The Critical Follow-up: After a radio talk show, the follow-up is a critical part of getting invited back, or at least learning why you don’t to help you in the future. So do the following:

After the show, send a hand-written thank-you note to the talk show host and to any assistants who were instrumental getting you booked. These go a long way toward helping hosts remember you.

In your note, you might even suggest a follow-up show on a different topic. Remind the host of your ability to fill in on short notice for other guests who have to cancel.

If the host doesn’t book you for another show immediately, don’t hesitate to call again in four to six months.

Remember your media contacts at the holidays. Do not send them a gift. But do send a holiday greeting that keeps your name in front of them.

For more great tips that will help you get on a radio talk show and get invited back see Special Report 28 “How to Get Booked on Radio Talk Shows, Give a Great Interview and Get Invited Back”

Posted by Dan at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When you pitch a story to a business journalist or reporter you may not always get a response, it is part of you job to persist and contact them because they will not always contact you.
If you think about that from the perspective of why didn't I get a response to my call, or why didn't I get a response to my email, it may be just as Joan was suggesting earlier, that it's nothing personal at all. It's just a matter of these people being very busy. Polite persistence, I would say, is a good buy word in dealing with business journal staff. I guarantee you, the payoff for landing a story in the business journal is going to be geometrically greater than winding up in the daily newspaper.

There is much more great information about publishing in business journals found in How to Use Business Journals to Tell Your Story.
http://101publicrelations.com/businessjournals.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=business_journals

Posted by Dan at 01:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you do an interview with a reporter it is important that you handle it correctly. The reporter may not be educated on your topic or may not be very prepared to hear you. You want to work with the reporter so that they end up knowing about you and your topic and not just throwing the information you gave them away.

The key is handouts. I always recommend that anything said verbally be backed up with handouts of some kind, or with follow-up email or follow-up fax of some kind, so the reporter and his or her editor doesn't have to strictly rely on notes. If I've done a telephone interview with somebody in a crisis situation, and I've made points that I think are really important, even if I think I've delivered them brilliantly, I will send a follow-up fax saying, "I appreciated talking to you, and just to reiterate, here's what we think are the most important points about the matter," and you follow it in writing. I always encourage my clients to do that.

You can find more information such as this in How to Keep the Media Wolves at Bay.
http://101publicrelations.com/mediawolves.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=media_wolves

Posted by Dan at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Create a plan that assigns specific tasks and checklists to your publicity committee one year out, eight months out, six months, etc. Know about every opportunity open to you. For example, if the state's best magician will be at your fund-raiser in September, ask if he can advertise your event to his audiences during the summer months. Meet with editors months beforehand to find out if any of them are interested in featuring a special aspect of your event. The food editor, for example, might want to do an entire page on the unusual ethnic foods that will be served at your festival, complete with recipes. A suburban reporter might want to interview the 85-year-old grandmother who hand-sews colorful costumes that will be worn at the event.

Don't forget your celebrities can play a key role. When Tommy Bartlett celebrated the 70th anniversary of his world-famous water shows, publicist Joan Collins of Madison, Wisconsin knew what she needed to do. It took her several attempts, but she finally persuaded Bartlett to perform for the crowds by getting onto a pair of water skis on his 80th birthday-something he had never done in his life. Bartlett remained upright for exactly 31 seconds, then took a fall. The photograph was sent to member papers of the Associated Press and appeared in newspapers all over the world.

To learn more about recognizing, and utilizing all your publicity opportunities see Special Report #10 "Powerful Publicity Tips for Your Fund-Raiser or Special Event"

Posted by Dan at 08:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A great way to make more money as a professional speaker, is to not just publicize yourself, but also your products. This will mean higher attendance, as well as higher sales. So how do you do it?

Submit books and products to the new product review section of newspapers, magazines and trade publications.
Rather than trying to get a feature story on your new product, try instead for publicity about the topic. If you can offer advice, background or commentary on a particular topic, the media will be more inclined to cover you and perhaps mention the product.

Consider writing a tips booklet about your area of expertise. Then send the booklet to editors and invite them to excerpt tips. Include ordering information. Visit http://www.tipsbooklets.com.

