The Surprising Benefits of PR

December 17, 2012 Leave a comment

OMG-290x325I’ve written several articles on how to launch a campaign and why PR should be a major part of your marketing plan, but what about why you should launch a public relations campaign.  What are the main upsides?  There are the obvious benefits that come from launching a successful PR campaign.

For example, via a strong media outreach you can:

  • Reach your target market
  • Gain the validation and legitimacy of being featured in the news
  • Establish yourself as an expert in your field
  • Land more customers
  • Sell more products
  • Build and establish your brand
  • Enhance your reputation

These are some of the primary benefits that come from launching a media relations campaign, but in the two decades I’ve run a PR agency, I’ve seen some surprising, unexpected benefits come from PR outreaches.  The following is a list of some of the more remarkable opportunities that have come to clients from their PR campaigns:

  • A client who was going to self publish a book received (and accepted) an offer from a major publisher
  • Another writer did self publish his book and then had it picked up by a major publisher
  • A client was able to secure national and international distribution for his product
  • A film producer landed a distribution deal for his film
  • An artist was offered work with a major film company
  • A medical expert was offered his own health show.
  • A client was offered a semi regular spot on a morning TV show
  • A client landed a national commercial.
  • A client was offered a regular role on a reality TV show
  • A singer was offered a record contract
  • An actress was offered a role in a major feature film.

These are just some of the benefits that have come to clients from their PR campaigns.  That’s not to say that every public relations campaign is going to result in similar opportunities, but one of the most exciting aspects of PR is that you never know.  Let’s say a campaign brings you more clients, establishes you in your field and helps build your business, that’s time and money well spent.   But, as the above list illustrates, once you start to establish yourself, your brand your products, your business, your service, your book, your art, your film, or whatever it is your promoting through the media, magic really can happen.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

 

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I Tried Marketing & PR: It Didn’t Work!

November 9, 2012 Leave a comment

My last article focused on how even the most well meaning PR advice can send you in the wrong direction.  You’re bound to run into some people who have had negative marketing experiences and will use their personal experiences to try and direct you in your business choices.  For example, I tried social media, it’s useless, or I tried direct marketing, it didn’t do a thing, or I tried PR, it didn’t work.  

The trouble with that type of advice is that it’s completely subjective.  You have no idea what they did or didn’t do, how much time they gave it, how targeted their approach was, etc.  When it comes to public relations, people often go in with little knowledge of how the process works and unrealistic expectations.  There are also times when the process actually is working, but it doesn’t fit in with how they expect the process to work, so they assume it’s simply a waste of time.  Let’s review some media relations issues that might be confronting, but still might not be what they appear.

Potential Media Relations Issues

  • For example, your favorite quotes were cut from your interview.
  • You didn’t like the photo they used.
  • The editor or producer forgot to mention where you’re located. It’s not all about you.  It’s not the story you were hoping for.
  • You feel like you didn’t come out looking like a rock star.

The bottom line is you and your business were covered in the media. Nine times out of ten the article is much better that you think it is, the trouble is that it’s about you so you’re hypersensitive.  If there is information that is blatantly wrong; for example, if the date, time of an event was reported incorrectly, you can politely call to set the record straight, but if you weren’t given the amount of time you felt you warranted, if you weren’t made the star, if other people were given more prominence than you, do not call the media to complain.

You’ve landed press coverage. You have the validation and credibility that being featured as a news story offers you.  Use whatever coverage you do get to get a better piece next time. You’re going to run into situations where the coverage you land isn’t going to be exactly what you were hoping for.  In those cases get rid of your preconceived ideas or expectations and focus on how to utilize the coverage you received.  You can make it work for you.

At times a journalist has a particular slant and only one or two of your quotes will fit.  That happens, but you can still utilize that coverage and (most importantly) keep in mind that this is simply one step in a PR process.   This can often be a helpful experience. You can do some homework and give them a more targeted interview next time. Make it a learning experience. Bottom line is that you make sure you utilize any coverage you get; realize that is the nature of the beast, and make it work for you.  Often it can build a relationship with a journalist that will lead to other interviews.  The one thing you want to make sure of is that you never call the media to complain that you weren’t given enough space or enough time, etc. They’re all learning experiences, and you go into the game knowing that.  But also realize that if you stick to your PR objectives, each step is a step closer to your ultimate goal.  That article that only had a one-sentence quote can help garner you a larger piece, which can lead to a TV segment, etc.  Public relations is a cumulative process.  It’s a journey a series of steps that is leading you to your goal.  So, when others tell you about their marketing woes, remember that is their experience, there are countless others who have built successful businesses effectively utilizing marketing and PR.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

 

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The Secrets of Fiction For PR Success

May 26, 2012 Leave a comment

I began as a fiction writer and then moved into journalism.  From there I found my way to PR.  It wasn’t a career path I was thinking of taking, it more or less was a process that evolved.  But, whether I’m writing fiction, journalism or for public relations campaigns, the basic tenants remain the same.  It all comes down to a good, compelling story.

