Using Public Relations Resources to Grow Your Business
Imagine if you experienced a significant increase in your media coverage, credibility and revenues in 2009. Consider this- all the resources you need to make this your reality are available right now!
I just finished hosting a truly amazing (and free!) Teleseminar on “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy for 2009.” There were 381 people on the call! I got a lot of quick feedback and comments from participants saying they can immediately use the information and that this was one of the best Teleseminars they ever heard!
The reason I share this with you is because even if you missed the call, you can access the link and use this as a resource to increase your publicity, marketing, credibility and revenues.
Details are at www.prtoolbox.net.
I am encouraging you to tap into all the resources and education that’s available to you to grow and learn. In our economy, “Recession-Proof PR” is critically important to not only survive, but thrive.
During today’s call, I introduced my new 8-week Teleseminar series, “Do It Yourself PR Toolbox.” It starts on Feb. 6 and will serve as an absolute shortcut for you to achieve success in Public Relations. I’m sharing inside newsroom secrets, how to write and pitch stories that get covered, how to use online social media to get publicity, crisis communications, interview coaching, and press release ideas. It’s perfect for businesses and nonprofits. When you invest in your education, and take advantage of my 25 years of news and PR experience, you will open up huge opportunities to grow your organization and make more money.
There are still slots left for you to participate in this new Teleseminar series. You must register by Feb. 5. Imagine if you increased your publicity, credibility, and revenues in 2009. The opportunity to do it is here and now. It’s time to take action and learn. Tap into the resources.
On Leadership
I’m putting together my keynote kickoff program for a college student leadership series at Texas A & M. It’s interesting that we teach our up and coming students the qualities and traits of great leaders. It’s tough to count how many books have been written on leadership in the last five years alone.There aren’t many books on followers and people who are mediocre. There are plenty of books on how to stop being medioicre and kick-start your life into success (and leadership).
We teach the next generation to develop the qualities of a good leader: integrity, trustworthiness, honesty, strong communicator, motivated, personable, charismatic, organized, driven, and creative. All qualities of top leaders.
As I’m preparing for the college program, I came across some great quotes on leadership. Some were spoken by the likes of presidents, world leaders and corporate big shots. Others were spoken by seemingly ordinary people who are making their marks in their own communities, jobs and families.
I wanted to share a few of the ones that have truly inspired me. I think they’ll inspire you too. By the way, every Wednesday, I e-mail a motivational quote “Just A Thought” to people who request it. Sign up at www.getinfrontcommunications.com.
“If you don’t want people to know what you do, don’t do it.” -Dr. Julia So
“I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own powers. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man.” -John Ruskin
“Leadership is action, not position.” -Donald H. McGannon
“A great man is always willing to be little.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You either take responsibility or you take orders” -Wayne Morgan
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” -Dwight Eisenhower
“Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” - Albert Einstein
NLP: The Breakthrough Communication & Business Tool
One of the greatest and most exciting discoveries in business, communication and psychology in the past 30 years has been the development of a communication and rapport-building tool called Neurolinguistic Programming. NLP was developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970’s at the University of Santa Cruz in California. At the time, Bandler was a studying for his master’s degree in information science and mathematics. Grinder was a professor of linguistics (language). After discussing how some people are able to “get through to difficult people while others can’t,” the pair developed NLP. It examines the relationships between thought, communication, and behavior.
In my workshops, trainings and coaching, I teach business and nonprofit professionals, along with college students, that NLP is a methodology for modeling human excellence. The core of NLP is based on interpersonal relationships. It focuses on building rapport, behavioral flexibility, outcome thinking and modeling. It allows us to explore how we organize our thinking processes, beliefs, and behaviors. NLP can serve as a map of our past experiences. It teaches us to better utilize those experiences in our current situations and relationships. It can range from the secrets of eye contact, body language and listening skills to limiting self talk, human “mirroring” and assertive communication. NLP is used by top politicians, business leaders and athletes worldwide. Strong leaders and communicators know NLP. It’s fascinating.
