Banish 4 Thoughts That Keep You Struggling – from guest blogger Ann Convery of Revenue Reflex

April 26, 2013 Leave a comment

Hi,

Are you sick of “struggle mode”?

Do you know who’s keeping it in place?

Last night I was on a gorgeous horse farm in Ojai,
eating a piece of vegan chocolate cake.

OK, I ate two pieces.

And thinking about letting go of struggle.

I watched the sun disappear over the mountains and thought about why life and my business have changed so much in the last 12 months.

They changed because I changed.

My thoughts changed.

Here are some of the sabotaging thoughts my clients and I
demolished.

Because they hold you back.

And we got tired of waiting.

How about you?

4 Thoughts That Keep You in Struggle 

1. “The problem is..”  

This means you aren’t looking at possible solutions.
You’re focusing on the problem.

You may think:  “Of course I’m focusing on the problem!
How can I solve it?!”

By focusing on solutions.
The problem seems impossible. So side-step it.

What you focus on expands.
Think about it.
Successful people focus on solutions.
Start saying, “The best possible solution is…” instead.

(Full confession: This used to be one of my top phrases.
I got rid of it.

The opportunities that have appeared in my life in the last 12 months
are absolutely unbelievable. Now I look only for SOLUTIONS.

2. “The reason why…”

Everyone has their own pet set of excuses.
What are yours?

Do you know your “reasons” define your life?

If Laura Hillenbrand could write “Seabiscuit” while
she was so ill with chronic fatigue she could barely crawl to her desk…

If Steve Jobs could start a computer company out of his garage…

If Nelson Mandela could – you get the picture.

Find out what your pet reasons are for not having more of
what you want.

Then watch how you stop yourself
by believing in them.

positive3. “I know that.”

These are three of the most dangerous words in the English language.

Maggie was a highly gifted speaker and coach.

But she was miserable grinding out speech after speech with
nothing to show for it- no clients, no fees.

She whined for years about how she “hated” speeches.

Not only did Maggie know exactly how to speak and sell from
the stage, she actually taught it to others. Successfully.

But in her mind, she “knew that” already, and it wouldn’t work.
Besides, her meeting planners “didn’t allow her to sell.”

One day Maggie was hit upside the head by a tough-talking coach
who dared her to follow her own formula at her next speech.

(Guess who that was?)

Just to prove the coach wrong, Maggie threw out her old speech,
and followed every single speak to sell technique she knew.

She closed 40% of the room.

Whaddya know, it worked.

Maggie realized that she’d been spending years with her head up
her butt, so invested in knowing that it wouldn’t work
that she never gave it a try.

What do you positively absolutely KNOW won’t work?

Bet you’re wrong.

4. “Impossible.”

Ellen wanted a business, but she had no idea how to start.

She was highly talented in a number of fields, but Ellen wanted
the freedom of her own business.

“It’s impossible!  I don’t know how to sell,” she said.
“I don’t know the first thing about how to begin.”

Ellen stewed in this bewildering swamp for a year.
The she bought a $29 program about how to sell.

She wrote an ad.

She was so swamped with calls – about 30 a week – that
she hid from the phone.

So she took a course on selling, and found out how
to sign up clients. She had a full client load in a month.

But she still wanted the dream of free time.

So she invested in a coach.

Together they outlined a dream cash-flow business
which would bring her $60K a year to start, while
she worked for less than 15 hours a month.

When she wanted to double that income, she
could hire another part-timer.

Today she is writing 3 hours a day and
building a business that gives her the freedom she craves.

Nothing is impossible but the limits you set.

Do you have to see before you believe?

Or can you believe until you see it come true?

Copyright © Ann Convery 2013

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Be– Do–Have: Life’s Success Formula

March 22, 2013 Leave a comment

success formulaYou might have heard of the be – do – have cycle.   According to this theory, who you are (being) leads you to do (doing) which then leads you to have (having).

Makes sense, yet, we’re conditioned to believe the exact opposite.

The general formula for how life works goes:

You need to have (power, money, fame, etc.)

So you can do (something),

So you can then be (important, successful, loved, etc.)

It’s a confusing phenomenon.

