Public Relations Tips

Anatomy of an Online Press Release - An Old Trick Made New

I was a publicist in the 80s and made a living writing press releases and �flacking the hacks.� For more than a decade now, my business is promoting client sites in the organic results of search engines. Until now, on site optimization and creative link trades have been the main staple of my SEO. I had read about press releases being used as part of an overall search engine campaign, but I hadn’t really had a good reason to do one. But now I find myself with a client who has an item that’s truly newsworthy

– Realtor Rudy Molinet has developed an iPhone app for Key West Real Estate. So, I am about to learn an old trick in a new way. I’ve written the release (my experience with public relations and my current SEO copywriting came in handy) and the next step was to research the platform to use for the release and when to time the release. I�ve learned:

Some press release sites are free and some are paid. Some are actually read by reporters � business to business, so to speak. Others are not really targeting journalists. From what I�ve read, PR Newswire and Business Wire are the most likely to reach the reporters.

Timing is important. If you are looking for publicity and not just links, you want your release to be in front of the writers in the morning when they are perusing for ideas. But there are other factors that come into play. I called BusinessWire, a likely vehicle for our release, and asked about timing. Yes, I would be able to control it, they said. I can opt to release it now or at a time in the future. I could even have them hold it indefinitely.

BusinessWire�s Claudia advised me to choose my timing carefully right now since there are a lot of financial earnings releases right now. Stay clear of the times right before the market opens and closes she said.

Here�s another tip, she said. Time your release for a Read the rest of this entry »

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What’s Your PR IQ? Part 2

When it comes to marketing, this is one of the most confusing times for business owners professionals and entrepreneurs. Marketing is changing. What works for one business, could be a waste of time and money for another. Still, many still believe they intuitively know the ins and outs of launching and implementing an effective PR campaign. Sadly that is seldom the case. In part one of “What’s Your PR IQ?” I discussed defining your business, defining your target market, thinking in terms of stories and writing a press release, but there’s much more to consider before launching and implementing an effective public relations campaign.

Study the various media outlets. You don’t have the same conversation with every person you know, so why would you send every media outlet the exact same release? Each media outlet has different story needs and a different audience. Tailor your releases and your pitches to each specific media outlet.

Less is more. If you’re thinking of sending out a huge press kit filled with reams of paper, photos and brochures, think again. This may work when pitching clients, but remember the media is interested in only one thing - a good story. Burden them with pounds of useless information and they’ll see you as a nuisance.

Examine all of the available angles. Your first pitch may not work. Be creative. Keep at it. Eventually you’ll hit on the right one. Media outlets vary. Each magazine, newspaper and TV program has different needs and demographics. Each time you’re preparing to pitch a story, put yourself in the place of that editor or segment producer.

Work backward. Approach it from the media’s perspective, and you will be much more creative, and more effective. What would make a disinterested party want to catch a segment or read an article about you or your business? Once you hit on the “hook,” you have Read the rest of this entry »

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Why Getting Published Will Help Your Business

You know what hard work is. You’ve put in the long hours, worked late into the night, done more working than eating during the lunch hour - all to ensure the success of your business.

You may be thinking about what else you can do to get the news of your products or services more broadly known within your target market. Or, you might be brainstorming future steps to expand your business and make it even more successful.

In either case, one immensely valuable marketing strategy can be summed up in two words: get published!

Now, you may be tempted to dismiss this out of hand…after all, you have a profession, and very likely it isn’t “writer.” But there are many ways to be published and each, separately or in combination, can be incalculably valuable in terms of its contribution to your marketing efforts.

We’re talking about:

• Articles written about you, or by you, which are published in newspapers and/or magazines. They provide great credibility to your position as an expert in your field.
• Op Ed (opinion-editorial) pieces you’ve written that get published. It’s a great way to take a stance on an issue important to your business and get published, and it positions you as a thought leader.
• A book with you as the author - my favorite!

Getting published opens the door to the media and provides a powerful platform that is magnified a millionfold when you subsequently get invited to appear as a radio or TV guest, or are quoted in the press.

Furthermore, when the press publishes an article about you, it is really a public relations coup! A paid advertisement is always seen for what it is - an attempt to persuade more people to buy your product or service. Don’t get me wrong…there is definitely a place for advertising. But the power of PR is that when the press writes abo Read the rest of this entry »

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