PR 101 Radio

Emily Larsen, Sr. Publicist with Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc., shared great information about how small business owners and entrepreneurs can go about getting their own media coverage without having to hire a PR firm or consultant. Here’s a list of simple Do’s & Don’ts to keep in mind as you go about the process of seeking editorial coverage.

1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK - Researching the right media outlets and finding the best contact at those outlets is not rocket science…it simply takes time and diligence. Both will pay of in spades. There’s nothing more a reporter hates than being contacted about something that isn’t even close to what they actually cover.

2. MAKE IT SHORT, SWEET & TO THE POINT! - Reporters and editors are busy folks, and they have no interest in reading a 5000 word email. Keep initial correspondence and follow-up calls and emails BRIEF. Press should be able to read it in 60-seconds or less. Think of your initial contact as a tease…provide enough info about your product, business or service to entice the press. They want more info, they WILL ask for it.

3. KEEP IT CURRENT - If you can tie your product, service or company to something that is timely (a current news story, business trend, special month such as ‘Redesign Your Home Month’, press will likely be more interested.

4. IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN! -  Especially with magazines, reporters are often focused only on the immediate stories they are preparing for the upcoming issue. Don’t think all is lost because you don’t get a response the first time; it could simply mean the press isn’t working on a story that would be a good match for your pitch. Send it again in a couple months and try again! researching Editorial Calendars, that explain what upcoming features the magazine is working on, is a great way to gauge when your item might be the best fit for the outlet. Editorial Calendars can be purchased through Three Girls Media (contact Emily Larsen: emilylarsen AT threegirlsmedia.com).

Need help finding great media outlets to contact, the right reporters at the right outlets or writing an initial pitch? Three Girls can help! We offer an extremely cost effective a la carte PR menu especially designed for Small Businesses! Prices start at just $125. For more information, email Emily. 

MC Milker, Green Marketing expert with www.ecoprenurist.com, was a guest on today’s PR 101 Radio show. She offers these tips for small business owners and entrepreneurs:

1. Define WHY you are going green…or HOW green you want to go, before getting started. Erika adds: The best plans are those that are well thought out and organized.

2. Be aware of the regulatory issues and certifications that are available if you’re trying to go after a ‘deep green’ consumer. Erika adds: Local agencies such as City Councils, Chambers of Commerce and others often have green registration or awards, and the local office of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also can help with formal certification. Online research is a good place to start.

3. Start Small! Make a few changes such as changing from styrofoam or paper cups to ceramic, using recycled paper, refilling ink cartridges, switching to fluorescent lightbulbs and other small changes are visible to staff and often consumers.

4. Don’t go green to be trendy. Serious green consumers are emotionally invested, often more so than other consumers, when they buy products and services. Erika adds: If your company is recycling, that’s great, but hardly enough to say you’re ‘green’. Trying to stretch the truth or fit a few well-meaning efforts to call your business green can easily lead to lost credibility and skepticism from the consumers you are trying to woo.

These tips below come from Dan Powers, COO of McEwan & Associates and instructor at Cabrillo College. I’ve added a few explanatory comments…. Dan is a guest on PR 101 Radio’s June 4th program. If you don’t catch the live show between 12-1pm PST, tune into the archives this weekend to hear all of Dan’s Trade Show advice.

TRADE SHOW DOs

1. Wear comfortable shoes - Trade Shows are not the place to show off your newest pair of Manolo’s.
2. Prepare for bathroom breaks - Have someone scheduled to cover your booth in your absence…for lunch breaks too!
3. Be an extrovert - Reach out to people walking by…don’t wait for them to come to you.

TRADE SHOW DON’Ts

1. Don’t have bad breath - You’ll be doing a lot of close-up talking.
2. Don’t be a Motor Mouth - Your #1 job is to LISTEN…one of the first - and most important - steps in the sales process.
3. Don’t let the tail wag the dog - After listening, take charge of the conversation. Quickly determine if the person you are speaking with is a qualified customer. If not, wrap up the conversation and move on to the next passerby.

The moral of the story: When planning for a Trade Show, sometimes the most obvious tips are overlooked. Don’t let the little things negatively impact your Trade Show experience!

What is a pitch letter?

