Public Relations Tips: April 2007

Nothing drives a reporter or editor bonkers more than someone who calls with story ideas but has never seen their publication or listened to their show. Many people-even seasoned public relations professionals-pitch story ideas but don't have a clue what the magazine or television station needs.

Here are other things to watch out for. What types of people do they interview? If they use multiple sources, can you recommend more than one source to the reporter? What kinds of charts/graphs/maps do they use to illustrate stories, and would you be able to supply information later for an interesting graphic?

Watch several weeks worth of TV shows where you would love to appear as a guest. Listen to a particular radio show regularly to get a good feel for the host's interviewing style and the types of guests who appear on the show. If you still aren't sure about the kinds of guests the host is looking for, you can always call an assistant producer and ask. Be forewarned, however, that the bigger the media outlet, the less time they will have to answer your questions. Pay attention to newspaper and magazine columnists, too. They always need fresh ideas but are often overlooked by people who call feature editors and reporters instead.

For more information on how to write the perfect pitch, and who to send your pitch letter to, see Special Report # 7 "How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter That Convinces an Editor to Write About You"

Posted by Dan at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As it can be difficult to get booked to speak as a public speaker, when you do, there are some things you can do to make a lasting impression, and get asked back. For one, offer to help publicize your programs every time you book a speaking engagement. That includes mailing news releases to local media, being available for radio interviews and letting local reporters know about your program, in case they want to attend. Meeting planners will appreciate this thoughtful gesture.

Every time you speak before a group, offer to submit a short summary of your presentation for the group's newsletter. Don't forget to send your photo. It gets you in front of those you just spoke to as well as those who missed you the first time around. Many groups also send their newsletters to the media. Be sure the last paragraph tells people what you do and how to get in touch with you. Include your URL.

For other great ideas on promoting yourself and your product as a public speaker see Special Report #21 “67 Clever Publicity Tips for Professional Speakers and Trainers.”

Posted by Dan at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whether you're telling readers how to grow gargantuan tomatoes or how to stay out of trouble with the IRS, "how to" articles are an excellent way to call attention to your talents and establish yourself as an expert. They give you dozens of column inches that you might not be able to afford if you had to pay for an ad. They draw traffic to your web site. And if your articles are compelling and convincing, they can lead to thousands of dollars in sales for your products or services. The bigger and more prestigious the publication, the greater your credibility.

If you can't write, or don't have the time, you can always hire a ghost-writer to create the articles for you.

This is easy. Name the three biggest problems your audience faces. You've just come up with three ideas for three different articles. Be sure the topics tie into a service you provide or a product you sell.

Once you've chosen a topic, it's time to select a title. For great ideas for titles, and eye catching articles see Special Report #6 "How to Write "How To" Articles That Position You as an EXPERT"

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

What should you say when you follow-up? You should have a scripted message, and I do mean scripted. You don't want to sound like you're reading something, but you do want to know what your clear message is. What you're doing is you're following up and you're saying, "Hi, this is Jill. I'm calling about using publicity in a down turned economy," and you give them the bottom line of your message really quick. Again, benefit/solution oriented. And then you say, "I'd love to talk with you further. Please call me at.," and then say your phone number clearly and twice, and then hang up.

In my opinion, that should be 10-15 seconds. Don't ramble on. Don't tell them about "you're the best thing since sliced bread." Just keep it short and concise, and you're actually more likely to get a call back. We actually call it, in Gorilla Publicity, "The Rule of 7." What do I mean by that? I mean that it takes seven contacts to make one. First you phone them. Well, actually, first they would get the press release-that's one. Then you phone them-that's two. Then what I would do is email them or fax them. For more tips like this on how to follow-up, 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 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What are some examples of good press release headlines? Let me just inject a couple more good headlines that I found in my collection. Here's one that I like, and here it is, "Card protects travelers and motorists, assists hospital personnel in emergencies." What I like about this is, it's specific and it says who this is for and how those people are going to benefit. Who's going to benefit? Travelers and motorists are going to benefit by having some kind of protection from this card, and also hospital personnel in an emergency are going to benefit. That was a very successful press release.

