How to keep your press release out of the Round File

Distributing your press release is just as important as writing it if you want it to be seen, and more importantly, written up in the media.Follow these tips shared by Marketing Concept, Inc. and reach your goals quicker and with more success:

1. Target your audience. Only contact editors who write about your industry or topic. If you send your story to the wrong editor the only file it will end up in, is the “round file.”
   
2. Don’t send your press release to a “nameless editor with no interest in your topic. It too will get released to the “round file.”
   
3. When you do discover which editors cover your topic area, find out the best way to send it to them.  For some email is optimum, others prefer faxes and some still do prefer to receive “news” via pony express (snail mail).
   
4. If you do send your releases via email, never send with an attachments – let me repeat that, never send an email to a journalist with an attachment (unless they ask for it that way). It will be deleted.
   
5. Unless the editor specifically asks for follow up, don’t!  With the hundreds of press releases they receive, it will only annoy them if you call and ask if they have received it.  If you wrote your release well, sent it to the correct person in the way they expect it to be sent and you made it compelling enough to want more information, let your press release do its job.  
   
6. Check editorial calendars and deadlines.  And adhere to them. If you send a release to a magazine about an event taking place after their deadline, you are wasting your time – and theirs. Ask the media how much lead time they need to properly research and cover a story.
   
7. Post your release to your site so it can be found there by journalists “looking” for information on your topic.
    
8. Be sure and update your website before sending your release especially if you are writing about information to be found there ~ journalists will often go there first for more information before contacting you.

Tracking Your Press Release Performance

The following services can assist you with monitoring the coverage and reach of your press release.

Google News - GoogleNews crawls news stories and headlines from 4,000 news sources worldwide, and searching is free.
Bacon’s Clipping Bureau - Bacon’s Information provides a wide range of information and assistance for anyone needing to research, contact or monitor the media.
Dow Jones News Retrieval - A pay service that archives more than 60 million documents and 3,400+ trade and business publications. CustomClips® feature scans more than 2600 media outlets for specific information.
LEXIS-NEXIS Communication Center - The world’s largest provider of credible, in-depth information. From legal and government to business and high-tech, our products and services provide direct access to an enormous information universe.
Luce Online - An automatic, electronic news clipping service provider delivering up-to-the-minute stories from over 7,000 print publications, newspapers, wire services, magazines, trade publications, and Internet/Online news sites. Receive full text articles and abstracts of stories matching your custom news criteria via email or website delivery.

Source: Marketing Concept Inc.  http://www.marketingsource.com

July 16th, 2008 Posted by admin | Pitching to the Media, Press Release, FREE MEDIA RESOURCES | no comments

Getting “killer” PR

Recently I read an article on the Wall Street Journal blog about How to Get Killer PR by Kelly Spors

 It starts like this:

“About a month ago, I was a guest on MSNBC’s “Your Business.” Another guest on the show was Sarah Endline, founder and chief executive of Sweetriot, a small New York company that sells chocolate-covered cacao beans.

As it happens, this wasn’t my first encounter with Ms. Endline. I’d interviewed her for a story a few months earlier on angel investing, though I ultimately didn’t mention her in the piece. My colleague cited her as an example in a story on companies sharing their profits with charity. And I’d run across another feature on her while browsing a magazine.

Small world? Or killer PR?”

She goes on to say: “I called Ms. Endline and asked how she’s managed to generate so much media buzz for her five-employee company.”

Here’s the PR pointers Kelly shared with her readers from that conversation:

Attend Events

Find Compelling Themes

Take Advantage of Opportunities for Publicity

Be easy to reach and accessible

Make time for PR

To read the entire artcle, visit: http://blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet/2008/03/13/how-to-get-killer-pr/

BTW, do you know an outstanding woman in Media? if so, let me know! I am compiling a list of  Women in Media and Public Relations to Watch and would love to add your recommendations to my list.

 Send a note to heidi (at) wecai.org with “Women in Media” in the subject line.

June 28th, 2008 Posted by admin | Self-promotion, PR & Media Resources, Media Interviews | one comment

New Media… doing more with less

   New Media: How to Do More With Less   

Lindsay Wray of the International Women’s Media Foundation wrote a great article based on a workshop conducted by Merrill Brown, founder and principal of MMB Media LLC and Janice Castro during the 2007 International Women’s Media Foundation U.S. Leadership Institute  Here are some highlights: Tips for Surviving and Thriving With New Media~ Multi-task – Think across platforms; for instance, learn to take video while conducting an interview for a print article.~ Think about products – Develop ideas for ways your newsroom can use new media. ~ Don’t be afraid to mix sales and editorial – Editors and producers shouldn’t shy away from thinking about revenue opportunities, even if a new idea for a product involves other departments.

~ Embrace new technology – Boggled by blogs? Create one, and try it out.