When I worked as a journalist I wrote with my readers in mind.  I wrote with the intention of being relevant to my target market.  When I write a novel or a play, I’m looking to tell a good story, but I’m also looking to connect with the public.  In essence, as a fiction writer, I’m once again, looking to connect with my target market. To some writers that sounds crass and although I don’t write my fiction with the market in mind, I do hope and try to write a compelling enough story that the play, novel or screenplay directly connects with my audience.  From my perspective, that is part of my job as a writer.

I’ve written quite a bit on how PR comes down to effective storytelling, which is in fact what public relations is all about.   Here again, it’s not just telling a story, it’s telling a story that resonates with a specific audience.  When it comes to traditional media, your job is to convince that editor or producer that the story you’re pitching is going to captivate his or her readers, listeners or viewers.

It needs to be compelling, but it also has to be relevant to that particular target market.  For example you could have an incredibly captivating tale that has to do with sports or fitness.  From your perspective it’s a slam dunk.  It has all of the elements of a strong, powerful story.  But creating that pitch is simply step one, now you have to present it to the right media contacts.  If you spend your time pitching your sports-oriented story to the beauty editors of the top women’s magazines, I’d say your chances of landing an article are slim.  Yes, you have the story, but there is a disconnect when it comes to the media you’re pitching.  In effect you haven’t built the bridge necessary to take your story from being a strong concept to being a produced segment or published article.

There lies the secret.  You need to develop a strong story with a compelling narrative, but you also need to know when to pitch it and who to pitch it to.  In other words you need to know your audience.  Combine those two elements, a strong story and a defined market, and, regardless what style or form of writing you work in, you’ll succeed.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

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How to Figure out what Marketing Is Right For You

May 24, 2012 Leave a comment

Mashable’s definition of Marketing is a great place to start thinking about your own company’s marketing mix:

How do you decide what marketing direction is the best for you?  That’s not necessarily an easy question to answer.  You need to know your company, your product or service, your target market and the direction you want your company to go.  Begin by writing out a marketing plan.  Initially have fun with it play with it, then start to hone it down.  Start with a list of questions and then fill in the answers.  But do it a few times and set it up so your answers can’t always be the same as the previous responses.  Look at your company and your business from a number of angles.

Do you need to:

  • drive sales?
  • find new clients?
  • build your brand?
  • reach a new target market?

PR and media relations can achieve a number of goals, but before launching a campaign, you need to define exactly what your specific goals are.  Once you have your marketing objective list, your next step is to review your marketing budget.  How much can you realistically spend to achieve your marketing goals?  Your budget is going to help define your approach.  If you have thousands that you can dedicate to marketing each month you have different options than if you have a couple of hundred or less to put towards your marketing efforts.

If you have a finite marketing budget, your first focus should be on establishing an online presence, by building an easy to read, informational website that speaks to your clients’ needs.  The Internet offers you a way to position yourself and your company online without breaking the bank, but simply having a presence on the Internet does not mean anyone is going to see it.  You need to drive visitors to your site.  This is when a social media outreach program, article marketing program and a blog can help.

But back to the PR question, although your budget will dictate how you’re going to implement your marketing campaign, your budget, or lack of it, does not need to stop you from utilizing media relations.  Draw up a campaign blueprint.  Then move forward.  Don’t waste valuable marketing time trying to figure out if you should launch a PR campaign, focus on how.  It is the one form of marketing that reaches your target market, offers you validation, credibility and establishes you as an expert in your field.  Define your needs, your objectives, your budget, the most appropriate approach and move forward.  The worst decision you can make is to do no marketing.  That’s a sure way to go nowhere fast.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Marketing. Mashable. Retrieved May 24, 2012. http://mashable.com/follow/topics/marketing/page/2/

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Branding Your Company Using PR

March 21, 2012 Leave a comment

PR and media relations are not only effective ways to garner coverage in print, TV or the radio, innovative companies and entrepreneurs are utilizing the basic PR methodology to build their brands.  Effective public relations is one of the most powerful and effective brand building tools available.  Companies build lasting successful brands by creating a powerful emotional response in their customers and in the public at large and they do so by developing and creating an effective story.  Successful branding is not a process of the hard-sell.  It is not about being the biggest, or the loudest, or even the coolest.  A company builds a successful brand by making a deep powerful connection with its market.  Branding is about communicating on a basic human level.

