Some business owners really do believe that their competitors are luckier than they are when it comes to getting their press releases or story placements into the right, targeted publications. If there is one sure and certain thing in the changing, evolving practice of public relations, it is that ?luck? is never a component (at least not a stated one) of any successful PR effort.
If your competitors are successful at story placements and getting their press releases picked up by print and web periodicals, it is simply because they have learned how to work with reporters and editors. They have also, at least tacitly, agreed to respect the rules of the game as determined by the media.
Print publications and websites with local, regional, national and international reach receive thousands of faxed and emailed press releases every single day. No publication has enough editors to read every drop of this flood of information, and much of it is self-serving, barely masked advertising, not newsworthy or so poorly written as to defy belief. Here are 10 tips for improving public relations within your industry, divided into five general ?Rules? of a successful PR strategy and five specific ?Actions? you should consider taking.
Five general ?Rules? of PR
Rule 1: Don't ?sell? your product or service
Pitch a unique story instead, to your industry's particular journals or websites. All media pros know a sales job when they hear one, and many resent the treatment. Come up with an idea (or three) about how your company or product dovetails with a current topic of local or national interest.
Rule 2: Get help if you need it (and most do)
Some 90% of all press releases suffer from poor grammar, spelling mistakes and a total lack of proper formatting and presentation. This causes an immediate negative response on the part of the reader and destroys your credibility immediately. Any "luck" of getting a story just went in the trash along with your press release. If you are not able to write as good a press release as you just read in the Wall Street Journal or other big-city paper, get help, even if you have to pay for it. Are you worth it or not?
Rule 3: Business plan first, marketing plan second, PR plan third
The goal of the PR plan is to bring attention to your firm. If your website, marketing collateral and overall image is not in first-rate shape, you will be drawing attention to negatives instead of positives. Before your PR plan is developed, your business plan needs to have led to the development and use of a good company logo and corporate image. Following that, your marketing plan needs to have resulted in effective and consistent ?brand ID.? Working to get press coverage before your marketing plan is firing on all cylinders is a recipe for disaster. Your website and your ?marcomm? must be in total harmony with the verbiage and image presented in your press release.
Rule 4: Develop relationships in the media
Take local reporters out to lunch or coffee. Writers and editors can be most interesting people and most enjoy discovering new and different things. If they like what you tell them, and how you do it, you may just have an "in" with their publication.
Rule 5: Be a professional at all times
Effective PR people are already well versed in the rules of the press game, and stay abreast of new technologies and practices in publishing. Be a professional in your primary area, of course, but extend that professionalism to the way you interact with media pros. You will gain tremendous credibility, which always helps when it comes to pitching a new PR story.
Five specific PR ?Actions?
Effective PR has many elements that must work together. When you need some new ideas for improving public relations within your industry, you can try the following specific actions, always tailoring them to the tone and personality of your business. Your first efforts, of course, should target the specific publications read by your industry's movers and shakers.
Just remember that, in addition to industry-specific journals and newsletters and websites, there are general business publications and websites that reach your colleagues and competitors, too. Make sure to ?spin? and ?spec? the following Actions to the people in your industry first, then to a more generalized audience as you deem necessary.
Action 1: Create and promote a special event
It may be a company tour, or something related to a local school play ? it can be just about anything. Just ensure that any charitable efforts result in your offering the proceeds to the appropriate charities. An event that is tailored to something in your own industry, of course, is ideal.
Action 2: Use a current news event to frame your release
If your financial planning firm specializes in tax preparation, use the news about possible new taxes to inform the rest of your industry about your specialty. In any industry there can be multiple focuses and sub-categories, so take every opportunity to let your industry cohorts know exactly what you are doing.
Action 3: Host a seminar
In tandem with your press release, announce a free seminar to your industry, particularly if you have a product or service that can be used by other firms. You can prepare take-away (or ?leave behind?) materials that can further leverage this action, by disseminating your marketing message beyond the event itself.
Action 4: Announce the results of a new, relevant study
Depending on the specifics, you can range widely in the news section to learn of studies and reports that deal with major or minor aspects of your company's product or service. If you can find a recent study that makes a compelling point about your company's offering, by all means use it.