For more ideas on how to publicize your products and make more money see Special Report #21 "67 Clever Publicity Tips for Professional Speakers and Trainers."

Posted by Dan at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a great blogging tip. The key to success is to build your blog a strategy. A strategy for a blog starts with the message that you want to convey through your blog and how you want it to position you. Once you've decided your strategy, the tactics of how you can best communicate that strategy will naturally flow from that decision. And that's where the element of blogging style comes in.
One of the problems with many of the corporate blogs that I have seen is that they are boring. I look at them and think "Who in the world is ever going to read this?" And one of the challenges that flows from that situation is, since no one reading your blog, you get no return and it becomes a burden to write. And then all those other issues start to show their ugly heads. So that's the reason I wanted to start with your blog's strategy and style because oftentimes the selection and implementation of a good style is what makes it easier to be able to find time to blog and to convince your boss to allow you to do it. For more great tips on how to use blogs for publicity, read "Business Blogging Results."
http://101publicrelations.com/bloggingresults.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=business_blogging_results

Posted by Dan at 07:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What can your event offer that's an interesting visual for television? If you don't have good visuals, you can forget about TV. Does your publicity committee have color slides from last year's event that you can offer to local newspapers a month or two before this year's event? If not, be sure someone is in charge of taking lots of interesting color photos this year, for use in next year's publicity campaign.

Will you allow reporters in the kitchen to watch chefs prepare the feast for a $500-a-plate banquet? Plan every single activity within your event so that it appeals to the media.

If the event is during the day, don't forget activities for children.

Some media outlets might cover one day of a multi-day event, but no more. Try to convince them to come on the first day, when the most interesting things are planned. Good coverage of the opening day will help boost attendance for successive days. Coverage after the last day doesn't help boost attendance.

To learn more about making your event media friendly see Special Report #10 "Powerful Publicity Tips for Your Fund-Raiser or Special Event"

Posted by Dan at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The media are as skeptical of the college rankings as the people at the colleges and universities. However, that does not give you an excuse to sidestep them. A few universities and colleges have boycotted them in the past but the majority is still in the game.

Make sure that the public relations or marketing office sees the surveys before they are sent back. With each department at a university or college filling out their own survey part, mistakes can and will be made.

Planning for the undergraduate issue begins in early March and the graduate guide planning begins in early September. The credibility of your institution is at stake, so be proactive in completing, checking and returning your surveys.

To learn more about getting your school more publicity whether through surveys, or elsewhere, see Special Report #15 "15 Steps to Effective University and College Media Relations"

Posted by Dan at 08:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Special Reports can be very profitable if you learn some valuable ways to market them. For example, you could do the following:

• Sell them from the back of the room during speaking engagements.

• You can excerpt a few tips from each report at your site to give people a flavor of what they will be getting.

• You can send them free to clients as a way of thanking them for doing business with you.

• You can offer excerpts or a shorter version of your report to publishers of print and online newsletters. Don’t forget the valuable identifier paragraph at the end that tells people who you are, what you do, how they can find you, and a link to your web site. Ask editors how many words they want, then write to fit.

• Tuck them inside your media kit.

For more great marketing ideas, as well as loads of useful information about special reports, see Special Report #19, “How to Write and Market Profitable Special Reports”

Posted by Dan at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't let budgetary concerns keep you from preparing a crisis communication plan for your company.

Most managers, especially in today's economy, are very concerned about the numbers and how any major initiative or occurrence is going to affect their respective budgets. You probably have a budget to manage too. If you have the luxury, perhaps there is a line item in your budget for creating your crisis communications plan. If not, you may want to put some money into next year's budget to do so. Don't hesitate to mention to the manager that you and your department are absorbing the cost if this objection should arise. If you are with a non-profit, you will probably need to obtain board approval for any new spending. Present them with an estimated budget along with a business case for developing the plan.

Don't let costs become a major factor in the argument. In most cases, a crisis communications plan requires no "hard" cash outlays, just the time of those involved in its creation.

In Crisis Communication Planning: Organizing and Completing a Plan That Works, Don. K. Crowther provides valuable solutions and tools for creating a crisis communication plan.
http://101publicrelations.com/crisis-communication.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=crisis_communications

Posted by Dan at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's an idea on how to use briefs for publicity. Briefs are a great way to introduce new products. Many magazines have a "new products" section, and they will sometimes even review the products. This is a great place to explain how your product can help readers.

