Do I Really Need A Publicist

Writen by Miriam Silverberg

Are you hesitating about hiring a publicist or, if you have one, do you stop before writing that final zero on the monthly check, and think "I can do that myself." Suuure, you can!

But just to be certain, take this little test. Imagine you have a three-year-old and the best preschool in the city just turned down your little genius. Do you think you could sit across from the school's director and listen, dispas- sionately and objectively, as she tells you exactly why she wouldn't take the kid if he came attached to a million-dollar bequest! Not so sure anymore, are you?

That's exactly what a publicist has to do sometimes and worse. That's what I've done when a journalist or a television producer chews me out for even thinking they might be interested in my client. And then I have to listen while they ask why I'm even representing this client and do I really think I can do anything for them? Well, yes, actually I do.

And after you've been chewed out, you can't say what you'd like to, that the producer is such an idiot he wouldn't recognize a story if Bush's daughter eloped with the handyman! No, you have to sit there and laugh or if on the phone, count to ten and think of another idea to pitch.

You see, you must be thick skinned and not take it personally when you're rejected. And a publicist if rejected more often than Cinderella was rejected by her stepmother. Publicizing yourself is like the lawyer representing himself and having a fool for a client or the doctor operating on a family member. It can't be done, or at least it shouldn't be done.

When you represent yourself, you can't possibly be objective. You are so emotional that you can't think clearly and you're bound to say the wrong thing and make the wrong person angry. And anyone who can ever help you in any way at any time is definitely the wrong person. You see, just because the reporter says no now doesn't mean he will say no four months from now. It's entirely possible that a few months from now he will call you...but not if you bawled him out when he said no.

A publicist, if he or she is good, knows when to back off and return to fight another day. When I'm turned down, of course it hurts. Especially if I think my client is so terrific that I can't understand why everyone else doesn't agree with me.

Actually, there's a lot to be said for a publicist retaining the mentality of a hired gun. That way you're more objective,thinking clearly and better able to help your client. That way, when a producer says no, I can take it because he's not turning me down, he's turning down my client.

There's something else to consider. Many people in the media prefer not to work with anyone who does not have a publicist for the reasons I've just mentioned. It's easier for them. Publicists are more professional, know what journalists want and a good publicist is like a supermarket--one-stop shopping.Everything the journalist needs is right there.

Dealing directly with a restaurant or other business means running up against hurt feelings, unreasonable expectations ("you mean I won't be on the cover and get four inside pages?") and not getting requested information timely. Like many publicists, I work with many different businesses including many restaurants. A very dear friend who is in a position to throw a lot of business to my restaurant-clients tells me she will only work with a restaurant that has a publicist. Why? Because it's just easier.

Another point to consider is, are you sure you want to go into the publicity business? When you represent yourself, in effect that's what you're doing. And believe me, the publicity business is not easy and it can't be done in your spare time.

If, having read this, you still think you can do it yourself, try it. It's very possible that, now knowing the pitfalls, you will be successful. I've had clients who were terrific at publicizing themselves.

Miriam Silverberg is founder and owner of Miriam Silverberg Associates, a publicity firm in New York City with extensive experience working with restaurants, authors, doctors, fashion and beauty industries and the arts and cultural groups such as New York City Ballet.

Sending Samples With Your Press Release Should You Or Shouldnt You Heres A Guide

Writen by Dianne Beiermann

When you should send samples with your press release:

1) When the item is very low cost: If the press release you're sending is about a product that is under $10.00, you may want to consider sending a sample of the product to the editors. Since the item is low cost, it makes sense to send a sample. Sending a sample can help improve your chances for getting some free publicity for your company.

2) When it is a major publication: Another good time to consider sending a product sample is when you're dealing with a major publication. If the publication has a wide distribution you may want to consider sending them a sample. When it comes to getting publicity in the top magazines, it is a good rule of thumb to consider sending them a product sample. After all, if they decide to run the release on your product, all it costs you was one product sample.

3) The editor needs a sample for their photography studio: Many times the editors for larger publications will have their own in-house photography studio and will want a sample to photograph at their facilities. In this case by all means send them a sample as soon as possible.

When you shouldn't send samples with your press release

1) When editors say they want to see a sample of the product but they are still on the fence about publishing your press release: Under these circumstances I would say hold off on sending a sample. You could always send them a high resolution image of the product as an alternative.

2) When you send out to multiple publications that have low visibility: If the magazine has a lower distribution I would not send a product sample. It can be too expensive to start sending out product samples to every magazine and newspaper that makes a request. Instead opt for sending them a brochure of the product or mail them a CD with the high resolution image as an alternative.

3) The item's cost prohibits sending out as a sample: If the product costs is over $20.00 I would advise only sending a product sample to the magazines with the highest distribution. Again, you may get lots of request for product samples from the editors and you might want to consider letting the editors know that because the item costs are so high, you would prefer to send just the high resolution image of the product. Also, when you send a high resolution image of the product make sure to take multiple shots of the item. Show the product from the different sides or if there are multiple pieces make sure to take pictures of all the various elements of the product.

About the author:

Dianne Beiermann is a results-driven internet marketer and online business owner. Dianne Beiermann is one of the leading experts in press release marketing for online businesses. Productpressrelease.com specializes in assisting individuals and businesses with obtaining free publicity for their products and website. You can visit their site visit their site at: http://www.submityourrelease.com

Something Quotnewquot For Managers

Writen by Robert A. Kelly

A new public relations blueprint could be a good idea if you're a business, non-profit or association manager who's not getting the important external audience behaviors you need to achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

You know, behaviors like more people interested in your services or products, or more capital contributions coming in the door, or more corporate membership applications hitting your desk.

While those kinds of behaviors may warm the cockles of a manager's heart, they're not going to happen for you if you encourage, or allow the public relations team assigned to your unit to concentrate on simple tactics to the exclusion of a workable and comprehensive action blueprint.

In other words, a strategy, say, like this one: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Now that's not only a blueprint, it's a foundation for a public relations effort that can persuade those important external stakeholders to your way of thinking. Then move them to take actions that lead to your success as a manager working for a business, non-profit or association.

Here's one way to do it. Decide that you're going to spend some quality time with your PR folks and tell them you really want to find out what those outside audiences, those with the behaviors that really impact your operation, actually think about you. Next, put your target audiences in priority order so we can get to work on your #1.

By the way, because your PR people could be surprised at this kind of public relations blueprint, you had best stay personally involved as the effort gets off the ground. Another good reason to do so, is that actually doing something about key audience behaviors can have a positive effect on your own organizational success.

Now, as you find out how your operation is perceived by these important outside audiences, you will need to make an immediate choice. Spend a large chunk of your budget for professional survey people to ask questions of members of your target audience, or ask your PR team, and other employees to do it.

Interacting with outside audience members lets your people ask questions like "How do you feel about us? How recently have you had contact with our personnel? Have you actually used our services or products? Do you have any questions or problems with regard to our organization?"

The data gathered by this exercise is the raw material you need to establish your public relations goal. For instance, correct that inaccuracy, clear up that misconception or spike that rumor.

To achieve such a public relations goal, you'll need the right strategy to show you how to do it. And the choice of strategies is not complex because there are just three available when you address matters of opinion and perception: change existing opinion, create perception where none exists, or reinforce an existing perception/opinion. Always be careful that your chosen strategy flows naturally from your public relations goal.

Now, what will you say to members of that key target audience that, hopefully, will alter the inaccurate perception you discovered? You want your message to be crystal-clear as it details why that perception is just not true. From such clarity should come believability and a compelling delivery that can lead to the target audience behaviors you need to meet your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

Actually delivering the message is the least complex step in the public relations problem solving sequence. Fortunately for you, there is a large collection of communications tactics available to you ranging from your own personal contacts, service or product promotions, news announcements and consumer briefings to newsletters, media interviews, emails and dozens of other tactics.

In due course, you, your team and other interested parties will want to assess how your public relations effort is faring at altering the offending perception. Best way to determine that is to duplicate your earlier benchmark monitoring session putting similar questions to the members of your target audience. The important difference now? You're watching carefully for signs that the troublesome perception is being altered in your direction.

