disagree with the angle, don’t be afraid to say so and definitely do not be afraid to decline the interview. However, if the angle is complimentary to your business, you most definitely want to take the reporter up on the offer! (It is very important to know why the reporter called and how he or she is going to use your quotes in relation to the article being written.)

Answer each question after you have given a moment to collect your thoughts.
Do not ramble on and on. Get directly to the point, as reporters are busy people with deadlines to keep. Keeping on topic shows the reporter that you are appreciative of the call and understand his or her time is valuable.

If you encounter dead silence after you have finished your statement, do not continue to ramble on. Wait for the reporter to ask another question.
Always stay on the positive side.
Never let a reporter goat you into speaking negative of anyone, whether it be your business, your clients, your customers, your competition, or life in general.
Be friendly, personable, and confident.
Don’t be afraid to laugh during the interview should the occasion call for it.
Have sources readily available.
As soon as you send out a press release, think of customers, clients, or others that are targeted towards the angle you took in your press release. Call them up and ask if you could use them as a source or reference should an interviewer request this information.
Then keep a handy list next to your phone, that includes…

• The Name of your source
• Source’s Business
• Phone Number
• Website Address
• Email Address

Statistics…
If your press release makes note of statistics, research material, or other data, have that information readily available, so that you can refer to it during the interview. As the questions pop up, should the occasion call, do not be afraid to say, “I happen to have an article or back up material on this very subject. Would you like me to email or fax it to you?”

Do you know facts off the top of your head?
Cite them during the interview, when appropriate. Don’t know any facts off the top of your head? Keep a note card next to the phone, with possible facts that the reporter may be able to use during an interview, based on the press release you sent out.
Do you have an anecdote to share?
Have you noticed how articles share stories to make a point? Do you have a compelling anecdote that will keep the reporter intrigued enough to use?
Never say anything that you want to be “off the record.”
If you don’t want the reporter to make use of your quote, don’t say anything. If a reporter requests that you answer something “off the record,” decline. Assume that anything you say will be used in that article.

If you do not have an answer to a question asked, don’t lie and don’t make up an answer. Definitely do not use hypothetical statements. Simply state, “I’m sorry. I honestly do not have an answer for that.” Or “You know, I don’t know. But I can find out and get back to you later today.” Or “I don’t have the answer to that, but it brings up a good point about… (then use this opportunity to bring up a point you did want to make).
If you find that you answered a question and you made absolutely no sense, or it came out sounding wrong. Simply say, “I’m sorry, I didn’t answer that very well. Let me see if I can give you a more clear answer.”

If the reporter requests follow-up…
information to be e-mailed, faxed, or snail mailed to his or her office, ask the reporter when his or her deadline is. Then make it a top priority to get that information to him or her the same day you get off the phone and no later than a two days before the deadline. Following up in a timely manner will make it easier for you to get another interview when the time arises, as the reporter will find you a valuable resource!
Before you hang up…
Thank the reporter for his or her time, ask when the article may appear in print, ask for the correct spelling of his or her name, and get his or her contact information. Finally, let the reporter know that he or she can call back regarding clarification, or should another story idea come up where you could be useful.

What if you were out when the reporter called?
Gather your thoughts, and any information you may be able to use for the interview, then call the reporter back, ASAP! More often than not, the reporter will request a phone interview. It’s fast, painless, and allows them to meet their other deadlines with ease.
If you can get away with having the reporter email you a set of questions, that is your best bet. After all, you can reword and regroup your thoughts to sound as professional as possible. Then after proofing your answers, you can send them off to the reporter. There is also less of a chance of getting misquoted.

What if the Reporter called at a bad time?
Simply state, “This is a bad time, can I call you back at such and such a time?” Then get the reporter’s contact information and make sure that you call back, on time.
Alyice Edrich is the editor of The Dabbling Mum®, a free parenting publication, and the author of several work from home e-books designed to help parents earn extra cash while spending more time with their children. To learn more, visit her at here.
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To be an effective community activist takes tenacity, patience and courage. You have to do be ready to do the “dirty work” and be willing to stick with your cause even when no one else seems to support you. Needless to say, activism is tough.

When you’re up against the kinds of challenges activists face, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is how you’ll leverage the media to get your message out to the public—but the reality is, you have to. Unfortunately, unless you’re part of a major organization with a PR machine already in place, media decision makers don’t always notice if you take on a worthy cause.

Here are 5 tips on how community activists can generate publicity for their cause:

1. Devise a strong plan.

First, determine exactly what message you want to send to the media, then decide which media outlets would be most interested in that message. Grab the names, email addresses, fax and phone numbers of those in the media you want to reach and put them in a database. Decide who will be the point person if the media should call and be ready to answer pertinent questions when they do. These are just a few things to think about when planning to engage the media.

