Six (More) Insider Tips to Pitching the Media

October 6, 2010 1 Comment

In a previous article I listed five secrets to pitching the media.  Those work.  Give them a try.  But there are a variety of different ways to interest producers and editors.  Remember your job is to meet the media’s needs; to give them stories that talk directly to their readers, listeners or viewers.

When pitching, put yourself in the place of the editor or producer you’re pitching.  Before you pitch a story to Vogue, the Wall Street Journal, the Today Show or the local media, figure out what stories they’re looking for as opposed to simply concentrating on the stories you want to pitch.  Remember they are looking for new and unique angles that will interest their audience.

Develop your primary story:  Your basic story may well stay somewhat the same, but you need to modify the pitch to meet the needs of each magazine, newspaper, radio show and TV outlet.  Develop a number of secondary pitch ideas

If you work it right, you can position it so that they need you and your story ideas as much as you need you need them.  When crafting your media pitch don’t limit yourself to one angle or approach.  Develop a mix of story ideas.  Some of your pitches might be serious; others might be fun or lighthearted.  The following are six more PR secrets to placing stories in the media.

1) Position yourself as an expert.  For example, if you’re an attorney and a legal case is in the news, you can position yourself as an expert to discuss the case or the issues. You don’t have to be one of the attorneys directly involved in the case. What you need to do is present yourself as an expert who can address the topic.

2) Find a strong local, human interest-oriented angle to your story. When pitching the local media, keep the emphasis on the word “local.” If you’re a hometown gal or guy that has created a new product or service, talk about your roots to the city or the community. Bring the local angle and flavor to your story.

3) Always keep in mind that you don’t want to pitch your product or service to the media; you want to pitch the outcome and the benefits. For example, if you’re a physician, don’t pitch your expertise, pitch a patient story that the media can follow.  Give them a story.

4) Develop an underdog story, one where you beat the odds and won.  Everyone roots for the underdog and those types of stories have a great narrative.  You’re able to tell a full story complete with the problem, the journey and the ultimate overcoming-the-odds conclusion.

5) Disagree with a popular point of view.  Embrace controversy.  Explain why all the experts are wrong.

6) Use opposites:  men versus women, teenager versus adults, Midwesterners vs. west coasters, suburbanites vs. city dwellers, etc.

Have fun with your pitch ideas.  Be creative and remember, if you meet the media’s needs – you’ll always meet yours.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under business, Business Strategy, Marketing, Media, Media Coverage, Media Relations, PR, PR Campaign, small business Public Relations, Your Message Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Difference Between Online PR and Traditional PR

August 5, 2010 Leave a comment

Traditional public relations and what is generally referred to as online PR are definitely different animals.  In general, traditional PR or media relations has to do with placing articles or segments in newspapers, magazines, TV and radio.  Unlike other forms of marketing such as advertising or direct marketing, PR is a story-based process.  The objective is to pitch a compelling story to the media which meets the media’s needs but also garners coverage for you or your business.  When placing stories in the media, you want to highlight your product or service, but in order to be successful, you also want to educate, to enlighten and, if possible, entertain. Effective PR is not about fluff and hype.  It is about pitching the media a strong story that educates, entertains, enlightens and it gives the readers, viewers or listeners information on a particular topic or field that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.

Perhaps the most important aspect that differentiates public relations from other forms of marketing is that the stories go through the same scrutiny as other articles or segments that are featured in the news.  They are vetted.  There is verification (or at least there should be).  There are editors and segment producers that assign and review stories before they run.  This gives stories that appear in the media the validation and credibility of being the news.  That gives them a trust value that a commercial or print ad can’t deliver.  Most anyone with the money to pay for an ad can buy it.  The phrasing and the copy is that of the company.  That’s fine.  It’s an important marketing approach that works, but appearing in an ad is very different than being featured in an editorial story.  The trust value that comes from being featured in the news is immense.