Action 5: Find a first-person story about people using your product or service
From your letters, emails or customer service files, identify one or more positive instances of your product or service being used in a new or different way. People enjoy a good story, so don't forget to establish a good narrative with a challenge to overcome for the protagonist. When your product or service is framed as the answer to the challenge, you will generate goodwill as well as interest.
Prior to his interview, the host tells him that the questions will be very easy. They joke around and make small talk before the show. But once the cameras are on, the interviewer fires off one blistering question after another, leaving Newhart confused, defensive, blushing and, finally, speechless.
When Newhart does it, it's a scream. Not so funny if it happens to you. Executives who want exposure on television -- but who have not had much experience in front of the camera -- should first consider landing a radio interview or two as a way to hone their voices and practice answering questions effectively live on the air. Radio should be part of your public relations activities.
There are two reasons. First, of course, radio is great exposure. Nothing has diminished the impact of radio as a means of delivering message. You'll have a captive audience -- in their cars -- during drive times.
Listeners will stay with you if you give them a reason to. Also, radio is an intimate medium that allows you to speak directly to the listener -- and paint a picture in their imagination about your issue, product or service -- with little distraction from visual images.
Also, radio is a great way to get on the air without the distractions of the TV studio. They include lights, makeup, the stare of the camera, your posture and clothing, floor-manager signals and the need to appear rested and physically engaged -- even if it is 8 p.m. after a 12-hour workday.
Appearance counts for a lot on television. The way your clothing "reads" on camera, the size of the bags under your eyes, razor stubble, body language and the distractions of jewelry are a few pitfalls. And if you're like me, with a great face for radio, you'll especially welcome the opportunity to do an interview in shirtsleeves, late in the afternoon, and not worry that you look like Richard Nixon at the first televised presidential debate.
Remember a few basics before and during the interview:
Listen to the interviewer's program a few times before it's your day in the studio. Know the host's style -- and whether it is confrontational or supportive.
Call the interviewer to find out generally what kinds of questions you'll get.
Nail down your messages. Be prepared with three "must-say" messages, the things you will convey during the interview under any circumstances. "Bridge" over to those messages.
Arrive a few minutes early so you are not running into the studio huffing and puffing. Before you go on, be sure to practice your key messages.
Relax. It will show in your voice at the interview.
Keep these guidelines in mind during the interview:
-- Radio provides a number of natural advantages for the interviewee. One of the most important is the freedom to look at detailed notes while on the air, something that would be a no-no on TV. Nothing takes the place of preparation -- knowing exactly what you want to say and having your key messages nailed down. But having notes in front of you -- as long as you don't read them verbatim -- ensures that you will not forget any of your key points.
-- Be interesting. Explain why what you have to say is of consequence to the listener. Use figures sparingly. Save the jargon and the reams of data for your next staff meeting.
-- Remember that the silence belongs to the interviewer, who will do whatever it takes to avoid "dead air." Listen carefully to the question, answer it succinctly and then shut up. Don't get trapped embellishing your answer unnecessarily -- or worse, boring the listeners by being windy -- just because the interviewer is silent for a few beats. This is much harder to do on television. When the interviewer is not talking, the camera is on you and, unless you're good at this stuff, you end up shifting around. Very awkward. Watch what anchors do before they go to commercial -- they just look straight into the camera and wait! Do the same.
-- If your schedule is tight, suggest a telephone interview. Wherever you are, you can do a phone interview -- from home, your hotel or a meeting room. Forget using the cell phone. Most radio programs will not let you use them because of the invariable poor reception.
Both Melissa Mcafee & Robert Deigh are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Melissa Mcafee has sinced written about articles on various topics from Public Relations. PR in a Box.ca provides 10 simple modules that combine to create a comprehensive, effective and simple kit. Visit us online today.. Melissa Mcafee's top article generates over 590 views. to your Favourites.
Robert Deigh has sinced written about articles on various topics from Life Insurance Annuity, Email Advertising and Humour. Robert Deigh is president of RDC Communication/PR and author of the upcoming PR book "How Come No One Knows About Us?"(WBusinessBooks, May '08). For a free full chapter, "16 Ways to Come Up With Story Ideas That Will Attract Press," contact rdeigh1@aol.co. Robert Deigh's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.