2. Get Creative.

News rooms are bombarded with press releases and newstips everyday. What makes yours different? In fact, why should your story be news? If your particular cause is not currently in the news, get creative and make it news. How? Plan a neighborhood rally, publicly lobby your elected officials or conduct a compelling poll or survey and release the results to the media. Jonnae Taylor was not thinking about doing TV interviews when she became an activist at the age of 15. She simply wanted to empower her peers to face street harassment head on. But because her organization did an interesting poll on how to curb street harassment and tied it into the allegations surrounding R & B singer R. Kelly, she was able to get publicity on a show I hosted a few years ago and I continue to follow her organizations progress.

3. Offer exclusivity.

Do you happen to know of a reporter at the local news station or paper who has done several stories that deal with your issue? Contact them directly and make them aware of the issue at hand. If they are popular and have a good following , offering them exclusivity could lead them to take ownership of the cause and makes them more likely to follow up on your story.

4. Tie in to current news cycles and stories.

Because community activism is usually sparked by an event or concern that has recently come to the forefront, you must work quickly when using this strategy. News changes by the second so if your story ties into something currently in the news, make sure you position yourself to ride the wave of that news cycle.

5. Leverage the blogosphere.

Blogs are a vital force in mobilizing people and building global awareness about all kinds of issues. If you don’t already have a blog for your cause, start one immediately using a platform like wordpress.com, blogspot.com or one of the many others available. If you don’t want to commit to blogging just yet, then use Twitter.com (a popular microblogging platform) or find other blogs that relate to your cause and start adding your comments and feedback to them. This strategy will spark interest in your mission, draw new supporters and help you gain recognition as an activist.

Monique Caradine is a Chicago-based broadcast media consultant, blogger and President of Momentum Media Group, Inc. A former radio host and currently the host of “Perspective,” a community affairs TV program, she teaches business owners, non-profit organizations and professionals techniques to get free publicity. Monique has authored two e-books on getting your message in the media. Subscribe to her free publicity newsletter publicity newsletter

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There is no disputing the power of a well-written, newsworthy press release. In fact, it is one of the single best things you can do for your business.

Newspapers, magazines, radio and television news programs are filled with stories about businesses and organizations every day. What you may not realize is that those stories are often the result of a press release. There is a bit of skill involved in crafting a truly newsworthy release; the rewards can help stretch your promotional dollar significantly. Those who fail to master this skill are destined to wind up as the latest addition to the local landfill.

What Makes a Well-Written Release?

For starters, you need to know the difference between advertising and publicity. Many business owners use them interchangeably, when in reality, they are completely different. Advertising is what you use to promote your business and your brand. Publicity is what you utilize to have media outlets promote your business and brand, by way of a newsworthy “hook.” Considering the sheer volume of information that media outlets receive each day, the hook in your headline may be the only thing a journalist will ever see. That said, you should approach it with that in mind, and make sure you’ve got a winner.

Why Bother?

If you have unlimited resources for advertising and promotion, you may not see the value in supplemental promotion via press releases. But consider this – a story covered in the media will automatically carry more weight in the public’s eye, simply because we trust the media to be unbiased and impartial. Press releases offer an affordable alternative for those operating on a fixed or minimal budget. If you are able to write your own release, your only costs will be for the distribution of your release.

The downside? You don’t have any control over what is published. If the editor slants the article in a manner that places your business or market in a negative light, there is little or nothing that can be done about it. In addition, you have no control over the timing of your release. While you may be looking for an immediate release, a reporter may file your release away and wait for it to fit an appropriate project that they are working on.

Follow the Format

Editors and reporters are inundated with press releases every day. Make yours stand out from the crowd with a compelling headline, and make sure that it is formatted correctly. Remember to answer the five W’s: who, what, when, where and why. Below we’ve noted the basic elements of a great release, in the correct order.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – this should appear at the top of your release. If you are submitting in advance of an anticipated release date, note that instead.

HEADER – Upper left corner, and it should contain all of your pertinent contact data. This is the first place a reporter will refer to when they have a question. Make sure you are using a professional email address, and refrain from using anything that will compromise the professionalism of your release. Let common sense be your guide.

HEADLINE – You get one shot, so make it count. Keep it short, with 10-12 words maximum — and avoid hype at all costs. Avoid sales language or confusing jargon as well.

LOCATION & DATE LINE – Name your city, (or closest large city if you prefer), and the date the release was written.

BODY – The meat and potatoes of the release. Use your first sentence to support the headline. Build from there, keeping in mind that you need to approach it from the third person, as an objective observer. Employ a few quotations in the second or third paragraphs if possible. Tie up your loose ends with the final two paragraphs, and note your web address or contact phone number for readers seeking more information. Your release should be kept to one page if possible. End your release with the “###” characters, centered at the bottom of the page. This notes the end of the release.