Here's another one, "New mobile shredder arrives to meet unprecedented business security needs." This was a guy who had bought a franchise, for the Boston area, of this truck that comes to you and shreds your sensitive business documents when you've got a lot of volume. He actually injected some humor in the release. This was back, not long after the Iran Contra thing and there was some shredding of documents there. Too bad those people didn't have this. If you're in that position, you can call this company and they'll show up within an hour and shred your documents. That was, again, very specific and it says what the need is and what the purpose is of this new service. And who is it for? It's for people who need business security. One more example-this is something I wrote for a client that had a new website. What people like to do when they're announcing a new website is they like to say, "New website, www.blahblahblah.com launches." Oh, is that a boring headline.

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)

Don't send a pitch letter if you don't have an interesting story idea. If you can't think of an idea right now, and you still want coverage, here's a list of things you might consider.

 Is your company doing anything unique or different than your competitors?
 Are you the local angle to a national or regional event?
 Do you have a new product or service? The more unusual, the better.
 Can you piggyback on a news event?
 Do you sell a product or service that ties into a national trend?
 Do you have an idea related to a local, regional or national holiday or anniversary?
 Have you spotted a new trend in your industry?
 What advice can you offer that will help someone else solve their problems?
For more pitch letter ideas, and information on how to write the perfect pitch, sure to get a story about you, see Special Report # 7 "How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter That Convinces an Editor to Write About You"
http://101publicrelations.com/sr7.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=sr7

Posted by Dan at 01:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To make the most of your event publicity opportunities, you need to make the media's job as easy as possible.

 Make sure they have easy access into and out of the event, particularly photographers who must lug all that extra equipment. Provide parking passes.

 Give the media cold water and paper cups, or soft drinks, if they are covering outdoor events during the summer in sweltering heat.

 If the media is interviewing celebrities, make a mention about the event in quiet place available if the reporter or the celebrity would rather do the interview away from all the excitement. Assign someone on your committee the job of keeping track of interesting things that happen during the event-things the media might want to know about and include in their stories.

For other tips on making the media's job easy see Special Report #10 "Powerful Publicity Tips for Your Fund-Raiser or Special Event"

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

If you are a business who gets in a crisis and wants to get good coverage out to the reporters, having already established a cushion of goodwill would really help you out.

Del Webb Corporation, the people who built all the Sun City retirement communities, were at the wrong end of an attorney general's investigation related to the pollution of Lake Powell by one of their former subsidiaries that ran a boat dock there. Horrible news. They ended up paying the highest environmental fine ever in the state of Arizona at that time. Part of the fact that the story didn't last and hurt them beyond that couple of days, I hope, was because I did a good job for them. But a big part of the reason why it didn't last is because they already had an existing cushion of goodwill. They had a very good reputation as corporate do-gooders, as good neighbors, as responsible developers. And so the press was willing to listen to them and gave their words some credibility. I've seen the exact converse happen where an organization did no proactive PR, and the first time the press covers them is in a bad news situation. They suffered far more than they would have if they'd had the cushion of goodwill already established.

You can find a lot more great information like this in How to Keep the Media Wolves at Bay.

Posted by Dan at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We see photos of check-passings, ribbon-cuttings, ground-breakings and "grip and grin" shots all the time in local newspapers and an TV. That's the problem. They're far to common. And they're usually dull. If you can afford it, hire a freelance photographer or someone from the newspaper staff at your local college to shoot photos several months before the event, for use in your media kit. Subjects might be local celebrities or committees that are working on decorations or planning for a special activity.

Also have on hand several professionally taken head shots of the key event organizers. Here's something different. Why not sponsor a photo contest of your annual Grape-Stompin' Festival? Award prizes for the best photos. Then make arrangements with the winning photographers to use the photos in next year's PR effort.

If photographers will be photographing small children, prepare standard release forms which parents must sign before their children's photos can appear in the paper.

