Marketing Discovers PR, Finally!

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After writing my blog this  morning on "PR is a Team Effort", I saw another article that talked about "Who Owns Internal Communications…Marketing?".

I thought this was ironic, because as I had said a few days ago, Marketing is and should be part of Publicity.

Publicity is always part of our business and personal lives. So why is it a surprise to me when I see these articles? Because, I can’t believe that after all these years, people in our industry are finally waking up to what publicity is all about. It’s about everything!

I happened to find this article at the Hill & Knowlton blog site. David Ferrabee wrote the blog. Well, all I can say "I’m glad that more people are realizing the power of PR and where to find it". It just seems odd that our own industry works separately (pr from marketing, from creative, etc) when in fact they should all work as a Team. Hey, wasn’t that the subject of today’s earlier blog by me? Yes, it was!

PR Is A Team Effort

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I was reading an article by Robert Kelly and he pointed out that PR sometimes doesn’t show as much in return as does the brochures a company produces.

Part of the problem that Mr. Kelly points out is that PR is a team effort. I agree with this. Too often companies ask a PR or Advertising company to put together a campaign. What typically happens, the company doesn’t implement the campaign elements into their own organization.

How can you then expect a campaign, or program to become successful if the company doesn’t have its employees support the campaign elements.

Pubicity needs to start within a company. A team effort is just that. Everyone working towards that same goal. Both the company and the PR or Advertising Agency that was hired must all act upon the same goals set forth.

This may seem very elementary, but it is a problem that does exist. Companies and PR firms are too often pointing fingers at each other when the campaign isn’t working. What should happen is a careful monitoring of the campaign with constant communications between both parties.

This will create a successful partnership and campaign when everyone works together.

Take a Break Fridays

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As you noticed I wasn’t writing any blogs these past few days. Well, like most people, it was time to take a break.

Now it’s a new week and there are a lot of interesting topics that need to be discussed. Most of the subjects revolve around publicity. You just can’t avoid this pr stuff! It’s everywhere.

Even when you meet people at a party, or celebrate a holiday as you did this past weekend. We are always using pr. Yes. Think about when you are talking to someone, a family member for example. You speak to them differently than a new person you meet at the party. Then when you are driving home and a police officer pulls you over…right, you use a different "form" of pr. It’s all in the presentation.

I will be discussing several subjects that include marketing, packaging, web sites, to complete creative campaigns that might include logos and sales materials. Even sales calls will be discussed.

In all, these will be interesting subjects that should open your mind and provide informative views to help you improve your own company’s publicity. If you have a specific area that you need better understanding, then send me a comment and I will address that issue or topic.

PR Template and Finding The Media

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Searching for the right publications

I have been asked several times to explain how to write a press release and where to find the media.

PR WRITING TEMPLATE
It is difficult to draw a template about writing a release in these short blogs. If you feel that you have the talent to write the release than hiring a copywriter, I suggest visiting webwire who will give you a template, or format to follow. Once this is learned, you can make some modifications that suit your specific needs. But be aware; don’t wonder off creating a unique format, because this will only get your release tossed out.

Reporters do not like trying to understand your release by digging through a lot of colorful words, or hiding the "important" stuff somewhere in the body of the release. So check out this site, it might save you a lot of time.

WHERE’S THE MEDIA?
Good question. First you need to identify the market that you want to reach. If it is in the business industry, or more specific in the financial or accounting, or is your business in the entertainment industry…you need to target your market first.

Once this is established, you can locate sources of publications to reach. You can visit the library, or search the web for a company that provides a media list. There are several to choose from.

Now you can collect the information you need from each publication, such as editors name, publisher’s name, press release editor (some media have specific departments for releases), etc. Be sure you have a phone number as well to follow up after sending the releases.

Ok, hope this clears up some of those questions. If you still need help, contact me directly. I’ll be happy to get you going in the right direction.

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Press Release Distribution Methods

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With all the different ways of distributing your press releases, or press kit which is the most productive method? Is it email, snail mail, special delivery letters, registered mail, courier service?

There isn’t anyone specific way to reach a reporter and have them read your release. What? You thought there was a magic process. I can offer this, the methods that most reporters, editors, and journalists prefer.

First, let’s review the email process since it is the newest form of communication. Do reporters and their peers prefer this? Most do not. What they prefer is you tell them in a very short message (maybe 30 words of less) that you will be sending a press release, or story for their review. Tell them what will be in the subject line so they will be watching for it. The reason you shouldn’t send them the release initially is their "in box" gets full quickly, everyday.

Think of all the junk email you receive. Well, reporters are not protected from emails that should have been directed to another person, or department. So what they will do is delete most messages, unless it is from someone they know (remember when I said you need to build a relationship, well this is when it helps), or are looking for a message that you sent them about a release that was coming.

And don’t send them CD’s or a lot of downloaded information. Keep it short, and to the point.

As for methods of sending, yes, traditional snail mail is still the most widely accepted. Because reporters like organizing files on their desk and making notes on releases and stories they receive.

All the forms of communication are good. What makes a release get noticed is the follow-up. Phone calls and follow-up emails are good. But don’t be annoying; be considerate. Keep a log of what and how you sent your release to the reporter. This will keep you organized and know what works best for you. If you need help writing a good release, try contacting a professional so that you can learn how to communicate like a pr pro.