But I would go a step further. I would not only send a news release on my product to the new product section editor, I would provide a list of free tips related to that product, such as tips on how to use the product. Or, let's say you come out with a new kind of floor mop. I would submit a list of six or seven tips on how to make spring cleaning easier. And those tips don't even have to be related to your mop. That's another way to get your product mentioned. Your special mop can even be included in one of those tips. Often editors will let you get away with that in smaller tip sheets, but not in larger stories.
For more great publicity tips, read Briefs, Fillers and Quizzes: How To Write Them and Why Editors LOVE Them
http://101publicrelations.com/briefs-fillers-quizzes.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=briefs_fillers_and_quizzes

Posted by Dan at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A great way to get in the public eye as a public speaker is to not just speak, but also write. Write articles and try and get them published in local papers. The following are some tips to get it done:

Become thoroughly familiar with a publication before you pitch ideas to the editor. Pay attention to different sections and departments of magazines, newspapers and newsletters.

After you are familiar with the publication, query editors about writing articles for them, and be ready to suggest three or four ideas that would fit well in their publication. If they don't like your ideas, ask if there's something specific they would like you to write about.

If you're trying to book a speaking engagement before a particular trade group or within a certain industry, try to get an article or several articles placed in that industry's publication. Then send a reprint of the article along with your query letter to the meeting planner. This will give you additional credibility.

For more great publicity tips, and tips on how to get articles written about you and by you in print, see Special Report #21 "67 Clever Publicity Tips for Professional Speakers and Trainers."

Posted by Dan at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's the best way to follow-up a news release? The first method is usually phone unless you're pitching a technology story. Then the follow-up should be by email. (Editor's Note: That's because almost all technology reporters prefer email rather than phone, fax or snail-mail contact.) But I would tell you phone tends to work best. You could talk hi-touch versus hi-tech. I still think people like to be talked to. A reporter is often lonely, and they like the sound of the human voice at the other end of the line saying, "Here's the story. Here's what I've got, and here's why it's important."

You should know absolutely who you're sending it to because a generic news release typically ends up in a generic wastepaper basket. I would absolutely get the names and get them spelled right, because reporters like accuracy. The phone pitch should go like this: I think it's mostly around, again, problem/solution. When you're calling them, you don't say, "Excuse me, did you get the press release about.?" Let's say I was pitching my book Gorilla Publicity. I would call them up and say, "You know, in today's down-turned economy, publicity is the only thing that works. It's doesn't cost you a fortune, it's effective, and it gets great results."

Now, did I mention anything about a book? No. Did I mention anything about a service? No. What you talk about is the problem and the solution. Notice, by the way, I also did it fast and effectively without spending a lot of time and explanation. Those are some of the key points. Don't start pitching your service, your product, yourself, or anything about you. Keep it off you, and focus on the benefit/solution. For more information on how to follow-up and when, read "Failproof Ways to Follow Up After Sending a News Release or Pitch Letter."
http://101publicrelations.com/failprooffollowup.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=fail-proof_follow-up

Posted by Dan at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Special reports aren't just for large corporations. Here are just a few ideas to show you the wide variety of possibilities that exist for writing and marketing special reports.

 Authors can write them and borrow material from their books.

 Speakers can write them using their workshop materials.

 A company can write special reports to show how to use a particular product or service it already provides.

 Non-profits can write special reports that show other non-profits, for example, how to stage profitable fund-raising events and conduct charity drives. Or they can write the reports to sell to their clients or the general public.

 Small-business people can write them to establish their expertise in a particular topic.

To learn more about who can benefit from writing a special report, and how to get the most value from special reports, see Special Report #19, "How to Write and Market Profitable Special Reports"

Posted by Dan at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many people believe that the most important way to get publicity for business is in the business sections of newspapers. It may be more important though that instead of targeting papers, targeting business journals.

The way most people think about it.when you have a great story to tell, the most important consideration is targeting. You want to reach the right people with your message at the right time. I often compare the difference between business journals and your metro business paper as the difference between a shotgun blast and a rifle shot. When your story lands in a business journal, you are directly going to the target that you most want to reach.