To learn more about utilizing visual aids for getting free publicity opportunities see Special Report #10 "Powerful Publicity Tips for Your Fund-Raiser or Special Event"

Posted by Dan at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Preparing a crisis communication plan means thinking of and preparing for all the things that could go wrong.

Whatever the size of your organization, many managers may be uncomfortable talking about the possibility of a disaster in their departments...But don't avoid the tough issues either. You want this to be a viable plan. You need to cover all of the angles. You will need to think of every reasonable disaster.

Here is a list of crises that could happen that could be a viable part of a crisis plan:

 Government investigation
 Controversial law suit
 Accusation of discrimination based on race, sexual preference or gender
 Product recall
 Serious injury to someone within or outside of the organization
 Protest
 Strike
 Physical violence between co-workers
 Insider trading scandal
 Theft by an outsider (ideas or physical assets)
 Embezzlement
 Hostile takeover
 Outbreak of food poisoning caused by your company (maybe even at your company picnic - this just happened this week in our area and the Country Club where it occurred is getting hurt in the media)
 Death of top executive
 CEO gets arrested for drunk driving
 Natural disaster
 Plane crash
 Books were cooked
 Congressional hearings make something that was legal illegal, and your company is used as an example
 Plummeting stock price
 Major interruptions in service
 Computer system crash, causing you to lose all data
 One of your employees is accused of a high profile crime
 Sexual harassment case
 Fire
 Explosion
 Rape on your premises
 Dramatic downsizing causing significant job loss in a geographic region
 Chemical spill
 Radiation leak
 A major competitor has a huge crisis, throwing attention on your company
 Caught in a lie
 False advertising accusation
 Celebrity spokesperson embroiled in personal scandal
 Oil spill
 Closing of a facility
 Production sourcing internationally or at a non-union facility
 Union grievance
Learn how to prepare an effective crisis communication plan with Crisis Communication Planning: Organizing and Completing a Plan That Works, by Don. K. Crowther.
http://101publicrelations.com/crisis-communication.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=crisis_communications

Posted by Dan at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whether you’re taking a reporter to lunch at the local coffee shop, or inviting the media to an elaborate press conference complete with tables of gourmet delicacies, feeding the media can be fraught with problems.

• Who picks up the check if you’re taking them to lunch?

• Are gifts of food OK during the holidays, and should they be sent to individual reporters or the entire news department?

• What if you’re hosting a media tour for travel writers at your new resort? Do you automatically assume that if they accept your invitation, you will pay for everything?

• What about alcohol? Can you and a reporter have a beer or mixed drink if you’re being interviewed over lunch at a restaurant?

Be extra careful when dealing with reporters who work for newspapers and magazines, however, particularly those at bigger publications where the ethics policies are more stringent.

Here’s a common-sense guide that will help you put your best foot forward and make everyone feel comfortable: Special Report #43, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Offering Food to the Media”

Posted by Dan at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Your follow-up should be by telephone. Simply ask the reporter if he is interested in the article and if he needs more information. If the reporter says no, for whatever reason, do not try to change his mind. Instead, ask, "Is there a different angle to the story that might interest you?" or "Do you know anyone else who might be interested in this type of story?"

If your offer is declined, don't send the same pitch letter to the same person two months later, hoping he will have forgotten about you. You will brand yourself as a pest. You can, however, send the same pitch letter to someone who works in a different department of the publication. If, for example, you pitch a food-related idea to the business editor, who declines it, you are free to send the same pitch letter to the food editor.

If you're trying to follow up but you keep getting the reporter's voice mail, leave a message. If you don't hear anything, follow up a week later. Some reporters would rather communicate by e-mail. Whenever you contact a reporter, ask whether they prefer phone calls or e-mails.