~ Market yourself – Let other people know what kinds of technology you’re experimenting with.
 

Read the full article here: http://www.iwmf.org/features/10421
 

For more information on the next leadership institute, visit www.iwmf.org/programs/leadership.

June 5th, 2008 Posted by admin | PR and Media Tips | no comments

eMarketer talks about Blogs and Traditional Media

eMarketer Daily has an interesting article today called Blogs and Traditional Media and how the media uses (or not) blogs to gather information, find experts and more.

 According to the article: “Of the many interactive features of the top 100 newspaper and magazine Web sites in the US, reporter blogs rank near the top, as do comments on blogs, according to a study by the The Bivings Group. A full 95% of the top 100 US newspapers now offer reporter blogs (up from 80% in 2006), while 58% of the top 100 magazines provide this service. ?

To read the full article visit: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006327&src=article1_newsltr.

Be sure to subscribe to eMarketer Daily for the latest news about Media, Marketing and More!

May 22nd, 2008 Posted by admin | Heidi Recommends, FREE MEDIA RESOURCES | no comments

Monday Media Marketing Minute: A reporter’s little black book

Shannon Cherry of Be Heard Solutions has another great tip at Start up Spark!

 Here it is:

 Are you looking for a way to get noticed by reporters to share your expertise and get media coverage?

Then you need to checkout this week’s Monday Media Marketing Minute, where you’ll learn how to be the go-to person when reporters need someone to interview.

Go to Startup Spark and click on the MP3 icon.

 While you’re at it, get Shannon’s  free special report: “Be the Big Fish: Three No-Cost Publicity Tactics to Help You Be Heard” by signing up for Be Heard! the free ezine with marketing strategies you can put to use today. Go to http://www.beheardsolutions.com/freestuff_3.htm

And don’t forget to check out her blog, Startup Spark, named one of the top 100 business blogs in the world.  And don’t forget to check out my blog, Startup Spark, named one of the top 100 business blogs in the world.

May 19th, 2008 Posted by admin | Monday Media Minute, PR & Media Resources, FREE MEDIA RESOURCES | no comments

Want to get your organization noticed? Create Your Own Holiday!

Want to get your organization noticed?  Create Your Own

Planning special events can be a cornerstone of your marketing program. Small business owners should and can be excellent hosts of special events. Typically events are created to showcase the product and services a business offers.  Designed to attract attention, educate potential attendees, and supporters and the media, special events generally focus on a specific purpose with specific outcomes. A special event can include a one-time event such as the launch of a new product/service or a grand opening; they can include ongoing events such as party or fundraising partnership or to announce a special occasion such as an open house or holiday, which is the focus of this article. When marketing a holiday you can capitalize on ones that already exist or you can “invent”  your own the way the founders of the Womens eCommerce Association did when Virtual Woman’s Day™ was created.  Like many other holidays on the calendar, Virtual Woman’s Day™ was born from an idea to honor an existing holiday – Women’s History Month – and making it unique to the organization.   The founders of the organization wanted to encourage women to learn more about Women’s history and also connect with women around the globe which was the impetus to create Virtual Woman’s Day™.   

The elements of success relating to planning special events include  your planning team, your mission and goals,  the  tools you will use to plan and execute the event, where you will “host” the event (logistics), event marketing and public relations and event evaluation and post-event activities.

 YOUR PLANNING TEAM

Do you need a team of staff/volunteers to execute a successful event? Involve your team in the planning. This core group will help develop the “theme, select the location, and determine who else should be involved.  When planning the Virtual Woman’s Day™ the founders looked at their membership base as well as experts who have participated in past events to help create a team of people with a variety of expertise and targeted circles of influence to help “spread the word” about the event.  These people included technology experts, networking experts, marketing experts and leaders of other organizations.

Planning special events requires people who believe in the “mission or purpose” of the event and will work toward fulfilling that mission. Depending on the size and scope of the event, the team can consist of 2 members or several with varied expertise, a specific circle of influence and good organizational skills.  

 YOUR PURPOSE, MISSION & GOALS

Determine the purpose of the event. Is it to make money? Is it to increase awareness of the product or company or organization? Is it to celebrate a success or a milestone? It might be a combination of all three. Once you know the purpose, you can plan accordingly.  Any new idea requires a list of goals and objectives in order to be a success.  Where many organizations fall short is in determining the “mission” of the organization as well as failing to write down the goals and objectives.  

For instance, here’s the mission of the Virtual Woman’s Day™: “to bring together women from around the globe to network together, learn together and grow together.”

The organization also described how it intended to accomplish it’s mission. “We plan to do this by encouraging one another to share resources, promote our products and services, increase our circle of influence and have some fun in the process.”

 The objectives include:

• To host a memorable event via the WECAI Network™ Conference room.
• To expand our knowledge in areas of interest to women such as healthcare, marketing, networking and building strategic alliances.
• To promote women around the globe.
• To raise awareness and increase the influence of the WECAI Network™
• To “take life by the mouse” and have fun.