You can find more great information about publishing your content in business journals in How to Use Business Journals to Tell Your Story.
http://101publicrelations.com/businessjournals.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=business_journals

Posted by Dan at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are some things you can do to keep the reporters coming back to you, and editors coming back to you for more articles, which means more free publicity for you.

1. Be fanatic about meeting deadline. Miss one, and some editors won't have anything to do with you again.
2. Fact-check everything. If an editor is forced to run a correction as a result of inaccurate information in your article, it may be the last time your name ever appears in that publication.
3. Several months after an article appears, follow up with the editor again and offer a piece on another topic.

To learn more on how to keep getting free publicity and how to reuse an recycle the free publicity you already got see Special Report #6 "How to Write "How To" Articles That Position You as an EXPERT"
http://101publicrelations.com/sr6.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=sr6

Posted by Dan at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are doing an interview with a reporter and he is coming to your business you will want to give your employees the heads-up that a reporter will be there in the building.

You need to let people know, throughout the company, that there will be a reporter on site, and remind them that anything-either through staff meetings or even by email-that's said in the presence of a reporter is on the record. Just give them a heads-up that "between 11 and 1 o'clock so-and-so from The Times will be in the building and please be conscious of that."

So that you don't have a reporter that you're taking on a tour, and as you're taking them down the hall, they overhear a conversation about some confidential information about one of your clients that's coming from somebody's office.

You can find out a lot more helpful information about working with reporters in How to Keep the Media Wolves at Bay.

Posted by Dan at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should you pick up the check when eating with the media?
Tags: paying ethical lunch media invitation hosting

There are a number of things to remember when hosting lunches, particularly where payment is concerned.

If you're taking a print reporter to lunch, even if it's at your invitation, always ask how the reporter would like to handle the check. It's usually best if you ask for separate checks and pay your own way. Most reporters hate the media lunch, which combines lunch with a news conference. That's because in addition to ho-hum food, they're usually fed the same story that everyone else gets. Not only that, but many organizations waste the media's time with lunches to announce news that isn't very newsworthy.

Here's another alternative. If you want to meet with reporters and invite them to lunch to pitch a story idea, provide background information or get to know them, ask if they would rather meet in a setting that doesn't involve eating. Some reporters don't like the hassle of having to take notes and flip through items in your media kit at the same time they are trying to juggle a double-decker sandwich with the works.

For more information on paying for lunches and dinners, see see Special Report #43, "The Do's and Don'ts of Offering Food to the Media"

Posted by Dan at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's one of the best tips for bloggers? Here is one of the things that I would recommend. Make sure as you do your blogging that you blog with search engines in mind. Structure your blogging comments so that they get highly ranked in search engines. Use compelling headlines that contain a keyword that people may search for your particular company with. Don't title a blog entry "Little Red Riding Hood's Lessons" title it "Personnel Management Lessons from Little Red Riding Hood." Something like that switches it entirely so all of the sudden your blog entries are able to generate search engine positioning for you.
If you happen to use MoveableType or one of the other blog software programs where you have control over it you may want to do things like put your title in as an

tag, and putting the title of the article as the title tag on the page. What I have discovered is that 17% of everyone who comes to the site comes in through the blogs. Remember back to the search engine comments? Because the blog entries do well in the search engines they are coming into the blog from the search engines. Of those 17%, 45% of them buy something through a link from the blog. And that is during that visit, not over time. So this means that my blog is the source of approximately 5% to 10% of my total business for that site.
For more great ideas and information on how to make blogging work for your company, read "Business Blogging Results."
http://101publicrelations.com/bloggingresults.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=business_blogging_results

Posted by Dan at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How should you choose editors to whom you should send your press release? If you are focusing on a certain industry, then it does make sense to try to get to know those media people. And if you're comfortable making those kinds of calls and finding out how they want to be approached, then go ahead and do that. The one thing that you want to preface your phone call with every time is, "Is this a good time to talk?" because they are usually, or often, on deadline, and they will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Then if they are on deadline, they'll tell you when to call back. If you forget to do that and they're very brusque with you, don't take it personally because they need to get off the phone and meet that deadline.