NLP helps us to bridge communication gaps (it works in personal relationships too!) I was recently in a client meeting for my PR company. There were three people from the marketing department of a bank and myself. They needed my expertise on an upcoming public relations strategy. As they started to share basic background on the initiative, they clearly disagreed and were divided about the scope of the project. Lines were being drawn. Ego, psychology, and power, among other things, were on the line. By carefully observing the personalities and styles of the participants, and using Emotional Intelligence, I was able to quickly decipher their different modalities (senses).
• Visual – Most people are visual. They learn by seeing and most are avid readers. They need to actually see how something is done in order to comprehend it. They use expressions like, “I see” and “I get the picture.”
• Auditory- Others learn by hearing. They can hear something explained once or twice and have full understanding. Auditory people tend to use phrases like, “That’s music to my ears” and “That sounds good to me.”
• Kinesthetic – These folks learn best through touch and feeling. Artists and creative people are usually kinesthetic. They may say things like “I get the point” and “I feel comfortable with that plan.”
While we tend to have one dominant modality, there is always overlap. To effectively communicate with co-workers, management, prospects, and clients, we need to understand how they are wired and then develop rapport and trust. In the bank meeting, as I suggested compromises and bridging, the three marketing folks started to nod in agreement. There was no winner or loser; we came together as a team. I looked for similarities, not differences.
Take time to learn more about Neurolinguistic Programming and how it can be used in all areas of your life. Having this skill set can create major breakthroughs in all of your relationships.
Public Relations Is Not An Option
I recently posted a question on LinkedIn asking business and nonprofit professionals if they thought PR is an option or a requirement.
Hands down, the overall attitude and sentiment is that Public Relations is essential to your growth and success. If you don’t agree, put aside your budget for a moment and consider this: If money was not an issue, would you develop and implement a publicity strategy to grow your organization?
PR has far-reaching effects that must be utilized in your marketing mix. This powerful tool of combining traditional and online media simply can not be ignored.
The people who disagree are the ones who struggle while their competitors land valuable interviews and media placements. Many are uneducated about the true benefits of how PR can increase your bottom line. The fact is that Public Relations is directly connected to sales.
If you want to better understand the value of Public Relations and how it can benefit any organization , don’t miss my free, two-hour Teleseminar, “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy for 2009.” It’s set for Thursday, January 29 at 1:00 EST/12:00 PM Central.
This is a content-packed phone call for corporate PR professionals, nonprofits, entrepreneurs, speakers, authors, trainers, newcomers to PR and recent college grads.
“Seats” are filling up fast, but there’s still room for you. Take advantage of my 25 years of experience in news and PR and learn how you can grow your organization. Imagine if you had a streamlined system to drastically increase your publicity, credibility and revenues. It’s all here for you on January 29. Details are at www.prtoolbox.net.
16 Tips to Writing Powerful Press Releases
A few days ago, I was the guest speaker at a PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) meeting. I asked the 50 people in attendance how many had actually been news reporters. Seven raised their hands. I worked as a radio news reporter, on-air anchor and news director for 10 years. Many people, yes even in the PR field, have no idea what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the press release. Here is some insight into the mindset of what reporters are looking for.
Reporters and news decision-makers are constantly bombarded with irrelevant information in the form of press releases. They typically spend just a few seconds glancing at press releases to quickly decipher what they’re about. If you are responsible for writing and sending out press releases for your business or nonprofit, you must be able to articulate a clear, compelling, and concise story that will grab their attention…in writing.
Here are 16 Do’s and Don’ts for powerful press releases:
1. Do have something NEW to announce. The word “new” is in the word news. Your job is make news, not news releases.
2. Do write a catchy headline. Limit it to 8-10 words with the understanding that if it gets the attention of a reporter, they will be inclined to continue to read. We live in a busy world of people who skim. Make sure your words jump off the page. Same with the subject line in an e-mail pitch.
3. Do show and tell a compelling story. News is about people. People love great stories. Put a face on your story and make it come to life. Highlight people directly affected by your programs, services, legislation, volunteers, etc. Reporters don’t want a stale quote with fluffy adjectives from the executive director. Give them real people and emotions.
