Proactive Blogs Lead to Business Growth
Being proactive in your public relations, marketing and online networking is critical to your business growth, relationships and revenues. I’m hearing great feedback on my free webinars next week from people who are also beginning to understand the concept of how quality blogs are building online relationships and showing value. Your presence affects your prosperity.
Check out the free webinars on August 5 & 6. I promise the 30 minutes will be packed with amazing story ideas and nuggets to help you grow your organization. Join me on either August 5th or 6th (different content and story ideas for you each day! ) at 12:00 pm Central, for an opportunity to learn how to create compelling, consistent and timely blogs that directly connect back to your organization, customers and prospects.
Professionals are “tweeting” about my concept and programs. They are spreading the word..they are registering for the preview webinars on “Building the Buzz that Builds Your Businesss” because they know they have to be proactive. The world and technology are leaving too many of us behind. Social Media is not a fad. We have to learn and grow with the new tools we have available. It’s all here for you. Commit to learning and using them, one at a time. If you don’t, your competition wins.
Your blog is an untapped vehicle to drive traffic to your website. Learn how to use it as an integral part of your business development.
I invite you to register for the preview call now and spread the news!
Proactive Crisis Communications Plans Required in Changing Media Landscape
Crisis communications is one part of the overall communications and public relations strategy that tends to be put on the back burner. After all, most people don’t like to think about a problem that hasn’t happened. But effective PR requires us to be proactive.
Don’t wait for a disaster to hit—it’s critical that your top leaders are prepared and coached with a crisis communications plan in place before the emergency strikes. The onslaught of social media and breaking news on the Internet by citizen bloggers and “journalist wanna-be’s” is forcing us to be proactive. Preparation can save your job, organization and reputation. Many organizations have been wiped out because they failed to effectively manage an emergency.
Consider this: Dozens of your employees become sick after eating tainted food in the company cafeteria. A former disgruntled employee returns to your office and takes a hostage (or worse). A car crashes into your building leaving people badly injured. These scenarios can unfold at 2:00 on Wednesday afternoon or 2:00 on Saturday morning. This is not made up –it’s reality! Would you be able to respond and recover?
Virtually every story I see in the media where one of these situations has taken place, someone is interviewed and says, “We never thought it would happen here.” Think again.
Here are 5 tips prepare a plan prior to the crisis:
1- Designate two people who will be the face and voice of your organization. It should be the president or executive director, and a senior manager as a back-up. These individuals should be excellent communicators who are readily available and can remain calm under pressure.
2- Assemble a support team. This group will be your behind-the-scenes team who can help to provide expertise and input. It may include your PR director, an attorney, human resources person, and a trusted manager who thoroughly knows your organization. Everyone must be ready to spring into action.
3- Decipher information. Develop a checklist so everyone knows their responsibilities and is comfortable in their roles. You must gather and understand the details and scope of your situation, how it is unfolding, how it can be resolved and the impact on the community.
4- Understand the timeliness of your response. Prepare a template statement of 3-6 sentences that can quickly be changed in a moment’s notice to fit a specific situation. This can be ready-made for reporters. Your goal should be to contact the press before they find you. You must say something. “No comment” =guilty.
5- Review and update your plan. Staff changes, growth and other issues may significantly impact your crisis communications strategy. Dust off your file every few months. Make sure the new CEO or PR person has the right training and interview skills to deal with a crisis. Meet with your attorney as well to make sure you both understand the language that needs to be used with the media.
Remember the 5 P’s: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.
Business Writing:Keeping it Simple & Clear
One of the most critical skills in business communications is your ability to express yourself in a clear and concise manner. Keeping things simple in our busy worlds, where we are inundated with information overload and too much information (“TMI”) can be a challenge. If you think it’s difficult to say it simply, writing it can be even tougher.
Here are five tips to help simplify your writing:
1- Clarify in your mind. Before you begin to write anything, whether it’s a letter, memo or a short e-mail, your message must be clear in your mind. If you are confused or overwhelmed with the information, it will be difficult to express it in writing. Before you begin to write, ask yourself: what is the main reason for my correspondence. What is my point? What is my goal?
