Womens Media Summit

Create Your Media Bio for Publicity

Create Your Media Bio for Publicity By National Publicist, Annie Jennings of Annie Jennings PR

An excerpt from GET MEDIA SAVVY – The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World!

Create A BIO That Tells The Media What They Need To Know In A Nutshell  & Learn What Does Not Belong In Your Media Bio

Follow these simple steps to creating a powerful media bio designed to get you booked on the media of your dreams. Annie Jennings PR is a major provider of experts to the media and the PR visionary who has led the industry to all new levels of performance.

1.  Your bio should always begin with your credentials, academic achievements, professional and academic affiliations.

2.  If you are the author of books, papers, and/or studies note those next along with the names of the papers and studies and where they appear etc so the media can document them.

3.  List your areas of expertise.

4.  List the years you have been active in these areas and your fields.

 5.  List any involvement in any association, achievements or awards you have received in your field.

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

February 28th, 2008 Posted by admin | FREE MEDIA RESOURCES, Media Interviews, PR and Media Tips, Pitching to the Media, Press Kit | no comments

Award Wins Can Help Build Brand and Sales.

Award Wins Can Help Build Brand and Sales.  Here’s How. 

By Nancy S. Juetten An excerpt from GET MEDIA SAVVY – The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World!

Companies seeking credibility, a leading edge over competition, favorable publicity, and a way to accelerate sales are gaining value from award contests that reinforce their core values, strategic initiatives, and marketing claims.  Just as travelers rely upon the star rating system to choose a hotel or a Zagat survey to choose a restaurant, buyers of any variety of products and services want to spend their money with winners – and they do. In fact, a research study by Hendricks & Singhal of the

Here are a few more benefits to justify your investment of time and effort in award competitions: 1. Get to “yes” faster.  Winning prestigious award contests can help unknown, unproven, or emerging companies better compete for and win new business.  Award wins make choosing a company less risky for buyers and potential employees. 

Dave Caple, president of Northwest Suites & Housing Services, winner of a variety of Better Business Bureau, Eastside Business, and housing industry honors including Company of the Year, said, “The biggest bang for the buck on the awards is the fact that they validate and help promote the strength and quality of our company in the regions and industries in which we do business.”

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

February 26th, 2008 Posted by admin | PR & Media Plans, PR and Media Tips | no comments

Conquering the Fear of Promoting Yourself

Conquering the Fear of Promoting Yourself or, Do You Like to Talk to Strangers? By Raleigh Pinskey

An excerpt from GET MEDIA SAVVY – The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World!

The Small Business Association reports that the top two reasons businesses fail in the first two years are poor management and lack of promotion, which, along with the staple of advertising, includes the overview of branding utilizing PR, publicity and marketing.

And nowhere in their entire list do they consider attitude. I would definitely add attitude to this critical measurement. I fact, I would make it number one on the list.

I founded my PR, Branding and Public Relations company The Raleigh Group, in 1980. Through my best selling books, seminars and information products I’ve mentored millions of people who are just entering the business arena, seasoned veterans, and the scale markers in between.

There is no doubt in my mind that the difference in why some succeed at PR, branding public relations and marketing while others don’t, ultimately comes down to attitude. Attitude is a crucial and large part of promotion, particularly if you approach it with an attitude of fear.

If your chosen profession depends on promotion, success will depend on you think about the following statements. Do you harbor a fear of promotion? Are you in business to revenge a teacher or relative who told you that you would never succeed? Are you a people pleaser by nature? Do you like to solve problems? Do you enjoy dealing with people and their needs? Do you feel you are not very interesting and maybe what you have to talk about is not innovative or informative, or useful?

When I was growing up, I was constantly told that what I had to say was not that important, and why would anyone want to listen to what I had to say? And, I was told, not to tell anybody how bright you are because no man will want to marry you and you’ll end up an old maid. I carried that with me for a very long time.

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

February 25th, 2008 Posted by admin | Branding, PR and Media Tips, Pitching to the Media, Self-promotion | no comments

How to Create a Press Kit That Attracts Positive Media Attention

How to Create a Press Kit That Attracts Positive Media Attention
By Dina Giolitto

An excerpt from GET MEDIA SAVVY - The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World!