4. Do speak and write directly to the public. Tip sheets are great for this because you can offer “5 Tips for Traveling with a Child with Autism,” “7 Ways to Sell Your House in a Down Market” or “10 Steps to College Savings.” Identify that the public has the pain (the child with Autism) and you have the solution (the tips, strategies, and expertise). Help people solve their problems.
5. Do write short, punchy, and easy-to-understand sentences. Don’t try to impress reporters with words that will confuse them or send them to a dictionary. That will send your press release right into the garbage.
6. Do include the name and contact information of someone who is available and knowledgeable. There’s nothing worse than a reporter calling to follow-up on your press release and only getting your voicemail: “Hi, it’s Susan. I’m away until January 24th…”
7. Do cite sources. You must attribute any statistics or surveys to the group that gathered the information. If you state that special education programs in your city have grown by 39% in the past two years, you must say where that statistic came from. Any editor worth his salt will not print a statement like that without giving credit to the source.
8. Do know to whom you are pitching. Read the publication, watch the TV news show, and listen to the radio station before you craft your pitch. You must know where you fit in. Do your homework.
9. Don’t bury the lead. The lead is the #1 reason that you are writing your press release. Carefully organize your thoughts on paper and build out details from the lead.
10. Don’t try to sell anything. Your press release should be something newsworthy that affects the public. Don’t use it as a vehicle to sell something. That’s what the advertising department is for.
11. Don’t e-mail large files and attachments unless the reporter has requested them. Most will get bounced back by filters and never reach the intended party. They can also wreak havoc on servers.
12. Don’t “announce” anything in the lead. Reporters despise the word announce in the first line or two of a release. The main reason for a press release is to announce news. Saying you’re announcing it is ludicrous!
13. Don’t repeat information. If you say that a 17-year-old girl from Asbury Park, New Jersey, has won a $10,000 scholarship, those details should not be mentioned again. This will help to keep your press releases more concise. Repetition is for advertising, not news.
14. Don’t ask questions in your lead. You’re supposed to be the expert with the answers to people’s problems. If you are writing a tip sheet, for instance “5 Ways to Sell Your Home,” don’t open up with a series of questions like “Do you know the value of your home? Do you think the housing market has plummeted? Are your neighbors waiting months to sell their homes?” People need answers, not more questions.
15. Don’t use industry rhetoric, jargon, and acronyms. It’s confusing. Write for the general public.
16. Don’t say “first annual.” There’s simply no such thing.
If you want to learn more inside newsroom secrets plus more, join me for my free Teleseminar, “Build Your Proactive PR Strategy for 2009.” It’s being held Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 1PM EST. This two-hour call is packed with strategies and content to increase your visibility, credibility and revenues. Visit http://www.prtoolbox.net/
16 Tips to Writing Powerful Press Releases
A few days ago, I was the guest speaker at a PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) meeting. I asked the 50 people in attendance how many had actually worked in a newsroom as a reporter. Seven people raised their hands. I worked as a radio news reporter, on-air anchor and news director for 10 years. Many people, yes even in the PR field, have no idea what it’s like to be on the receiving end of the press release and/or pitch. Here is some insight into the mindset of what reporters are looking for.
Reporters and news decision-makers are constantly bombarded with irrelevant information in the form of press releases. They typically spend just a few seconds glancing at press releases to quickly decipher what they’re about. If you are responsible for writing and sending out press releases for your business or nonprofit, you must be able to articulate a clear, compelling, and concise story that will grab their attention…in writing.
Here are 16 Do’s and Don’ts for powerful press releases:
1. Do have something NEW to announce. The word “new” is in the word news. Your job is make news, not news releases.
2. Do write a catchy headline. Limit it to 8-10 words with the understanding that if it gets the attention of a reporter, they will be inclined to continue to read. We live in a busy world of people who skim. Make sure your words jump off the page. Same with the subject line in an e-mail pitch.