Whereas there are some online magazines and news sites that work in the same way that the traditional media works, what is generally referred to as online PR is more akin to marketing or advertising than it is to traditional public relations.  Generally, there is not third party verification.  There is not a vetting process where an editor or producer fact checks or reviews the article or segment that has been submitted.  What is referred to as online PR generally has to do with blogging, posting information on social media sites, email marketing campaigns, and online press release distribution.

Pitching bloggers is a process unique to the Internet; it is not quite the same as a pitch to a traditional media outlet, since what bloggers are looking for varies quite a bit.  Your best bet is to study the blogs you’re submitting to.  Don’t pitch the same way you would a media outlet.  Bloggers are not looking for PR releases and media oriented pitches.  They are looking for what interests them and their readers.  Make your contact personal and don’t make it a pitch.

Sending out press releases through such distribution sites as PRWeb and PR Newswire is another online PR approach.  Again, this is different from a traditional media approach.  Here you are not so much looking to land mainstream media via your releases (if you are, rethink your strategy); this is primarily a tool to help your online ranking and visibility.  When using this approach often the more releases you send out the better, which is the opposite approach you want to use in a traditional PR campaign.   Be sure to map keywords to the press releases.  Use appropriate keywords in the title, sub title and in the body copy of the release.  If you’re going the online press release route, use social bookmark services such as furl.net and del.icio.us to archive your releases.

Although online PR can influence the media, its main function is to communicate with others on the net using various online sites and blogs.   The most powerful approach is to meld traditional PR with an online marketing approach.  Using this approach, you can utilize the validation of traditional PR and the global reach of online PR to create a marketing program that is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under business, Marketing, marketing strategy, PR Campaign, small business Public Relations, social media Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How to Find Your Customer base & Successfully Market to Them

May 10, 2010 Leave a comment

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a business owner is to not clearly define your target market.  Before you start promoting, before you launch a public relations campaign, or start to Tweet, or blog or launch an Ad Words campaign, know who it is you’re targeting.  Who is your audience?  Who precisely is your target market?

If you’ve developed a new anti-aging skin cream and are marketing it to teenage boys, you’d better take another look at your strategy. I know that example is a bit extreme, but in more subtle ways, business owners make that type of mistake on a regular basis.  You need to initially know who your market is, you then need to know how to contact them.  You may indeed have the best product or service out there, but if you’re pitching the wrong target audience, it’s not going to work.

Believe me, this isn’t an uncommon mistake; more businesses than you think have done everything right and gone belly up because their targeting was off. This is one of the basic aspects of launching a successful business.  Know who your prospects are.  Know your clientele. That’s not always as easy as it sounds.  Often the idea of a particular market clouds business reality.  For example, if you have developed a jewelry line that you’d like to see carried by Tiffany’s, but your true target market is Walmart, you have a problem.  Best you learn that now and learn it quickly.

The following are some tips on how to study your competition to help define your particular market:

  1. Utilize the internet; it can be a goldmine of information.  Google your competition as well as any keywords related to your business.  You’ll be amazed at what you can learn w. (which brings up another topic of knowing your keywords- check out next week’s post on Knowing Your Keywords).
  2. Study your trade publications.  Most fields have publications, newsletters or websites dedicated specifically to that particular business sector. Study them.  See who else is out there working in your field and study how they are positioning themselves.
  3. Study ads and articles in mainstream media.  Whether it’s a local newspaper or a national magazine, see how others in your field are positioning themselves and learn from what you read.
  4. If applicable, actually visit your competitions’ places of business and study how they deal with clients, how they market in-house and how they present their business.

Once you’ve defined your market, you can focus on defining your PR and media relations target market, which is a very different process.  Here you’re looking for the magazines, newspapers, TV programs, blogs, social media sites and other communication and information outlets that speak directly to your prospective clients.  This is a different process, but equally important.  If you define your customer base correctly, but miss the mark when it comes to your PR and marketing campaign, you’re not going to be reaching your clients.  It’s like drilling for oil with the right equipment, but drilling in the wrong place.

