Decking the Halls Doesn’t Mean Slowing Down
While Your Competitors Guzzle the Eggnog, You Can Be Getting the Media
And now, the season begins.
In the office, everyone is hanging around the coffee machine longer and enjoying holiday deserts. Outside the office, people are caught up in the holiday parties, shopping, food, family gatherings, and enough reruns of holiday programs that they are replaying the Grinch song in their head. They spend a little more time online surfing eBay for gifts and writing emails to associates hoping to put any real work off until January 2.
What Are the Building Blocks of a Modern-Day PR Campaign?
Presenting the NEW Face of Public Relations
After 21 years in the PR business, it has become increasingly apparent to me that it’s time to drive a new milepost into the ground.
While the media has been specializing in reinventing itself every few business quarters, the business of marketing has been slowly evolving, trying to keep up with the changes. Regular readers of this column have seen some phrases making repeat appearances, such as social media, email blasts, online news outlets and other terms that refer to some of the technological advances that have hit modern marketing communications. As each of these new areas of outreach emerges, our tactics as PR strategists are changing with the times.
So, How Many People Am I Going to Reach?
It’s a More Complex Question Than You Think
Irony has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.
One of our clients was at a convention this week, and among his activities, he was hosting a panel on the digital revolution in the entertainment industry. While his credentials in the entertainment business are solid, he has yet to figure out how to operate his new Droid smartphone.
So one of my staff emailed him, pointing out the irony and the client emailed back, “I thought ‘digital’ meant they were going to talk about fingers!”
Going Away for the Holidays? The Media Won’t
Having just gotten through Labor Day, I’m reminded that we’ll soon be closing in on the BIG holiday season. It’s a time when many businesses are closed for several days and business slows to a crawl in most of the country from Thanksgiving right on through New Year’s Day.
However, there is one industry that doesn’t close down. It’s the media and here are some statistics to back that up:
So, What’s The Value of All My PR Efforts, Anyway?
How To Measure The Results of Your PR Campaign
I tend to use this space as a “how to” venue. I like to share my insights on how to get the media excited about you, your message, your products, your services and books. My hope is that the information I offer will enable you to generate media placements for yourself to further your public relations efforts.
However, I’m frequently asked about the value of PR in relation to the business goals it’s designed to enhance. People wonder what will happen if they’re able to achieve a picture-perfect PR campaign and get the media to notice them and generate coverage for them. They wonder if the upside is increased sales, or if it’s in the branding or maybe it’s just the increased exposure for their company or projects or their book.
The short answer is yes, but the long answer is a bit more complicated than that. First thing’s first. When we do a print campaign, for instance, we rate it based on the reach of the publications in traditional print outlets and online outlets. We use two key terms – circulation and visitors per month (VPM) – and while one of those terms is old and the other is new, they are based on the same principle. Read more
New York Times Bestselling Author, Michael Levin, Shares His Insight On Business, Books and Ghostwriters
I had the privilege to interview Michael Levin, New York Times bestselling author and CEO of Business Ghost (www.BusinessGhost.com) about why corporate executives and professionals should write a book. Having written novels, business books and co-written with or ghost written for many high profiled professionals, such as Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, football broadcasting legend Pat Summerall, FBI undercover agent Joaquin Garcia and E-Myth creator Michael Gerber, he offers a unique insight that is a wealth of information.
Michael has also written for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times and many other top outlets. Plus he is an eight-time national best-selling author and his books have received outstanding reviews in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the New Yorker, People Magazine, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Examiner, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, the Boston Globe, Esquire, Booklist and other leading publications. Read more on New York Times bestselling author, Michael Levin →
A Day in the Life of a PR Pro
Every week I write about the things I think can help people do a better job of marketing themselves by using PR. From a purely media standpoint, it makes sense for me to do that. After all, I’m the CEO. I wrote the book. I’m the expert.
But, I am profoundly proud to say that I am not the only expert. At EMSI we have a team of experts and quite frankly, this team is one of the best I have had in my 21 years of running this business. The work they do on a daily basis is phenomenal.
I thought I would introduce you to them, one by one, over the summer months, and allow them to tell you about what they do every day to book interviews on radio and TV and obtain print coverage. I believe it can be truly enlightening and helpful for you to learn how they overcome obstacles and meet challenges in order to consistently arrange media day in, day out, week in and week out. Read more on a day in the life of a PR pro →
It’s Not Enough to Use Social Media: It’s Knowing How to Use it Effectively
Imagine yourself at a big cocktail party where many of the people may be potential clients and customers. Everyone is milling around, enjoying the evening and you’re working the room to meet those who interest you. Now, which communication strategy do you think is going to be more effective? Going from person to person, giving them your “elevator pitch” while handing them your business cards? Or simply engaging in genuine conversations about current events and issues relevant to your expertise?