2- Draft an outline. Remember your 8th grade Social Studies report? If you’re like me, you had to put together an outline with topics, main headings and supporting details. By using this proven system and including only key phrases and a few punchy words, you will quickly be able to make your point. Topics and details will flow logically and seamlessly.
3- Tell the reader what to expect. If your correspondence is long, introduce the format you will be using in your opening lines. For example, if you’re a bank manager and you are writing a two page memo on new security measures, you may want to begin by stating: “The purpose of this letter is to inform all bank staff about new security measures adopted by the Board. The first two sections will address Topics A and B. The remaining three sections will cover Topics C, D and E.” This format will help to mentally prepare the reader for what’s to come. They will know there are five issues and will have a broad idea of the information that follows.
4- Use bullet points. Bullet points help to provide white space for the reader and break down separate thoughts and information. They also help to keep your writing concise and on track. You can limit each point to a few sentences. This will force you to choose your words carefully and include only relevant information. We are a society of “skimmers”. Make it easy on the reader.
5- Write to express, not to impress. Your reader will appreciate it when you use easy-to-understand language and short sentences. I write the way I speak, conversational, concise and direct. I don’t want to send people to the dictionary or confuse them. Be yourself and be simple. It’s a winning formula when it comes to writing.
Finally, review your letter or memo before sending it. I like to print things out prior to sending them. Reading on a computer screen is somewhat different than holding a document in your hand and reading it. I tend to make changes and catch errors when I’m reviewing a hard copy. Regardless of whether you read your letter on a screen or on paper, be sure to re-read it.
25 Tips for Writing Powerful Press Releases & News Pitches
Here is a quick list of 25 Do’ s and Don’ts of Writing Press Releases. These can easily help you to increase your business or nonprofit to succeed in increasing your visibility, credibility and revenues. I also have Teleseminar recordings available if you’d like to learn more. And you can subscribe to my free PR E-zine The PR Buzz. Good luck!
1. Do have something new to announce (NEWS)
2. Do ask yourself why you are writing your release- the #1 reason
3. Do write a catchy subject line and headline - get their attention!
4. Do include quotes from people directly affected by the news-put a face on the story
5. Do show and tell a compelling story
6. Do write short, punchy and easy to understand sentences
7. Do speak directly to the reader/audience
8. Do help to ease the public’s pain/problem (position yourself as the expert with the solution)
9. Do re-read and re-write your release/pitch before sending it
10. Do include a contact person who is available and knowledgeable
11. Do use present tense and verbs
12. Do include a date for release
13. Do watch the timing on the release
14. Do cite sources/attribution
15. Do include names and titles in photo captions
16. Don’t repeat information
17. Don’t use adjectives
18. Don’t use rhetoric and jargon
19. Don’t use the word “announce”
20. Don’t begin with a name
21. Don’t send out lousy pictures
22. Don’t ask questions
23. Don’t sell anything
24. Don’t say “first annual”
25. Don’t go more than one page
One final tip: Marketing your business or organization with PR and news stories is essential to your growth, revenues and credibility. If you can’t do this yourself, or don’t want to (delegating is a beautiful thing and eases stress), then please contact me so I can help you. Too many mistakes when reaching out to the media will quickly destroy your credibility.
I welcome you to follow me on Twitter @sueyoungmedia
Good luck!
Creating A PR and Marketing “Buzz”
Our jobs as Public Relations and marketing professionals (and entrepreneurs) is to create a buzz about our products and services. Whether you work in business, government or nonprofits, we need to get people talking.
I teach many classes, workshops and teleseminars on how to create news and publicity. Thinking and breathing do not constitute a news story. You must actually do something to generate publicity. Get creative because your presence affects your prosperity.
In your PR or marketing plan there should be four words:
Create Curiosity
Become Known
These two goal statements are quite powerful.