Defining your market doesn’t need to be that hard a process.  Be realistic about your business. Not every product or service has a huge market, but you don’t need huge, you need one that’s realistic and well-defined.  Describe your perfect customer and client base.  Look at your competition; study who they target.   Now develop a marketing plan to effectively reach your customers or prospects.  Once you’ve successfully defined your customer base and designed a targeted media campaign, you’re in the business of growing your business.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under Marketing, Media, Public Relations, small business, small business Public Relations, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

Making Small Business Big: The Social Media/PR Effect

February 19, 2010 1 Comment

Social media can be the great leveler allowing small and midsized companies to compete head to head with the big guns.  Not only do social media networks offer a unique way to reach a company’s target market, they also offer tremendous way to gather feedback and information.  Combining social media and traditional PR is a unique two-pronged approach which results in more followers, more buzz, more customers and more business.

A recent article in the Economist reported that a Citibank survey of 500 small businesses last October found that very few of them had utilized social media or online networks because they thought it would be a waste of time.  On the one hand they could be 100% correct.  Companies that go on various social media sites without a plan or a specific agenda could spend a great deal of time with virtually no ROI to show for it.  For example a company that goes on Twitter and uses it simply as an online ad billboard is going to most likely see very little in return for the time spent.  On the other hand, used strategically, Twitter can be a great leveler allowing small and midsized companies to compete head to head with the big guns.  The companies that fair the best offer useful information create relationships with their followers and use giveaways and deals as incentives.  In 2009, the advertising agency Razorfish did a study.  It showed that 44% of those following companies on Twitter reported that they did so because of the exclusive deals that were offered to users.

Small and midsized companies that are utilizing Twitter, Facebook and other online sites with a strategic, organic approach are finding a new effective way to reach their target market.  But social media’s not just about small, Starbucks, Dell, Sony and most of the big players are there.  They see the value offered by these sites.  Not only do social media networks offer a unique way to reach a company’s target market, they also offer tremendous ways to gather feedback and information.  For companies that can’t afford focus groups and expensive studies, this can be a godsend.

Awhile back, Kogi BBQ became the Twitter poster child.  Kogi is a mobile Korean food serving company in Los Angeles, which uses Twitter to tell its customers where they can find the trucks each day.  This garnered traction on Twitter, but once the mainstream media picked it up is when the story grew exponentially.  The media amplified the Twitter story bringing more followers to Kogi and more users to Twitter.  And there is the true secret behind how small and mid sized companies can turbo charge their social media campaign.  Companies that combine their social media outreach with a traditional PR campaign are the real winners.  The buzz initially grows online, traditional media then picks it up, turns it into a news story and the online factor is amplified.  The result of this two-pronged approach is more followers, more buzz, more customers and more business.

Social media was not initially created as a business tool, but companies that don’t realize what an important marketing tool it has become, are going to suffer for it.  The good news is that it’s never too late to learn and utilize this unique marketing approach.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under internet marketing, Marketing, marketing strategy, Media Coverage, Media Relations, PR Campaign, small business Public Relations Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

What’s Your PR IQ- Part 2

February 11, 2010 Leave a comment

When it comes to marketing, this is one of the most confusing times for business owners professionals and entrepreneurs.  Marketing is changing.  What works for one business, could be a waste of time and money for another.  Still, many still believe they intuitively know the ins and outs of launching and implementing an effective PR campaign.  Sadly that is seldom the case.  In part one of “What’s Your PR IQ?” I discussed defining your business, defining your target market, thinking in terms of stories and writing a press release, but there’s much more to consider before launching and implementing an effective public relations campaign.

Study the various media outlets. You don’t have the same conversation with every person you know, so why would you send every media outlet the exact same release? Each media outlet has different story needs and a different audience. Tailor your releases and your pitches to each specific media outlet.

Less is more. If you’re thinking of sending out a huge press kit filled with reams of paper, photos and brochures, think again. This may work when pitching clients, but remember the media is interested in only one thing – a good story. Burden them with pounds of useless information and they’ll see you as a nuisance.