In order to get more tips about follow-up after writing a pitch letter see Special Report # 7 "How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter That Convinces an Editor to Write About You"
http://101publicrelations.com/sr7.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=sr7

Posted by Dan at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After your article is printed, call the editor you worked with and, as a courtesy, ask permission to make reprints. They will almost always agree. Most media don't require written permission to do this because they're too busy. Take the article to a copy center and ask them to make photocopies. Ask your graphics designer to reconfigure the article so it fits onto one side of a sheet of paper. Be sure the nameplate of the publication is at the top of the reprint. Use reprints in your marketing efforts. Tuck them into proposals you submit to clients. If you do public speaking, hand them out to audience members. If you work in a retail business, keep copies on the counter for people to pick up. Frame reprints and hang them on the wall in your lobby. (Note: If you are reprinting articles at Kinko's, first ask Kinko's for a written permission form. Have the publication complete the form and fax it back to you, then take the form with your original copy of the article to Kinko's to be reproduced. They are sticklers about this.)

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"

Posted by Dan at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Writing a special report should not be terrible, in fact, it can be easy by using the following, and other great special report writing tips:

• Use dozens of solid how-to tips.

• Use short sentences and paragraphs. Avoid big blocks of gray, which are a turnoff and difficult to read.

• Use sub-heads.

• Use lists and bulleted items.

• At the end, invite readers to contact you if they have questions. Few of our customers do. But it’s comforting for readers to know they can zip us an e-mail if they have a simple question about one of the reports. Besides, the person with the question might hire us for a speaking engagement or buy more products in quantity.

• Write directly to the reader. Use the word “you.”

To get a complete list of writing tips, as well as other useful information about special reports, see Special Report #19, “How to Write and Market Profitable Special Reports”

Posted by Dan at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When you write an article you should start with a lead. The lead is the beginning of the article. It must pull `em in, but after that it is your job to land them. After the lead, answer the reader's question "Why should I care?" Explain in one or two paragraphs why solving the problem is important. What's in it for them? How much money can they save? What kind of aggravation can they be spared if they do what you say? Always write directly to the reader using the second-person "you" instead of the third-person "he" and "she." It's more personal.

This is also an opportune time to work in a sentence that explains exactly what you do and a little about your expertise. For example: "In my 10 years as a psychotherapist, I have found that many of my clients are as frustrated by the little aggravations of day-to-life as they are by life's bigger problems."

For more tips and advice on how to get the readers attention, and get free publicity, 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 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Send your News Releases via email, but be sure you do it right:
Don't send e-mail releases as attachments. Send the release within the body of the message.

Be careful of the wording in the body of the message. Some spam filters might flag the message, and it may not get delivered.

Use a subject line that explains what the news release is about. Don't use the subject "News Release."

Do not send a news release as a zipped file that must be downloaded, unzipped and read into a word processor.

For more tips on how to write news releases via email see Special Report #12 "52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)"

Posted by Dan at 08:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are many reasons that you would want to write letters to the editor. One such reason is this:

You can use letters to state your opinion about any kind of an issue or a story that you seem to think the publication is ignoring, for whatever reason. Sometimes all it takes is a single letter from a reader to start the ball rolling and to get more letters coming in on the same topic. If the editor is sitting there seeing that they're getting three and four and five, maybe a dozen letters to the editor on a topic that they've never had a story on, that shows that there's interest in that topic. They might assign the reporter to do a story on it, in addition to printing the letters.

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

Posted by Dan at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When you want to have something published you will have to work with the editor, reporter etc. You have to be able to help them out and not just expect them to do everything foryou.

Whether you're dealing with an editorial board, a reporter, an editor, the editor of the op-ed pages, or whoever it may happen to be, the more you can do their job for them-make it easy, connect them to something that's topical, that's going to be concisely written, well done, do it all for them-you exponentially increase your chances. And if they don't bite on it, don't try to ram it down their throats. Don't give them apples when they want oranges. Give them their oranges. They'll take the oranges. Then give them apples later.

There is a lot more great information about using newspaper and magazine editorial pages in How to Use Newspaper and Magazine Editorial Pages.

Posted by Dan at 07:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No other product is as easy and inexpensive to produce as a special report. It requires nothing more than a computer and a printer. There's no fancy packaging. Virtually no investment up front. No damaged merchandise that will be returned. In some case, no shipping costs.