Do you promote your business via press releases that you submit on the Web and/or to newspapers? Then you should ideally have a company press kit. A press kit is, in essence, a media-ready promotional package. Your press kit should be as professional-sounding as possible, and accessible via PDF download format from the PRESS or MEDIA page of your Web site.The purpose of a company press kit:

1. Provide basic information about your company such as key contact names and address details.
2. Communicate the company mission and philosophy.
3. Describe the key market you’re targeting.
4. Detail the biographies of company principles.
5. Share company news.
6. Include high resolution photos of key people, logos and products.

Having a press kit on your site makes it easier for members of the media who spot your name out there to grab what they need quickly. For example, let’s say someone comes by and decides to run your story. If for some reason they can’t locate the short version of your company bio or your photo, they should be able to access these in your company press release with no problem. Should they have a question, the press kit will tell them exactly who to contact for answers.

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

February 23rd, 2008 Posted by admin | FREE MEDIA RESOURCES, Media Interviews, PR and Media Tips, Press Kit, Press Release | no comments

Your Media Contacts Database

An excerpt from GET MEDIA SAVVY - The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World!

Whether you keep your editorial contact information in an electronic database or in a Rolodex, your media contact information must be kept up-to-date. Editors and publishers come and go, reporters are reassigned to new beats, and publications merge, fold or redefine their roles and target audience. It is important to constantly update and stay on top of the changes your media contacts make. I suggest you review your media contact list at least every three to four months.  

By staying in touch with your media list, you can find out if they have changed jobs or assignments and it gives you an opportunity to find new contacts to add to your list and pitch your ideas and stories. 

 Here are some ideas for adding to and updating your contacts: Write a Letter of Introduction. When contacting a journalist for the first time, a good way to start the relationship on a positive note is by way of a letter of introduction.  I suggest you do this before you send a media release or pitch a story idea.  There are of course exceptions and that is when the news is critical and timing is of the essence such as when you are tying your ideas into a late-breaking news story.  For most small business owners that will not be the case. When crafting your letter have an end-goal in mind. What do you want it to accomplish?  Do you know exactly to whom the letter should be addressed?  Your initial contact to be to the editor or publisher of the publication, a freelance writer or feature journalist. 

Do your homework before sending the letter.  Your letter should highlight why this particular individual (and audience) would likely be interested in your story or idea.  Keep in mind that the main purpose for this letter of introduction is to begin a dialog and introduce you as the go-to person for your company or organization. Be sure to include all of your contact information in the letter including work, home, cell and business address and primary email information.

Make it easy for the journalist to contact you. I also suggest if you include work and home phone numbers alongside you include the best times to call. If an editor has a deadline of say 8 am and you begin work at 9 am, chances that you would be a good source are slim. Your letter of introduction should stress that your main purpose is to make the media’s job easier by being a good source of information, ideas and connections. This letter of introduction should be “what’s in it for them, not you.”

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

February 21st, 2008 Posted by admin | PR & Media Resources, PR and Media Tips | no comments

GET MEDIA SAVVY Excerpt

From the Foreword by Raleigh Pinskey

“Without promotion a terrible thing happens, nothing!” is a phrase coined by circus impresario and entrepreneur P.T. Barnum. He made millions in the 1800’s from his promotional efforts. Did you know that Promotion is one of the top five driving forces for a successful business?  Promotion includes the terms PR, Publicity, Public Relations, Branding, Marketing, and Advertising. Each may have a different application and strategy, but they all have a common goal. That goal is to make enough noise to attract a buyer of your services, convince them of your value to them, funnel business to you that will make your cash register say Cha Ching! 

Promotion was very different in Barnum’s day than it is today. The only mass communication available was telegraph, telephone and newspapers. This didn’t stop him from creating The Greatest Show on Earth which made him one of the USA’s first millionaires, and an international force to reckon with. 

Want to read more?  Visit GET MEDIA SAVVY and download Your FREE Copy today!

February 20th, 2008 Posted by admin | FREE MEDIA RESOURCES, PR & Media Resources, PR and Media Tips | one comment

GET MEDIA SAVVY is Finally HERE!