PLANNING TOOLS

 Timeline
Create a Timeline!  The timeline should include items such as; when programs are printed, when  invitations/brochures should be printed and mailed, when to start the media or publicity  campaign, when to order decorations as well as registration deadlines. 

Checklist
Checklists or “to do” lists should be used throughout the process and used to educate, track activities, and evaluate your events. Checklists should be designed to match timelines and checklists should be created by subgroups. All checklists should be retained for evaluation. While checklists are typically used for team business, “to do” lists might be created by team leaders and members as tools for preparing for and working through team meetings and event activities such as “the checklist for the meeting with a photographer or food/catering individual.           

Budget
Your budget should include all revenue opportunities (registration sales, tickets, donations, sponsorship, concessions).  When applicable, the budget should also include expenses for printing, lodging, food, supplies, security, speakers, permits, insurance, postage and miscellaneous items yet to be determined. Because Virtual Woman’s Day™ is virtual event the major expense is time. There’s also “hosting” by an Internet Service Provider, software (Web conference room), communication expenses (such as phone lines), etc.  Your budgets should include money available – both actual and in-kind (donations and sponsorships), any income from the event itself and any pre, during and post expenses.

 Logistics
Where is your event taking place? Will it be online event, via teleseminar or webinar, in person?Logistics also include the following: Name of company or organization hosting eventThemeEvent date & timeEvent Description – what words will you use to promote the event, to get people excited or interested in participating?

Planned activities – what types of activities do you have planned for the event?  Do you plan to host workshops, keynote presentations, internet café, a networking get together or meet and greet, business showcases, prize-giveaways?

 Marketing and Public Relations

Marketing your event takes unique expertise, extensive information and content on the potential audience, and the strategies you plan to use to achieve the outcomes you want from your event. You will  need to answer the following:  Who is the target market?  What’s in it for them?  What’s the message? What message will appeal to the audience?

You should also ask yourself - How will you measure the success of the event? By the number of attendees, by the amount of money raised, by the number of people interested in helping out with future events?  By the media/community attention your event attracts?

How will you promote your event?  What is the major objective of the publicity?  Is it to raise awareness or attendance? Is it to build good community relations?  If you do not have a media list, it is never too soon to start creating one.  Whom do you know who works for local print, radio and television?  Whom do you know who knows someone who does? The Women’s eCommerce Association promotes our events on social networking sites, on blogs, websites, via media contacts,  members, and via their global network of organizations (their circles of influence).

 What’s in it for them?

Do you plan to offer incentives such as discounts, or complimentary gifts to encourage attendance? Many events we host include “showcases” and experts sharing valuable information to expand attendees knowledge (also mentioned above), as well as giving away prizes every 15 minutes throughout the day. In addition, when women register they receive an automatic link to their website from the blog. 

If you are planning a local event, drawing on the local community, find out if a local media guide or directory is published. Many newspapers have these resources, and so do many libraries. If it is a national event, look for national media directories for assistance.  There are several to choose from.  Two excellent resources include:  Gebbie Press All-in-One Directory (1-845-255-7560), Bacon’s  Media     Catalog   (1-800-621-0561), and  Bradley Communications  (1-800-989-1400). These  directories are available on disk or books.

 Evaluation/Post-Event Activities

The best marketing efforts have an evaluation process to measure the success of the effort(return on investment of time, talent and treasure). Your evaluation should include measurable goals, outcomes, attendee feedback and overall success of the event.  Did it meet or succeed your goals? Did it meet the needs of your audience?  Did it stay within budget?  What would you do differently the next time?  What would you keep the same? Would you do it again?

 Remember to give “Thanks

Saying “thank you” should be considered as a vital part of planning and executing a successful event.  Determine who needs to be thanked and remember to thank them in a timely fashion during and after the event. You can’t thank people too much or too often.  

May 7th, 2008 Posted by admin | Self-promotion, PR & Media Events, PR and Media Tips | one comment

Be the Media’s Dream Guest Publicity Tips

Be the Media’s Dream Guest Publicity Tips by National Publicist,
Annie Jennings of Annie Jennings PR

Want To Be A SMASH HIT Success On TV & Radio?
Want To Avoid Media Mistakes With Your Publicity & Book Promotion?

Learn The Publicity, TV, Radio & Media Skills You Need To Be The Media’s Dream Guest! This chapter includes a set of tried and true publicity tips to use while working with the media.  You’ll learn 8 of the top pre-interview tips, on-camera or on-air tips, book promotion and publicity tips, media etiquette tips & lots more PR publicity pro tips to help position you as the media’s dream guest!