A special report is a multi-page report packed with valuable how-to information that buyers can begin using immediately. Your report should focus on a very specific problem your readers want to solve, or something they want to profit from. Then provide specific step-by-step directions on how to meet those objectives. For example, if you're an expert in sales and marketing, you can probably produce one report on how to make cold calls, one on how to close the sale, one on how to deal with rejection, one on how to ask for referrals, and so on. The secret is to make the topic of your special report as narrow as possible. You wouldn't create a special report called "How to be a Better Salesperson" because the topic is far too broad.

For more tips and tricks for creating a profitable special report see Special Report #19, "How to Write and Market Profitable Special Reports"

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

Preparing to be a guest on talk shows
Tags: radio_talk_show get_on_radio getting_on_the_radio booked_for_radio_talk_show radio_show talk_show broadcast_media media news publicity public_relations radio_talk_show_tips prepare_for_show Prep_radio_talk_show radio_talk_show_prep

When you go on a radio talk show, don't just go into it with nothing, and think you will be fine. Be prepared with:

The ability to talk in short sentences. Radio is not the time for long-winded explanations. You must learn to answer the host's questions quickly. Drone on, and the host will cut you off, which will make it sound as though he or she isn't very interested in what you're saying.

A willingness to give free advice instead of constantly hyping your book or product. If your interview is great, your book will sell itself with a little help from the host, who might need to be reminded to tell listeners about your toll-free number to order. Hosts hate it when guests constantly refer to the fact that they're selling something. Listeners hate it when hosts ask an author a question and the author replies, "I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out."

To learn more great tips on how to be prepared for and about 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 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When you go on a radio talk show, don't just go into it with nothing, and think you will be fine. Be prepared with:

The ability to talk in short sentences. Radio is not the time for long-winded explanations. You must learn to answer the host's questions quickly. Drone on, and the host will cut you off, which will make it sound as though he or she isn't very interested in what you're saying.

A willingness to give free advice instead of constantly hyping your book or product. If your interview is great, your book will sell itself with a little help from the host, who might need to be reminded to tell listeners about your toll-free number to order. Hosts hate it when guests constantly refer to the fact that they're selling something. Listeners hate it when hosts ask an author a question and the author replies, "I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out."

To learn more great tips on how to be prepared for and about 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 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Publicity Photos are more likely to get published if they are good, simply said. However, keep in mind that photos need editing, too! Sometimes, by cropping, you can save a piece of art. Ask your camera shop to print 4x5 proofs for you. Then use pieces of plain white paper to blank out parts of the photo that are dull, not relevant, or compete with the photo's focal point. As you move these "cropping sheets," around on a photo, you may suddenly see an ordinary shot take on focus and impact. Once you've decided which parts of the photo you want to crop out, you can use a waterproof marker or a grease pencil to make marks right on the proofs so the film laboratory knows exactly how to print the enlargements. If you're not familiar with the process, ask your camera store for advice.

For great ideas and tips on how to take and make your photos better, more visually appealing, and thus more likely to be published, see David R. Yale's "How To Get Publicity Photos In Newspapers, Magazines, And On TV"

Posted by Dan at 07:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A tip sheet is one of my favorite publicity tools. It's nothing more than a list of tips on how to do something, or how to solve a problem. Editors love them because they can take your 10 tips and, if they only have room for six tips, just cut the last four and print them without having to edit it very heavily.

Here's a great idea for free publicity: try a tip sheet. Another great way to get attention for whatever it is that you're selling, is by submitting a quiz to editors of newspapers and magazines. I'll give you some examples. I was looking at magazines today in the library in preparation for this teleseminar and I found a quiz in one of the women's magazines called, "How Old Is Your Face?" Take the quiz and give yourself a point if you have freckles. You give yourself another point if you have dry patches. And you give yourself another point if you have wrinkles, and so on. Then you tally up your points and it tells you how old your face is. That's an offbeat idea for a quiz.

