|
|
In Business for Yourself? Get the Word Out! By Ilise Benun
Still, publicity is very powerful marketing tool that can stimulate lots of interest, so here's a PR primer to get you started with some basics. What is public relations? There is a lot of confusion related to the terms publicity, public relations, advertising and marketing. When I tell someone I’m a self promotion specialist, they often assume I’m a publicist, though I’m not sure why. Most people think they know what publicity is, although when questioned, each person’s definition of publicity is different. We think we know what publicity is because we are relentlessly exposed to it every day. It’s the same with advertising. We are savvy and sophisticated consumers of advertising and publicity, and it's hard to tell them apart, which is sometimes the intention of the marketer. Let's define our terms before we go any further. Publicity and advertising both come under the umbrella of marketing, which is quite simply everything you do to get the word out about your product or service. Advertising means paying for a specific space or time to get your carefully crafted message to a carefully chosen market a predetermined number of times. For example, if I want to promote my book, Self Promotion Online, to the self employed, I can buy a one-time, one-page ad in a local business magazine and it will say exactly what I want it to say. Publicity in that same publication can not be bought, but can be had. They could publish a review of the book or an article about me, neither of which I can pay for or have any control over. Of the reviews that have been published so far about my book, one editor raved so enthusiastically about my book that some people were convinced it was a paid advertisement (although it wasn’t). Another editor focused on what she thought were the most useful aspects of the book for readers, but questioned whether it was worth the price. The media chooses whether to disseminate your message, how and when they choose. Once you've pitched your story to the media, whether you receive a blizzard of publicity or none whatsoever is largely out of your hands. I’m still waiting for several editors to review the book and all I can do is keep in touch with them until they are ready to include it in their editorial calendar. No one’s written a bad review, but they could and I’d have no control. That’s the nature of publicity. Despite this apparent lack of control, publicity can be much more effective than advertising, for the simple reason that people are more likely to believe what other people say about you than what you say about yourself. Like word of mouth, publicity is a third-party endorsement, and it has a ring of credibility. Publicity is a process Like all valuable marketing tools, getting publicity takes time. It is cumulative; momentum gathers. People start to see your name around. They don't remember where they saw it, but each time, they are reminded of their interest in you, your services and products. When asked how they heard about me, many of my clients can’t pinpoint it. "You’ve been all over the place, lately," they say, because they saw an article I wrote, and then received something in the mail from me, and then saw a reference to my book online, and those messages accumulate in their mind, often motivating them to pick up the phone. Building a relationship with your press contacts You may think you've got it bad when it comes to information overload. But the media is a group of people suffering from intense information overload. They are barraged every day with stacks of snail mail and faxes, plus email messages from anyone who can get their hands on their email address. Be a resource You must invest time cultivating relationships with editors and other media contacts, positioning yourself as a resource for them and letting them know they can count on you to fill their pages or airtime. They need that from you. The media aren’t simply doing you a favor by giving you publicity. And they won’t do it because they like you. You must have a newsworthy story for them, something that their readers will appreciate and find useful. Remember that they need you as much as you need them. They need material for their publications on a regular basis. The media is a hungry animal that needs to be constantly fed. An editor called me recently in a panic because she had a spot to fill in her publication and very little time to fill it. She said she knew I had lots of good ideas and could work quickly and wondered if I had some marketing tips that would apply to her readership. As quickly as I could, I put something together for her. If I hadn’t established that relationship with her in the past and showed her what I have to offer, this opportunity never would have presented itself. The trick is to feed them an angle on your business that their particular audience will perceive as news, entertainment or useful information. To find an angle that makes your business qualify as news and therefore worthy of publicity, ask yourself these questions:
Hiring a PR firm The basic principles and effective execution of doing publicity are within the grasp of every business owner. However, the benefit of hiring a PR firm is that they generally have contacts already established in specific media markets and when you hire them, you are also buying those connections, which, if you tried to make them yourself, would take years. Although pre-existing contacts aren't essential, it is helpful and can save you lots of time. If you decide to hand over responsibility for publicity to public relations professionals, ask business colleagues for references and check your yellow pages under "Public Relations." You'll get the best service and appropriate pricing if you match the size of your company to the size of the PR firm. Expect to pay a monthly retainer plus all out-of-pocket expenses such as copying, printing and postage or fax charges. PR TOOLS From Marcia Yudkin, author of Six Steps to Free Publicity, here is an overview of the main PR Tools at your disposal: A press release A press release is a brief document in a specific format that sets forth for media gatekeepers the newsworthy angle on your business. The top two lines identify the source of the release (your company, with its address) and the name and phone number of the person the media should contact for further information. "For