That inverted formula has become the norm, the accepted theory of how life works – but is a difficult way to lead your life.

We’re taught that unless we have there’s not much we can do, and certainly nothing we can be.

According to that way of thinking, intrinsically we’re not worth much.

In fact that’s really not how life works at all.

be do formulaSo, you wonder what does this have to do with PR or marketing?

Basically the thinking process is the same.

Many people feel that they can’t market until they have reached a certain plateau (have).

They can comfortably market (do),

So they can become successful (be).

As with just about everything else in this article, that thinking is completely backwards.

If you have a good product, a valuable service or have created some amazing work, then the time to market is now.

You already are intrinsically valuable and completely unique (being)

You can now let the world know about you and your company, business, service, product (doing)

Which in turn will bring you sales, clients, customers, wealth, etc. (having)

Give the formula a shot.  You might be surprised.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

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PR Mapping, Brainstorming and Media Success

January 25, 2013 Leave a comment

beautiful-dreams-dreams-come-true-feithful-fotografia-Favim.com-254548Developing and launching a PR campaign can be an interesting, exhilarating and exciting process.  I’d say that if it’s not, you’re approaching it the wrong way.  The most important thing to keep in mind is that it is a process, a cumulative process.  It begins with mapping out your stories, pitches, strategies, and timeline.  I generally begin every campaign with a brainstorming and PR mapping process.  Here I ask the client to tell me everything about their life, company product, hopes, dreams, etc.  This is where we gather the ideas and information to build the campaign.  I ask that the clients not censor themselves or only tell me information that they think is relevant or important.  Often what the client finds boring or inconsequential can be the basis for a fascinating pitch or story.  Generally the client is too close to his or her story to be the best judge of which pitches will or won’t work.

As I suggest to prospective clients, it’s important that you too go through a brainstorming session before moving forward on launching a campaign.  This is the process in which the stories and ideas for the public relations campaign are developed.  In fact these stand alone consultation sessions can redefine a direction and create a roadmap to success that had not been initially considered.  In a true sense, they have become a cornerstone of our business.

Once the PR roadmap is developed it’s important to focus on your primary goals and objectives.  Keep in mind that media exposure is the vehicle, not the end game.  You want to garner media in order to get you and your business exposure, but that’s not your ultimate objective. In other words, garnering media coverage is the avenue not the destination.  For a public relations campaign to be truly effective, the media exposure needs to lead you somewhere.  Which means before you launch you want to come up with a game plan; in essence you want a PR and business roadmap that will keep you on track towards your goal and objectives.

EliDavidsonMedia-300x295Media relations is a unique form of marketing.  Unlike advertising or direct marketing, with public relations you can’t pick and choose specific outlets and dates that your story or segment will run – that is the challenge of PR.  Yet, on the other hand, when a news story does run on you or your business, you are positioned in a unique and powerful way.  You gain the credibility and validation of being featured as a news story.  Your story is not an ad or a commercial.  It’s a news story.  A feature in a magazine or newspaper or a segment on TV or radio positions you as an expert and positions your company or product as one of the tops in the field.  With PR you reach your target market and build your brand via the media.

Still, as I mentioned before, the media coverage in and of itself is not the final objective.  Effectively utilizing your PR is what will build your brand and help bring you clients, customers and sales.  That’s why it’s important to define your objectives and your PR blueprint before you launch a campaign.  Do you want to establish your brand, sell more products, land more clients, and establish yourself as an expert in your field?  All of those objectives are valid, but which are your main objectives?  That’s where the brainstorming sessions can be of such value.  Once you develop a PR roadmap, you can set a course to reach your media and marketing destination.  I’ll be writing more about the value of brainstorming and PR mapping sessions in upcoming articles.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2013

Hassler, Christine. “Dream it. Wish it. Do it.” Photo. Christine Hassler. 15 Nov. 2012. 25 Jan 2012. <http://www.christinehassler.com/2012/11/wondering-if-your-dreams-will-ever-come-true/&gt;

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PR Integration – Traditional Media Relations & Digital PR