You can apply that same idea for whatever it is that you're trying to promote. A tip sheet is one of my favorite publicity tools. It's nothing more than a list of tips on how to do something, or how to solve a problem. Editors love them because they can take your 10 tips and, if they only have room for six tips, just cut the last four and print them without having to edit it very heavily. For more great publicity tips, read Briefs, Fillers and Quizzes: How To Write Them and Why Editors LOVE Them

Posted by Dan at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How often should you follow up? The truth is, once it's in their hands as a story, you can't really control it. The only thing you control is what message you're putting out there. I will often ask them, "Listen, are you going to put a sidebar in?" The sidebar is where they actually put your product name and how to contact you. I'll ask those things. I'll tell you, the PR agencies spend a fortune with their clients convincing them that, "Oh yes, we'll get something out every month." They call it a rhythm method or a drum beat.

Truthfully, I've had reporters say to me, "I can't stand it. We hate when people do that." Reporters won't run your story immediately unless you have a real story that ties into something, or you have a comment on a local happening that's trendy and timely, terrific. Other than that, give them a pitch.

I'd say every three to four months is plenty. It's enough to keep you foremost in their mind without bugging them. For more tips on follow ups and publicity, 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 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's a great way to impress the producers and get on their talk show? Follow the advice of jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie: "It's not how much you play. It's how much you leave out." Keep your list of talking points by the phone when you call a producer (or a producer calls you), so you'll be succinct. You will already have rehearsed your points so that they'll sound natural and inviting.

Be prepared with several different angles or pitches, different ways to slant your information. "Nobody gets on these shows without a pre-interview," says publicist Leslie Rossman. "Be a great interview but don't worry about the product you want to sell them because if you're a great guest and you make great TV, they'll want you." And keep in mind the words of Robert Frost: "Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it." 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 01:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sending a pitch letter is a great way to get your story covered, with out one you might be wasting time. When I worked as a newspaper editor, one of my biggest frustrations was people who called to suggest a story idea, but couldn't explain to me why my readers should care. When I asked them why we should write about them, they would respond with ridiculous answers like "Because we've never been in the paper before" or "I'd like to surprise my mother with an article about me." Even worse were people who had no clue about what kinds of stories we covered. If they did suggest something I was interested in, they sometimes didn't have all the facts or details at hand.

Also, more often than not, the people with the best ideas seemed to call on deadline. I usually asked them to send me a pitch letter detailing their idea. Then I could spend a few minutes reading it, and take a little more time to decide if I was interested, or if there was a better angle that we could pursue. If I liked the idea immediately, I could pass the letter along to the reporter who covered that beat without having to explain all the details of what the story idea was about.

With a written pitch letter, you can get in front of an editor twice-once with the letter, then again when you make your follow-up phone call. A pitch letter doesn't need to tell the whole story. All it needs to do is attract the interest of an editor or news director. That sounds easier than it is. So to learn the steps to writing the perfect pitch letter, see Special Report # 7 "How to Write the Perfect Pitch Letter That Convinces an Editor to Write About You"

Posted by Dan at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Most university and college media relations professionals report to a marketing or public relations director who, in turn, reports to the vice president of development or institutional advancement. That individual then reports to the president or chancellor of the university or college. Ideally, however, you should have enough credibility to be able to go to the top when a decision is needed immediately or in the case of a campus crisis.

A critical step in media relations is to obtain a top-down commitment and secure resources to do your job. In order to do that, you must see yourself—and be seen—as an integral part of the university team. Your goals and your media plans should always stem from the strategic goals of the institution. These will then dictate your priorities.

The big stories over the next 10 years will be the cost, restructuring and pricing of a university education, diversity, distance learning, cooperative agreements between universities and university/industry partnerships. The media will look for patterns developing across the country and link stories to national trends.