Skip the Hype

Nothing will land you in the circular file quicker than a press release that reads like a Stephen King novel, or one that is filled with sensational sales language that liken you to nothing more than a used car salesman.

Do Your Homework

Avoid sending out press releases blindly. Take the time to research the editor or reporter that is covering your subject matter, and address your release to them personally. Make sure you follow up your release with a phone call or email a few days later to confirm receipt, and answer any questions.

Know Their Timeframe

Make sure you refer to the Editorial Calendar of any magazines you may be sending to, and make sure you target your release accordingly. If they are a long lead publication, make sure you send your materials far enough in advances. For monthly magazines, a good rule of thumb is to pitch two to three months in advance. For newspapers, allow 3-4 weeks if possible. For radio, allow a few days if possible – although radio stations are well known for airing releases on the same day they are received.

Make it Newsworthy

Some great examples would include: announcing a partnership or joint venture with another business, the launch of a new product or product line, the kick off a special contest promotion, arrival of a special celebrity for an on-location promotion, recent studies or research that directly tie-in to your product or service, announcing milestones, awards, or promotions.

Don’t be afraid to get creative. Do you offer products to the wedding market? Consider hosting an “Ugliest Bridesmaid Dress” contest. Do you sell to pet owners? Consider sponsoring a “Paws for Photos” photo shoot of proud pet owners and their best friends. The opportunities are only limited by your imagination – and, the more creative the idea, the better your chances are of being picked up by the media.

Distribution to the Masses

You’ve crafted a killer press release, and you are ready for your media blitz. What to do? There are many free press release services out there, make sure that you take the time to familiarize yourself with them to determine which one can best serve your needs. If your budget permits, you may wish to think about using the services of a distribution firm. Why? There are many reasons — but the best ones are to take advantage of their existing database of contacts, reputation with the media outlets, and the time factor. If you have more time than money, then submitting the release yourself is the alternative.

Be Prepared for Results

Make sure that you have made ample preparations to receive calls, emails, and interview requests. Make sure that your voice mail is professional sounding, and that you check it often. If you provided your fax number, load that fax machine with paper. Be prompt when responding to email enquiries, and make sure you provide all of the information requested from you. Many publications will be on a very tight schedule, and any delay may render you out of the game.

You’ve Sent It… Now What?

One word, my friends – archive. If you don’t have a Press Room on your website, add one. Archive your press releases in PDF format, and keep them there. Add high quality digital copies of your company logo, photos of principals, company overview, sales sheets, relevant brochures, etc. Give the media as much information as you are able. They appreciate the ease with which they can access these materials without having to wait for a reply from you.

Remember – Press Begets Press

If there is one thing that we continually tell clients, it is that press begets press. If you land yourself in the pages of Vogue, by all means, flaunt it! Not only does it give you valuable bragging rights for use in marketing promotions, but it also serves to beef up that media room. One simple truth about the media is that they hate being “scooped.” Nobody wants to be left out in the cold — they will want to make sure that they give you coverage as well.

Traci Hayner Vanover, aka The Promo Diva®, is the owner of TheCreativeConcept, – a freelance firm specializing in the unique writing, publicity, and marketing needs of small businesses. She is also the publisher of Create the Dream! Magazine, a bi-monthly digital magazine for small businesses. To request a free sample issue and two other promotional gifts, visit this website

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Recently I watched Larry King interview Janet Jackson. I was really looking forward to the show because I remember what an impact she had on my life as a teen. I wanted to wear my hair like her, dress like her and I especially wanted to dance like her. But after seeing the interview, one thing is for sure-I would NOT want to do interviews like her and as a long-time radio and TV personality I definitely wouldn’t want to have a guest like her. As much as I hate to say it, Janet’s performance was downright bad!

Though she looked great as always, Janet just didn’t deliver the kind of insight that would warrant a one-hour with Larry King. That time could have probably been better spent interviewing my 5-year old son!

A media interview is your time to shine. It’s your opportunity to dispel myths, share new information, promote yourself (Janet was promoting her new CD Discipline), win new supporters, build your brand and shape your image. Janet’s interview was a major disappointment because all she did was fill time with the same old stories we’ve heard before, warmed over for Larry King.

Thanks to her mega-superstar status, Janet’s less than stellar performance probably won’t hurt her. In fact, most people probably didn’t think the interview was all that bad. But to help everyday people like you avoid what I consider a media disaster, I’ve put together a list of the top 3 things that you should never during an interview:

1.) Don’t succumb to political correctness.

One mistake Janet consistently makes during interviews is that she thinks too hard about how to respond to certain questions for fear of saying the wrong thing. My advice: just be honest when answering questions and tell it like it is. I’m not suggesting you say things that are hurtful or damaging, but don’t be afraid to speak truth to power! Whoopi Goldberg is one example of someone who is not afraid to speak her mind and she is a breath of fresh air. True, Janet is no Whoopi, but if her sexually suggestive music is any indication of how open she can be, she should let her music philosophy guide her in interviews.