Having worked as a journalist, editor and producer, I know from the media’s perspective what makes a powerful and compelling story. Having served as president and CEO of a PR firm, I also know from the perspective of a public relations consultant what creates a story the media will respond to.  It is the same type of emotional responses that companies look for when it comes to establishing their brands.

For a story to work it must be compelling, interesting and hit a true human chord.  Public relations is the only form of marketing that lives or dies on how compelling the story truly is. Unlike advertising, with media relations you can’t pay to have a story placed in the editorial section of the media. You need to craft and pitch a story that is compelling enough to capture the media’s attention – a story that in essence is strong enough to become the news.

PR is not an event; it is a process and using that process is the most effective and powerful way to create and develop an effective brand.  It is the PR mindset and methodology, the ability to develop and establish stories that resonate with the public that truly create the most powerful and lasting brands. A successful brand tells a company’s story both emotionally and narratively, which is why PR consultants who truly understand the process are the most effective brand creators around.

Keep in mind when you’re launching your PR campaign that you’re not only reaching your target market, establishing yourself though the media, and promoting your business, you’re also successfully connecting with your customers and establishing your company’s brand.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

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Lady Gaga & Her Little Monsters

February 9, 2012 1 Comment

Lady Gaga rules Twitter.  With roughly 19 million followers, she leaves others in the dust.  Lady Gaga was also the first to top one billion YouTube video views.  So what is the obvious next step for the Queen of YouTube and Twitter?  Start your own social network!  And that’s what Gaga has done.  Little Monsters is an invite-only (exclusive, eh? Kinda like getting let in by the doorman at a club) the site which is currently in beta test, is built around her fan base.  Think of a traditional fan club on steroids.  According to media accounts the site will be similar to Pinterest, the mobile app that has users “pin” where they go, what they do and what they like.  It will also be somewhat similar to Digg in that users will be encouraged to share and post content from other sites.

The site is developed by a company named Backplane where (surprise) Troy Carter, Lady Gaga’s manager is one of the founders.  But here’s the question, for now followers and viewers who visit and join Lady Gaga on other sites are coming from a large pool.  They are also not defining themselves so specifically as Lady Gaga fans as they would be by joining a social network build exclusively around her and her fan base.  Few rocks stars have true staying power and if the fame starts to wane, you have the very real potential of a mass exodus.  To rely on a fan base to fuel a social media site can be a gamble.

That’s where it becomes a PR gamble.  Initially it makes for great media.  Any and every pop culture outlet will react to the Little Monster media relations and publicity blitz.  You’ll see and read about it everywhere.  It’s a sure slam dunk at first, not unlike Michael Jordon launching his own brand of athletic shoes.  What will be interesting is to see where Little Monsters is in a year or two.  If fortunes turn, could it suddenly be uncool to be on the site?  It’s hard to know at this point.  As time goes on it could be important to begin to minimize the Lady Gaga presence on the site and focus on fully branding Little Monsters as a stand alone entity.  But one thing is for sure, up to this point Lady Gaga has been a PR Monster, so who knows how far her army of Little Monsters can take her.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

MiKael. “The hand used on various official T-Shirts.” Photo. wikia. 09 Feb. 2012. <http://ladygaga.wikia.com/wiki/Little_Monsters&gt;

 

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Daily Tips On Using PR To Establish Yourself As An Expert In Your Field- Strategies D & E

January 23, 2012 Leave a comment

Strategy D:  You want to present yourself as an expert in a particular field.  You can address a number of topics in your field, but you want to remain specific.  If you try to present yourself as an expert on everything, chances are you’ll be perceived as an expert on nothing.   The trick is to keep your focus, but broaden your scope.  Can you present new ways of looking at or approaching your field?  For example, if you run a company that produces skin care products, your main pitch is obviously going to be on how effective your product is, but can you develop a pitch about how your company is going green, or how the industry has changed in the past decade?