That altered perception, leading inevitably to predictable behaviors, is the bottom line. And a strong indication that a workable department or division public relations blueprint can help a unit manager achieve his or her operating objectives.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Public Relations For Tobacco Companies

Writen by Lance Winslow

When it comes to tobacco companies in the United States of America we all know what they have been through with class-action lawsuits and we watch as much of the tobacco industry in the United States has been destroyed by lawyers. Of course some people who were heavy smokers are very upset about tobacco companies and the nicotine that has been put in the cigarettes to keep them from going out and enabling them to stay lit.

Most people may not realize that the tobacco industry in the United States helped get the country going and without it we may not have had enough to trade with the rest the world in order to make our nation economically viable. It is unfortunate that sometimes we do not realize these things or address the real issues.

Public relations for tobacco companies is extremely important and that's why they hire the very best public-relations firms and specialist dealing in the industry. Lately the tobacco companies have done a lot of community goodwill and can actually helped get younger people to not smoke.

Some might think this is against their future profits however, the tobacco companies realize that fewer people in the United States are smoking and that there are 1.3 billion people in China who do not have a problem with smoking.

It is a much bigger market than the United States ever was. Perhaps this is a good case study when discussing public-relations issues in large older industries and how to keep them from going up in smoke. Consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Public Relations For The Border Patrol

Writen by Lance Winslow

The United States Border Patrol needs a better public relations policy and the American people need to know what's going on there. We find that the borders between the United States and Mexico still leak and people are still coming over here as illegal aliens. If the Border Patrol cannot police our own borders how are they going to stop international terrorist from coming over the border?

Recently we learned that over 20 Border Patrol Officers were caught taking bribes to allow shipments over the border of drugs or illegal aliens. Now I understand that a Border Patrol Officer does not make all that much money and they believe that they can get extra money in taking bribes from drug dealers and coyotes. However, this is unacceptable behavior from a Border Patrol Officer and as far as I'm concerned these people are traitors and would have been shot in another time period or another country.

Now, they are building a 700-mile fence along the border to keep illegal aliens out of the country, which makes sense. Unfortunately, it may be to late, as the international terrorists say they've already brought over radioactive or nuclear bombs. This leaves the United States Border Patrol in a pickle because no amount of public relations can overcome this piss-poor performance. I hope you will consider all this in 2006 because this is a public-relations disaster and probably a good case study too.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Writing A Press Release The Medias Dirty Secret

Writen by Ned Steele

There's a dirty little secret about press releases that the media doesn't want you to know. The fact is, most of them travel directly from the sender's computer to the reporter's trash box. Or from out of the envelope into the "round file."

That's part of the reason reporters don't like to be asked "did you see my press release." They probably did, but they threw it in the trash so they don't remember yours specificially.

But you do still need press releases sometimes. (Like, when you have news.) So when you do, remember this.

You may already know that every press release has a headline – a short title – and a lead, or first paragraph. What you may not know is that virtually nothing else in your release matters!

The job of a release is to attract and pique the reporter to read on. Keep the "head" and the "lead" snappy – and short. Make them compelling, intriguing, and grabbing.

(But still true, please. This is no time to emulate a supermarket tabloid. Do not claim, for instance, that famous stars are among your clients, just because the former quarterback of the high school football team uses your services.)

To get the best chance for publicity from your press release, put as much time into carefully crafting these two inches of your masterpiece as you allot to writing the entire rest of the release. I am not kidding!

Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele's MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.

The Important Role Of Public Relations

Writen by Susan Jan

Public relations is fundamentally the art and science of establishing relationships between an organization and its key audiences. Public relations plays a key role in helping business industries create strong relationships with customers.

Public relations involves supervising and assessing public attitudes, and maintaining mutual relations and understanding between an organization and its public. The function of public relations is to improve channels of communication and to institute new ways of setting up a two-way flow of information and understanding.

Public relations is effective in helping:

* Corporations convey information about their products or services to potential customers
* Corporations reach local government and legislators
* Politicians attract votes and raise money, and craft their public image and legacy
* Non-profit organizations, including schools, hospitals, social service agencies etc. boost support of their programs such as awareness programs, fund-raising programs, and to increase patronage of their services

Public relations in present times employs diverse techniques such as opinion polling and focus groups to evaluate public opinion, combined with a variety of high-tech techniques for distributing information on behalf of their clients, including the internet, satellite feeds, broadcast faxes, and database-driven phone banks.

As public image is important to all organizations and prominent personalities the role of public relations specialist becomes pertinent in crisis situations. Public relations agencies provide important and timely transmission of information that helps save the face of the organization. In the words of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), "Public relations helps an organization and its public adopt mutually to one another."

Experienced public relations agencies have formulation press releases into which they can plug the company news, as well as a targeted list of publications for their industry. Truly good public relations agencies generally have a good working relationship with key reporters, boosting their chances of getting coverage. Some public relations agencies deal only with large, established clients, while smaller boutique public relations agencies specialize in certain areas.

At present public relations as a career option exists in private companies or government institutions that actively market their product, service and facilities. Public relations training courses are widespread in educational institutions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 122,000 public relations specialists in the United States in 1998 and approximately 485,000 advertising, marketing, and public relations managers working in all industries.

Most public relations practitioners are recruited from the ranks of journalism. Public relations officers are highly trained professionals with expertise and knowledge in many areas, for example shareholder management during a crisis, the evolving role of the in-house public relations professional, account management skills for public relations, an introduction to financial public relations, an introduction to consumer public relations, an introduction to public relations software etc.

For more on Public Relations visit Public Relations Firm and Public Relations Agency, and also at Health and Fitness.

Advertising And Community Relations Get The Best Of Both Worlds

Writen by Michele Pariza Wacek

Have you ever noticed that in communities without big universities, high school sports take on an even bigger importance?

That's what it's like where I live.

But like everywhere else in the country, our high school sports are always looking for ways to make a few extra bucks. Enter the high school baseball sponsorship program.

For a nominal fee (really nominal) businesses can display a banner around the baseball field for the season.

To me, this is a perfect example of a win-win situation for everyone.

Businesses get to advertise to parents (who are currently purchasing adult products and services) and kids (who soon will be purchasing adult products and services). They are able to control their message because they choose the banner (one of the strengths of advertising). And, because the parents and kids viewing the ads know the proceeds are going to help high school sports, they tend to view those businesses more favorably (one of the strengths of community relations).

Best yet, high school sports benefit from an influx of cash.

See how this works? As a business owner, you get the best of all worlds: Control of your message (advertising), frequency of your message (advertising), affiliation with a good cause (community relations) and the good feeling knowing you're supporting a worthwhile cause (community relations).

Creativity Exercise -- How to find win-win advertising and community relations opportunities

Grab some paper and pens (I'm partial to the fun gel pens) and let's start with some brainstorming.

First, start by making a list of everything you're looking for. I would include:

* What advertising opportunities does the association offer? For this purpose, make sure they offer some sort of advertising or sponsorship package.

* Is it a cause near and dear to your heart? (Or even just something you believe in?)

* Does the cause reach your target market? This is important. In the above example, as cool as I think that opportunity is, I'm not racing to sign up. Why? Because chances are, I'm not hitting enough of my target market to make it worth my while. And since there's a limited number of these opportunities, I could potentially be taking something away from a business that could really benefit from it.

However, here's something else to think about. Basically when it comes to target markets, this is what you have to decide: Is the cause more important than you getting business out of it? The more closely aligned the cause is to your target market, the more likely you'll see results from your participation. But again, if this is a cause you're passionate about and it reaches absolutely no one in your target market, you may still want to participate simply because it is so important to you. (I would still look for ways to get something out of your investment -- see (LINK TO) How to Use Community Relations to Grow Your Business for more ideas. There's nothing wrong with reaping some reward for your time and/or money.)

Now that you know what you're looking for, start digging around for opportunities. Start by calling the local Chamber of Commerce and networking groups like the Rotary and Kiwanis and other organizations that have their fingers on your community's pulse. Ask about both high-profile events and ones off the beaten path. Make sure you research them both -- high-profile events may seem too pricey on the surface, but dig deeper and you may discover it's perfect for your business. And you may strike gold with smaller venues.