The Publicity Team at my PR Firm, Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc., spends a lot of time at Three Girls pitching our clients to the press. While the PR industry tends to write a lot of Press/News Releases, Three Girls tends to write a lot of pitch letters instead. I came across an interesting analogy on The Bad Pitch Blog earlier today:

Pitch Letter is to News Release as Cover Letter is to Resume

A press release is not a pitch. Would you send a resume with no cover letter to a prospective employer?

In both instances, the letter provides context. You should pull out the value your release or resume offers that specific media outlet/editor and company/HR contact, respectively.

No one has the time to digest an entire news release or an entire resume to see why/how it applies to them. And the more I see just press releases being sent to me, without even so much as a salutation, the more I realize this is probably the reason so many hold such (deep) hatred for the news release format.

While the analogy isn’t perfect, it makes it easier to figure out how to go about writing a pitch. Like a cover letter, there are a few key points to hit:

- What/who the product/person is

- Why the person receiving this should care

- Where to get more information

The analogy falls apart a bit because, unlike a Cover Letter and Resume, sending a pitch letter without a News Release is perfectly fine. You don’t need to bombard the press with information all at once. Send a quick note to let them know what you’re pitching, why they should care, and where to get more information. If they want a formal release or have specific questions, they’ll let you know.

Continuing my rant that any small business that fancies themselves part of the 21st Century should have a blog, my quest continues to demystify the blogosphere….
Myth #6: No one is going to read my blog.

- The more content you add, the more likely people will be to find something on your site to link to.

- How are your going to promote your blog? You need to let people know it exists! – enews, email, calls, postcards, website – promote, promote, promote!

- The more people that link to you, the higher you rise on search engine rankings. This creates a cycle that may take 4-6 months, but in general, you will build an audience as long as you keep at it with 2-3 posts a week.

Myth #7: Blogs get companies into trouble.

- Some big companies have gotten into trouble with blogs that have leaked information, said inappropriate things, or have ignored customer’s outcries. This is not a problem small businesses have to worry about.

- You will have total control of your content either because you write it, or you are directly in touch with the person who is going to write it.

- Practice good customer service, restrain yourself from blasting your commenters (who will not always be nice), and moderate any other employee’s posts before they go ‘live’ on the blog.

Myth #8: Negative comments on my blog will ruin my company’s reputation.

-Readers are not always going to be nice. Neither are all of your customers. It’s the nature of running a business – you can’t please all the people all the time.

- How you respond to these comments is what determines your reputation on your blog. Always be gracious and provide excellent customer service and your blog will serve to reinforce your position as a strong customer service minded company.

Myth #9: A blog will let my competition know too much about me.

- While your competition knows more about you than you know about them, your customers do too. Customers tend to do business with people they know the most about.

- Keep in mind; you’re not writing about company secrets on your blog, just about your products, services, special offers, new happenings etc.

Myth #10: Blogs are a fad.

- There is no proof that blogs are going to disappear in the next ten years. In fact, evidence shows that blogs are evolving – but not going away.

- Blogs are the fastest growing type of media in the world today.

- Some say podcasts or video blogs will replace them as internet connections get faster and faster, but why would they? Podcasts and video blogs take considerably more time and resources to create than blog posts. It’s similar to television…did it make the radio disappear? And radio…did it make the newspaper disappear? All three options are still enjoyed by millions and provide advertisers with useful mediums to sell their products. Blogs are the next thing. They aren’t the last thing, but the next thing, and they aren’t going away any time soon.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone ’round and ’round with small biz owners and entrepreneurs about the importance and value of having a blog. It’s an easy and FREE way to market your business! When money is tight and other resources slim, blogging is the fastest and cheapest way to drive traffic to your website and market your business or service.Most people seem to have the same silly objections to blogging, so I’m going to dispel them one-by-one. There’s so much info here that I’d thought I’d go easy on you and break Common Blog Myths into a couple of different posts for you. Here are the first 5:

Myth #1: Aren’t blogs just for teenagers writing diaries for themselves?
- Most people who don’t “get” blogs have never read professional blogs. Most of the magazines and newspapers you read have them now; visit their websites and check out the blogs! There’s no better proof that blogs aren’t just for teenagers any more!
- The main thing to realize is that your professional blog should be about you and your expertise, your business or your industry.
- If you are brand new to blogs, and aren’t sure of their ultimate power, check out some of the most popular blogs on the planet. These blogs boast more than one million visitors a day: The Truth Laid Bear and Technorati.

- Also check out the blogs of small businesses. Some good ones: Eat My Words, and Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc.…and of course the one you’re reading now is brilliant!

