Why Press Kits can Backfire

You’ve got it, you’re going to put together a huge, glossy press kit, fill it with bios, press releases, fact sheets, photos, graphs, statistics, brochures, covering everything that ever happened in your life, with every possible bit of information that you have on yourself and your company, and you’re going to send it to every media outlet you can think
of. Interesting plan, if your aim is to throw money away and alienate the media. To begin with, unless you have loads of disposable cash, you’re going to go broke. More importantly, chances are, that it’s going to be incredibly boring, not to mention annoying for the media to receive all that information – information they never requested. Press kits can be effective, but only if they’re used sparingly and shrewdly. Don’t inundate the media with information, and if you’ve hired a firm, don’t give them carte blanche in the matter. Too many PR firms have a tendency to send out press kits en masse. It’s a common practice, but a wasteful one. Also, keep in mind, public relations firms can make a heck of a lot of money charging their clients for high-priced press kits.

Frills and fluff do not make a public relations campaign. Buy yourself some two-pocket folders at any stationery store. Buy a good median-priced folder; you don’t want the most expensive, but you don’t want the cheapest folder either. Inside the folder include copies of any articles or interviews you have appeared in, a fact sheet, a short bio about you and your company, a press release, and any visuals or photos that you believe are important. No fluff, only include the pertinent stuff. That is your press kit. First send a release, make a follow-up call. If a producer or editor asks for a kit, send one, but only to people who have requested it. Be selective. Be smart.

Also, modify your press kit to fit the media that you’re sending to. You may not want to send the same press kit to Time magazine that you would to Runner’s World or Forbes. Be discerning in who you send the kits to and in the materials you include. It will pay off in the long run
Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
http://www.AnthonyMora.com

I’m Only Going to Talk About What I Want to Talk About

We all have different expressions, different moods, and different topics we enjoy discussing. None of us have one-note personalities, but so many people try to launch one-note media campaigns. If you adamantly refuse to broaden the scope of your story, I hope your mother’s a good listener, because there aren’t a hell of a lot of other people who you’re going to reach. People who are inflexible, or have a one-note story, usually have failed media campaigns. Why? They’re boring! When people think this way, it’s generally because they erroneously believe that the rest of the world is just as fascinated by their ideas as they are. Well, they’re wrong.

Most people are going to be bored to tears by what you think is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Now that doesn’t mean that the topic is boring, but that your approach is. Remember, your job is to meet the media’s needs. Broaden your scope. Come up with other ways to pitch your story. You’ll be able to talk about your story, but not until you interest the media. And to do that, sometimes you have to use the indirect approach.

If you are a landscaper, you may have to pitch a story that has you critique the pros and cons of the White House grounds. That’s not the story you probably particularly want to address. You want to tell people that you are a wonderful landscaper and that they should hire you, but there’s no story there. By talking about the White House grounds, you have added another dimension. You have raised the stakes. You’re not just discussing how to landscape Joe Blow’s home, you’re outlining how to best landscape the First Family’s home. These are grounds that everyone has seen (at least in photos or TV) and can relate to. More importantly, you are establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

Be open to new ideas, brainstorm. Come up with as many ideas as you can. Let them be as crazy as you want – don’t edit yourself. Now review your list and start to edit out the ideas that don’t work. Formulate two or three new story angles. Write them up as releases. Broadening your scope will help ensure your success.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
http://www.AnthonyMora.com

I Know What the Media Wants

The media wants stories, but beyond that, not even the media knows what they want. They are constantly searching, trying out new stories, coming up with new ideas. You have to study the various media outlets, review the different formats, study the types of stories they’ve run in the past. No one knows what the media wants because what they want is constantly changing. Don’t take for granted you are some kind of media maven and that you know more than everyone else does. Remember, you’re going to succeed by learning how the media thinks, not by assuming you think they know what they want. You have to prepare, do your homework, study the various media outlets. The bottom line is a good story, but don’t assume because you find a story of interest, the media will like it as well. Nine times out of ten, you’re going to be wrong. Think like an editor, think like a producer. Once again, work backwards. Look at the particular media you are targeting. Who is the audience? What is the basic age range? Does it appeal to primarily men or women? What type of stories does it generally run? Now
put yourself in the place of the editor or producer – how could you fit a story on your business, product, or talent into the format of that media outlet? What story would work? What would the focus be?