You can also try calling your local area school sports coaches, band directors and fine arts program teachers -- all frequently offer programs that might include sponsorships and/or underwriting and/or various forms of advertising. Ditto non-school run sports programs like dance, gymnastics, Pop Warner football, AYSO soccer, Little League, YBL Basketball, etc.

With any luck, you'll discover your own win-win situation.

Michele Pariza Wacek is the author of "Got Ideas? Unleash Your Creativity and Make More Money." She offers two free e-zines that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be reached at http://www.TheArtistSoul.com

Copyright 2005 Michele Pariza Wacek

Pr Where It Matters Most

Writen by Robert A. Kelly

What's more crucial to the success of a business, non-profit or association than its most important outside audiences and stakeholders?

Nothing.

Those stakeholder behaviors directly impact virtually every management and operating activity of the organization. From retail patronage, recruiting, civic activity, contributions, and strategic alliances to membership, program participation, plain old sales, and just about everything else.

Which means, if you are such a manager, you may have a real opportunity to do something positive about the behaviors of those important outside audiences of yours that most affect YOUR operation.

In other words, you can create the kind of external stakeholder behavior changes that lead directly to achieving your own managerial objectives.

You can do so by persuading those key outside folks to your way of thinking, then help move them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.

When you decide to move your managerial public relations to a whole new level, here's some real help for you.

It's called the fundamental premise of public relations and it goes like this: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

But it won't be of much use unless the PR team members assigned to your unit understand that blueprint and commit themselves to its implementation, starting with key audience perception monitoring. Truth is, your PR people are already in the perception and behavior business, so they will be of real use for this initial opinion assessment project.

But pause here. You must reassure yourself that your public relations people truly understand just WHY it's so important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be certain they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Why not take some time to review with them your plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? Are you familiar with our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Yes, survey specialists can always be brought in to do the opinion monitoring work, and they also can run up your costs. But, no matter who asks the questions, the objective remains the same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Your objective, obviously, is to do something about the most serious distortions you discover during your key audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or, stop that potentially bloody rumor dead in its tracks?

Unfortunately, you'll make no headway at all without the right strategy to tell you how to proceed. But keep in mind that there are just three strategic options available when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like bleu cheese dressing on your liver and onions, so be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You wouldn't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.

The challenge now is to prepare a nicely put together message and direct it to members of your target audience. It's always a problem to create an actionable message that will help persuade an audience to your way of thinking.

Obviously, you need your best scribes for this one because s/he must build some very special, corrective language. Words that are not merely compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Once your PR team has vetted the work product, it's on to the next selection process -- the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. There are tons available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But you must be certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks like your audience members,

By the way, you may wish to avoid distributing such a corrective message from the rooftops, and unveil your message before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher-profile news releases Reason is, the credibility of any message is fragile and always at stake.

You'll soon hear calls for progress reports which will tell you and your PR team to get busy on a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You'll also want to use many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session. Big difference this time is that you will be on constant alert for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

I've always thought it fortunate that such matters usually can be accelerated simply by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

At the end of the day, what you want your new PR plan to do is persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

Your biggest success secret will be when your "target publics" -- those all important outside stakeholder audiences – actually act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your operation. Which means you really have little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move those key external audiences of yours to actions you desire.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1135 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Press Release Ideas

Writen by Erez Domb

Ask yourself what readers or a reporter will be interested in.

Are you launching a web site?

Is there an issue you can protest?

Do you offer an apprenticeship or internship?

Do you have an employee that is retiring?

Have you won an award, contest or special certification?

Are you introducing a new product or service?

Are you making a major change to your products or services?

Have you been mentioned in a book or article?

Have you become a member of an association?

Are you making a change in pricing --especially reductions?

Are you offering a new training program for employees?

Can you take part in a controversy?

Can you write about a customer's success story?

Is there something new or unique about your company or organization?

Can you release a testimonial received from a customer?

Can you publish results of a poll or survey?

Are you sponsoring a program or event?

Do you offer free advice?

Are there any unusual products or services that you offer?

Can you publish a summary of useful or new facts?

Has one of your customers received an award?

Do you know a way for people to save time or money?

Can you write a letter to the editor?

Are you holding a seminar or lecture?

Has one of your offices moved or expanded?

Are you having a half price sale?

Have you completed a study or research project?

Has one of your employees won an award?

Is some kind of special event happening for your company?

Are you attending or hosting a trade show or exhibition?

Have you had a visit by a celebrity?

Do you have a unique way of selling or producing your product or service?

Can you work with the media on a joint project?

Have you been involved in legislation?

Do you have a unique projection or forecast?

Do you have a new trademark?

Do you have a new publication?

Are you opening a new physical or virtual branch location?

Are you involved with fundraising or other events?

Are you speaking at a conference or seminar?

Are you celebrating a company anniversary?

Have you obtained a new client or large new customer?

Do you have a unique product or service?

Can you adapt a national survey or report to explain your own company's news?

Have you received significant recognition in your field?

Have you discovered a new use for your product or service?

Are you running for office?

Are you holding a competition or contest?

Do you have news that could affect people's health or make life easier?

Are you giving away free samples or demo accounts, etc?

Can you write a tie-in with a current news event?

Are you involved with civic activities?

Have you spoken in front of a noteworthy audience?

Are you offering a reprint of a speech?

Do you have a great testimonial to tell?

Have you published a report or any kind of useful or new information?

Have you testified as an expert witness?

Have you won a new contract?

Can you make a timely analysis or prediction?

Is someone on your staff receiving a promotion?

Do you have any community value that you can tell about?

Have you had an interview or meeting with a celebrity?

Can you hold an event to tie with a holiday or special occasion?

Is your company involved in any charitable or community actions that has an upcoming event?

http://www.Telebuzz.net press release distribution service Solutions is the division of Eye Logic Media Inc. (http://www.eyelogicmedia.com) With 10 years of experience in Internet marketing, Eye Logic Media Inc. is growing leader in the online industry.We have been dedicated to helping small, medium and large corporation grow their business on the web.SEO by http://www.submizseo.com.

Cracking Da Media Code

Writen by Thomas Murrell

With the international movie based on Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code breaking box office records around the world, its time to look into the secret world of the media.

How do you crack Da Media Code and get your message across clearly and consistently in the media.

Well, for some the media represents a secret sect to be feared or revered.

In reality, the media are a group of dedicated professionals just doing their job of keeping the community informed.

Understand how the media works, what makes a story and what motivates them ... and you understand how to work with them and not against them.

Having worked in the media for the past 26 years, including print, radio, television, wires services, internet, blogging and podcasting, here is the secret code for unlocking the riches that the media can offer.

First, you have to get inside the mind of the media, to unlock the code of what motivates reporters, editors, executive producers and other decision makers.

Unlock this code and you are guaranteed of being able to connect with them and truly understand their deepest desires, aspirations and motivations.

After working in the media for so long, my model on why people are attracted to working in the media has identified five archetypes.

At the core, every individual working within the media could be classified within one of these five archetypes.

Remember, according to wikipedia "an archetype is an idealized model of a person, object, or concept from which similar instances are derived, copied, patterned, or emulated. In psychology, an archetype is a model of a person, personality or behaviour."

Cracking Da Media Code is about archetypes in the media and understanding how to work best with them.

Understand how to work with these five archetypes and you have cracked Da Media Code.

1. The Ego Driven.

These people are attracted to the media because they want to see their name in print, hear their voice on radio or see their face on television.

They have strong egos, opinions and self belief.

To crack the code, learn to work with and to their egos. They thrive on looking good, being complimented and positive stroking of their already healthy self-esteem.

They've got to the top by looking good, sounding confident and writing clearly.

2. The Story Teller.

These mediatypes are interested in the personal or hero's journey of individuals. They want to discover and tell the highs and lows of an individual's personal quest.

Australian Story on ABC TV on Monday night is a classic palette on which a story teller can work their craft.

You never hear or see the journalist. It is all about the talent telling their story in their own words.

In fact the program has become the media vehicle of choice for people under pressure in the public spotlight who want to tell their version of events in their own way without the intense questioning of the media.

The most skilled and successful archetype in this category influences millions through his work in Hollywood and ranks among the most successful storytellers in history. His name is Steven Spielberg.

Storytellers tend to have a sense of wonder and faith in human nature and be optimistic. They love dealing with ordinary characters who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances.