3. Do show and tell a compelling story. News is about people. People love great stories. Put a face on your story and make it come to life. Highlight people directly affected by your programs, services, legislation, volunteers, etc. Reporters don’t want a stale quote with fluffy adjectives from the executive director. Give them real people and emotions.
4. Do speak and write directly to the public. Tip sheets are great for this because you can offer “5 Tips for Traveling with a Child with Autism,” “7 Ways to Sell Your House in a Down Market” or “10 Steps to College Savings.” Identify that the public has the pain (the child with a disability) and you have the solution (the tips, strategies, and expertise). Help people solve their problems.
5. Do write short, punchy, and easy-to-understand sentences. Don’t try to impress reporters with words that will confuse them or send them to a dictionary. That will send your press release right into the garbage.
6. Do include the name and contact information of someone who is available and knowledgeable. There’s nothing worse than a reporter calling to follow-up on your press release and only getting your voicemail: “Hi, it’s Susan. I’m away until January 24th…”
7. Do cite sources. You must attribute any statistics or surveys to the group that gathered the information. If you state that special education programs in your city have grown by 39% in the past two years, you must say where that statistic came from. Any editor worth his salt will not print a statement like that without giving credit to the source.
8. Do know to whom you are pitching. Read the publication, watch the TV news show, and listen to the radio station before you craft your pitch. You must know where you fit in. Do your homework.
9. Don’t bury the lead. The lead is the #1 reason that you are writing your press release. Carefully organize your thoughts on paper and build out details from the lead.
10. Don’t try to sell anything. Your press release should be something newsworthy that affects the public. Don’t use it as a vehicle to sell something. That’s what the advertising department is for.
11. Don’t e-mail large files and attachments unless the reporter has requested them. Most will get bounced back by filters and never reach the intended party. They can also wreak havoc on servers.
12. Don’t “announce” anything in the lead. Reporters despise the word announce in the first line or two of a release. The main reason for a press release is to announce news. Saying you’re announcing it is ludicrous!
13. Don’t repeat information. If you say that a 17-year-old girl from Asbury Park, New Jersey, has won a $10,000 scholarship, those details should not be mentioned again. This will help to keep your press releases more concise. Repetition is for advertising, not news.
14. Don’t ask questions in your lead. You’re supposed to be the expert with the answers to people’s problems. If you are writing a tip sheet, for instance “5 Ways to Sell Your Home,” don’t open up with a series of questions like “Do you know the value of your home? Do you think the housing market has plummeted? Are your neighbors waiting months to sell their homes?” People need answers, not more questions.
15. Don’t use industry rhetoric, jargon, and acronyms. It’s confusing. Write for the general public.
16. Don’t say “first annual.” There’s simply no such thing.
If you want to learn more inside newsroom secrets plus more, join me for my Teleseminar “Build Your Proactive PR Strategy for 2009.” It’s being held Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 1PM EST. This two-hour call is packed with strategies and content to increase your visibility, credibility and revenues. Visit
http://www.prtoolbox.net/
Get Publicity with a Proactive Public Relations Strategy
It’s here! I just rolled out details on my free, two-hour Teleseminar, “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy for 2009.” It’s set for Thursday, January 29 at 1:00 EST/12:00 PM Central.
The moment the e-mail blast went out today, responses and registrations started pouring in. This is a content-packed phone call for corporate PR professionals, entrepreneurs, speakers, authors, trainers, newcomers to PR and recent college grads. Let’s face it—everyone needs publicity. This is your shortcut and ticket to PR success!. You’ll discover inside media secrets from a seasoned radio news director and reporter on how you can grow your organization.
“Seats” on this call are limited- so take advantage of my 25 years of experience in news and PR. You’ll learn about a streamlined system to drastically increase your publicity, credibility and revenues.
Details are at www.prtoolbox.net.
Using Public Relations to Grow Your Organization
Everyone’s trying to spread the word. It seems everyone I speak to and everything I read focuses on business owners and nonprofits who are clamoring for the public’s attention. This is especially true for people in the job market who want to get hired; they must spread their own message about their skills, successes, and accomplishments. In the end, it’s all PR.