A good resource also is my favorite directory, Bacon's Publicity Checker.actually, that's not what it's called anymore. It used to be called Bacon's Publicity Checker; now it's called Bacon's Newspaper Magazine Directory, and then they have another volume for TV, radio and cable. What I like about that is that they list the preferences that the media person has expressed for how they want to be contacted-do they want to be contacted by phone, fax, email or snail mail? People always ask me, "How do you actually send off this press release?" and the answer is, "It depends." If you have a chance the find out, either by calling them up or by consulting a guide such as Bacon's, how they want to be approached, then always go with their preference. That's the best answer I can give. For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 07:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are being interviewed by a newspaper, magazine or television reporter, don't make the mistake of thinking you don't have to prepare for the interview. In some cases, if the reporter makes an appointment to meet with you in person, you may have several days to prepare. But a reporter may call when you least expect it and need your comments immediately for a story that will appear in the following day's newspaper, or on that night's TV newscast.

Here is an example of the types of questions you can expect reporters to ask, and tips on how to prepare for them:

Early in the interview, reporters will want most of the basics from you, depending on what the story is about. One of the reasons they do this is that they can pitch you softball questions that you feel more comfortable answering, then ask tougher questions as the interview proceeds. Provide a media kit that offers your one-page professional profile, a history of your company, a simple Q&A sheet listing the most frequently asked questions, or a fact sheet about your organization. You can save the reporter a lot of time. Offer to drop off the media kit at the newspaper office if the reporter is local, or use an overnight delivery service. If you have this information posted at your web site, give the reporter your URL.

To learn more of what to expect for an interview, and how you can best prepare for it, see Special Report #2, "Questions You Can Expect Reporters to Ask During An Interview (Including Nasty, Hostile Ones)"

Posted by Dan at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You can request a media kit from the newspaper or magazine you wish to be printed in. In the media kit you will find the editorial calendar, a month-by-month breakdown that lists special sections and topics that will be discussed in upcoming issues. Take the time to study this because it will tip you off to sections, months in advance, where your story idea might be a good fit. Once you identify the right section, you can then call the paper and ask for the name and address of the section editor. That's the person to whom you want to send your pitch.

For TV feature shows, it's best to send your letter to the assistant producer. For TV news shows, send it to the assignment editor. For magazines and trade publications, send it to the appropriate reporter, or to an editor.

For more information on how to use the media kit to your advantage, see Special Report # 7 "How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter That Convinces an Editor to Write About You"

Posted by Dan at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You can request a media kit from the newspaper or magazine you wish to be printed in. In the media kit you will find the editorial calendar, a month-by-month breakdown that lists special sections and topics that will be discussed in upcoming issues. Take the time to study this because it will tip you off to sections, months in advance, where your story idea might be a good fit. Once you identify the right section, you can then call the paper and ask for the name and address of the section editor. That's the person to whom you want to send your pitch.

For TV feature shows, it's best to send your letter to the assistant producer. For TV news shows, send it to the assignment editor. For magazines and trade publications, send it to the appropriate reporter, or to an editor.

For more information on how to use the media kit to your advantage, see Special Report # 7 "How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter That Convinces an Editor to Write About You"

Posted by Dan at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't wait for the media to come to you
Tags: howtoarticles press reporter editors publicity freepublicity publicitytips articles publicityarticles expertwriting

There she is again. Your biggest competitor. Smiling back at you from the inside of a local business magazine. She's doling out free advice on how to do something you wish people would hire YOU to do. It's the third time you've seen an article by her in the last six months. You wish that, just once, the editors would have asked you-instead of her-to write it.

Guess what? The editors probably didn't ask her. Most likely, she was smart enough to write the article herself and offer it to them-for free.

Editors of newspapers, magazines, trade journals, newsletters and even the free weekly "shoppers" are hungry for articles that will inspire, educate, calm, enlighten, humor, and entertain their readers. They want advice that will help people find more time, save money, feel healthier, look thinner, be safer and have better sex lives. And they rely on people like you and your competitor to provide them.