Examine all of the available angles. Your first pitch may not work. Be creative. Keep at it. Eventually you’ll hit on the right one. Media outlets vary. Each magazine, newspaper and TV program has different needs and demographics. Each time you’re preparing to pitch a story, put yourself in the place of that editor or segment producer.

Work backward. Approach it from the media’s perspective, and you will be much more creative, and more effective. What would make a disinterested party want to catch a segment or read an article about you or your business? Once you hit on the “hook,” you have a story.

Learn how to meld a traditional PR campaign with blogging and social media.  Don’t think in terms of doing online marketing or traditional PR. The two go hand in hand.  Facebook and Twitter explode whenever a story breaks on TV.  The mainstream media gives the story credence and validation and then the bloggers and social media sites pass the information along, or discuss it, agree, disagree, analyze, etc. That is why getting a story into the press via traditional PR is so important.

Be patient, be persistent and prepare for success. This is the toughest concept to master. Some campaigns hit a home run in the first week, but most take time and persistence.   But the wait and the work are worth it.  An effective campaign can grow your business, increase your cash flow, build your brand and establish you as the expert in your field.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Filed under Entrepreneur PR, Marketing, small business Public Relations Tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Building Your Business with PR

December 1, 2009 2 Comments

An effective public relations campaign can give you media exposure, credibility, offer you validation and establish you as one of the premiere experts in your field, and, if you actively work your media, it can build your business.  If used correctly, public relations is the best form of marketing available for growing your company    It is also the most effective way to establish your brand.  Why?  Being featured in the news builds trust and trust creates consumer loyalty, which builds effective brands.   It is possible to build a brand through advertising if you have a multi-million dollar budget and can keep your name, product, service and logo in front of the public on a consistent basis.  Yet, even then, there is no guarantee that a break-the-bank ad campaign will create a loyal clientele and build an enduring brand.

 

This is not to say that you should avoid advertising, but that you do so with realistic objectives.  If you’re working with a finite budget ( and these days who isn’t?) you want to develop a well-targeted, focused  marketing campaign to establish your name and your company, separate yourself from your competition, reach your target market and  credibility and validation.  You want your marketing to drive sales and build your business.  That’s where an effective PR campaign comes into play.

 

Find a public relations firm that understands you, your company and your needs.  Work together as a team to create a focused message and develop stories that will grab the media’s attention.  Use your media in your other marketing efforts.  If you’re featured or quoted on CNN or NBC, or in the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, make sure you let your prospective customers know about it.  Amplify your media exposure on the internet using blogs or social media.  Now use your media to garner even more media coverage.  Establish yourself as an expert in your field.  Used effectively, a targeted PR campaign can not only build your company’s brand, but build your business.

 

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

 

 

Filed under Entrepreneur PR, how do i get in the media, marketing strategy, PR Campaign, Press Release Writing, print publications, Public Relations, public relations expert, small business Public Relations Tagged with , , , , ,

Creating An Authentic Transformational Marketing Machine

November 25, 2009 Leave a comment

Having worked in public relations and marketing for over twenty years, I can honestly say that I have never seen a time when professionals, businesses and entrepreneurs are at such a loss as to how to market.  This is a dizzying time.  When it comes to marketing there have never been so many options.  At the same time, I doubt there has been a time when so many different failed marketing approaches have been implemented.  It was tough before to know what ad to run, or how to focus your PR campaign, but businesses knew the mediums that were available and, at least in theory, understood how they worked.

The trick was to craft a message that resonated with the target market.  That has shifted; yes those marketing tools are still extremely powerful, but they are no longer sufficient as stand-alone approaches.  For a company to be truly successful, a mix of traditional and internet marketing must be implemented, but deciding what that mix should be is not an easy task.  Because my public relations firm is eclectic, we have worked with a wide range of clients.  We have represented clients in such fields as entertainment, medicine, law, publishing, technology, beauty, psychology, finance, fitness, and a number of other fields.  One thing I have learned is that here is no one marketing mix that fits all of those arenas, each has a specific target market and a unique message.  Each needs to craft its message using language that its target market understands and has to target venues that the market utilizes.  In this brave new world of marketing, companies need to learn how to find the right marketing mix for their business, product or service.  But that is just step one.  They also need to develop a personal, authentic message, one that reflects the values and goals of a business or entrepreneur in its marketing message.  Companies that focus on and solve those two problems are those that succeed; those are companies that have created their own transformational marketing machine.