That’s right!  GET MEDIA SAVVY, The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World is ready for the taking.

 This FREE eGuide is filled with advice from 14 Experts on Media Marketing and Public Relations Promotions.

Meet the authors:  Raleigh Pinskey,  Shannon Cherry, Rhonda Day, Catherine Franz, Dina Giolitto, Paul Hartunian, Penny Haynes, Michelle Howe, Annie Jennings, Nancy S. Juetten, Meredith Pond, Lori Prokop, Heidi Richards and Rosalind Sedacca.

To download your copy of GET MEDIA SAVVY! visit: http://www.womensmediasummit.com/get-media-savvy/.

 Please let us know what you think about this brand new resource to help you with your media marketing and public relations programs.

 Happy Promoting!

Heidi Richards Mooney, Publisher & Contributing Author

February 19th, 2008 Posted by admin | FREE MEDIA RESOURCES, PR & Media Resources, PR and Media Tips | no comments

Pitching to Bloggers

I found a great article which will help you get the attention of the blogging community:

“The Seven Deadly Sins of Pitching to Bloggers”
Navigating Social Media Safely to Avoid Embarrassment & Achieve Results

February 9th, 2008 Posted by admin | Blogging, PR and Media Tips, Pitching to the Media | no comments

Want More Exposure? Get listed in a Who’s Who Directory

Did you know that getting listed in a Who’s Who Directory can bring you more exposure, more traffic and greater visibility for your company or organization. Not to mention the increased credibitlity you receive just because you are now among the “Who’s Who World.” 

There are dozens if not hundreds of Who’s Who directories to choose from. You may have been contacted by some already. Consider this: many of these directories offer a free listing and once you are listed you can use the new honor to promote your company. In most cases the only time you would have to pay is if you purchased a copy of the directory. And if you are not going to use it to market to others in the directory, don’t buy one. Unless of course, your ego needs it.

In fact, I am not sure what the actual value of paying to be listed would be except to pad the wallets of the listing source.  Of course, that also depends on who would ultimately have access to the information.  If your target market is buying these types of directories then PAYING to be included could be a wise business decision. Getting listed is another thing. If no one has approached you yet (give ‘em time to find you, they will), you can easily find THEM.  You can do a google search for Who’s Who Directories and come up with dozens of results.  I did and here’s what I found:

International Who’s Who

Marquis Who’s Who Print Directories 

Madison Who’s Who directory  

Global Directory of Who’s Who

There are also specialized, targetted directories that people might search for such as:

Who’s Who in Black Media ,

Leadership Directories, Inc.,

Website Magazine Who’s Who Directory

Expert Witness Directory  Yearbook of Experts 

One word of caution: According to Wikipedia, “While there are many legitimate Who’s Who biographical directories, some unscrupulous individuals have created Who’s Who scams that involve the selling of “memberships” in Who’s Who directories that are created online and through instant publishing services. These are essentially thinly veiled scams designed to get individuals to part with their money. “Before parting with your money, be sure and do your due diligence. Contact others in the directory, ask to see a sample, get references, do the google search.  Once you are statisfied with your results, you can determine if the directory meets your professional needs. 

Have you heard About the Who’s Who Directory of Women in eCommerce?

The Who’s Who Directory is a directory o women who have an online presence either in the form of a website or blog and wo either promote a product or service via one of those vehicles (or you make money through affiliate sales).  Your site does not have to have a shopping cart to qualify, just be one of the ways your customers and clients can find you. The information will be published online and promoted via our websites, media releases, WE Magazine for Women and our global network of women’s organizations.   

The main criteria for being listed: your woman-owned site/blog must be at least 1 year old.  We reserve the right to exclude any sites we deem offensive in nature. 

There is no cost to be included.

For more information about “Who’s Who,” visit  Who’s Who Directory of Women in eCommerce today!

Heidi 

Heidi Richards Mooney, Founder & CEO – The WECAI Network – http://www.wecai.org  

February 2nd, 2008 Posted by admin | FREE MEDIA RESOURCES, Heidi Recommends, PR and Media Tips | 10 comments