First, you can create curiosity in your press releases and pitches; conveying such a compelling, concise and articulate message on paper that reporters rush to call you to find out more and cover your story.
The second goal is to become known. Become ubiquitous. Be everywhere. Promote your local speech to the Rotary Club with a calendar listing in the business section. Speak at a Chamber of Commerce event and send out a press release prior to your speech. Follow-up with a digtal picture or short video snippet with the president and a raffle winner after the program (Offer the video to the Chamber to post it on their website). Be a guest on a public affairs show on radio or TV. Write a bylined article that shows your value as an expert and provides useful information to the public (not a poorly-written, self-serving, fluffy piece). Team up with another company or nonprofit for a community cause. Be proactive and become known. Blog. Use social media. Create online videos. Say something bold. Get out of your own way. Think big.
Create curiosity. Become known.
Market Your Business with Clarity: Avoid an Identity Crisis
While marketing, branding and public relations don’t always tie-in together, the three bring a similar message in promoting and building our organizations, products and services. The key is to avoid an identity crisis, which can be a marketing and PR debacle. It can also be the downfall of your business or nonprofit.
You must be able to separate yourself from the herd of your competition. That’s what branding is. The word and concept of branding is taken from the cattle crowds of years ago, when farmers literally used hot “branding” irons to separate the meat-worthy and good cattle from the weaker animals. The ones that were branded (or tattooed) with hot irons stood out in the crowd and were easy to recognize. Stopping one step short of a hot branding iron, can you say that your company or group stands out from your competition?
If your answer is “no” or you think there’s room for improvement, consider the following ways to end your identity crisis and jump ahead of the crowd.
1. Re-evaluate your job responsibilities, the purpose and goals of your department and the overall mission and objectives of your company. Make a detailed list of projects and initiatives that your department and your organization have completed in the past 6-12 months where you absolutely stood out. What are some of your shining moments and highlights? How do you do business differently than your competition? (hint: study your competitors, look at their websites and watch them in action). What makes you special? What’s compelling about you and your organization? Forget your job title; what results do you deliver?
2. Move away from describing your organization to others with the phrases in your mission statement. It can be equivalent to a sleeping pill. Start to weave in the highlights and tidbits from #1 that will get the attention of people you are talking to. Whether you are introducing yourself at a networking luncheon or you’re being interviewed by a news reporter, you must be able to describe who you are and what you do in “people-friendly language” that the general public can understand. Take it one step further and make sure that the public not only understands what you are saying but remembers your message. A few compelling words spoken with enthusiasm will go a long way. Don’t wing it. Be creative and chose your words carefully, focusing on how you help other people. Always show value.
3. Avoid the “cutesy” approach and industry jargon that can leave people confused. You don’t want to leave anyone puzzled about who you are and what you do. One business owner I recently met at a networking event describes herself as an “agent of change”. But what does that mean? Recently I overheard her explaining to someone she’s an interior decorator. Some people admitted they thought she was a business coach. Others were embarrassed to admit they had no idea what line of work she was in. One person thought she was a travel agent. This entrepreneur lost potential business because of a lack of clarity and her own self-imposed identity crisis. Her idea of cute was actually confusing.
In our competitive and fast-changing world, you must be able to carve out a unique identity (differentiate yourself) or you will blend right in with the herd of your competition.
Networking with Smart People
Networking, asking for help, delegating and knowing people who have different skills and talents than you do can infinitely add to your success. Business guru and author Harvey Mackay says if your house is on fire, don’t grab your wedding album or jewelry. Grab your Rolodex. He’s right. I’m all for the wedding album, but Harvey’s got a good point.
Actor Michael J. Fox was featured on the cover of the March issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine. In 1991, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. As a result of his illness, he started the Michael J. Fox Foundation which is working towards finding a cure for Parkinson’s. In the Good Housekeeping article, Fox speaks with humility about starting the organization:
“Now I look back at the foundation and what we’ve been able to do. We have certainly not met all our goals yet, but steps have been taken. When I started it, I thought, I’m not smart enough to do this. I had no experience in management, no experience in administration, no experience in nonprofit; but then this phrase came into my head: I only have to be smart enough to find people who are smarter than me; I only have to be smart enough to recognize who knows more than me.”