2.) Don’t display fake modesty or humility.

Janet just naturally has this aura of shyness but for God’s sake Janet, you’re 41 years old! It’s time to stop acting shy! In interview settings it is vitally important to show confidence and self-assurance. This helps audiences feel comfortable with you. Janet’s false modesty only makes me feel like she has something to hide.

3.) Don’t hold back interesting information that your audience wants or needs to hear.

Throughout Janet’s interview I kept waiting for her to drop a bombshell on something-her family, her home life, her wardrobe malfunction-anything! But she never did. If you get invited to do a media interview, deliver the goods. Give the audience something that they won’t get anywhere else. Then they’ll look forward to your next visit and be more willing to support you. More importantly, TV and radio producers will keep calling you back for more.

Note to Janet: if you need media training, I’m available!

Monique Caradine is a Chicago-based broadcast media professional and President of Momentum Media Group, Inc. A former radio host and currently the host of “Perspective,” a community affairs TV program, her specialties include program development, media training and publicity consulting. She is also a noted speaker, workshop presenter and commentator. Please visit her website

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Television interviews are, by far, the trickiest of all press encounters but they can also be the most rewarding in terms of your public relations efforts. Welcome the opportunity to appear on TV, and be prepared. By remembering a few rules and practicing, anyone can look and sound big on the little screen.

Generally there are three types of television interviews.

Recorded: Your interview will be aired in its entirety or will be cut up into smaller sound bites for part of a larger story. Recording ‘ and editing later — enables the reporter to ask the same question over again if he stumbles over his words. You can do the same with your answer. The best thing to remember here is that if you start an answer and flub it after a couple of words, simply stop and start over. If they are just going to use a sound bite, the reporter is not likely to air your mistake.

Live in studio: You are being interviewed in a setting in which you are with other people in the room and can interact with them as if it were just a normal conversation. This is probably the most comfortable of the three formats.

Live on location: You are alone in a studio facing nothing but a camera because you are in a remote location, away from the main studio where the interviewer is located. You can hear, but not see the interviewer. Look straight into the camera the entire time (but don’t glare), just as though it were an interviewer. If you look away, you’ll seem distracted and aloof. Keep looking at the camera until the technician in the studio says you are off the air.

With some exceptions, there is little room for asking in-depth questions that require in-depth answers. So how do you get your story right? Make sure the reporter is well briefed on the subject. TV reporters often have to cover a wide range of topics. The better informed they are, the better questions they will ask and the better the interview will go. You don’t want a reporter asking, “So, what does your business do?” Better to get a question like, “After 20 years in the business, what trends do you see for the next year or so?” Schedule a background phone call before the interview, if possible, to cover all of the basic information with the reporter.

Here are some rules to remember when doing a television interview:

· Before you do a broadcast interview, make sure you have all of the details. Who is doing the interview? Will it be a panel interview on a particular topic or will your executive have the camera and/or mic to himself? Know the show format and the names of other guests who will be on before you.

· Memorize your message points. Don’t look at your notes. Repeat messages two or three times naturally during the conversation so the interviewer can choose the best versions of sound bites.

· Sit slightly forward in an upright, non-swivel chair with arms.

· Men: Wear dark suits with off-white or blue shirts. Avoid “busy” ties. Sit on the bottom of your suit jacket so the shoulders do not ride up. · Men: Don’t refuse makeup. A little powder on the forehead will keep you from looking like a lighthouse. Bring an electric shaver to erase your five o’clock shadow. Wear socks that go up to your calf so your ankles don’t show.

· Women: Avoid large, shiny, dangling, or otherwise distracting jewelry. Avoid “busy” clothing patterns. Colors are fine.

· Be visual. Do the interview at your place of business, if appropriate. Even better, if you have a factory floor, a control room, or some other kind of high visual, use that as the backdrop.

· Bring a prop-your product or some other object to illustrate your point.

· Talk directly to the interviewer. The camera and microphone will find you. Maintain eye contact.

· Gesture with your hands where appropriate.

· Be personable and open. Smile when appropriate.

Television interviews generally are as much about style as substance, so HOW you look is important. More than 90% of communication is nonverbal, so the way you carry yourself, the way you dress, your gestures, and your facial expressions are critically important. Unless you are a bank loan officer or a DMV clerk, the human face is capable of about 10,000 distinct expressions. There’s an old adage that television adds 10 pounds to anyone’s appearance. I think it really depends on how many jelly doughnuts you eat in the green room before the broadcast. Maybe the camera does give you a slightly wider appearance, but how you look depends more on your posture, your face, your gestures, and the way in which you dress.

Hit your messages, remember your appearance, be engaged in the interview and you’ll be great! Good luck.