January 9, 2013 Leave a comment

digital-v-printAs the media world changes more and more traditional publications have gone on to become digital media outlets.  Countless new publications are starting up with only an online presence.  Too often people think of traditional magazines as being true publications and online outlets (unless they are the online arm of such traditional media outlets as the New York Times, Vogue, Men’s Health or People) as basically useless or low rent outlets.  In reality, many online media outlets can gain you more traction and exposure than traditional outlets.  Sure there are some sites and blogs that reach only a handful of people and that’s why you need to do your homework before contacting any media.  But when used judiciously, a targeted online approach can help position you in the marketplace, build your brand and (and this one is really important) get you noticed by some of the major traditional media outlets.

online-newsroomsWhereas traditional media offers validations and credibility, online media offers speed and reach; it is the online media and publications that can get your story up and add to your digital pr strategy as quickly as possible.  This was impossible a few short years ago, but now, via online PR, your story can quickly get out in front of the public.  Combine validation and legitimacy with speed, targeting and reach and you have what I call Integrative PR.

As I’ve written in the past, you don’t want to choose between traditional and online media, you want to meld the two to fully maximize your campaign and your exposure.  For example, we recently placed a client in a number of online publications.  All of the stories were positive and they helped us increase our client’s exposure.  The articles helped the client brand himself and more fully reach his target market.  That was great in and of itself, but we then were contacted by a writer from the New York Times, who read some of the pieces online and wanted to interview the client for a story in the Times.  So those articles were doubly effective, they not only reached new readers, but they positioned the client in a way that interested the mainstream media.

When it comes to launching a comprehensive PR or media relations campaign, the name of the game is PR Integration.  Sure millions of people are online and that number is only going to grow, but the offline or traditional media sill wields amazing impact.  TV, newspapers, magazines and radio not only reach millions; the major outlets are the ones that still hold the star power.  Being featured in the mainstream media, such as the New York Times, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the Today Show or USA Today still gives you the validation and legitimacy that no other form of marketing can offer.

The downside with a strictly traditional media outreach is that it generally takes quite a bit of time to build momentum.  The downside with online public relations is that, although you can get the information out quickly, people are now inundated with so much news that you can often find stories buried.

This is why PR Integration, the combining of online and offline media relations, is not only effective but important.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Kisor-Madlem, Alyshia. “7 ways online media benefits public relations”. Photo. PR Daily. 13 Nov 2012. 09 Jan 2013. <http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/13116.aspx>

Momorella, Steve. “5 ways online newsrooms will save time and money.” Photo. PR Daily. 25 Jun 2012. 09 Jan 2013. <http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/11998.aspx&gt;

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A How-To Press Release Review

August 20, 2012 1 Comment

When launching a PR or media relations campaign, your press release is your calling card.  If it’s well done it will tell a compelling story, interest the media and make the reader want to know more.  It will be more about the story than it will be a biography of you or your company.  Remember the old adage facts tell, stories sell.  Make sure you have a strong hook or story before you write a release.  Simply writing a release about the launch of a new product or business isn’t enough.  Unless you’re writing releases strictly for SEO value, or to place in a very specific trade publication, press releases about promotions and the like can help generate good will within the company, but from a media relations perspective, they’re a complete waste of time.

I have a hard-and-fast rule at my company that press releases cannot exceed one-page, and I will sacrifice double-spacing in order to come up with a one-page release. Trouble is most clients feel that they have so much interesting and important information to impart, that we couldn’t possibly say all we wanted in a one page press release.  They’re right.  And the purpose of a press release is not to tell everything, but to offer a very specific compelling story.

You’re not going to tell them your life story in one release.  At least I hope you’re not going to.  Effective public relations is not about listing facts, but about creating interesting stories that educate, inform and/or entertain.  You first want to come up with the strongest angle and story that you can and then give the media that pitch in headlines, and teasers.  Imagine that you’re cutting a trailer for an upcoming movie.  You’re not concerned with trying to let the audience see the entire film.  Your job is to interest the public enough to plunk down their money to see the movie.  It’s the same with your press release.  You want your release to act as a teaser; you want to interest the media, grab their attention.

There are some set-in-stone, very specific guidelines to press releases, such as covering the who, what, where, and when information, adhering to the AP press release format, and keeping it double-spaced.  Personally, I’d say focus more on telling a compelling story than with following the rulebook.  Most press releases are horribly, terrifically boring.  They are either dry, and chock-full of dull, tedious facts, or they are overly cute.