For example, let’s say that you are a fashion designer of men’s clothing. GQ and Esquire
would be natural media outlets to approach. You would need to come up with a hook that makes you and your designs special, but you know that with a little persistence and creativity you should be able to place a piece in those publications. What about Vogue? Why not? You could pitch a piece on yourself as the new up-and-coming designer who is reshaping the future of men’s fashion, or a piece, aimed towards women, on how to dress the man in their life. Let’s say you wanted to go to The Wall Street Journal. Okay, pitch a story on dressing for success in the ’90s, or an article on the business of fashion, or the inside workings of the fashion industry. Pitch the media according to its needs, not according to yours. Assume that the story you are dead-set on telling isn’t all that interesting to anyone besides yourself. Now, be creative, give it a spin. Give it a make-over. Make it newsworthy.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
http://www.AnthonyMora.com

I Can’t Use National Media

We live in the information age. If you’re resourceful and inventive enough, you can come up with an interesting story, hook, or idea that will interest the national media. I know you think that you could never garner national media – your story’s simply not exciting enough. But you’re wrong; you can interest the national media. No, you’re probably thinking that even if you could land some national stories, you have no possible use for national media, so what difference does it make? It would just be a waste of time and money for you. You’re based in a little town called Nowhere Ville, USA, so what good would a story that hits all fifty states do you? It’s obvious I just don’t understand your needs.

Well, let’s see. As to your first point, that you don’t have a story that could interest the
national media: why not? Why couldn’t you generate national interest in your story?
Remember everyone who is quoted in Time magazine, or interviewed on the Today show lives and works in some local town or city. Take a look at all of the possible angles available. What makes your story different, unique? Is there some trend or new breakthrough in your field that affects not only your particular business, but your profession as a whole? Are there other similar types of businesses or professionals that you can help weave into your story to give it a broader appeal? Study all of the possibilities. Give your story a wider, more national scope.

Why would you want to garner any national, if you only have a local business? People aren’t going to fly in from around the country to use your plumbing service, or buy insurance from you, or try the newest item on your menu, are they? Maybe, but probably not. So then, is national a waste? Most people will probably tell you so. Most people will tell you to stay local, because that’s where your bread and butter is.

So why am I telling you to pitch the national press? Because, as I mentioned earlier, a national story IS a local story, but one that will nationally establish you as an expert in your field. You will be able to put your media credits in your press releases and bios and, most importantly, national media can help drive your local media through the roof.
Let’s say that you land a thirty-second quote on CNN. Now what? You move as quickly as possible and let your local media outlets know that you were recently featured on CNN. Heck, that in and of itself is news. Believe me, nothing impresses the media more than media. Now you’re national news and you’re in a position to garner local news. National media feeds the local media. It takes some thought, work, and persistence, but the rewards can be incredible.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
http://www.AnthonyMora.com

I’m Not Interesting Enough to be in the Media

Sure, the media interviewed you once, but that was just a fluke. You’re too bland, too shy, your business is too dull, no one is going to care about anything you have to say. Why should you even bother trying public relations? It’ll never work anyway.

I’m sure that there are some businesses that shouldn’t utilize public relations. I suppose that if you’re in the cloak-and-dagger field, you don’t want to broadcast it all over the country. But it’s essential for the majority of people who can utilize the media to build their business, for entrepreneurs who want to start a new company or launch a new product, professionals who want to market their service, physicians who want to increase their practice, or artists who want to showcase their talents. Just about all of us fall into one of those categories. If you do, and you want to utilize the power of effective public relations, stop thinking negatively. Everyone is interesting, every business is interesting, every field has compelling stories to tell. Remember, you are the only you around. No one does what you do quite like you do it. Whether you know it, or even want to believe it, you’re an original, you’re unique. So start viewing yourself that way.

Think of your business as a separate entity that deserves respect and caring. Start treating
yourself and your business that way, and others will begin to react accordingly. In time, you’ll start to internalize that sense of respect and success. You’ll start to feel it yourself. I know it’s hard, but don’t let a poor self image or lack of self-esteem keep you from achieving your dreams. Don’t let your fears and doubts stop you. Remember, no matter how confident some people seem, everybody’s afraid of not being interesting enough or not being success material. We’re all success material. Part of achieving success is working through those doubts and fears.
Copyright © Anthony Mora 2008
For further information visit:
http://www.AnthonyMora.com