No one expects you to know everything. It’s important that we recognize this in our own lives. If your kitchen sink is leaking, you call a plumber. If your car breaks down, you find a mechanic. If your business is growing and you need professional bookkeeping services, you delegate to someone who knows accounting. As long as you are willing to admit that you need help in an area, you are on the path to success.
Surround yourself with people who have different talents, skills and experiences than you do. It leads to new learning opportunities and creativity. It’s written in the Bible that Solomon said, “Do not go it alone.”
Following Your Own Success Path
Have you ever been pulled in so many directions you forgot where you were and where you wanted to go? You may not have had a specific plan, but you had a clue about the general direction you wanted to go. Having studied goal setting, productivity and the subconscious mind, I’ve learned it’s essential to write down goals. When we write down goals, our minds immediately begin zeroing in on our mark and move us forward.
Staying focused is tough these days. But it’s critical to our motivation and success. We’re bombarded with technology, messages, ideas, news and images that can easily pull our attention to areas we had no intention of exploring or considering. Think about the Internet. If you’re like me, you have “Googled” a topic and in a few short minutes, you wind up on tangent websites and have quickly forgotten how you got there and why you “Googled” in the first place. It’s easy to stray and lose focus.
Successful people are able to stay on-task, regardless of the distractions that beg for their attention. I’ve recently noticed I’m learning so much about new marketing and business development opportunities that I am getting sucked into a vortex of well-intentioned people who want to share their skills, knowledge and experience. In phone calls, e-mails and on Facebook, I am encouraged to learn their proven methods, listen to their webinars and join their affiliate programs. I have to constantly remind myself of the three major goals I wrote down earlier this year and stay the course.
You may want to heed the advice that my coach shared with me several years ago: “Be like a horse. Keep your eyes on the path.”
Your Branding, Marketing and Public Relations Message
Imagine if you had a clear, compelling and congruent marketing and PR message that consistently attracted business, prospects and publicity. In our Public Relations and marketing efforts, we must constantly be proactive and dynamic.
It’s time to “Kick Yourself in the Brand.”
Today I provided a presentation for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in San Antonio, TX that was titled “How to Build Your Proactive PR Strategy in 2009.” More than 90 professionals in nonprofits packed the room to learn as much as they could in 45 minutes about how to get free publicity and make news. There’s such a need for people to understand how to work with the media, create newsworthy stories and build relationships with reporters. Traditional media and how to get print, radio and TV interviews is awfully puzzling to laymen. Add online and social media to the mix and the result is more fear and puzzled faces. A combination of marketing, branding and PR is essential to the success of your organization.
I unveiled my discounted “Communications Audit” program called “Kick Yourself in the Brand” today to the AFP crowd because so many organizations, nonprofits and private businesses readily admit they are experiencing an identity crisis. In today’s meeting, most who attended confessed their marketing, branding and PR messages are completely off-base. The Communications Audits will bring clarity and clear the confusion. I will spend time on the phone (and on-site in the San Antonio area) to interview key players, and review brochures, press releases, newsletters, website content, public service announcements and more. Within a week you’ll have a complete critique on how you can improve your message and develop a compelling, congruent and concise presence. You’d be surprised how important it is to have an outside set of eyes and ears available to help and brainstorm. The other option is to take advantage of my Virtual PR Coaching through “Recession-Proof PR.”
We had people register on the spot, understanding they need to take immediate action and get different results. The Communications Audits, available at www.getinfrontcommunications.com, are discounted for a limited time. The key here is to understand that your presence affects your prosperity. Sign up today and be decisive that 2009 will be the year of your PR success. Let the Identity Crisis and confusion end now! Kick yourself in the brand…
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.