Sometimes anti-authoritian, they often take the side of the underdog.

They love doing profile pieces and features on people and their lives and understanding what makes them tick.

Often middle children, they connect well with people and like sharing stories.

In cracking the code, work to their optimistic nature and how your story idea illustrates an inherent conflict or struggle to overcome adversity. What is the "rags to riches" angle?

3. The Mirror Holder.

These mediatypes want to hold a mirror up to the world. Not because of their ego but because they want to be part of living history.

And that's the essence of what motivates them. They want to hold a mirror up to the world and report on history as it unfolds by reporting as accurately and fairly as possible.

They are often foreign correspondents and found in the world's hotspots. They thrive on adrenaline, the thrill of the chase and have an eye for detail.

My friend, 33-year-old Australian cameraman Harry Burton, who worked for the Reuters agency and whom I met on a Vincent Fairfax Fellowship was typical of this archetype. He was tragically killed in a roadside ambush 90 kilometres from Kabul in Afghanistan on the 19th of November 2001 chasing his dream.

Neil Davis (1934-1985), an Australian Combat Cameraman who is the subject of the book One Crowded Hour is another.

To crack the code with these mediatypes means the story must have strong news values .... dramatic, newsworthy and with major consequences.

4. The Truth Seeker.

These mediatypes believe it is their responsibility to turn over every stone to uncover the truth.

They are methodical and ruthless in their pursuit of the truth. One archetype I know was a detective in the police force before becoming a journalist.

To crack the code, remember they will never write a story from a media release. They will be down at the courts or trawling through freedom of information material in their quest to uncover the truth.

Always be honest and upfront when dealing with truthseekers.

5. The Social Activist.

These archetypes are attracted to the media because they want to change the world. They see the power and influence the media has and they use it to further their own cause or personal agenda.

The secret is to find their cause, passion or reason for being and work to this strength.

You will find them as environmental reporters, or covering industrial relations, education or social justice topics.

In summary, understand these five archetypes and you will have greater success in getting your message across in the media.

Note: Thomas Murrell, 8M Media and Communications and "Da Media Code" do not have any association with or authorisation from Sony Pictures or Dan Brown or the book and movie entitled "The Da Vinci Code".

Want help cracking Da Media Code? Book here for our code breaking seminar Writing and Pitching Winning Media Releases in Perth on Wednesday June 28th.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

Media Gets Social

Writen by Harry Hoover

Consumer content creation is the big deal online these days. There are at least 30 million blogs online, podcasts galore, as well as nearly 100 million photos available via Flickr. All sorts of new web tools have been developed to enable this new social media, as it is being called.

Stowe Boyd, an authority on collaborative technologies, offers his definition of social media.

PR practitioners and marketers need to know about and understand how to leverage social media, or be left behind. So, how does one take advantage of social media sites? You start with media relations and work your way out.

SHIFT Communications has reinvented the news release to take advantage of social media trends. You can download it here.

However, even with this template you must have a news release distribution platform that supports it or your release is simply an electronic document. For my money, PRWEB is that platform.

My wife's first mystery novel, Double Dead, will debut January 2007. So, I distributed a news release recently via PRWEB about her signing with Gale/Five Star Publishing. PRWEB offers Technorati and several other bookmarking tools - like del.icio.us - on the site that you can use to tag your release. I used the tools to post the story on Digg and del.icio.us. Each Digg story is user nominated and voted upon by the community. The more votes, the more people get to see it because it moves up the list. Follow this link if you want to see what del.icio.us is all about.

Here's a quick list of some other social media platforms to check out if you want to see what it's all about:

• Newsvine
• Tagworld
• Brightcove
• YouTube

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Bank of Commerce, Brent Dees Financial Planning, Focus Four, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, TeamHeidi, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX, and Verbatim.

Public Relations For The Blue Angels

Writen by Lance Winslow

You would think that public relations for the Blue Angels Navy aerobatic sports team would be easy, but it isn't and in some areas where there are a lot of liberals or Democrats living who are against the war sometimes the Blue Angels have a tough row to hoe. Without advance publicity air shows have a tough time attracting the number of people that make it worthwhile for the Navy Blue Angels team to show up.

The Navy blue Angels team is to promote the United States military and specifically the United States Navy and naval aviation in general. Perhaps you have noticed when the blue Angels came to a city near you that they often got front-page press with a picture of jet fighters flying across the front of the newspaper in color. This is because people like Top Gun and they like to see jet airplanes on the front of the newspaper.

This helps in many ways; it helps our military recruit more people and it gives the public more understanding and education about what our military does for them. After all it is the government's responsibility to protect the American people; that is and should be their primary concern.

When we see the ominous jet fighters flying overhead in formation it is exhilarating and exciting and that certainly helps the public-relations specialist in handling the account for the Blue Angels. Perhaps you might consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Using Free Publicity To Grow Your Nonprofit

Writen by Sam Santiago

Many clubs & non-profits struggle with the problem of how to get new members. I was able to help a non-profit club that had a need to raise membership by capitalizing on free publicity.

In this article, I will share three keys on how to gain not only new members, but also gain media/press coverage for your worth-while charitable causes, services, and events. This free publicity will lead to more community awareness of your organization's activities and can lead to more donations, volunteers, and increased membership.

Key #1 – Media/Press's Weaknesses

The press (i.e. newspapers and magazines) and media (i.e. TV and radio) are constantly getting requests for coverage. In order to improve your odds of coverage, there are two time periods to keep in mind: Hot Times and Cold Times.

The first period is known as Hot Times. This is when the press/media are covering a juicy story and will print or air anything even remotely associated with the topic. For example, during the Michael Jackson case, any lawyer could have called into a talk radio show and asked to give their two-cents on the trial. At the end of the commentary the attorney could have mentioned his/her name, firm, and phone number. The benefit was not only attracting new clients, but that he/she could then put on their marketing materials "As featured on X show" for added credibility.

An example of linking a product or service to a hot topic is the story of a restaurant in Texas. At the time, Bill "Big Tuna" Parcells was announced to be the upcoming coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The creative restaurant changed the name of their entrée to "The Big Tuna". They sent out a few press releases, made a few phone calls, and got literally tens of thousands of dollars worth of free publicity.

Another example was when I noticed that a contestant on Donald Trump's The Apprentice was fired for poor presentation skills. I then sent out a press release that read "Don't Get Fired for Poor Presentation Skills, Join Toastmasters".

The second period is known as Cold Times. This time frame begins Thanksgiving and ends January 2nd. The reason why this period is called Cold Times is because the press/media lose approximately 25% of their resources since big business and the government goes on winter vacation. That means that they have more blank pages to fill between advertisements. Why not use your story to fill those pages?

You may be asking yourself, what do I do or say to fill these stories? There are two books I recommend to use should you not be able to link your story to a hot topic. Celebrate Today by John Kremer and Chase's Calendar of Events. These two publications show holidays you didn't know existed. For example, did you know that July 3rd is Air Conditioning Appreciation Day?

Key #2 – Killer Press Release

Once you have an idea for a story, it is time to type it up. It's important that the press release be in the correct format. On the top right, it should read "News Release", followed by your contact information. On the top left it should say "For Immediate Release". The headline is the most important part of the press release. It needs to be juicy. The whole press release should be only 1 page and double-spaced. At the end of the page, put 3 centered # signs to signify the end of the release.

I highly recommend that you use a cover page that states that your organization is a non-profit. The Radio Stations & Newspapers have to legally give Public Service Announcements (PSA). That is how I was able to get dozens of free newspaper articles and free radio commercials on NPR & WMTR for Toastmasters.

Free examples of press releases can be downloaded at http://www.getfreeads.com.

Now you have your own press release in your hands, but what now? You need to develop a list of fax numbers. You can do that by going to your county library and looking in their reference section for the following books: Bacon's, Gebbies, Editor and Publisher, and Broadcast and Cable Yearbook. There you will find a wonderful list of contact information for magazines, newspapers, TV & radio shows. I recommend that you create a word document with just the fax numbers and get a subscription to Efax (www.efax.com). This software allows you to send faxes just like email, so you can easily send dozens of faxes with a single mouse click once you have your distribution list created.