For more expert advice on how to get your articles published, and in turn get free publicity see Special Report #6 "How to Write "How To" Articles That Position You as an EXPERT"

Posted by Dan at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There she is again. Your biggest competitor. Smiling back at you from the inside of a local business magazine. She's doling out free advice on how to do something you wish people would hire YOU to do. It's the third time you've seen an article by her in the last six months. You wish that, just once, the editors would have asked you-instead of her-to write it.

Guess what? The editors probably didn't ask her. Most likely, she was smart enough to write the article herself and offer it to them-for free.

Editors of newspapers, magazines, trade journals, newsletters and even the free weekly "shoppers" are hungry for articles that will inspire, educate, calm, enlighten, humor, and entertain their readers. They want advice that will help people find more time, save money, feel healthier, look thinner, be safer and have better sex lives. And they rely on people like you and your competitor to provide them.

For more expert advice on how to get your articles published, and in turn get free publicity see Special Report #6 "How to Write "How To" Articles That Position You as an EXPERT"

Posted by Dan at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I can remember as an editor, getting letters to the editor. Sometimes, that was the first time I heard about a major story. I would give the letter to the editor to a reporter and assign the reporter the story and have them contact the letter writer. We would run both the reporter's story as well as the letter to the editor. Something as simple as a little letter can give you mountains and mountains of publicity and start building on itself. Keep in mind that the reason the editorial pages are so valuable in terms of getting publicity is because in every other part of the paper, the news editors drive the content. And in every other part of the magazine, it's the magazine editors that drive the content. On much of the editorial and op-ed pages, it's the readers who drive the content.

You can find more great information like this in How to Use Newspaper and Magazine Editorial Pages.

Posted by Dan at 07:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Opinions differ on exactly when to send a press kit. I'm a big believer in not wasting time and money on unsolicited kits. Instead, fax or mail your one-sheet to talk show producers. If they are interested, they will contact you for more information. Joe Sabah, author of the book "How to Get on radio Talk shows All Across America Without Leaving Your Home or Office," uses a giant gold postcard instead of a one-sheet.

"This 5 ½-by-8 ½ postcard works," Joe said. "I've kept track of results. I got a 6 percent return, which means that out of every 100 Giant Gold postcards, I mail out to radio stations, six stations call me."

Before mailing or faxing your one-sheet, you must be absolutely certain that the person whose name you have as a contact is correct. It's a good idea to call the radio station to make sure they still work there, get the correct spelling of their name, the correct address and find out whether they prefer that your information be sent via fax or snail-mail.

For more press kit tips for getting on a radio talk show see Special Report 28 "How to Get Booked on Radio Talk Shows, Give a Great Interview and Get Invited Back"

Posted by Dan at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In business journals there are sometimes special sections that can greatly aid you in getting your story published.

One of the old standbys is what's known as "40 Under 40." Many of the publications around the country will do an event for many of the reasons we just talked about-trying to get subscribers, advertisers, etc. They'll try to identify the 40 individuals in the local business community who are under age 40, who seem to be the up-and-coming movers and shakers. This is a prototypical business journal event because this is how it works. They'll find somebody, like a hotel, to host the event and take care of all those details we just talked about. They'll identify 40 people from across the business community. They'll try to get the employers of these individuals to buy advertising in a special publication that will have the bios of these individuals, so that what you wind up with is a readable version of a directory. This is a great publication. It has a long shelf life. Typically, it'll have a year-long shelf life. So you can have these individuals in there and have the advertising in there, and stories about these individuals in their organizations, and people will turn to that throughout the year.

There is a lot more information about publishing in business journals found in How to Use Business Journals to Tell Your Story.
http://101publicrelations.com/businessjournals.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=business_journals

Posted by Dan at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are times when a reporter may come to you, and you simply can't help them. This does not mean you should slam the door in their face, or the phone onto the receiver.

They may ask you,
"Who can I talk to who can give me more information on this topic?"

Be as helpful as you possibly can. If you can offer two or three great sources who the reporter can call, that makes you a more valuable news source, and the reporter is likely to come back to you for more information.

If you would like more help with dealing with the media, and interviews, including difficult situations, read Special Report #2, "Questions You Can Expect Reporters to Ask During An Interview (Including Nasty, Hostile Ones)"

Posted by Dan at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your press release doesn't have to be alone, but you also don't want to weigh it down. The following are some ideas for optional attachments:

 The news release announcing the antique show that features unusual salt and pepper shakers might accompany a list of the 15 most-sought salt and pepper shakers.