For more tips on how to be heard by the media see Special Report #15 “15 Steps to Effective University and College Media Relations”

Posted by Dan at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Choosing which NPR Show to pitch
Tags: national_public_radio radio_shows publicity list_of_shows

There are many, many national public radio shows that you could consider when trying to pitch your story. This is a list of a few of them:

There's a wonderful show that's nationally syndicated and done out of Boston called Living On Earth and it is about environmental concerns. They're always looking for guests. They're fantastic. There is Parent's Journal, which is wonderful for any people who've done books on parenting or can talk about a parenting issue. There is The Savvy Traveler, for any travel book writers. There is the Tavis Smiley Show, which is done out of Los Angeles, and it is particularly the African American topics and African American authors. You also have the nationally syndicated show Latino USA, and there's one called, Justice Talking, it is all about law. There's one called Piano Jazz and that's done out of New York. Its host is Marian McPartland, she's a pianist, musical talent herself.

There are more of these as well as great information about how to get on national public radio found in How to Get Booked on National Public Radio.
http://101publicrelations.com/nationalpublicradio.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=npr

Posted by Dan at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

At an interview you can expect a variety of questions, never answer with something you can't back-up, and NEVER speculate.
If the reporter asks.
"Can you give me an example?"

If you are making a key point or observation, be ready to back it up with an example. Make sure it's a good one. Reporters will often use this information in stories.

"Can you prove that?"

You should be able to prove anything you tell a reporter during an interview. If you can point to a specific source where you got your information, do so. Do not, under any circumstances, claim you can prove something that you cannot. The reporter is apt to hunt down the information, prove you wrong, and say so in print.

Or, "What if the economy goes bad? Would you consider laying off employees?"

Beware of the words "What if." Never speculate about anything because once it's in print, it can come back to haunt you. Simply say, "I don't want to speculate about anything like. Besides, there are so many factors that would go into that kind of a decision."
Learn more about what not to say to a reporter in an interview by reading Special Report #2, "Questions You Can Expect Reporters to Ask During An Interview (Including Nasty, Hostile Ones)"

Posted by Dan at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What details need to be in your news release? Make sure you have a contact person and contact information, and these days, it doesn't hurt to have a main phone number that they can call and maybe your cell phone. Remember that they're going to be on deadline. Never, never just send them to your website. Make sure that you have the phone number and the email address. Some people forget to put their email address in, and it's true, if they're sending it by email, then the email is there for the recipient, but if somebody then forwards it on to somebody else, sometimes the email contact address gets lost, gets dropped off, so you want to make sure that you have all that contact information in the press release. You want to make sure you have the price in there.

A lot of people have this idea that if you're announcing a new product, then you want to hold back on the price. That's one of those details that people want to know, so just put it in there, and if there's a range of prices, then put the range in there. That really helps. And also, being an author, I have discovered that most people don't have a clue that you can actually order any book in print from almost any bookstore. They think they have to go to the bookstore and look at shelves, and if they don't find it there, they're totally bewildered about how they can get it. You're right. It's good to say that this book can be found at Barnes & Noble, Borders and other real-live bookstores as well as at Amazon and other online bookstores. For more tips on how to write fantastic press releases, read "The Do-It-Yourself Press Release Makeover."

Posted by Dan at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A good reporter is going to get some background about you for credibility and interest, know what they will ask so you don't get caught off guard. Expect questions like the following:
"How do you know that?"
Good reporters will ask this question because they don't want to accept what you are saying at face value. If you tell them how you know something, they can go to the other source to verify the information for accuracy.

"Who is your personal hero?"
This is a common question because it helps add color to a story. Reporters don't expect you to name someone who is famous or well-known. It's actually an innocent question that will help people know a little more about you. A hero can be a favorite aunt or uncle who helped you through a difficult time in your life. It can be a teacher from your past. Or it can be someone you have never met.

"What was your childhood like?"
Reporters ask this question because sometimes the answer is the perfect lead to their story. For example, if a bank president says that his eight brothers and sisters had a difficult childhood because the family was
poor and they all had to do neighborhood jobs such as mow lawns and deliver newspapers to help out the family-and if he adds that that helped him learn the value of money-it might be a nice way for the reporter to begin the story.