Key #3 – Eliminating the Middleman

Now, the person on the other side of the fax is known as the "Assignment Manager". In a word, this person is BUSY. They are listening to nine Police Bulletin radios for stories, the phone ringing off the hook, the fax is printing non-stop, and it's their responsibility to send a dozen news crews out to cover stories.

More than likely, the Assignment Manager will throw away the press release you sent. I don't tell you this to discourage you, but rather inform you of the reality. Sending a press release is like sending a message in a bottle. You don't know if it ever made it to them. To further increase your odds of coverage, I recommend you compile a list of publications and TV news stations you would like to appear on. You can then read, watch or listen to those to figure out what reporter would most likely cover your story. Reporters are like cops, they each have different beats. Some specifically cover homicide, while others just cover sports, still others cover community stories.

Before you pick up the phone, there is just one more thing to prepare….your pitch. Your pitch must be concise and to the point. For example, the civil war can be summarized in two sentences:

The North Fought The South. The North Won.

The reason why I share this with you is that reporters are busy and you need to be able to verbalize your story idea in under 30 seconds or less. Here is a sample conversation with a reporter:

"Hi John, you don't know me. My name is Sam. I read your article on XYZ Topic and enjoyed it so much that it's on my refrigerator door. John, I've been looking for someone to cover a story, and I hope I have found the right person in you." At this point, then you would give your two sentence pitch.

Notice that I sincerely complimented the reporter. The fact that you took the time to research his previous work will endear you greatly. Should the reporter tell you that he is not interested, ask for a referral. Then, immediately call the referral and mention "John insisted that I call you", then, pitch the referral. Mentioning John's name makes you a warm-contact and they will be more open to your pitch.

The Publicity Blitz

The name of the game is perseverance. Although what I described in this article costs little, it will take time and effort on your part. Using this technique, I was able to help my Toastmaster club go from 1 guest per meeting to a high of 18 guests per meeting. That was how we ultimately went from 35 members to 50 members within 90 days.

In closing, it's all about The Buzz. The juicier you can make the story the better. Reporters are people just like you and me. At the end of the day, they just want to do a good job and go home. You are providing them with a service by filling a need of theirs and in return, they will fill your need by giving your non-profit organization free publicity.

Sam Santiago is the author of Secrets of Business Promotion Revealed and is a respected authority on teaching others how to get publicity for their businesses and non-profits. Download the first three chapters of his e-book on http://www.getfreeads.com today.

Public Community Relations And Running For City Council

Writen by Lance Winslow

Public Relations in the community is important for anyone seeking a run for a city council seat. One must have a good standing in the community and build that up prior to running for a local election. That is easy enough and yet as soon as you put your name on the ballot the gloves come off and the slander and innuendoes begin.

No longer can one hide behind their good deeds, community spirit or small business reputation in the town. From then on out, it is a matter of crisis management, public relations spin and watching your back. It is indeed too bad this is true in our communities and cities, because the best volunteer and community leader should be on the city council and yet that is politics as they say?

How does one continue a positive public relations program in the midst of running for city Council? Well, it is not easy but it can be done and if you're able to do it you will find yourself in the news and able to get done many of the things that you wish to get done once you win the city Council seat during the election.

This is because you will bring it to the attention of the public and therefore the incumbents must take notice since it has been in the newspaper. I can tell you this once when I ran for city Council nearly all my ideas and concepts were implemented prior to the election and then there was no need for me to be on the city Council because I had already won the game. Thanks to a little PR it can be done. Please consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Get Write To It

Writen by Harry Hoover

The toughest thing about writing a news release is getting started. But writing doesn't have to be hard. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you beat writer's block.

Before the story, think about:

• audience. who do I want (or expect) to read this? What do they want to know? What do I want them to know?

• "gatekeepers." These are usually the editors who will decide if they will use your story. What kind of story do they normally use? How long? Style?

If you just can't get the first word down on paper, here are some things to try.

• Talk to someone about your story. Listen to yourself. Write the story like you told it. You can always rearrange sentences or paragraphs later.

• Go through your notes. Star the things you think are most important. Then try to start a story with at least one or two of those important things in the first sentences.

• Write the headline first. Then make sure your first paragraph or two says essentially the same thing as the headline.

• Try being childlike. How do kids tell a story? They blurt it out, getting to the point fast with plenty of action verbs.

• Plagiarize, sort of. If you see something written that you like, borrow the idea, but not word-for-word. I'm especially talking about borrowing ideas of style.

Now you have the tools to bust writer's block. Get write to it.

About the author: Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Duke Energy, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX and Verbatim.

Doityourself Pr An Accident Waiting To Happen

Writen by F.N. Rosenstock

Early in my career as a public relations consultant, I remember standing in a group of people at a business function and listening to one man's tale of woe. It seems the founder and president of a small and growing business was bewildered about his lack of media attention. He organized an event to launch a ground-breaking new product and couldn't understand why no one covered the event.

"Why didn't they (reporters) come?" he asked. "I sent out press releases!" I smiled sympathetically.

This is not an isolated incident. Too often, many notable products and services are ignored by reporters and subsequently, by the public. Time and again, small business owners believe they can run the publicity activities for their companies. How hard could it be anyway?

The problem is, performing the mechanics of publicity tasks without understanding it will not achieve desired results. There's more to PR than sending out a press release.

And trust me, the quality–or more accurately, the lack thereof–of releases I have seen lately from do-it-yourselfers ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. It would make any professional publicist nauseous!

As a PR consultant for many years, I have often wondered why people want to do it themselves. After much thought about this phenomenon, I attribute it to one justification: a cost-cutting measure. This is a common pitfall.

PR is not something that achieves an immediate return like running a two-for-one sale. It is a long-term commitment that often can't be quantified. Publicity is one aspect and often, instead of letting a PR professional develop an integrated campaign, releases are sent haphazardly with an eye on costs rather than results. Piecemeal publicity—sporadic releases or placements, often after the fact—is rarely effective. Sound public relations is a concerted effort and an investment a company makes in itself. Consultant's fees are based on time and activities required to build a comprehensive program.

The idea that companies even think they can take this in-house and delegate it to an administrator without hiring a PR professional is deceiving. I once asked a career consultant about this. Her reply was startling. She responded by saying that some people are so technically expert, they make it look easy enough for others to take on their duties! This probably explains why there was a huge increase in duffers at golf courses after Tiger Woods won his first Masters. It also explains why there are so many people taking on their own home repair and decorating projects since HGTV became a cable mainstay.

The truth is Tiger Woods and other pro golfers work at their sport the way most of us work at our jobs, and home repairs and decorating are far more time-consuming and complicated than a version compressed into a 30 minute segment.

The same can be said of publicity . . . and that's the relatively easy component!

What if you're on the negative end of publicity? Do you really think you can handle that alone? Remember, a lawyer will protect you legally; who will protect your image and reputation? After the tragedy of September 11, I remember an interview with a very emotional company executive caught up in the moment. Several of the things he promised in an excited moment came back to haunt him several months later. If he had a PR consultant, he never would have been permitted to give an interview, let alone promise anything, at that time.

Even if you think you're just sending out press releases, there's more to writing them and emailing or snail mailing them. It's called pitch and place. There's also a vetting process which, to summarize, prevents amateurs from crying wolf. Not everything you do or accomplish is newsworthy!

If you do-it-yourself, potential customers are likely to think you're penny-pinching because you have cash-flow problems, too impoverished to hire a consultant or an appropriate employee to adequately accommodate your needs and staff your operations. They can also question your business acumen if you think you're proficient enough to do this properly. This alone can make or break your future growth.

If you think you're saving money by doing-it-yourself, you're not. A good PR program with an experienced consultant is far more cost-effective than doing-it-yourself. Remember, perception is reality.

You're vying for attention and credibility in an overcrowded marketplace. People have to know you exist before they can beat a path to your door. Good PR can enhance your operations so your products or services are accepted.

© 2005 F.N. Rosenstock. All rights reserved.

For more than 20 years, F. N. ROSENSTOCK has worked in the field of public relations holding a variety of positions before starting her own consulting firm. Rosenstock has served as a presenter on panels and at workshops, and has produced seminars and given instruction about public relations.

If I Were Coaching You

Writen by Robert A. Kelly

If I were coaching you as a business, non-profit or association manager on how to get the biggest bang for your public relations dollar, I would sum it up for you this way.