Before you decide to write and send out a press release, consider the following:

  1. Write in clear, plain language that people who are unfamiliar with service-learning can understand.
  2. The first paragraph of the release should convey in a clear and succinct way what the news release is about. Do not put any excess information in this paragraph
  3. The last paragraph should include information on your organization (“boilerplate”), along with a website address, if available, and phone number.
  4. Write with action verbs, and an active voice.
  5. Keep sentences and paragraphs short and concise.

And always keep in mind that your main objective is to tell a story that the media and their listeners, viewers or readers will want to know about.  Remember a press release is not a one size fits all document.  Change and modify it to fit the needs of the different media outlets.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Rick, Jonathan. “4 Ways to Rethink the Press Release.” Photo. Mashable. 20 Aug 2012. 06 Apr 2012. <http://mashable.com/2012/04/06/press-release-blog-lessons-alternative/>

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PR & Marketing Brainstorming Tips – Part 2

June 25, 2012 Leave a comment

To begin, set up a session to review all of your media hooks and possible PR ideas.  They can be obvious, or they can be crazy.  You don’t have to use all of these, but you do want to push yourself, use outside of the box thinking and let your creativity run wild.  Once you’ve created a list of possible ideas, the next step is to review which ideas are your strongest, which have a chance of gaining you and your company media coverage.  Now start thinking like the media.  Let’s say you’re an editor or a producer; which of the stories you’ve come up with would be the most appealing.  How and why will those ideas work?  Now drill down even further, which ideas will work specifically as TV pitches?  TV is a visual medium; you want to present stories that offer more than just a talking head.  When pitching TV, think in terms of the strongest visual stories you can present.  Now think in terms of radio, what type of story ideas would work best there?  Next, do the same type of exercise with print media and social media.

Finally, start segmenting the media.  Different media outlets have different needs.  You need to keep that in mind when pitching and presenting your story ideas.  This is where most stories meet their doom.  You need to not only pitch great story ideas, you need to pitch stories that a particular journalist who writes for a very specific target market understands.  For example you might come up with a great pitch idea that you could present to women’s magazine, men’s magazine and general interest magazines, but how you pitch your story to each particular outlet  is going to decide whether the media is going to cover it or not.  That’s why you want to spend time brainstorming practicing how to build those media bridges.

Remember your PR hooks and media pitches need to meet the needs of the various magazines, newspapers, radio shows, and internet sites that you’re targeting.  You could have a great story, but if you pitch it to the wrong media outlet, it won’t get you very far.  Effective PR comes down to effective story telling. Take time to brainstorm and develop your stories.  It will be time well spent.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Brown, Ronald. “Innovation- Idea-Light bulb.” Photo. Mashable. 22 Jun 2012. 25 Jun 2012. <http://mashable.com/2012/06/22/measure-product-viability-agile-time/>

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What PR Can Do That The Law Can’t – And Why That Matters To You

April 23, 2012 Leave a comment

Perhaps one of the most striking examples of how public relations, specifically media relations, differs from any other form of marketing is the way it can bring stories that the legal system has hit roadblocks to light.  PR can bring these stories to the public, and through media exposure enact change.  I can think of several cases that were floundering or caught in legal gridlock for one reason or another that were brought to public attention by the media, at which point the legal gears began to turn.  The media sheds light on a story that is shrouded in darkness and that light is often what leads to justice being done.  Those stories are often brought to the attention of the media by PR consultants.  Our company has represented clients locally, nationally and internationally where our focus was on bringing media attention to cases that, for one reason or another, were not being properly addressed through the legal system.  These are situations where PR can effect change when the legal system has hit a roadblock.

Not that your media needs or PR stories are going to be as serious as the one’s I’m referring to here.  But you see the basic point.  It’s the media coverage that gives those stories legitimacy, credibility.  PR brings them out of the shadows into the light of day and to the attention of the public.   In much the same way, media coverage can confer the credibility of being featured in the news to your story, service or product.  You are not presented as an ad or a commercial, but as the news.  That alone separates you from your competition.