Strategy E :  Work on presenting yourself as someone who not only understands your product or service, but as a resource who can explain your field to others.  Are there new trends or new approaches that you can discuss and explain to the media and the general public?  For example if you’re a musician or are launching a new record label, can you address how the music industry is shifting and explain how the various new trends in music are impacting the culture at large?  Every industry has trends and shifts, position yourself as the expert who can explain them and discuss how they impact the public at large.

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Daily Tips On Using PR To Establish Yourself As An Expert In Your Field- Strategy C

January 20, 2012 Leave a comment

One of the main values of a public relations campaign is that it helps establish you as an expert in your field.  But you need to help the media help you.  Your job is to let them know why you’re an expert and make it as easy as possible for them to use you as a resource.  With that in mind, this week, I’m going to focus on daily tips you can use to use PR and media relations to establish you as an expert in your field.

Strategy C:  Breakdown the various ways you can present a topic.   Review how the topic you’re discussing impacts women, men, children, seniors, etc.  You can pitch the same basic story to a large number of media outlets, but you can’t use the same pitch or angle.  For example, there’s a chance that you can pitch yourself to Redbook, CNN and the Wall Street Journal, but you’re not going to do so successfully unless you modify the pitch to meet each media outlet’s specific needs.   If you can present yourself and the topic in different ways and to different audiences, you’ll have a much greater opportunity to garner media coverage as an expert in your field.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

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How to Successfully Use Traditional & Online PR

November 30, 2011 Leave a comment

When it comes to traditional PR if your main focus is being featured in the media, what you’re truly looking for is media relations which falls under the umbrella of public relations.  With the advent of online magazines, blogs and social media, there have been so many changes in how media and public relations work that it can get confusing.  You have some who still choose to ignore bloggers and social media and others who insist that traditional media is dead and focus only on their 2.0 approach.  Both of those approaches can be dangerous.  You don’t want to get into an either/or approach and at the same time you want to maximize the results you’ll get for your efforts.

For example, the blogosphere is huge.  There are millions of blogs out there and more are being added everyday.  You could get your company or product mentioned on a large number of blogs that have very little traffic.  In that sense it could feel like you’re gaining traction for your public relations campaign, but are you really reaching your ultimate goals?  Getting as much coverage as possible online is important, but only if you’re doing so with a game plan in mind.  For example if you are approaching and pitching blogs in the blogosphere as a way to help your SEO efforts and as a way to help build your credibility and build a critical mass, then yes, you’re heading in the right direction, but if you are approaching this as though all blogs are created equal, you’re in trouble.

By now all of the mainstream media outlets have their own blogs whether the media outlet is The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Wired, or the Today Show.  Believe me even a small mention on one of those blogs is going to be worth more to you than feature coverage on a dozen of small unknown blogs. Why?  A couple of reasons. To begin with the mainstream media blogs get traffic.  More eyeballs are looking at the story.  But it’s also not only the fact that you’re being featured in the blog, it’s the credibility and validation that comes with a hit in the mainstream media.  You are now a news story.  So it’s true that all blogs are not created equal.  Still you don’t need to land coverage in a mainstream media blog, to reap the benefits of being featured in one.

More and more blogs are becoming significant influencers.  The more bloggers you can interest in your story, the more your coverage will grow.  A strong blogger relations approach can be tremendously important.

As I mentioned at the start, the important thing is not to view this as an either/or approach.  Pitching mainstream media does not mean you should ignore blogs and focusing on online coverage does not necessitate ignoring the traditional media outlets.  All of these outlets are important.  Your most effective and successful approach is to come up with a PR game plan that is targeted yet inclusive.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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Tips for Using Social Media to Boost your Traditional PR Campaign

November 23, 2011 Leave a comment

There are times you can reach the traditional media using some nontraditional means.  Blogging, social media and online wire services can offer unique approaches to garnering coverage in print, TV and radio.  For example, sometimes the best way to contact a writer, editor or producer is through the back door.  For example, if you’re looking to garner a placement in the Wall Street Journal or Time Magazine, an approach could be to blog on one of their stories.  Newsweek and other publications have added blog round up boxes on their sites.  What they basically do is report on readers who have blogged about one of their articles.  Try picking a publication that’s of interest to you and blog on one of the articles.  Now link it using a backtrack line and then submit that to Technorati.com.  If all goes as planned, your blog will be reported and they in turn will link to you.  At least that’s how it should go.  If you’re up for a new approach, give it a shot.