Use the fundamental premise of public relations to produce external stakeholder behavior change – the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives. Usually, that outside behavior change can be created in the financial, marketing, crisis resolution, reputation management and other sectors of the public relations discipline.

Thus, you do something positive about the behaviors of those outside audiences that MOST affect your organization. And you do so by persuading those important external folks to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed.

The reality is, your public relations effort must involve more than press releases, brochures and special events if you expect to get your money's worth.

And that's what the fundamental premise of public relations really says when it points out that people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Happily, this kind of public relations approach can deliver results like capital givers or specifying sources looking your way; enhanced activist group relations; expanded feedback channels; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; community service and sponsorship opportunities; rebounds in showroom visits, membership applications on the rise; not to mention new thoughtleader and special event contacts.

You could easily see improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies; prospects starting to work with you; customers making repeat purchases; promotional contest overtures, and even stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.

Still, the question remains, who makes the blueprint really work? Will your workers be regular public relations staff? Or people sent to you by a parent entity? Or possibly a PR agency crew? Regardless of where they come from, they must be committed to you as the senior project manager, to the PR blueprint and its implementation, starting with target audience perception monitoring.

Now, simply because a PR person describes him/herself as a public relations specialist doesn't mean they've bought into the whole program. Convince yourself that your team members really believe deeply why it's SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be certain they buy the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Pore over the PR blueprint with your PR team, especially your plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

You can always invite professional survey counsel to handle the perception monitoring phases of your program, if the budget is available. But remember that your PR people are also in the perception and behavior business and can pursue the same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Here, you need a public relations goal to shoot for as you address the aberrations that cropped up during your key audience perception monitoring. And that goal could be to straighten out that dangerous misconception, or correct that gross inaccuracy, or stop that potentially fatal rumor dead in its tracks.

Of course what is a goal without a strategy to show you how to get there? Fortunately, there are only three strategic options available to you when it comes to handling a perception or opinion challenge. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like hot tea with too many teabags, so be certain the new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You wouldn't want to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.

Keep in mind that members of your target audience will likely react to a powerful message. Still, persuading an audience to your way of thinking is hard work. Which is why your PR folks must create some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual. Only in this way will you be able to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point of view, leading to the behaviors you are targeting.

Let your communications specialists review your message for impact and persuasiveness. Then, sharpen it before selecting the communications tactics most likely to carry your words to the attention of your target audience. You can pick from dozens that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

It's wise to respect the fact that the credibility of a message can depend on its delivery method. So you might consider unveiling it in presentations before smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile tactics such as news releases. Finally, please recognize that people love progress reports, a fact that will alert you and your PR team to get back out in the field and start work on a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You'll want to use many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session. Only this time, you'll be watching very carefully for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

Here's a tip for those among us who are impatient. If things aren't moving fast enough for you, try increasing the beat with more communications tactics and increased frequencies.

Yes, if I were coaching you as a manager on how to get your public relations' money's worth, I would ask only that you internalize a single reality, then build from there, as outlined above.

By all means worry about the behaviors of those key external audiences that most affect your organization, and you as a manager. Then do something positive about them by persuading those key folks to your way of thinking, moving them to take actions that help you achieve your managerial objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1220 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

The Power Of Storytelling Forget Everything Youve Learned About Pr Focus On Your Story Instead

Writen by Paul Furiga

Even before primitive societies put chisel to stone and began writing, one group held a special place in these communities because of their communication skills: storytellers.

By weaving compelling narratives, storytellers preserved communal history, entertained their fellows, and delivered motivation when it was needed. Over time, their words moved armies and inspired achievement.

Today, storytelling may seem quaint. It's not. Thanks to technology, some of the largest and savviest organizations in the world are discovering that storytelling is even more important today -- and more powerful.

Storytelling is so powerful that it should be the primary goal of all your public relations. In fact, banish the words publicity and public relations from your vocabulary. Focus on storytelling, and tap into an essential human motivator that has propelled humankind for thousands of years.

When I say "storytelling," I mean with a capital "S." Small "s" storytelling is well understood by journalists and the professionals who work with them. I am talking about a bigger view of your story than what a journalist crams into a 500-word story.

Think instead of great films, plays or books. In these larger works, a "story" unfolds. Key components are essential to a successful story: characters, including a hero (and maybe a villain), a plot, at least one climax, and yes, a happy ending.

Successful PR storytelling relies upon similar key elements. When working with my clients, we develop a "script" or plan that answers these vital questions:

• Who is the audience?

• What do we want the audience to do or feel?

• Who are the key characters in the story?

• What is the plot or plot lines for the story?

• What is the story's climax or key success point?

• What is our happy ending?

Only when we have mapped out the story are we ready to begin the storytelling. As one of my editors used to tell me when I was in journalism, "good thinking makes good writing." You can't just begin spinning tales if you don't know where the story will go.

For example, a new product that creates a new product category may need a first chapter that focuses on the issue or problem that the product solves. Only after key audiences understand the issue can the storyteller introduce the new, revolutionary solution. And only after the solution is properly introduced can its story be told in detail.

In public relations, storytelling is not only about a good script, but also, good execution.

Like performers on a stage, interacting with the audience, PR storytelling is dynamic, involving two-way communication. Good PR storytellers adapt the story for each audience. They tailor staging, scenery, even the actors, to deliver success.

Like a good book, successful PR storytelling may have many chapters. And while it may incorporate unforeseen drama or plot twists, as with crisis communications, that doesn't mean there isn't a happy ending.

This is the most important measure of PR storytelling: You and your organization have a goal -- a happy ending. Your happy ending is not the same as that of a competitor. So how will you make sure your happy ending is the one that defines your story? By thinking like a storyteller rather than someone who is simply chasing the next newspaper clip or broadcast interview. Remember your capital "S" story, and your small "s" stories will come by the bucket load, with more and more of them bearing your happy ending.

Paul Furiga is president of WordWrite Communications LLC, a Pittsburgh-based public relations agency that helps companies create, develop and share their great, untold stories with everyone who needs to hear them. A former editor of the Pittsburgh Business Times, he has also covered Congress, the White House, edited magazines and written for publications ranging from Congressional Quarterly to Frequent Flyer magazine.

Doityourself Pr

Writen by Peter TerHorst

In the PR world, it is a well-kept secret that some business owners and professionals are often the best people to conduct their own PR. Why? It's not surprising that many PR agencies would like to have this business. Yet sometimes, the best service a PR agency can provide a new client is to help them do their own PR.

A good example is the role of spokesperson.

Every business, profession or non-profit benefits from having a spokesperson. The right person brings credibility to the organization's mission. And often, the best spokesperson is the individual who started the business and continually invests their own sweat-equity into the organization's success. They have experience putting their best foot forward before lenders, community leaders, clients and customers. Most founders also have a keen sense of where the market is moving with respect to their products or services. With a little coaching, it only stands to reason that they can speak most effectively for their cause.

What forms can do-it-yourself PR take? Many civic organizations, professional groups and trade associations seek weekly or monthly speakers who can plainly discuss their business, trade, or profession. Local community colleges and universities often seek guest speakers for their students. Another excellent opportunity is found in the written word: guest editorials in the local newspaper or an industry trade journal can establish the author as an expert in their field. Local radio and television news provide another outlet for expert commentary. In the electronic media, don't overlook the power of web-based PR services. A well-written press release provides a voice for an organization and, for as little as $30, will be picked up and distributed by search services such as Google and Yahoo - Internet powerhouses that feed news companies and freelancers around-the-world.

All well and good you may say, but how do you get started? Seek out the services of a PR professional and ask them to help you craft a practical strategy with logical steps that will take you from novice to PR spokesperson in a manner that best suits your talents. Maybe you're not a good writer; no worries, a good PR pro can ghost-write for you, or take up the slack in another area.

With time and a little effort, you will soon see success –- perhaps enough to engage your trusted PR company on a full-time basis.

Peter terHorst is president of SymPoint Communications. For more information, visit http://www.sympoint.com

© 2005 SymPoint Communications. All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in whole or in part in print, on a web site or in an email newsletter, as long as you include a complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please notify me where the material will appear.