Learn more about what reporters will ask you, why they ask it, and how to best prepare your response, by reading Special Report #2, "Questions You Can Expect Reporters to Ask During An Interview (Including Nasty, Hostile Ones)"

Posted by Dan at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Identify media outlets that need the information you are sending. If you are not familiar with the publication or broadcast outlet, call and ask if they would be interested in what you are writing about. It’s better to send your news releases to fewer quality contacts who are really interested than to paper the landscape with news releases that end up in the wastebasket.

2. Find out the name of the person to whom you should send the news release. This saves time later if you must follow up with a phone call.

3. Create a database of your media contacts who will receive your releases, and update it as your list grows and changes. This makes it easy to print mailing labels and do mail merges if you are sending a cover letter to accompany your release. And you’ll have a current list of media contacts for future use.

For more tips on what to do before you write your news release see Special Report #12 “52 Tips for Kick-Butt Press Releases (and Bonehead Mistakes to Avoid)”

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

When you are having an interview with a reporter they can some times play tricks on you in order to get you to do something that is not necessarily good. You always have to be careful in interviews and such not to be caught in these traps. This is one example:

We took a rest break, and the reporter went down the hall to the restroom, and my clients were starting to talk a little, and I noticed.I raised one hand, because I noticed that the reporter left the tape recorder running, obviously hoping, of course. It could have been accidental. I suspect that it was trying to catch them saying things with the reporter out of their presence that they wouldn't have said with the reporter in the room.

To learn more about these situations and how to work with reporters read How to Keep the Media Wolves at Bay.
http://101publicrelations.com/mediawolves.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=media_wolves

Posted by Dan at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In order to get yourself in the lime light, and get publicity for your college or university, you can’t sit back and wait for it. GET OUT OF THE OFFICE!!! Dig up those stories about faculty, students, alumni and staff by attending events on campus, regularly scheduling meetings with faculty and administration, and listening carefully. Find out where your admission office is recruiting heavily and target releases to that area. You won’t know that a faculty member is also a nationally renowned ballroom dancer unless you get to know him, or that the honor student graduating is a single parent with three children unless you talk with your colleagues on campus.

For more tips on how to get out there, and not work in a vacuum, and for tips on how to get publicity for your college or university see Special Report #15 “15 Steps to Effective University and College Media Relations”

Posted by Dan at 08:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Day of the Interview
Let's assume you're doing a telephone interview. Here's how to sound your best.

Make a cheat sheet that lists the three major points you want to get across in your interview. Post it on the wall in big letters, or keep it in front of you. Next to each point, you should also note a particular story that backs up each point. Remember to keep the story short and don't ramble.

During the interview, stand rather than sit. This will make your voice sound more forceful. It will also let you move around, which will help you deal with the jitters.

Keep a glass of lukewarm water nearby, in case you get dry mouth.

Make sure pets, children, and any other interruptions are safely out of earshot. If you have a door on your office, close it during the interview. If you have a second telephone line or a fax machine with a ring, be sure it is disabled or that the ringer is turned off. Ditto for call waiting.

For more great interviewing tips that will help you get 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 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are a couple of different aspects to NPR that are important to understand. There are specific shows that you can pitch an idea to, and pitch a guest to, and there are individual correspondents that you can pitch to. When you're pitching to a show, it's important to realize whether it is a national show, meaning it is syndicated, and it's picked by most, if not all, of the NPR affiliates stations around the country. Or it could be a local show, something like Here and Now which is a local show on WBUR here in Boston, for example, or Forum, which is a wonderful show on KQED out of San Francisco. So in order to go through the maze that is National Public Radio, you have to first figure out whether a show is national or local, and you have to determine whether you really should be pitching a show, or an individual correspondent.

In order to find out more about pitching your show on National Public Radio you can check out How to Get Booked on National Public Radio.
http://101publicrelations.com/nationalpublicradio.html?utm_source=prideas&utm_content=npr

Posted by Dan at 01:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)