Myth #2: I don’t think that my company needs a blog/blogs aren’t popular in my industry.
- Whether you think so or not, if you want to be on the cutting edge of marketing your business, YOU NEED A BLOG!
- If they aren’t popular in your industry, this is your opportunity to come out as an innovator in your field – why be a follower when you can be a leader.

Myth #3: Blogging takes too much time.
- Ok, this is a LAME excuse! Solid small business blogs can be maintained for about 10-15 minutes a day. If you’ve got time to go to Starbuck’s 3 times a week, you’ve got time to blog! While you may not have a “extra” hour in your work week as it is, this may be the best 60 marketing minutes of your week!
- Blogs don’t have to be updated everyday, but at least 2-3-times a week is key.

Myth #4: Creating a blog is hard.
- So is starting your own business, but you did that didn’t you?! I assure you, creating a blog is far easier!
- There are dozens of companies that make blogging platforms that take about 15 minutes to set up and allow you to start posting as easily as writing an email - really!
- To make creating a blog easier, use Typepad.com, or Blogger.com. These are both basic FREE blogs that are very easy to set up and use. You could literally be blogging in less than a ½ hour…

Myth #5: Writing a blog is hard.
- It doesn’t have to be! If you can write an email to a friend, then you’re good enough to write a blog post. Blogs fall under a unique writing protocol - hard-core writing expertise isn’t expected.
- It’s not like you’re being asked to write a research paper! Blog posts don’t have to be long to be effective.
- Readers are accepting of less-than-professional writing if they are finding information that is important to them.
- Ok, maybe you aren’t the best person at your company to write your blog. There is absolutely nothing that says a small business blog has to be written by the owner or CEO. In fact, some of the best small business blogs are written by several of the employees of the company. The Three Girls Blog & PR 101 Blog are great examples!

It may seem painfully obvious, but you’d be surprised the number of small businesses that I’ve seen jump in to PR efforts without having a concrete plan or strategy. And NO, issuing a press release is NOT a strategy.

Most small bizzies are familiar with all kinds of plans:  business plans, financial planning, retirement planning, travel & vacation plans or even landscaping plans. So, if you put comprehensive thought into your travel itinerary or garden layout, why do you think you should go running amok in the world of
PR without putting some serious planning into place first?

So, the PR Tip-of-the-Week is…CREATE A PLAN! Now that we’ve established you SHOULD plan, how do you do it? Here are 5 easy guidelines for you to follow:

1.    Identify Your Objectives: What is it, exactly, that you want to accomplish for your business through the PR process? Common objectives are increasing Brand Awareness and Name Recognition, Increasing website traffic, Increasing Sales, Editorial Coverage etc. Your Objectives should drive all other elements of your PR Plan.

2.    Positioning: Now that you’re clear on what your objectives are, decide how you want to be perceived by your audience(s). Do you want to be know as the product that is absolutely the best quality in your category, or as the most cost-effective? Do you want consumers to know that you have vast experience, or is the way you perform your services more important. You should narrow it down to ONE primary positioning statement. More than that will dilute your brand and your impact. Best quality OR most cost-effective – not both!

3.    Key Messages: What are the most important FACTS about your business? FYI – Good customer service is NOT a fact! This is one of my major pet peeves. “Customer Service” isn’t measurable or tangible. A ‘fact’ is something concrete: Three Girls Media is the only PR Firm in the nation that guarantees editorial coverage, or PR 101 Radio is the first live call-in advice show about PR, Marketing & Advertising. Once you’ve listed the important facts about your business, choose the three that are most important. These are your Key Messages!

Once you’ve got those locked down, you can move onto the next steps:

4.    Strategy: This should get into the nitty-gritty of how you will go about making your goals a reality.  This is a really broad area and one that may be well worth consulting a PR or Marketing expert on. It’s critically important that your strategy use your Objectives, Positioning and Key Messages as a guide. Is your strategy marketing your services to a specific demographic or in a certain geographic location? Do you want to appeal directly to consumers, to other businesses or both? Strategy can encompass several things, but it should be well thought out and designed to help solidify your company’s position in the marketplace.

5.    Tactics: These are the tools or means that will physically put your plan into action. Are you going to participate in tradeshows? Engage in an advertising campaign? Issue a press release (another major pet peeve of mine because they are incredibly overused and misused). Are you going to try and secure editorial coverage, give speeches or write articles?  Joining a networking group or sitting on an Advisory Board can also be unique ways to spread the message about your business.