 Attach only good-quality black and white or color photos, or color slides in a protective jacket. Each photo should have identification information on the back, printed on a computer-generated label. Write the caption as you would like it to appear. People should be identified from left to right. Double-check spelling of names in captions, and make sure they are spelled the same way as the names in the news release.

 Never ask that the media return your professional business photo. It is to your advantage to have the media file the photo for future use.

 You may include good-quality graphs, charts and maps that illustrate your news release.

For more ideas for attachments see Special Report #12 "52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)"

Posted by Dan at 01:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When it comes to writing news releases there are some important things to avoid:

Sending a cover letter with the salutation "Dear Media Professional." If you must send a cover letter, personalize it.

Wasting time and money sending books and products to media professionals who might not necessarily want them. If you're publicizing a product or service, or you want to get reviews for a new book, first query by suggesting a story angle, or a news hook and see if they are interested. If they are, send them the product sample or book.

Wasting money on expensive, ostentatious "packaging" for your news releases, such as a release rolled up and tucked inside a gift box that's then wrapped in colorful plastic that's tied at the top with a big bow. This problem seems to be an epidemic among those who are publicizing fund-raisers and society balls. Particularly annoying are news releases sent in packages that also contain confetti or glitter. An unsuspecting editor removes the release and watches the entire mess fall into her lap. Even worse are news releases that cannot be extracted from cardboard mailing tubes.

For more tips on writing a great news release see Special Report #12 "52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)"

Posted by Dan at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Always tell the truth. Most reporters understand there are times when you can't say everything about some situation, but what you do say should be accurate. Saying
"no comment" is better than being unreachable or not telling the truth. Guessing can get you into trouble. Reporters, like anyone else, don't want to be duped.

Don't conceal negative information. If something bad happens, move to quickly and accurately disseminate it to the media. Don't make life tough for reporters or yourself. They'll eventually get the story anyway, and by contacting them first, you have a certain amount of control over the situation.

If a reporter calls and you feel caught off guard, however, or you can't answer his or her question, tell them it is inconvenient to talk right now, and say you will call back shortly. Then find out the answer and call them back as soon as possible.

An embargo on information can create a great deal of confusion. Avoid them if possible. When it does seem appropriate, ask reporters to agree to the conditions before the material is disseminated, not after you give it to them.

For more information on media ethics, see Special Report #15 "15 Steps to Effective University and College Media Relations"

Posted by Dan at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While little kids think the best way to get attention is to be obnoxious, you can get it much better ways. For example, create a media kit, but don’t forget the following:

Consider creating a “Media Coverage” sheet that lists newspapers, magazines, radio and TV shows, and newsletters that have covered you.

Always refer to yourself as an "expert" in your marketing materials, at your Web site, in your one-sheets, in your introductions, and in your media kit. The media always seek out experts and interview them.
Never ask the media to return photos to you. Encourage them to keep your photo on file in case they need it again. You never know when they might call you to comment on a story. When they call, remind them that your photo is on file.

For more great publicity tips, and ideas for your personal media kit see Special Report #21 “67 Clever Publicity Tips for Professional Speakers and Trainers.”

Posted by Dan at 08:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Will the media cover any event no matter how much publicity you give to it? No, it doesn't go without saying that. They won't cover it if there's another PR person out there who's smarter than you are and who's planning a special event the same weekend you happen to be. If they have captured the media's attention, and they have recruited a particular reporter to cover it, and it's the same reporter who would cover your event, and the reporter has to figure out which of the two are the most important and you lose, you lose. Also, I think that too many PR people think it's the media's job to promote their special event, and that is wrong, wrong, wrong.

It's your job to promote the event and it's the media's job to give their readers or viewers the really compelling stories that enlighten, inform and entertain. Both of those things can be accomplished and you can dovetail them to create some really good publicity for your special event. So contact them! A media database is a file of individual media contacts who you're going to need to call on to cover your event. Each contact includes valuable information on exactly what that particular contact covers and what they need to do a top-notch job. For every contact it's going to be different. You can create a media database if you have a contact manager program like ACT! or Goldmine. You can create a separate group called "media database." Or you can even keep a database in a three-ring notebook. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just devote a separate page to each contact.