Another way to keep in touch with, or at least in front of journalists is via social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.  Twitter can definitely be useful since it moves so quickly and new information is constantly being posted.  Some journalists will tweet when they’re looking for experts to interview.  They’ll also post articles that they find of interest or previous articles they’ve written.  This is a great way to get a real sense of an individual writer’s interests, likes and dislikes.

Twitter Tips
You can also be proactive in your approach.  Tweet stories that aren’t necessarily direct pitches but that show your interest in that particular field.  If you find something that will possibly interest a particular journalist, Tweet it.  And when he or she Tweets something you find of interest comment on it or reweet in.  Interaction is fine, just don’t spend your time trying to sell or pitch. When you find something you think a journalist might enjoy, share it. And when he or she shares an interesting article or tweets something entertaining, feel free to comment and interact.  Remember the name of the game here is connecting and sharing – not selling and pitching.  Still, on those occasions that you do find that perfect story to pitch, go for it, but present it in a way that you’re bringing value to the table.  Do not use social media as a way to constantly pitch.  You’ll quickly overstay your welcome and lose a valuable connection.

Sharing Your Press Release
Using paid wire services isn’t something I generally recommend, unless your story is amazingly timely, has a celebrity tie in, or has to do with a breaking news story.  Your best approach is to send your press releases to a targeted media list and following up with phone calls.  Still, posting your releases on free wire services, and (judiciously) posting your release on social media sites can help.  If your release has enough useable information on it, you might find that some media outlets as reprinting your release as a short article.  Articles that offer tips, or secrets or bust myths can be the most effective.  For example: 5 insider tips to a perfect body or 5 secrets to perfecting your golf swing, or The Skinny on 5 weight loss myths.  Something else to consider is offer 7 insider tips, only cover 4 of them in the release and end it with the link to your website or blog to find the rest of the tips.

All of these are different ways to get your message and pitch in front of your target media.  Using trial and error, find the methods that work best for you and then stick with them.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

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What’s a Zinger and How Can it Bring You Faster Money?

November 7, 2011 Leave a comment

Deborah was a business growth coach whose clients raved about her work.

So why was she struggling for business?

“This is humiliating!” she said.  “I’m the growth coach. What am I doing wrong?”

Deborah wasn’t using Zingers.

Deborah was logical, rational, and explained just what she did:

“My clients go from struggling to successful in 12 to 18 months.”

There are no Zingers here.

A Zinger is a little suggestion or phrase that tells your audience you know their pain.

A Zinger tells them:

“I’m here inside your head. I know just how you feel.”

No Zingers, no feeling.

No feeling, no clients.

In order for someone to take action with you,

1. They have to feel the gap between where they are and where they could be
2. You need to allow them to feel this gap, frequently

Where can you find great Zingers? Look at the complaints your clients have.

When Deborah started dropping Zingers such as…

“When I met Jean she was too broke to hire help, and so burned out it was making her sick..”

“When I started with Sue, she just broke down sobbing.  She’d put on 30 lbs since her business started.  Just eating to calm the panic…”

“At first, my client Jo was so deeply in debt she’d stopped looking at her bank statements…”

And then Deborah followed up with where her clients are now…

“When I started with Mary, she was too scared to charge what she was worth, and she couldn’t pay her phone bill.  Now she has two part-time employees and she’s set to break six figures this year.”

A good Zinger:

Suddenly makes you the Trusted Ally, instead of the Salesy Expert

Instantly places you mentally and emotionally close to your prospect

Speeds up the buying cycle, bringing you faster money.

Breaks through dozens of mental and emotional barriers

Surprises your clients because they thought no one knew how they felt inside

Enters the conversation inside their heads and keeps it going

Positions you as the Uber-Guide who knows how to lead them out of the swamp

and MOST IMPORTANT:

Good Zingers make your clients FEEL.

No feeling, no action.

No action, no clients.

Look at the complaints you get from your current clients.

Get every juicy little detail.

Then drop them into your conversation, your tweets, your social media, and your website.

Try it.

It works.

For more nuggets about how to increase your money and client flow, visit me at http://www.annconvery.com

Copyright © Ann Convery 2011

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