If you want to discuss this further, give me a call. I’ll point you in the right direction.

Getting Ahead In Marketing

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To help stay ahead of the competition you need to keep in touch with new methods of getting your message out.

That may sound very basic, but it is amazing how many companies think they are keeping on top of what’s happening.

You can read daily trade journals, daily newspapers and read a lot of blog sites. These are all good ways to keep current, but sometimes we just don’t have the luxury of time. So how do you stay in touch? One way is to subscribe to or become a member of organizations that can help you keep current of trends. One such group is the AMA (American Marketing Association).

This organization has been providing a lot of worthy information to help companies of all sizes. No, this isn’t an advertisiment for them. I just felt it would be good for companies to know of this organization, because it can be a valuable source.

Marketing is the key to any successful campaign or publicity program.

If you want to get into the core of marketing, check out other marketing sources, such as Guerrilla Marketing pro, Jay Levinson. His keen vision on marketing can keep your path to success in line.

When your company needs that extra input, these and many other sources are available. Research the web and go to your library to find out more information on successful marketing techniques.

If you still need a good marketing and publicity campaign, but just do not have the time, or the people power to implement a program, consider contacting a professional company to get the message out.

Get Materials Ready For PR

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I have been explaining about the need to have a campaign ready when you are going to "meet the press". This means you should have already prepared several press releases, a company newsletter, a media kit and a media list for your specific market.

When we discussed the media kit, too often companies feel it can be costly and only print about 50 kits (if even that many) thinking that only 20 or 25 reporters exist in their industry. The problem is that you will need more kits because reporters move around and many times you will be asked to send a second kit to a different reporter at that same publication.

So what’s the solution? How about creating an Online Media Kit! This doesn’t mean you completely ignore the tangible, printed press kits. It just reduces the amount of printed copies that you would have mailed out, and allows you to distribute the printed kits at trade shows, or press conferences.

An online media kit can be an excellent tool for reporters and other press to access information about your company. Plus, you can easily update the kit without the fear of "printing" too many.

I want to again point out that pitching a story takes time and careful planning. Don’t make yourself hidden to the media, but also keep in mind they do not like constant calls that have no substance either.
Choose three or four of the reporters from your list that you feel can benefit your company. Stay in touch with them to develop a good relationship. Don’t send them gifts; just provide honest and real information about what your company is doing.

Get to Know the Media

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It cannot be said enough that you need to know who the media are. I don’t just mean their name, which of course is very important. What you need to do is find the type of media that best suits your pr objective.

For example, if you are seeking another round of funding, or want to attack potential buyers, you should concentrate on "financial media". If you want to get the attention of dealers, or distributors to represent and sell your products, then the trade publications in your industry would be chosen.

Simple, right? Well, not really. Finding the right media sources to target is where the challenge begins. But that’s another subject we can discuss later.

An interesting article I came across the other day can help you organize your pr campaign. The article addresses these specific issues:
Planning, Media Tactics, Execution and Follow-Up.

The article provides a simple process to follow, even has questions to ask yourself about the target media, such as: Who does this program affect? Who should receive this message? What is a common denominator for members in this group(s)? What core values and objectives are shared? What benefits are expected for these individuals? Who has the ability to reach and influence other audience members?

Your story or release might not have all the answers to these questions, but it causes you to stop and analyze your approach to the media. You can never stop learning about how to reach and target your media prospects. So continue the learning and check out Four Elements of Effective Media Relations and other articles.

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Working with the Media

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Developing a relationship with any person of the media requires time. The best way to begin this time process is to first create a media list of those publications, or broadcast editors, writers that you want to reach.

Then start providing newsworthy press releases about your company to them.

This may seem very basic, but this is the method most accepted by the press. Once you have sent the releases, follow up with a phone call. The call should be to ask if they received the release. Mention what the subject or content is about, but don’t try to tell the entire story.

If it is interesting to them, the editor or writer will ask to re-send it via email, or traditional mail. Sometimes you will be asked to contact a different person in the media department. This gives you another name to add to your media list.

Many times it is accepted to send these contacts an email telling them that you are sending a press release. Just mention the subject matter with a brief (one or two sentence) description.

Be considerate of their time and appreciate their position. The media people receive many releases per day and are approached by pr firms and companies to write a story on their specific topic.

So if your release doesn’t make it through the clutter, be patient. As I said earlier, relationships with the press takes time.

Branding and Publicity

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Both of these words work hand-in-hand. As you begin a publicity campaign, no matter how large or small, it soon will create that image, or branding for your company.

The glue that ties all this together is the marketing. So be careful as to what you say to the media and the sales materials you create, because all of these build that branding image in your company.

More important is your company’s corporate culture. This is a major part of the building blocks that create your branding. From the CFO, to the president to the shipping department, everyone in your company is creating the branding that will be seen by the competition and your customers. It’s important to have a company handbook that clearly identifies your company’s image, the mission statement and philosophy.

This is what you will use to help market your company. It is your road map to a publicity campaign. The branding of who you are will set the path for you. You can always modify your path, but be certain that it will have an impact on your branding as well.

Just like a publicity campaign, your branding image doesn’t happen overnight. It needs to be carefully structured.

If the lesson you learn is that your company’s image is created from within, then you are on the right track.

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