The attribution should read:

"By Peter terHorst, SymPoint Communications. Please visit http://www.sympoint.com for additional articles and public relations services."

Advertising Is Dead Long Live Pr

Writen by Harry Hoover

Although I still believe there is a place for advertising as a brand maintenance or brand affirmation tool, I am convinced that to build a brand today, you need PR. At one time advertising did build brands. But this was in a simpler America. That America, sadly, is no more.

I've been re-reading The Fall Of Advertising & The Rise Of PR, by Al and Laura Ries, and it is their book that has moved me from suspicion of advertising's demise as a brand-builder to conviction.

As the Ries' say, "Publicity is the nail, advertising is the hammer." What does this mean? It means that your PR effort helps make your message believable so that your advertising will have credibility when it hits.

Typically, companies want to hit the market hard and make a lot of noise. Advertising allows you to launch quickly, control the message, and have your message in as many media as you have the money for. However, that does not mean your message will be believed. The louder advertisers yell, the less likely I am to believe them. How about you?

PR takes time and does not necessarily work on your schedule. Planting new ideas or changing minds is a slow process. When your PR program rolls out over a longer period of time, prospects have time to adjust their attitudes. Brands that take this approach are longer lasting, too.

Chevrolet, for years the number one auto brand, was still number one in ad spending in 2001. It spent $819 million dollars – 39 percent more than Ford spent. That year, Ford outsoldevrolet by 33 percent. Since 1997, Chevrolet has outspent and undersold Ford. Chevrolet spends $314 per vehicle and Ford spends $170 per vehicle. Do you think advertising is working for Chevrolet?

Kmart, embroiled in financial difficulty for years, had revenues of $37 billion and spent $542 million on US advertising in 2001. Wal-Mart spent $498 million and garnered four times the revenue: $159 billion split between its Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. The average Wal-Mart store does $46 million in sales each year while its Sam's Club average store sells $56 million. Sam's Club does almost no advertising.

Those are old brands, you're saying. What about some newer brands, Harry?

OK, let's look at Pets.com. Remember the dog sock puppet that starred in their commercials? It won awards, but not sales. In six months Pets.com had $22 million in revenues and spent four times that much on advertising. Off-base advertising creativity at work.

The Body Shop was built totally by publicity. No advertising at all. Starbucks, until recently, did virtually no advertising. It has built a brand through good PR efforts. Starbucks' annual sales are around $1.3 billion, while advertising expenditures over 10 years, have totaled less than $10 million.

Finally, what advertising agency do you know that has built its brand with ads? Things that make you go "hmm."

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Duke Energy, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, VELUX and Verbatim.

Killing Them Softly

Writen by Chandramouli N

The world has woken up to ethical issues in corporate governance & accounting practices. Corporate heads that were not guillotined were forced hang their heads in retrospective shame. The heads that fell were the victimizers, and the axe that fell, fell too late, and the punishment received, was way too little compared to the suffering, pain and financial losses that the organizations' stakeholders suffered. Trust of millions of investors was lost overnight.

Ethics in governance is one part of the story, the other link in this dubious chain of deceit is usually the professional services like auditing, legal and public relations which work closely with the organization. Such large scale deceit becomes possible only with the active collaboration of these so-called 'professional' services. Hardly professional, really!

The Indian investor has been victim to a lot of companies attempting to make a quick buck in the markets. While caveat emptor – let the buyer beware, is the legal term that organizations to get out of such wrangles, it is necessary to look into how these various scams are done, and to recognize the role of the professional services, especially public relations in creating and sustaining the scams.

Circa 1994. Every Indian remembers the bloody battlefield of the stock markets. While the aftereffects are well embedded in everyone's memory, few remember how it all began. Upbeat stock stories in the newspapers, stories of millions being made overnight, the oldest stock exchange of the country celebrating the index at an unprecedented high. Stock market pages kept the upward arrow next to almost every stock price quoted indicating the trends. Investors scrambled, dinner conversation revolved around the stock prices, 21 year olds were sitting in front of red-blue flashing computer screens, buying and selling tens of thousands of shares in seconds.

While some companies were actually performing well, many slipped through the back-door and slipped up their shares to unwary investors. Why is the investor so gullible? And is the investor really so gullible?

The method that was used to market the fly-by-night companies to the investors combined the well-used public relations concepts of fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD). Successful FUD pushes to show how you would be the only person who would be left in the race if you did not buy-in into the campaigner's concept, creates uncertainty about your own analysis & gut-feel and generates doubt about the products or services currently under use. This especially works wonders in a greed-struck stock market, where more often than not, mob-psychology rather than knowledge is the deciding factor.

Usually such scams are orchestrated in connivance with some unscrupulous public relations companies. At other times, the PR companies usually have enough pointers to the possibility of such a scam about to take place. Press conferences are called, headlines blare out the superlative performances of the organization, there is talk of new acquisitions, investor meets happen and stock analysts are shown the factory, the plush office to generate confidence in the investor. The PR agency is rewarded for its great 'efforts' by way of a few millions and the investors collective gets duped for a few billions. Case studies of this century in such dubious PR in India would include the CRB scam, MS Shoes, Harshad Mehta & Home Trade fiasco. While these are the few stories which come to light, there are many scams which get away without even getting noticed.

What is the responsibility of the public relations company in such circumstances? The agency must evaluate the client and understand program and take a view that is beyond just the fees that it will generate and take a responsible decision. The PR agency can & must become the watch-dog for the companies, advising them, guiding them and if nothing prevails, then going to the extent of resigning the account for of a larger good. This kind of discussion, though popular conversation in PR cocktail circuits, is still eschewed by the PR intellectuals in more serious forums!

Unless we work as a committed community on the principles that should guide the PR business; and take stringent action against those who use these tools-of-influence to feed their greed, the respectable business of PR will go to the depths of unrecoverable ignominy very soon.

Chandramouli is the CEO of Blue Lotus Communications Consultancy, a leading knowledge based public relations agency located in Mumbai,India. He is an Engineer-MBA with over 16 years of multi-functional experience and has guided Blue Lotus to a core focus in the booming sectors of Healthcare, Finance, Education and Technology.

Public Relations For Iron Ore Mining

Writen by Lance Winslow

In the United States we have some of the most pure iron ore on the planet and yet many of our iron ore mining facilities have closed. Some of this has been due to environmental reasons and some of this has been caused to keep other nations happy because they wish to sell their iron ore to us in the form of completed steel products.

Unfortunately much of this steel that is bought from other countries is contaminated and not is pure as the iron ore is in the United States and this causes a problem when you're trying to build something that you want to be very strong. If the steel has impurities in it, then it will not be as strong and could collapse and if you are making battleships or buildings out of such steel it can become very serious.

It would seem that public relations specialist for iron ore mining would be quick to point these things out to help our own heavy industries in the mining sector survive against the competition from the rest of the world. Iron ore mining also brings lots of jobs to United States and when these industries shut down we have huge areas where people are underemployed or not employed in all for instance in the rust belt.

Public-relations specialists for iron ore mining need to work to overcome the objections of environmentalists and to show how iron ore mining can be done in a clean way and why this vital resource is so important to the strength of our nation. Please consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Business Community Relations 101 Getting The Most Out Of Your Chamber Of Commerce Membership

Writen by Lance Winslow

Since the major part of a small business typically comes from business to business services, it is essential to maintain a positive standing with the local business community. It is of value to you to join as many business type organizations as possible in your town. You should attend meetings when possible and introduce your clients to each other.

Most towns and all cities have chambers of commerce. The chamber offers many things to small businesses especially new ones and start-ups. Chambers provide a voice for the business community, a bridge between government - small business – corporations – volunteers - religious organizations – schools – clubs - homeowners associations – corporations – general public – etc. It's a monumental job, always changing. It takes money, lots of it. It takes coordination and a knack for small town politics. It takes members who will volunteer, who care and are dedicated. Of course that's where you come in. Chambers of Commerce hold various events such as:

· Mixers

· Table Top Exhibits/Expos

· Seminars

· Luncheons

· Committee Meetings

· Installation Dinners

· Benefits

· Educational Exchanges

· Home Based Business Groups

· Networking Breakfast Meetings

· Membership Drives

If you attend some of these events, you will make new friends, contacts and customers. Anyone can join the chamber. It usual costs $100-450. But you only get out what you put in. Many small business owners may see it as a waste of money. In actuality it is relatively inexpensive depending how you chose to use your membership. It can be long lasting advertising in the form of:

· Promotion

· P.R.