 

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

Filed under business, Marketing, PR, PR Campaign, Press Release Writing, small business Public Relations Tagged with , , , ,

The PR Credibility Factor

May 13, 2009 Leave a comment

Let’s look at an example of how advertising and media placement differ. You’re interested in buying a new car and just happen to be thumbing through a copy of Fortune magazine. You come across an ad for a car. The ad is pretty and glossy. It is a photo of a beach scene at sunset. The colors are more beautiful than those in real life. The photo has an attractive man and woman dressed in sophisticated evening attire standing by the car, which is parked in the sand, just beyond the reach of the aqua marine waves. The copy tells you that this car is the best thing to hit this country since sliced bread and that you can’t exist another day without running out and buying it. The photo tells you that if you do by the car, you will be transported to that idyllic beach scene. You live in Cincinnati, Ohio, it is the dead of winter, and damn if that idyllic marine scene doesn’t look inviting.

You continue to look through the magazine and come upon an article on the year’s best cars. The article mentions a certain car (not the one you saw in the ad), and touts the car as being one of the most efficient, best-built, luxurious, yet cost-effective cars on the market. The article is simple, direct, and informative and is written by an expert in the automotive field. Which do you think will have the most impact on you, the ad or the article?

My guess is, after the Caribbean fantasies die down, the article will have the greatest impact on you. Why? Credibility. The ad may give you some basic information, but it primarily offers you a fantasy. The car is bright and shiny. It is parked on an empty, pristine beach. The sun is setting in the background. There is a sexy, tanned couple, in evening attire no less, standing by the immaculate, gleaming car. Nine times out of ten, you’re not buying the car; you’re buying the scene – the fantasy.

The article, on the other hand, raises your comfort level. You have been given objective
information on the car’s effectiveness and quality. An expert has kicked the tires for you and given you a positive report. You have moved from fantasy to reality. The car featured in the ad may seem more sexy or romantic, but the one spotlighted in the article becomes real. It is a news story. Not only is it luxurious, it is dependable, efficient, and reliable. Remember, it’s 20-below outside, reliable is important. It is this type of credibility or validation that cannot be bought in the form of an ad. It is the credibility factor that makes PR so effective.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

Filed under advertising vs. public relations, business, Entrepreneur PR, Media, Media Relations, Public Relations, public relations expert, public relations specialist, small business Public Relations Tagged with , , , , , ,

Social Media as the Agent & Engine for Change

March 31, 2009 Leave a comment

Social media could have an amazing impact on us individually and as a people. It could be the call to action that gets us to stop thinking and start doing. It’s great that people can communicate as never before and are now able to share what they’re doing, or where they’re going with others around the globe. It’s fun and makes for connections, but if it ends there, we’re losing a goldmine. Where the various forms of social media could have a true impact is not only in raising awareness of issues and problems, but in offering concrete solutions and immediate participation. The Internet offers a unique platform for raising awareness about issues and causes. If used correctly, it can also offer solutions that those online can immediately begin to participate in. I’m not advocating that the Internet turn into a non-stop charity delivery system. That’s not its function and we’d all burn-out at that. We need to keep the variety of topics; we need sites and posts to span the gamut, from the serious to the absurd. That’s what makes it interesting, but if the power of social media were truly harnessed to initiate change, it would be unlike anything we’ve ever seen. It immediately goes from the specific to the general, from the individual to the masses. The Obama campaign realized the impact the Internet could have and utilized it. Celebrity stories spread like wildfire, so think of the impact it could have to help those really in need. Causes, from global warming, to food shortages, to sex slavery need to be marketed just like companies or products do. To be noticed, and for change to happen, these stories need to reach the public through various forms of marketing or PR. If utilized correctly, think of the impact that a social media campaign, linked to a traditional PR campaign could have as an agent of change. Copyright © Anthony Mora 2009