I’m sure you’ll agree the latter is a far more desirable approach to meeting new people at a cocktail party and the same holds true when conversing on a social networking site. I learned this concept from social media guru, David Meerman Scott, best-selling author of the #1 bestseller The New Rules of Marketing & PR when I interviewed him a few years ago. Read more on why it's not enough to use social media →
When Doing PR, How Do You Get Past the Gatekeepers to Reach Your Consumers?
I can’t tell you the number of clients who ask me, “How many press releases will you send out for me?” Some want us to put out numerous releases a month, using the tiniest of reasons as an excuse to reach out to the media in the hope that their messages will drive sales when read by consumers.
The problem with this strategy is that in order to reach the consumer, you must first interest the editor who holds the key to running your story. They are the gatekeepers. The disconnect for most people is they think writing and distributing numerous press releases chocked full of sales messages will get them the coverage they’re hoping for. And, it’s this primary misunderstanding that leads to the failure of more PR campaigns than I care to think about. Read more on how to get past the gatekeepers to reach your consumers →
Is the TV Commercial Dying? Why What Happens Between the Commercials Has Become Even More Important
My Senior Campaign Manager, Tony Panaccio, wrote a great piece the other day about the state of TV advertising and I thought it was so interesting I wanted to share it with you.
Maybe it’s me, but I read something the other day that made me wonder if I’m the only one who doesn’t see the logic here.
The Nielsen Company tracks the audience viewership of TV programs so that programmers and advertisers can get a handle on how many people are watching certain shows. Programmers take that data and figure out how much they’ll charge to advertise on their shows. Of course, they pay attention to key demographics and more granular statistics, but at the end of the day, this is the data that helps them figure out that they’re going to charge $3 million per minute to advertise on The Super Bowl broadcast and $1 – $3.80 per minute on reruns of the recent reboot of Hawaii Five-0. Read more on is the TV commercial dying →
Is Your Book PR Not Doing The Job?
Maybe It’s Not Your Message, But How You Position the Messenger
Having written a book myself, I know how hard people work to achieve that coveted designation of “author.”
And, I know how it goes, you don’t want to make it a big deal with your friends and family, but deep down where you don’t talk about it openly, you really wish there was a button you could buy that reads “AUTHOR!” You also wish that it was socially acceptable to wear it on your lapel, because, darn it, writing a book is NOT easy. You worked hard to write a book and when it’s done and published, you do enjoy being able to claim membership in a relatively exclusive fraternity. Read more on is your book PR not doing the job →
Are You Losing Faith in Your Book? Maybe the Problem Is Your PR
You’ve done all that you know how to do, but it still seems like the only one interested in your book is you.
Okay, maybe some friends and family have offered their support, but they’re supposed to do that. Your real problem is that you’ve done all you know how to do, but you still can’t seem to generate any buzz. You’ve sent out press releases, you’ve blogged, you’ve tweeted, you’ve called the media and you’ve sent out books to reviewers, but the response has been underwhelming.
I’ve seen this happen to authors trying to publicize their books and I can see why some people would begin to lose faith in their books and their messages. But, my point to you is you shouldn’t lose faith in the things that drive your passion. Maybe the problem isn’t your book; maybe it’s your approach to PR. Here are just a few of the common pitfalls I’ve seen: Read more on losing faith in your book →
Marketing Expert and Author, Al Ries, Shares His Insights on Positioning, PR & More–Part 2
Last week, the first part of a four-part interview series with Al Ries was released. This week we continue with part two.
For those of you who might not have read part one and may not be totally familiar with Al Ries, Al is an international marketing expert and author of 12 books on marketing, advertising and PR (The 22-Immutable Laws of Marketing, Positioning, The 22-Immutable Laws of Branding, Marketing Warfare, The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR, War in the Boardroom, among others). He’s also a renowned public speaker and consultant to many of the mega brands and corporations.
So get ready for more of Al’s nuggets of marketing wisdom and insight. If you wish to read parts one or three, click on the following links:
How NOT to Sell a Book: Learn the Seven Deadly Sins of Book Marketing
Not a day goes by that I don’t hear this same question from people who contact me to help them market their books: If I do PR, how many books will I sell?
This seems like a straightforward question at first, until I start asking some questions myself: Do you have a Web site? What’s your marketing plan? Is your book available online? What’s your message?
At the risk of demystifying what I do for my clients, let me make it abundantly clear, there is NO magic wand that will help you sell your book. PR, advertising, promotions, Web sites, social networking, none of it will guarantee you a bestseller. However, I think it’s imperative that I point out a few things which, if absent, will practically guarantee barely any sales beyond family and friends. Read more on how NOT to sell a book →
Are You The Invisible Author?