Once you have the legitimacy of being featured in the news, you can take your media coverage and by using social media tools magnify and amplify your press coverage.  The combination of traditional media and social media makes for an incredibly powerful marketing tool.

Once you start to garner press coverage, you never know who is going to see, hear or read about you and that can result in totally surprising and unanticipated results. Always start a campaign with certain objectives in mind. Know your target market and outline your objectives.  Your gameplan will outline your primary focus.  But because of the powerful nature of the media, you never know what opportunities might arise.  I have witnessed some amazing results that neither I nor my clients envisioned. I have seen companies and careers built in record time, have had clients offered their own radio and TV shows after having been seen on the media. I’ve had clients offered positions in other companies, larger companies have offered buy-outs or mergers, and one client was offered complete financing on a new business venture after appearing on one talk show.

The bottom line is that media relations is an amazingly effective tool; it can effect social change and bring legal issues to light, but it can also brand your product, or company, build your business and substantially grow your customer base.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Faur, Peter. “Upset by the Reputation of PR? Get Over it.” Photo. Peter Faur. 14 Sept 2011. 23 Apr 2012. <http://peterfaur.com/2011/09/14/upset-by-the-reputation-of-pr-get-over-it#axzz1stciOT2O>

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PR Secret: A Good Story Will Get you in the Media Today

April 20, 2012 Leave a comment

With all of the new theories, programs, classes and seminars and master mind groups on how new media and social media are changing the world of PR, one thing remains constant, to be successful in the PR world, you have to have a story – good, compelling story with a strong narrative. All of the newest sites, gadgets, bells and whistles will get you nowhere, if you don’t have that in place.  Not that long ago, when the dot.com explosion firmly set on its head, the fact that AOL was set to swallow up Time Warner, was a story.  It actually should have been placed more in the realm of fiction, or better yet science fiction, but it sure as heck was a story; and one that received non-stop media coverage.  But if your company’s not about to gobble up Facebook, or Google, or Apple, how are you going to interest the media?  Some imagination and creativity on your part are in order.  You need the newest PR secret, which is also the oldest; you need a compelling story!

For example, if you’ve started a new website for your business, a press release announcing that your new site has been launched might get your company some ink in certain trade publications, you have a shot at garnering some online mentions on Yahoo and Google, but is that really what you want?  If you’re intent on launching an effective media relations campaign, you need to offer the media more than the fact you’ve created a new site.   What makes your site unique, special, different, or cutting edge?  What problems does it solve?  What questions does it answer?  How does it make a person’s life easier, happier, or more effective? 

This is no longer a one-story-fits-all world, and it’s imperative that a company develop press releases, hooks and ideas that will compel an editor, writer or producer to want to do a story. Think of the media less as a unified country than a segmented group of islands, each with its own interests, philosophy and needs.

What interests the Wall Street Journal will not necessarily interest USA Today, 60 Minutes, People, Vogue or your local media outlets.  The job of an effective media campaign is to interest each one of those venues.  Depending on  the campaign, the name of the game is to reach either a specifically targeted group or the largest number of consumers.  Each objective has its own strategy, but regardless of the strategy or objective, every campaign comes down to one main component; a good hook.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Snow, Shane. “8 Hot Media Trends You Need to Know.” Photo. Mashable. 19 Apr 2012. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://mashable.com/2012/04/19/hot-media-trends/>

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PR Secrets for Your Online Business

April 18, 2012 Leave a comment

Apart from Facebook and a few other IPO notables, dot.com IPOs no longer command the attention they did in the wild west of the late 1990s, and youthful billionaires, although still newsworthy, are no longer the big stories they were even two years ago.  These stories will continue to garner press, but they are not enough for a company to build a media presence around. The days of easy media are lost to the end of the 20th Century.  Already the 21st Century is a more demanding, more media-savvy time.

When dot.coms were still the rage, many internet companies turned to celebrities, hoping that by partnering with Whoopi Goldberg or Cindy Crawford, or some professional sports star, some of the stars’ fame and sheen would rub off on their online business. These companies were aware that the media love celebrities; and it is a star’s fame often that drives the media like moths to the proverbial flame.