· Networking

· Free Media Coverage

· And Fun

Joining Committees

If you truly want to become involved, we suggest you join various Chamber of Commerce committees. Committees need your input. You probably talk to one hundred business owners and residential customers per week. Five hundred per month. They know you, they trust you and they generally speak their mind to you. When these associates, business customers and business people talk to politicians, it's a more tactful type conversation. When they talk to Chamber of Commerce staff, they tend to also choose their words more carefully. When they talk to you, it's more point blank, to the point, blunt and the reality of the way they really feel. You'll never get a sugar coated answer to a small business dilemma from an actual owner. They'll tell you how they feel. Whether they are happy or mad as hell about an issue. You also are the eyes and ears of the community with it's residences.

When you come to these committees you bring knowledge. You will soon find your ideas, observations and personal opinion are paramount. You are the most valuable tool a chamber committee could ever hope to have. You need to ask yourself "Do you have the extra time?" If you don't, don't volunteer. There is nothing worse than a committee member who volunteers and then doesn't pull through when he or she is needed. If you have the time you be repaid in new business contacts and customers and the feeling of knowing you made the difference.

How do you join a committee? Talk to the president of the chamber. Tell them you want to volunteer. Find out which chamber committees have openings. Many times there is no limit to the number of people, so try to pick one with a large group of members. You will be able to do more networking and big groups tend to divide sub-committee work loads more evenly. Join a committee that interests you. Don't join one you don't care about. Just like in college, you always got better grades in the classes you enjoyed, didn't you? Make sure the people in the group really want to get something done and it's not just a who's who social gathering. That kind of group eventually fails to accomplish even the most basic of mission statements. You are a winner, so you should be in a winning group.

Make sure once you have gone to a couple of meetings, the turnover is low and that no one person's ego stands out in the group, especially if it's the chairman. If this happens, go to one more meeting and dismiss yourself. "Business is so good, I don't have any time left." Then volunteer to with flyer distribution by leaving information on your counter or delivering this vital information to your customers and business clients. Tell everyone you are more than happy to be of assistance. Then give everyone in the group your card. You can still help without battling personalities. Remember everyone there is volunteering and it is better to be a friend than an enemy.

Board Of Directors

Being on the board of directors of a Chamber of Commerce is extremely important. It's an easy job and very prestigious. It's also great for business. You will receive notice when board seats come up for election. Usually chambers ask their members through direct mail if anyone would like to run for a board seat. Fill out the form with a brief resume. Make sure not to go over the maximum word count. Try to shave off ten percent if possible because people tend to read the short ones more. Don't exaggerate your accomplishments. If you need help with this, call one of the current board members you know who is not re-running for the same position. Find out from the chamber what day they will be mailing the ballots and call everyone in the chamber two days before. It's important not only to win, but to win by a margin. It gives you clout with the chamber members and staff. When you win, make sure to attend as many meetings as possible. Usually meetings are only one time per month.

Grand Openings

When you are privy to information about a new business opening or a grand opening ribbon cutting event, you should visit the business:

· To sign them up as new customers

· To offer to give free products or service coupons for grand opening goers

· To help them meet potential buyers, namely all your customers

· To say hi and let them know you are all in the same boat and wish them many years of success

Internet Programs

Always try to get your company listed in the Chambers on-line directory. There may be an additional charges for this, but it is worth it.

Distribution Of Monthly Newsletters

Most Chambers of Commerce publish a monthly newsletter of what's going on around town and with various business members. The more hot little hands these newsletters get into, the better it is for the advertisers and the better for you as a member. It's also great for chamber membership, the more people who join the Chamber the more people in the club to buy from you and help all the businesses in the community. If you have a mobile type business and volunteer to deliver a chamber newsletter to every business in your area, you will surely be a chamber favorite. If you are a retail or location based business, have them on your counter for customers and associates. Your customers will also be glad to receive a copy and and your business customers will eventually join the chamber if they haven't already. You will be helping businesses everywhere in town by doing this. This will be recognized. It will also help you when the chamber does a story on you to put in the newsletter. Of course, that month we will print extra copies and direct mail them to every licensed business in your town and all of our franchisees. Try to refer fellow businesses to the chamber each month.

Membership Drives

Whenever the chamber has a membership drive, you should volunteer to help. You have fax data bases and distribution power "plus" you know personally many business owners in town. Chamber membership is the life line of their existence. The more you, we help them, the more they help you. It is okay to join many chambers or at least all the ones where you want customers.

Logo On Vehicle

Offer to put a magnetic sign on your work vehicles with the local Chamber of Commerce logo. This helps the chamber and legitimizes your business. If this is not possible, put your Chamber of Commerce member plague on your dash board. If you have a location business, be sure to display your plaque where it can be seen by all visitors

Meeting With Chamber

You should be on a first name basis with the Chamber of Commerce president. You probably already are. He or she needs your feedback. They need to know what's going on at the street level and no one knows better than you. You will be the eyes and ears for the chamber. You should set aside one hour per month to discuss concerns you've heard on the street and possible solutions you've worked out. Try to make it a regular meeting such as the first Tuesday of the month at 8:00 am. This meeting can be with the Chamber manager or even a Board Member you can relate with. If you belong to a committee bring your information and observations there.

Network With Other Groups

You should network with your service club whether it be Elks, Lions, Optimists, Kiwanis, Rotary, Soroptimists, whatever. Bring those concerns with you. Help the chamber co-sponsor events with your club and other clubs, making one big happy united family town thanks to you. You can also volunteer to help on the Boys and Girls Club, United Way or other associated non-profit, which helps people. By adding your Chamber Membership to a non-profit commitment, you will make a difference and super-charge your business.

Attending Meetings

You should attend meetings sponsored by your Chamber of Commerce. As many as you can. Enough that you don't need to wear a name tag because everyone already knows you. You still should wear a name tag. However write on it:

· A New Friend

· Customer Service

· Me

· Label

· Name Tag

· Just Me

· I love meeting new people

· Put name on upside down

Sounds funny but it's a great ice breaker. It works every time. After all, there is bound to be a new face popping up every once in a while. Many of these new members may feel intimidated and you can help them and really make a new friend and business associate creating team work, co-marketing efforts and sharing of customer lists with non-competing businesses.

Trade Shows

Table top mixers and trade shows are very important. Smaller shows – such as city fair, county fair, Chamber of Commerce Business Fair, etc. – you can do for relatively low cost. Pretty good statistics. Trade fairs and shows are good.

One of the major advantages of exhibiting in a show is the tremendous impact that you can deliver and direct to a preconditioned group of prospects. Through your exhibit, these prospects can see how they can benefit from your services and/or products. Exhibiting in various types of shows offers you both short and long range benefits.

As with any of your sales promotion programs, the success of your show participation depends largely on proper planning. Before you enter a show, analyze all the factors involved and determine if the show will attract prospects who will require your services. Your final decision should be based upon the estimate of value you will receive for the money, time and effort put forth.

To get information on the shows scheduled for your area, contact your local Chamber of Commerce. If you are considering entering an annual show, ask for a list of regular exhibitors from past years. Then check with these exhibitors for their opinions as to the value of the show.

Referrals – Word Of Mouth

No matter what you do at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, remember to bring cards. Chamber mixers draw about fifty people or more, grand openings twenty, committee meetings ten. Always say when handing out cards, "If you do not need our service/products please take this card and give it to someone who might be interested. Thanks." This will make the person happy that you are not pressuring them and they will be glad to pass it on.

Letters To The Editor

You should rifle off at least one letter a month to the local paper praising a small business, the Chamber of Commerce or how happy you are to have a business here. If you have a reason to praise more than one person, type the letter and have a co-worker sign it.

Conclusion:

Your success in your business is up to you, we live in the greatest country in the world. You are allowed to unlimited success, but with that incredible gift you are also allowed to fail. The ball is in your court, your chamber membership can be one of your greatest assets, but you only get out what you put in. Stay involved, do not ever give up and use your chamber to help you win.

Lance Winslow