Leveraging traditional media such as newspapers, radio and Television, along with social and online media, can be both time consuming and a bit overwhelming. Many of us are just beginning to dabble in social networking sites, webinars, and online videos to promote our businesses and selves. Others have been “Twittering” and “Digging”, post video resumes when job-hunting and live for Craig’s List.
For some reason, Public Relations seems mysterious to so many people who could be reaping the benefits of it. Publicity is essential to your overall communications and marketing plan. It often complements other initiatives such as direct mail, display advertising and local radio/cable TV spots.
All the trainings and seminars I provide on Public Relations, including my January 29th free Teleseminar on “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy in 2009” (details coming this week on my website!), revolve around the need to be proactive and leverage the media to grow your business or nonprofit. Take the time to learn and invest in educating yourself on how traditional media and on-line PR /marketing can take your organization to new heights. Another option is to hire a professional PR expert to help you. I’m not advocating one or the other—simply encouraging you to use all the resources and technology that’s available for you to be successful.
The Two Keys To Your Success
If you ever consider areas of personal and professional development that you want to focus on, the two most important areas are communication and self-confidence.
Mastering these two skills will have a huge impact in every single area of your life.
Think about it. If you have superior communication skills, it affects all of your interpersonal communication and relationships. Outstanding communicators tend to motivated leaders who have positive attitudes, charisma, and vision. They understand the power of questions and the art of listening. Emotional Intelligence (compassion, congeniality, empathy, self awareness and assertiveness) is directly linked to strong communication skills.
Self-confidence is the key to success. Individuals with low self-esteem and self-worth are usually not leaders. You can blame everyone and everything under the sun for lack of self confidence. Maybe it was your parents, your first-grade teacher, the neighborhood bully, being overweight, and on and on….It’s time to end the “Pity Party” and know that you are in absolute control of your thoughts, behaviors, actions and habits. Regardless of what experiences you have had in the past, you can learn how to develop your self-confidence.
One of my favorite personal development books is the classic Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. It sold 30 million copies worldwide, long before Tony Robbins, Dr. John Maxwell and Denis Waitley (they are among my favorites, but Maltz came first). Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon in the 1960’s and knew that he could repair the outer scars and wounds of people. He was more intrigued though by the inner scars and wounds that destroyed so many people. He spoke and wrote about self-destructive thoughts and behavior that are linked to a lack of self- confidence. According to Maltz, belief in yourself as a confident, competent human being is the cornerstone of success. We must acknowledge our self-worth and build our self-esteem. No one can do it for us.
If you want to supercharge your life, I recommend studying these two areas: communication and self-confidence. The rest will follow, like a miracle.
The PR Buzz
The New Year brings new “stuff”, including my snappy new electronic newsletter (e-zine) called “The PR Buzz.” Since 2005, I’ve been publishing a freebie newsletter every month on Public Relations and how to build relationships with reporters, write better press releases, prepare for news interviews, manage crisis communications, media coaching and more. It’s written for business and nonprofit professionals who want to get more publicity, build their visibility, credibility and revenues. Hey, we all need that!
“The PR Buzz” will be a short, punchy and fast-read for all of us “crazy busy” folks. It will feature topics, issues and solutions related to all of the above and more, including social media and online PR. It will be e-mailed to subscribers the last Friday of each month. Sign-up at www.sueyoungmedia.com.
Many people responsible for PR in their organizations are flying solo or haven’t had much experience in the news arena, so I’m also happy to offer “Recession-Proof PR” (http://www.getinfrontcommunications.com/RecessionProofPR/index.htm). This program allows me to be your Virtual PR Coach. Since it was launched a few months ago, “Recession-Proof PR” has kept me busy brainstorming and working with many folks to create PR plans, critique press releases and pitches, and more.
And of course I’ve saved the BIG news for last! I am hosting a F*R*E*E Teleseminar, “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy for 2009”. Mark Your Calendars for Thursday January 29, 2009 at 1:00 PM EST/12:00 PM Central. Details and registration will be available soon at www.sueyoungmedia.com.