But soon, even the celebrity factor began to wear thin; amazingly enough William Shatner survived as an online spokesperson, but overall internet companies found themselves faced with the same question that brick-and-mortar companies have faced for years: after the initial fireworks have cleared, how does a company consistently develop engaging and credible stories that will interest the media?

This is where public relations, specifically media relations and media placement come into the picture. When it comes to marketing a dot.com business, e-commerce site or internet product, a company must now broaden its scope to include an effective, story-driven media campaign. Unlike advertising, effective media relations can validate and legitimize a company – and for a fraction of what a comprehensive ad campaign costs.

This is not to say that when marketing an online business advertising and public relations are mutually exclusive. The two have different tasks to perform and one reinforces the other. Both can be vital to a successful overall campaign.  But in the 3.0 world of marketing it’s a mix of social media marketing and traditional PR that offers the most successful form of marketing.

During the dot.com heyday, many e-commerce companies did advertising overkill which cost-wise had a tendency to kill their business; most ignored or under-utilized the immense power and effectiveness of a well-targeted media relations campaign. Many figured that the more money they threw into an ad campaign, the more successful they’d be.  Few did their homework, thinking out of the box, and developing unique, compelling hooks and distinctive story ideas.

Meanwhile, the media began suffering from a bad case of dot-com burnout, which continues to this day.  It’s no longer enough to simply send out press releases announcing that a new site has been launched. Every day, thousands of press releases and pitches flood the email, snail mail, phone and fax lines (yes there still are some of those) of every media outlet in the country.

If a company wants to be noticed, or heard above this deafening roar, it better to know what each particular media outlet wants, understand each particular outlet’s demographics, and know how each editor or producer likes to be pitched.   Marketing has come full circle.  Once again it is all about the story.  Successful public relations comes down to having a credible, effective, engaging and instructional story to tell.  And that’s good news.  It means that the smallest, most cash strapped company has a chance to shine.  It simply needs to be creative.  When it comes to PR and pitching the media, remember, your story is your fortune.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Craig. “Advantages of Having an Online Business.” Photo. U2. NET. 29 Sept. 2010 18 Apr 2012. <http://www.uk2.net/blog/advantages-of-having-an-online-business/&gt;

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How To Stand Out In a World of Dot.com Gerbils

April 16, 2012 Leave a comment

The internet has not only drastically changed industries, such as music, media and film, it has changed marketing forever.  Let me restate that, it is changing marketing on an ongoing basis.  How we send and receive information is in a constant state of flux.  There is no final destination; no point of arrival, there is only a constant ever evolving journey.   The not-so-long-ago lonesome trails of the net are now overly congested and traffic is bumper-to-bumper.

This is true not only of the number of web sites themselves but of the proliferation of web and dot-com advertisements. The amount has reached critical mass.  Not only has how we receive our information changing from PCs and Macs to pads and smart phones, but the amount of information that is flowing to us seems to be growing exponentionally.

The problem is the more information we receive, the less we actually register.  Every day we are bombarded with emails, pop ups, banners, etc.  It’s bad enough that we’re assaulted online; the offline world offers little escape.  From sponsorship of college football bowl games, to billboard ads, to stickers on produce, companies are trying any and every advertising and marketing avenue available to lure customers to their sites.

The sheer volume is so overwhelming that most of us are left with little more than a memory of countless dot-com companies that offer something – we’re just not sure what.  From traditional ads and commercials, to PR and media relations campaigns, to email marketing and social media campaigns, companies are trying any and everything to get your attention.

In real time the internet has shot from toddler to grown-up overnight, and the marketing strategies of even one or two years ago will no longer suffice.  So, where does that leave the entrepreneur who is looking to successfully market his or her online business?  Advertising, when done adeptly and consistently, is essential, but these days it can only take an internet company so far. To truly establish a company in the public eye, it’s imperative at some point for the message to take that defining, and validating leap from an ad that precedes the evening news to the story featured on the news.