Just about everyone is familiar with the classic image of The Invisible Man, whether it’s Claude Rains in bandages and a trench coat or the revisionist take with Kevin Bacon in foundation makeup and a hoodie. While both were great films, they both underscored the inherent detriments to being invisible.
In my world, I see authors who feel like the Invisible Man all the time. They’ve toiled tirelessly to write their books and get them published, and then languish as they wait to get noticed by an audience they know would appreciate their messages, if only they knew the book existed.
Well, to reference another great film, promoting a book is not like the magic of Field of Dreams, in which the only thing Kevin Costner needed to do in order to get people to flock to his baseball field in the middle of his corn crops was simply to build it. In the book world, if you write it, they will NOT come; you need to make them aware that you and your book exist. Read more on being the invisible author →
Marketing Expert and Author, Al Ries, Shares His Insights on Positioning, PR & More–Part 1
Over the 2010 holidays, I had the privilege to interview Al Ries, who is an international marketing expert and author of 12 books on marketing, advertising and PR (The 22-Immutable Laws of Marketing, Positioning, The 22-Immutable Laws of Branding, Marketing Warfare, The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR, War in the Boardroom, among others). Al is also an internationally renowned speaker and consultant to many of the mega brands and corporations.
In this interview, Al shared many insights that I am excited to share with all of you. I separated the interview into three parts and below we start with part 1. If you wish to read parts two or three, click on the following links:
How Do I Know When To Hire a PR Pro? Three Ways To Tell Your Campaign Has Stalled
It’s always easy to figure out when to hire the plumber. When there’s no water coming out of the faucet, or your basement looks like the kiddie pool at Busch Gardens, it’s time to hit the yellow pages. Same thing with your car – if it doesn’t start in the morning, it’s time to call a mechanic.
Your public relations campaign, however, is a bit more art than science, so it’s a bit more difficult to tell when it needs the eye of a pro. Here are a few tips that can help you determine when your own efforts have run their course. Read more on three ways to tell your campaign has stalled →
The Book: Your New Business Card
How Writing A Book Can Increase Your Business
We’re all experts on something. In my case, my passion was always the inner workings of the media and the crafting of a message. The fun for me isn’t always when I have a client who is a ready-made for the media, but rather someone who has a unique message that may not seem on the surface to be compatible with generating media. That’s what drives me and those are the challenges I truly enjoy. When I can connect the dots in a creative fashion for a client who may never have thought they had a good enough story for the media, I’m thrilled!
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One of the tools that helps in this process is when clients have a book. In my own book, Celebritize Yourself: The Three Step Method to Increase Your Visibility and Explode Your Business, I explain how a book – or more specifically, YOUR book – can be your new business card. It’s a model I not only recommend to clients, but also one that I use for the promotion of my own business. Read more on the book: your new business card →
Do You Know Who I Am? And Do Your Potential Customers Know Who YOU Are?
You know who I am. Even if you don’t read half of what I send you, you probably recognize my name. Either I’m the person who sends you great advice on how to engage the media, or I’m the nudge who keeps emailing you stuff every week.
Either way, you know who I am and what I do. Now, can you say the same for your potential customers? When you go to industry gatherings, do people you’ve never met walk up to you and say, “Hey, I really like what you do”? If you’re an author, are you known for being an expert on your book’s topic?
That phenomenon-the sensibility that people you’ve never met know who you are and what you do-is the soul of public relations and the primary element of PR’s return on investment. Read more on do your potential customers know who you are →
Are You On Top of the News? It Can Dictate Your PR
One of the things I tell clients who want to get coverage in print and online press is that they have to read the news. If you want the print media to cover you, I think it simply helps if you know what it is they like to write about.
Part and parcel of my being a PR professional is to subsist on a vast daily diet of news digested the old fashioned way. I read newspapers and magazines, and at night and in the morning I watch a lot of television news programs, with a pretty even mix of straight-up news broadcasts and “talking head” panel shows.
My chief strategist calls that “old school.” He still reads the equivalent of two newspapers a day and he watches news broadcasts and talking head shows, as well – but he does it all online in smaller bites. He has a lot of hands-on PR work to do each day, so he can’t devote hours upon hours every day the way I do. Read more on being on top of the news →
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You Can Enjoy Expert Celebrity Status
Are you ready for your own brand of celebrity? Public relations expert Marsha Friedman teaches you how to Celebritize Yourself! Learn the secret to becoming an expert celebrity. Her book is the manual for becoming well known as an expert in your field! -
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