Robert Deigh is the author of the new PR book,”How Come No One Knows About Us?”(WBusinessBooks). For a free full chapter, “16 Ways to Come Up With Story Ideas That Will Attract Press,”

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Have you got a business that you need to promote but want to do something a little different than put some posters up or create a splash with a few pens? All you have to do is open a newspaper to find page after page of advertisement for companies offering the same service and products as you at the same price, maybe cheaper or maybe dearer. How are your prospective customers going to choose between you and your competition? Pot luck on an advert maybe?

Give away pens and carriers bags do not hit the spot any more as they are seen for what they really are, cheap and designed to attract customers with minimum expenditure. But maybe it’s about time you started to give your customers credit for a little intelligence. What does it say about your service or business if all you can come up with to promote your business is a crumby pen or a cheap old carrier bag?

What you need is an item that will promote your business in a way that keeps people thinking about you rather than just the initial marketing high that a small and meaningless giveaway achieves. If you think that this is what your business requires then why not look into producing some personalized promotional mugs to give to your clients. These are wonderfully versatile and affective. Each time your potential customer makes a drink they’ll be reminded of your business.

The latest selection of logo’d mugs have so many hot new colours and finishes available, you can now get personalized mugs in metallic finishes that would look great in the kitchen at home as well as the kitchen at the office place. As well as this you can get mugs that change colour when a hot drink is poured into them, perfect if you want to use the mug in an open kitchen; people see a plain old black mug until you pour your coffee in and then before their eyes the details of your business appears to them. This really is a striking affect. In a similar vein you can achieve the same affect but instead of a company logo or details of your business you can add in a picture that appears in the same way, this can be a picture of anything as long as it keeps your prospective customer thinking of your business every time they take a drink from it.

I knew of a business once that had a load of Personalized promotional mugs made up for their business but they had the bulk made up with popular first names added to the mugs, names such as John, Peter, Nick, Paul, Brian, Kelvin, Diego, Roderick, Mabel and Florence were all added to the mugs and then each time this company came across a prospective customer of those names they gave them their very own personalized mug, this trick worked fantastically well and many of the people who were given the mug are still long standing loyal customers of that company to this day. Treat the way you approach your promotional mug purchase in the same way that you would approach any form of advertising for your business, think outside of the box for maximum results.

So just imagine the next time your competition call into see your customer and they’re offered a drink from your personalized promotional mug.

I try to pass on my musings on life and experiences in a way that people may find interesting to read.
Personalized promotional mugs
Please feel free to republish this article provided a working hyperlink remains to our site
You may not always agree with my writings but I hope to inform.
Harwood E Woodpecker

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1. Write About An Interesting Subject. You begin your press release with a brief description of interest and then, move onto writing about your product and company. Your subject must be one that people would like to be read about and one that is new, unique, and interesting. It would be ideal is your topic is unique enough that it was never heard of.

2. Write With A Focus. You must have a clear direction on what you are writing about and who you are write to. Therefore, get to know your audience and write to them. Tell your readers the benefits of your promotion and/or product so that it will easily picked up by the media and other new readers too.

3. Generate Curiosity For Your Reader. Be the first on the block to blast your message out to the world. You need to provide just enough information, but do not give all of the information about your product or what you are promoting to your audience. Allow your reader to have interest in your promotion. Make your headline grab the reader’s attention by giving them a “hook” so that can they are interesting in reading your article.

4. Have A Good Written Structure. You must write your press release in the “third person” voice, provide your detailed contact information (name, address, phone, email, website address), and keep your press release length to under one page or 500 words – limit your information to get the media interested.

5. Use Web 2.0 Techniques. This may be considered as part of your press release, but using the new web 2.0 avenues can certainly stir-up your reader’s interest and give you the great chances to reach even more readers. In newer press release sites, you can may consider adding the following features: 1) adding syndicate content with RSS feeds and podcasts, 2) give reader ability to download in different readable formats – interaction PDF or Sony Reader, 3) attach multimedia files, 4) place special tags in your biography or resource box, and 5) add tag clouds to keep the pulse of the internet.

Alan Lucman invites business owners to get their own business coach through a monthly mentoring club. Receive over $1000 of instant bonuses to boost your online profits immediately. You will earn more, work less, and enjoy life by joining this club at an affordable price -

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How many times do you think I just don’t have time to answer that phone! Well let me share with you a personal experience that will have everyone answering their phones!

A magazine publisher had been communicating with me via the internet and snail mail for a couple of months, with the intent to sell me ad space in their new magazine. One day as I was on my way of the door the phone rang and it was the magazine spokesperson calling to follow up with me. I told her it was a bad time and to please call back later in the day as I was out the door
to go empty the farm truck full of organic fruits and veggies, a co-op project I did every other Thursday.