immediate release" usually belongs on the next line, signifying that the story need not be embargoed until a specific date. Then comes the headline, which sets forth the main point of the release in big, bold letters. The first paragraph of the release begins with the place and date of the release, as in a news article, followed by the journalist's who-what-when-where-and-why with respect to the angle announced in the headline. Subsequent paragraphs expand on the main point, usually with quotes from you, industry leaders or other authoritative figures. The release often closes with the practical details about the event, service or product, such as price and ordering or contact information. It's best to keep the whole release to one page. You can find a good sample press release here: www.netrageousresults.com/PR/samplerelease.html Press kit A press kit, or media kit, usually consists of one or more press releases, a photo of you or the product, background sheets on the company, bios of the principal people involved, your company brochure and prior press clippings, all packaged in a nice colored folder. If budget allows, you can send these out in place of a simple press release -- or you can send out just the press release and wait until someone asks for more information. I've never routinely sent out press kits and am asked for one only a few times a year. Pitch letters If you have only one or a few specially selected media outlets to target, instead of sending a press release, you can put the information in the form of a personalized business letter. Begin by establishing some special connection with the editor or producer to whom you're writing (e.g., you're a devoted listener or reader -- but don't say this if you're not). Then explain straightforwardly what you have to offer and close the way you would any business letter. Phone For an effective phone pitch, you must have a curiosity-provoking opening line and be able to say in a sentence or two what's newsworthy about your business. Don't get insulted if media people are brusque. When they're on deadline, they can't chat with you. But if you have a story that sparks their interest, they will get back to you. When you're contacting radio or TV, the person you need to speak with is the producer of a show, not the on-air host. Phone follow up Although many professional publicists swear by follow up calls, numerous businesspeople get a good deal of media coverage without ever making follow up phone calls. If you're especially effective on the phone and have the time, follow up calls might be worth a try. Email and fax Unless a media outlet has specifically put the word out that they welcome press releases and pitches by E-mail, stick to the other methods of contact. For faxes, keep in mind that a large newspaper or broadcast station might have half a dozen or more different fax numbers. Make sure any fax number you use for press releases was designated (for instance, in a computerized or printed media list) for that purpose. Posting press releases on the Internet If you post press releases at your own Web site, you face the problem of having to publicize the press release, since the right media people won't normally stumble across it there. Two publicity wire services, PR Newswire and BusinessWire, make their offerings available on the Web. 13 Tips For Getting an Editor’s Attention 1. Study the publication. Each press release you send should ideally be tailored for each publication or at least each type of publication. For example, a press release for graphic design publications should be different from a press release targeted to small business publications. 2. Read bylines. Know who's who and follow the writers and correspondents who follow and cover your field. Watch which ones write articles in which you should (or could) have been featured, then write to them, even after the fact, because it's likely that's their beat or topic and they'll be covering it elsewhere and need more resources like you. 3. Always be adding to your press list. Be on the lookout for new publications, new web sites, new TV or radio shows that might be receptive to what you have to say. 4. Get the right name and spell it right. Make sure your press list is up to date. There are constant changes in the media so keep track of who's who, and don't hesitate to call to find out whether the editor you've identified is the right one for your material. 5. Don't overwhelm them with piles of paper. If you're sending a press kit, be selective and consider which clippings would mean the most to that particular person. Some publications will walk away if you have been overexposed, believing the story has been done to death. Others take a lot of coverage as proof of your value to readers. Try to find out which camp your key media contacts fit into. 6. Get to the point. Send a one-page letter or news release and put the key information in the first paragraph, using the others to elaborate with details. 7. Jot a note in the margin of your release. Use the editor's name and draw an arrow to highlight what might be of special interest to their audience. 8. Call to find out whether it's okay to fax or email your information. Everyone has their own personal preferences on how to receive information. They will tell you what they like. 9. Give them art. They generally need visuals to go along with words, so give them line drawings, photos, charts and graphs, whatever you have to support your information. 10. Always thank them for including you in a project and let them know what kind of response you have received as a result. 11. Keep in touch on a regular basis. Research indicates that editors are more receptive to information they get regularly from the same source. Not that they'll always use it, but consistency keeps your name in front of them in a positive way, as it does with your clients and prospects as well. 12. Get on the media's agenda. The media is more likely to use your information if you address timely topics that they are reporting on. Watch the trends and do the thinking necessary to make the connection between something happening in the world and the information that you are offering. 13. Target the publications your prospects read consistently so they see your name again and again and it becomes familiar to them. Resources
Newswires
Home | True
Stories Copyright 2001 2Young2Retire.com, All Rights Reserved
|
|