GET YOUR FREE CD “The Making Of A Million Dollar Expert”: http://wwww.anniejenningspr.com/experts.htm

 TIP #1   Don’t Try to Change the Segment or Story IdeaDuring the pre-interview with the producer or journalist, please do not attempt to influence the producer or journalist to slant or change the original segment idea. This is because the article, story or segment idea is most likely already set in stone by Managing Editors or Executive Producers and your media contact has very little flexibility.  They are assigned to develop a story or segment idea according to a specific set of directives and appreciate your support in moving the story or segment forward.  Always give the media the info they are looking for first so they can complete their assignment otherwise, they might decide to move on to another expert.  If you do a great job for them, that is, you are on target and on message without meandering off topic or discussing topics that fall outside the scope of the placement, they will use you again.

Of course, if they ask you about other ideas you may have, feel free to give them your best stuff!

To read the rest of this chapter and others, visit: GET MEDIA SAVVY and download Your FREE Copy today!

May 6th, 2008 Posted by admin | Pitching to the Media, Media Interviews | no comments

The “Can’t Miss System” for Getting Free Publicity

The “Can’t Miss System” for Getting Free Publicity
by Paul Hartunian

Publicity is a funny business. On one hand you have as many variables as you do opportunities to promote and yet, on the other hand, beneath it all, there are a few cardinal rules that regulate any successful publicity effort. Each rule make take on a different color depending on the specifics that apply to individual industries, but once you strip it all down, you’ll always find the following system at work in any working system.  It all begins with quality. Unless you have something worth selling, something the general public will be interested in buying, it’s just a matter of time before you’re going to run out of “first time buyers” willing to try you out.  

Our goal in promoting is going to be to attract free publicity, which, by definition means we’re going to have to do something that’s newsworthy. It isn’t going to do for us to simply buy all the press we need in the form of advertising. That means we’re going to have to re aim our marketing strategies. We want to offer a product that stands out as being an incredible value.  

One option business have in promoting their benefits is to make a smaller per sale profit margin to a larger portion of the general public. Instead of making, say, $100 profit per product sold to 10 people, they aim at making just $50 profit per product sold to 30. We’ll use that in our example. Once the quality and price are established, then it’s important that we chart out a long term marketing plan. It’s all about creating a steady growth over the long haul.  

To read the rest of this chapter and others, visit: GET MEDIA SAVVY and download Your FREE Copy today!

April 28th, 2008 Posted by admin | Self-promotion, PR & Media Plans, PR and Media Tips | no comments

Watch This Power Marketing Seminar video

Today I received some great advice in my inbox from one of my favorite Public Relations Experts, Marsha Friedman of Event Management Services. It was all about being a great Television guest. So I decided to visit Marsha’s website and found lots of goodies which I wanted to share with you.One of them is a video of Marsha being interviewed by Joy Gendusa, Author and Founder of Postcard Mania.

    Just click on the title or follow the link to watch Power Marketing Seminar - Full Video

Watch this keynote session video with Marsha Friedman which was held at the Power Marketing Seminar recently and find out:

April 24th, 2008 Posted by admin | Self-promotion, Internet TV & Video, PR and Media Tips | no comments

Ten Tips for Getting on Radio

Ten Tips for Getting on Radio By Catherine Franz

You’re on the air! Getting on the radio is easier than you think - no matter what you’re marketing - includes related article on radio broadcast resourcesHome Office Computing,  June, 1993  by Donna Partow Fifteen minutes on the radio revolutionized my business,” says Rhonda Kanning-Anderson of St, Cloud,

 “I knew the show reached my target audience–homemakers. So I hoped to generate interest in my educational teaching program,” she recalls. “It took five months of letters and phone calls–and a personal visit to the show’s producer in

 THEY’RE LOOKING FOR YOU Radio talk shows present an excellent opportunity for you to promote your home-based business, whether you market a product or serve as a consultant. It’s said that there are nearly 1,000 radio talk shows in

 AdvertisementIn many markets, the demand for guests far outstrips the supply of people with an enticing message. Kay Lindley is the producer of “Parent Talk,” a nationally syndicated call-in show, cohosted by Dr. Kevin Leman, author of The Birth Order Book. Lindley says, “Like most talk-show producers, I’m always looking for good guests. I’ve got to fill an hour of airtime every day, six days a week. If a home-based entrepreneur has a program idea that suits my audience, I want to hear about it.” Al Parinello, author of On the Air: How to Get on Radio and TV Talk Shows and What to Do When You Get There, claims most producers agree with Lindley. “The only way to keep a program alive is with fresh ideas. No one can come up with a fresh idea every day without help,” he says. He believes virtually anyone can book a radio appearance– especially on local stations–if you know how to go about it.

To read the other nine tips visit: GET MEDIA SAVVY and download Your FREE Copy today!

April 12th, 2008 Posted by admin | Pitching to the Media, Media Interviews, PR and Media Tips | no comments