For more great information and tips on how to create media buzz for your event, read "How to Create Media Buzz When Promoting Your Special Event."

Posted by Dan at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How can you get on a TV talk show? I just received a fax inviting me to go to Orlando Florida to "Get away from life." This got me thinking: there is no "getting away" from life - what we're really looking for is a version of life that is exciting, vibrant and romantic.

Producers, too, want you to give them an enhanced bit of that imagined life - some heightened reality, some myth that speaks to the best of what life is, intense moments of joy and sadness. It's a story of humble beginnings, huge success, tragic flaw and violent death. His story is a mythic drama. While your life or story doesn't have to be as dramatic as Pollock's, look to the aspects of what you're speaking about and pick out the big painterly moments, the startling elements. Give us something that won't have us thinking about flicking that remote or getting up to grab a bag of potato chips. For more great tips on how to make sure that you're the one being interviewed on a TV talk show, read "Secrets to Get TV Talk Show Hosts to Book You As Their Guest."

Posted by Dan at 01:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Many publications have rules of thumb that encourage pictures with fewer than five people in them. "The more people there are in a shot, the more difficult it is to compose a good photo," says photographer Andrew Yale. So unless you or your photographer understand how to photograph large groups, avoid them in your publicity shots.
In general, the people in your art must not have their backs to the camera, and they must be identifiable. But if you're taking pictures of people in a confidential situation, such as a clinic or a hospital, it is OK if you can't see their faces.

Choosing an interesting angle can help make your art more compelling. "To the beginning photographer . all 'news' takes place at a distance of six to ten feet from the camera, and is always viewed from shoulder height. Because such photographers always assume the same position in relationship to their subject matter, all their pictures look the same.... To fight such redundancy," Douglis advises, "photographers must seek variety in vantage points.... The key to winning the battle against visual redundancy is to forcefully and emphatically shift camera position."

For specific tips on how to add interest to your photos through photo composition see David R. Yale's "How To Get Publicity Photos In Newspapers, Magazines, And On TV"

Posted by Dan at 07:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is essential to make the most of your post event publicity opportunities, so how are you going to keep the media interested in an event after it's over?

 If it's a major fund-raiser and you raised far more money than you had hoped, provide a bar chart showing the difference between this year's proceeds and those of past years.
 Keep in mind photo opportunities. If the proceeds are going toward the purchase of new hospital equipment, perhaps your newspaper might want to photograph someone using the new equipment when it arrives.

For more ideas and tips about how to best get post event publicity, see Special Report #10 "Powerful Publicity Tips for Your Fund-Raiser or Special Event"

Posted by Dan at 01:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you want to get good publicity out of letters to the editor you need to be aware of how frequently to send the something.

If you're throwing out something every month where it looks like you're almost desperately trying to find something to connect with, editors aren't going to like that, because they're going to tell that this woman's just trying to sell her book, and you don't want that. I think it's very much in terms of the feel of the letter and I think Joan is very much on target about not even mentioning the book. The letter has got to come off as looking like you were struck so much by a particular issue that you wrote a letter. If you want to pull from the book some of the messages and ideas that you have, and as she said, writing "as I've written." or "as I wrote." or something, and then follow that up later on, that's a much better tack because as soon as it gets that sort of scent that "I'm selling something," you're out the door.

You can find more great information like this in How to Use Newspaper and Magazine Editorial Pages.

Posted by Dan at 01:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When you go before a journalist it is important to ask them what they want from you rather than presenting what you want them to do. You need to go before them and ask them what you can do for them.

Too often those of us who are in the business of pitching for a living forget to ask that question. We're so concerned about selling the story that we forget to ask what story the journalist wants to write. That is really a secret to success. Once you know what they want to write about, you're on your way to figuring out how you can take the story that you have to sell and frame it in such as way that you achieve your objectives and those of the journalist as well.

There is much more great information about this very topic found in How to Use Business Journals to Tell Your Story.
http://101publicrelations.com/businessjournals.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=business_journals

Posted by Dan at 01:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)