In general, your PR Plan should ensure you’re getting the desired message to the desired audience. This is often difficult for small business owners to achieve without the advice of a PR Professional. Many companies such as Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc. (www.ThreeGirlsMedia.com) offer consulting services for reasonable fees. It’s well worth it to invest a few hundred or even a thousand dollars in an expert who can help you with strategy and tactics. It can be a far more expensive disaster if you try to forge ahead on your own.

Would you do your own root canal or install a new water heater in your office? Would you represent yourself in a legal case? Probably not, so why engage in something as important as your PR Game Plan without seeking expert advice?

A PR plan is an absolute necessity, but making sure it’s sound and that the tactics are realistic and effective are something that should not be taken lightly. Know when to seek advice and when you’re in over your head and your efforts will be far more fruitful!

Most small business owners and entrepreneurs don’t understand the true power of words when it comes to creating a solid brand and identity. There’s a great section in the book Guerrilla Marketing that actually addresses words. The author, Jay Levinson Conrad, recommends thinking of words in two ways:

Jay Levinson, the author of Guerrilla Marketing, has come up with a dozen others he would add to the list:

FREE, WHY, SALE, ANNOUNCING

YES, HOW, NOW, BENEFITS

FAST, SECRETS, POWER, SOLUTION

How many of these are you using to promote your business identity and brand? And, do the words you’ve chosen truly reflect the identity you want to portray? Are they authentic to your business and create a vision for those who have never heard of you before?

The moral of the story…Be Word-Wise! Take the time to truly evaluate the words you’re using and make sure they are truly working for you.

Turn me on……Wednesdays 12-1pm PST on wsRadio.com

Erika

Tori Spelling holds up an adorable baby tee gifted to her by one of my clients, Little Showoffs.

1. Ask specifically who your product/gift certificate will be delivered to. Most celebrity gift baskets end up being delivered to managers, agents or publicists - not the celebrities themselves. The benefit to these types of marketing efforts is to be able to say that the celebrity actually has your item. Unless you have written assurance that your goodies will end up in the personal hands of the star, walk away from the opportunity.

2. Ask how many other items will be included in the gift box/basket. The vast majority of celebrity gifting opportunities are NOT individual, meaning that your product or gift certificate is going to be presented with several others. You want to look for events that guarantee a small number of participants - no more than 20-25. Imagine if you got a huge basket for your birthday filled with 50 gifts. How many of those will really stand out? Chances are, not too many. The lower number of overall participants, the better visibility for your company.

3. Ask if you will have category exclusivity. If you have a perfume company and want to participate in a celebrity gifting event, the last thing you want is three other perfumes in the same gift basket. Look for opportunities like the ones PR 101 Radio offers that ensure yours will be a one-of-a-kind item in the category you represent.

4. Ask how and when you will be notified that the celebrity has been gifted. You want to know as soon as possible after your gift has been delivered so you can leverage the opportunity for all it’s worth! How will the organizer notify you that the gift has been delivered?

5. If there are multiple celebrities being gifted, ask if you can include a special note or different items for each one. This is often a possibility with gifting opportunities and can be advantageous. If you have different colors, products, sizes, services etc., you can often customize the specific gift for each celebrity. If this isn’t a possibility, the event may still be worth participating in, but it’s good to ask.

6. Ask how the celebrity gifting or event opportunity will be promoted/publicized by the organizer. Will the company issue a press release that includes your products/services or do some sort of other editorial media push to help you leverage the opportunity? Many independent gifting companies do this, and certainly, if you’re getting the opportunity through a PR firm they should absolutely include some kind of publicity in the price. If none is included in the opportunity you are evaluating, it may still be worth participating in, but know that you’ll be left to handle this important component on your own and it is the MOST important part of gifting celebs! You want the world to know that the stars have your goods!

Where can you find celebrity gifting opportunities? Right here for starters! PR 101 Radio offers a wide variety of celebrity gifting opportunities year-round. To find the current events open for participation, visit www.PR101Radio.com and click on the various buttons on the left hand navigation bar to read more about each event. You can find more events by doing a simple Google search for celebrity gifting.

ER’s Ming Na shows off a baby sling gifted to her by one of my clients, Mamma’s Milk.

Turn me on….Wednesdays, 12-1pm PST on wsRadio.com

- Erika