Whether a company’s objective is to obtain more funding or attract more consumers to its site, there is nothing as validating and legitimizing as a well-placed print piece or TV segment.  The trouble is that not that many years ago, garnering Internet-oriented press was relatively easy.  Remember all of those articles and TV segments heralding the emergence of MySpace?   Stories about the launching of new IPOs, teen-aged wunderkinds who became overnight billionaires, and the very novelty of it all commanded reams of print as well as hours of TV and radio coverage. The wanna be Amazon.coms of the world were featured in every magazine and newspaper and on every TV and radio station.

Well, these days not only are consumers inundated with dot.com information, so is the media, and launching a successful media relations campaign is a bit tougher than it once was.  Still, when it comes to launching and implementing a successful marketing campaign for your online company a strategic mix of traditional PR and social media is your best bet.  As to the hows; I’ll be covering that in my follow up article.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

PETERD. “Fish.” Photo. SEOBOOK. 17 Oct 2011. 15 Apr 2012. <http://www.seobook.com/web-publishing-strategies-help-you-stand-out-competition&gt;

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2 PR Secrets: Using Statistics & Offering An Exclusive

April 13, 2012 Leave a comment

You want to try various ways to interest the media.  But you want to make sure your approaches are appropriate.  The following are two public relations secrets to try.  One, using data and statistics in your pitch, just about anyone can use, you just have to get creative, the other, offering the media an exclusive,  is a bit more specific, but if and when you can use it can be a powerful public relations tool, as long as you follow the rules.

1) The media loves data, numbers, statistics and anything that will make a story seem weightier and more concrete.   So, your job is to come up with some unique data and statistics and tie it into your pitch (or pitches).  If you can offer the media information and data that is unique, you’ve got a great chance at piquing their interest.  People love statistics and so do the media. Statistics (percentages and numbers) seem real, whether they are or not. Stats are great to offer to producers, writers, editors, bloggers & media outlets. It gives them a hook, something to work with. They can use your stats and then your quotes to come up with interesting, off beat and fun sound-bites, articles, and segments. Using statistics in your pitches is an excellent way to give an editor or producer a good media hook, and garner media coverage for you and your company.

2) If you have information that is truly unique, contact some targeted media outlets and offer to give them an exclusive.  I hesitate to add this, because for that approach to work your story and pitch truly has to be newsworthy.  If you call a top mainstream media editor or producer and offer an exclusive about a new product or service you’re pitching, you’re not only going to be wasting your time and their time, you’re going to alienate them.  Chances are when you try your next pitch; they’re going to ignore it thinking you don’t understand what real news is.

In the real world, you’re seldom going to be in a position to offer an exclusive.  Those generally revolve around breaking news, celebrity news, politics, crime, etc.  But if you do hit on a story of that importance and offer an exclusive, you are honor bound to stick to it.  Don’t offer an exclusive to 60 Minutes and then turn around and offer the story to a network morning show.  I use that example, because several years ago, that’s exactly what happened to me.  I offered 60 Minutes an exclusive, they accepted and then unbeknownst to me or the 60 Minutes producer, the client was contacted by a producer at one of the national morning shows, and without letting me know until after the fact, the client went on the program before 60 Minutes had aired its segment.

Needless to say, the 60 Minutes producer and I were livid.  That is not the way media or PR works.  If you break trust, it’s very hard to establish it again.  So, if you ever are in a situation to offer an exclusive, think long and hard about what outlet would be the best one to offer the story to.  Which outlets best meet your objectives via readership and target market?  Once you’ve decided, make the offer.  If it’s accepted, you are duty bound to honor it.  Once the story breaks you can take it to other outlets, but until then, put on the breaks,  Hold back and wait until the story has aired or been published before talking to any other media outlets about it.

As I mentioned at the beginning, nearly anyone can use the data and statistic approach, so get creative and see what type of pitches you can come up with.  As to the exclusive, you only want to use that approach when it’s truly appropriate, a new product or grand opening does not qualify.  But, if and when you do come up with a story that warrants an exclusive, don’t be shy to go that route.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

“Average amount of media used per day.” Photo. BBC. 19 Aug 2010. 13 Apr 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11012356&gt;

Gaskell, Adi. “People don’t use social media at work to talk shop.” Photo. Technorati. 13 Apr 2012. 13 Apr. 2012. <http://technorati.com/social-media/article/people-dont-use-social-media-at/&gt;

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