The topic of a organic co-op was something she was very interested in. You see the next issues was going to be on going green. Just think if I would not have answered the phone she would not have learned what I did and I would have lost my opportunity to tell my story. Lesson here is to speak up you never know who is listening and how you could benefit. The magazine did have my story in their next issue and has opened other business opportunities for me. What great exposure it was for me and my company all because I spoke up!

So I tell you all answer the phone always, one never knows who will be on the other end!

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When it first appeared on the horizon, the story was a category 5 hurricane with the potential to cause serious damage. By the time, it made landfall, it was more like a weak tropical storm. All because this U.S. retail chain asked the tough questions.

After a television newsmagazine called the company, asking if they could conduct an interview with senior management, the public relations director called Gerard Braud. Braud developed seven pages of questions for the PR director to ask TV show’s producer. “I wanted to develop a roadmap of where they were taking the story,” he says.

Although surprised at the number of questions, the producer answered them. “We asked point blank if they had hidden camera video,” says Braud, “and the producer confirmed that it would be used. When he refused to let us view it, we asked him about what we would see and in what states the footage had been shot.” Using that information, Braud identified the issues on which he thought the story would focus. Then, with his own hidden camera, he visited retail outlets in the states where the network had filmed. His goal: to duplicate what the network found.

Upon his return, he screened the video for the training department to determine if proper customer service procedures were followed in the stores. Time and time again, he was told that the salespeople were conducting themselves exactly the way they were trained. In fact, the retail chain enjoyed a 97 percent satisfaction rate for the customer service. Based on these findings, Braud developed another set of questions which the PR director presented to the producer. “We were successful in taking several issues off the table because of the research we’d done,” says Braud.

Preparation continued down to the last minute. The day before the interview, Braud conducted media training with the executive who would be interviewed. Then he and the PR director, along with corporate lawyers and a team of experts from the company, met with the producer for two hours and went over the issues one at a time. More topics came off the table as the producer was shown detailed descriptions in the company’s training manuals, descriptions that shot down suspicions that the company was not acting on the best behalf of consumers. Using what they had learned in their meeting, Braud spent the evening conducting even more focused media training with the corporate executive. By 11:00 p.m., he believed he had covered all the questions that would be asked – in the order they were likely to be asked. And in fact, the actual interview was almost identical to the final role play he and the executive completed.

The resulting story was weak. The network, which had sought to do a buyer-beware piece on the retail chain, was left with a segment featuring a few isolated consumers who seemed to be asking for special treatment.

Copyright © Rose Communications, Inc.

Eve B. Rose, ABC, CIMA® is a writer and editor with more than 25 years of experience in marketing and organizational communications. In addition to marketing brochures and other collateral, she writes white papers, shareholder report commentaries, newsletter and magazine articles, and management communications – among other things. To learn more about Eve and her services, visit her site

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That was the most memorable thing that Ed would say to me all day. Ed (not his real name) was the number-two executive at a major U.S. financial firm, and first in line to succeed the soon-to-retire CEO. He had been through the wringer with a number of media trainers, and it showed.

We had been introduced, and Ed just didn’t want to be with me. There was a seemingly permanent scowl on his beefy, reddish face. He had a perfectly pressed shirt and great gold cufflinks, but his collar was a couple of sizes too tight.

When it came time for our mock interview, Ed spoke to me in a laconic monotone, scattered with eminently quotable moments like: “yes,” “no,” and “I dunno, about six or seven people.” It made me wonder how he had gotten as far as he did. The fact is executive suites of the world are mostly populated with middle-aged men and women not unlike Ed. In an era of 24-hour business news, it’s these individuals – many of whom have had little to no media exposure for most of their careers – who are increasingly called on to be the public face of their company.

Contrary to what some corporate watchdogs would argue, I’ve known the vast majority of these people to be bright, ethical, and highly capable. But media communications is just not their bailiwick. They do not teach these skills in business school.

And, so, admired as they are in the country club – and feared as they might be in the boardroom – these captains of industry tremble at the prospect of spending a few minutes with a wet-behind-the-ears reporter who is often barely old enough to work for them. As a result, forays into the realm of interviews become, for these type-A personalities, remarkably type-B.

They speak in sentence fragments that have to be spliced together, electronically or in print, to be even marginally usable. (No wonder executives often feel misquoted or taken out of context.)

They listen, sometimes against their better judgment, when legal advisers tell them to think of media appearances as if they were depositions. They are instructed to say as little as possible, to fill in the gaps with plain vanilla messaging, and to approach every reporter as an adversary. Of course, with most reporters, this advice has an opposite effect of what the executive wants.

An effective relationship with journalists – be they print reporters, TV broadcasters, or even bloggers – has nothing to do with creating an adversary. It has everything to do with correctly understanding journalists and their needs.