Filed under Public Relations, Media Relations, Media, Entrepreneur PR, small business Public Relations, advertising vs. public relations, business, public relations expert, public relations specialist Tagged with , , , , , ,

Regardless of the Medium, The Story is the Message

March 28, 2009 Leave a comment

 

“The medium is the message” is a phrase by Marshall McLuhan.  In his book, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, published in 1964, he explained that the medium influences how the message is perceived.  So, what does that mean for the present?  Today, when all of the established mediums are basically crumbling around us and the overwhelming medium of choice is the Internet, what does that say about the message itself?  How can we now successfully convey a message through this relatively new medium? 

 

Although more people are able to deliver their message than ever before, the number of mediums is being reduced to one.  Whereas in the past people would choose to read a newspaper, watch TV, or listen to the radio, all of those mediums are funneling themselves into the Internet.  So how does the medium translate as the message?  The way we perceive the medium is as important as how we perceive the message. So, where is this new road taking us?  

 

Is it one comprised primarily of opinion-based information? 

 

Is peer review going to take the place of editorial review? 

 

Is vetted and fact-checked news now less important than on-the-scene, personalized, immediate coverage?

 

And, apart from information and news, how is this medium affecting the ways companies promote and market themselves?  How is advertising and public relations affected?  According to studies, at present, advertising is waning on the Internet.  The one-to-one correlations to print ad and TV commercials do not seem to be there.  How to monetize the Internet is still a question in search of an answer.   But, amid all of this change and flux, there does remain one constant, what people relate to are stories.  From the beginning of recorded history to the present time, our species is one that learns and communicates through storytelling.  So, amid all of the changes, the story remains supreme and those individuals and companies that understand this and focus on how to successfully articulate their stories, regardless of the medium, those will be the ones who will not only survive, but thrive. 

 

Copyright © Anthony Mora

 

 

Filed under Public Relations, Media Relations, Media, Entrepreneur PR, small business Public Relations, advertising vs. public relations, business, public relations expert, public relations specialist, public relations services, Your Message, Your Target Market

Finding Your Niche

March 27, 2009 Leave a comment

Is your audience a mass market or a special niche audience? If it’s a special niche audience, how is it defined: by age, by gender, by geographical demographics? Are your customers primarily men or women, urban or rural? These are all extremely important questions. Do your homework. Take a look at your competitors and see how they market and who they market to. I’m not recommending that you do expensive demographic testing or studies, just use some common sense and get rid of any preconceived ideas you have. Try to step outside and look at your business as a disinterested onlooker would. Although I believe that it is important to listen to your gut feeling, you have to walk a fine line here, be realistic, be cautions, get feedback from others, weigh all of the possibilities, and then make your decisions.

For example, let’s say you’ve developed a new line of baby wear. Okay, who is your target market? Parents, and primarily mothers. Right off the bat, I’d say you could write off auto racing and golf-oriented publications as your primary media targets. Where do you reach mothers? The most obvious would be parent and child-oriented publications (of which there are many), talk shows, local magazines, newspapers, TV and radio programs, and women’s magazines. But study the various women’s magazines; are all of them targeted towards parents of infants and toddlers? No. You want magazines that new mothers read. Seventeen or Teen should probably not be on the top of your list.

Okay, you have defined your message, and your market, and narrowed your. You have done all of your preliminary work, work that most people tend to ignore. You have defined what you do, what your message is, and who your target market is. Now you are ready to launch an effective public relations campaign You’re ready to learn to communicate your message not only to the person next door, but to hundreds, thousands, even millions of people across your city, throughout the country, and around the world.

For further information visit:
http://www.Anthonymora.com

Filed under Public Relations, Media Relations, Media, Entrepreneur PR, small business Public Relations, advertising vs. public relations, business, public relations expert, public relations specialist Tagged with , , , , , , ,

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