The supposition that reporters are always looking for their subjects to simply “answer the question” is fundamentally wrong. Sure, sometimes they need those answers. But at their core, good reporters aren’t just looking for “yes” or “no.”

They are looking for a narrative. They long for the unexpected. Their pulse quickens at information that surprises them, intrigues them, moves them. They want to satiate the basic curiosities that led them to become journalists in the first place.

It’s why the definition of news is so often summed up with the phrase “man bites dog.” It’s no accident that Don Hewitt, the creator of 60 Minutes, titled his memoir, Tell Me a Story.

This imbalance between the demand for good narrative and the limited supply of compelling material is a big reason why much of today’s news cycle appears so tediously dysfunctional. It’s why what you see, read, and hear often seems sensationalistic on the one hand; repetitive, trite, and boring on the other.

But therein lies an opportunity. The people who know the secrets to filling these voids – and filling them well, as opposed to poorly – get called to appear in media, again and again.

One day, if he can overcome his self-defeating mindset and wipe that sour puss off his face, Ed might take his training to heart and become one of those people. But that seems unlikely. Shortly after agreeing to begin an intensive program with us to remediate his media skills, Ed’s board decided to do a little remediation itself by bypassing him for the post of CEO and handing it to someone from outside the company. They also decided that improving Ed’s media skills wasn’t worth the time or cost.

Ed can take comfort in this stark fact: When it comes to his own media unpreparedness – and by extension, his company’s – he is far from alone.

As CEO, Linda Passante has been the engine driving The Halo Group’s consistent growth and evolution into a finely tuned Brand Development Agency. Visit The Halo Group’s blog, The Halo Effect, for more tactical ideas and tips for CEOs, CMOs and VPs of Marketing and Advertising.

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By now I’m sure you know the marketing value of a good press release. However, it is important to write a press release properly to ensure it will be given the necessary attention. The following steps will give you an acceptable format and include what media outlets expect to see in a press release.

As a good start, the top of the page should include all contact information, name, phone, complete address, email, website etc. It should then say News Release in big bold letters. On the left side of the page at the top state a date for the release such as ‘For Release on June 1, 2008′.

If your release is written in such a way that it could be run at literally any time of the year, it is referred to as “evergreen”. If that is the case you would state the preferred time of release as ‘For Immediate Release.’ In this way no matter when someone comes across your release they will know that it is worth reading and that it has not passed its relevancy date.

The next line should be the headline of the press release. The headline needs to be catchy, factual, and the bottom line of what the press release is about. Give the reader a quick indication at a glance on what they are about to read. The headline is usually slightly bigger in font 14 pt. or 16 pt. and the body 12 pt. In some cases the headline is bolded.

Begin the press release with a dateline. This includes city, state/province, date and a dash, and then begins into your lead paragraph. The lead paragraph should be one or two sentences giving the reader basic details on the story and motivate the reader to keep reading. There are two types of lead paragraphs. A summary lead is a few sentences key to what the story is about. A feature lead creates a hook to keep the reader wanting more.

One rule of thumb for a press release is to keep it to four paragraphs, always keep it brief. The first paragraph should include the most important facts, attributions and essential information. The second paragraph could include background information and names of sources. The third paragraph could elaborate on the first paragraph giving the detailed information. The final paragraph should include the most important information in your press release, which would be to contact you for more information. Don’t save your best stuff, story wise, to the last. You want to fire your big guns first in order to keep them reading.

Many people think that the sole purpose of the press release is to have it run as the story. That is just not the case. It’s true that you want enough information in the release so that it can stand on its own if the reporter is in a hurry or on deadline.

Ideally, your real goal for a press release should be to get the reader to be interested enough to want to follow-up and do a full interview with you. This will usually result in a bigger article or feature story and will often include photos.

Releases are scanned quickly so make sure they don’t have too much information that would cause them to end up in the circular file. This is not an exact science, but these key points will give your next press release a fighting chance to stand out among all the others that are competing for attention.

To your success!

Author Bio

David Mason is president of Mason Performance Development Inc., a Speaker, Trainer, Performance Development Coach and internationally best-selling author.

Find out more about David and how he can improve your results and be sure to take the complimentary Coaching Assessment here.

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A conventional ‘hard copy’ press release is a brief document generally one to three double-spaced type written pages announcing news about your company, product or service to media professionals.

E-mail press releases are usually shorter in length than their print counterparts. The majority of electronic news releases sent between 400 to 500 words of text organized into short two to three sentence paragraphs.

E-mail software allows recipients to set limits on the size of messages it will download. Since many individuals do not change the default limit on their e-mail software, long messages can be truncated. For this reason we discourage clients from sending extremely lengthy electronic news releases.

Information such as photographs, bios of company executives, white papers and other supporting documents usually included in a printed media kit may be published online where reporters may access them easily at their convenience. Include a link to these files in your release. Do not send attachments.

If your company, for example, has completed an online survey of Internet shoppers, include a brief overview of the results in the electronic press release then follow that paragraph with the URL or home page address where complete survey results are published. The URLs for screen shots of your Web site and products may also be included in the news release.

Some reporters have limited online access. As a courtesy, always include a contact method for reporters who prefer to have materials mailed to them by conventional means.

Sending photographs and supplemental information files through e-mail attachments is not acceptable when contacting a reporter.

Information to Include in a News Release

– A compelling e-mail subject header and headline.

– A first paragraph that covers the five W’s: who, what, where, when and why.

–Electronic contact information including an e-mail address for the press contact and Web site address of the company. Reporters working on deadline will often choose to call a company representative rather than wait for a reply by e-mail. Be sure that in addition to e-mail contact information a phone number for the press contact is listed.

–The mention of key clients or endorsement from a ‘non-biased’ source like university professor or software reviewer. You should have permission from those sources to use their remarks in your press release.

–A short paragraph at the end of the release containing background information about the company, sometimes called a “boilerplate.” This might include a synopsis of the activities of the company, how long they have been in business, and any area of expertise. If the press release is about a book or entertainer then cover career high-points.

Story Tips

Electronic PR does not differ from conventional PR in that one’s ability to write and organize information well is rewarded with press coverage. However, the one-two punch of a creative subject header for your message and a clever “spin” to your news rings extra loud in a crowded inbox.

Many journalists respond to clever writing and news releases that describe how a new product or service is a solution to a business or consumer problem.

Pointing to a new business, consumer or health trend is another way to position a story.

Another popular method for obtaining press coverage is to ride piggy-back on a breaking news story by alerting the media to your client’s expertise on that particular subject.

Like the Rolling Stones say, “Time is on your side.” Be prepared to act fast if you sense a PR opportunity. Time the sending of your news release right and you can receive a windfall of publicity.

How to Format a Release

1) The first line of the e-mail body should read: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE in all caps. This lets the reporter know the news is authorized for publication on the date they receive it.

2) Allow one spacer line then write a headline using a combination of lower case and capital letters. Keep your headline to ten words or less. Do not write the headline in all capital letters because it is too difficult to scan.

3) Allow another empty line for spacing, then begin the text of the release as we show with the city and state followed by a dash. All releases must include a date since reporters do not always use releases immediately.

4) There are a number of conventions for line length of electronic press releases. Xpress Press formats press release to the style most universal among e-mail readers.

5) Include press contact information below the text of the news release. A reporter reading your release should be able to make a decision about your story in the first screen of the e-mail message. Don’t waste that space with contact information. They will scroll down to find out who to contact if they want to follow-up with you.

6) Finally, close the document with the characters -30- or ### which are style conventions that let the report know they have reached the end of the story.

REMINDERS

Don’t trust your word processing program to catch errors in grammar and spelling. Have a few individuals read the release before sending it to a reporter or news agency. Although an Xpress Press staffer reads through each release, we are reading a number of stories each day looking for obvious errors like the omission of an e-mail address for the press contact.

Additionally, remember that press releases are sent by e-mail and not everyone uses the same software. For that reason we do not use HTML tags, bold type or color text which may not transmit consistently across all computer platforms.

Sample Press Releases

Below is a sample press release that generated quite a buzz for its company several years ago. Notice that the release does not follow the usual rules of including the five W’s up front. However, the headline is a unique twist on words and grabs the reader’s interest quickly.

When to Send Your News

Daily Newspapers

Business and general assignment reporters working for newspapers and online dailies turn around stories within 24 and 48 hours. However, feature writers are working on stories weeks in advance of publication date. Press Releases about special events or with holiday tie-ins should be sent a minimum of three weeks in advance so the reporter has ample time to research and write the story. The same is true for promoting online webcasts and events. Three weeks is often needed to obtain coverage in Internet newsletters and online calendars.

Monthly Magazines

Monthly publications close editorial content two months in advance of the issue date. It is not unusual for writers to be deciding on story content for a December issue in September. Stories with a holiday theme should be sent to allow the reporter ample time for research and coverage.

Radio and Television

Radio or television stations may plug your Web site or product and perhaps be interested in having a representative from your company appear on one of their programs. Because interviews can be held over the telephone you might receive a call in the afternoon for a show airing that evening. Be prepared. Designate someone from your company as the spokesperson and have them prep for the show. In some cases you can ask the show’s producer for a list of questions you will be asked. Plan how you will reply to the questions. Also plan how you will respond to the interviewer if they ask questions you do not wish to answer.

Blogs and Online (Immediate)

Tina Koenig is founder of the Xpress Press News Service, the first company to distribute press releases online, and via email, to the media. The company provides writing, editing, and press release distribution services to companies worldwide. Visit the websiteHere.

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