| |
| |
|
PR Information |
|
Media Contact Lists and How to Build a Fantastic One
I got the latest issue of Internet Works in the post yesterday and was disappointed to find out that it's going to be the last. As well as having the good taste to run a feature on me last year (!) Internet Works has been a great source of information and ideas for me for the last couple of years and it's demise will leave a gap. But it is also just another reminder that publications come and go, and their staff do too. But, with new publications emerging, and other titles closing, how do you keep up to date with all the PR opportunities out there? Here are our Do Your Own PR tips to help you do just that. 1. It sounds basic but do set up a separate contact system for journalists - even if you've only got two names for your database at the moment. 2. If you're really organised then you can divide this into warm contacts (journalists you'd be happy to call and chat to) and cold contacts - those you haven't built a relationship with yet. You can then gauge your success as you watch names move from the cold to the warm list. 3. Keep in touch with your media list on a regular basis. That way if emails get bounced or you receive a reply saying "Bilbo Baggins no longer works with Hobbit Publications" you can update your list immediately. 4. If someone does move don't cancel them off with one touch of the delete button. Give their old office a call and find out where they have moved to - chances are they've moved onto bigger and better things and you can keep in touch. Even if they've suddenly moved over to Pigeon Fanciers Weekly and you know they aren't going to be able to do anything for you at the moment a nice "wish you well" email helps keep that door open for the future. 5. Ask your existing contacts if they can recommend any other journalists that might be good contacts (and that way you can sneakily drop in the referrer's name to warm up your contact). 6. Pay particular attention if journalists contact you. If someone calls from The Express don't assume that you'll be able to get hold of them by calling the Express. Many writers are freelancers whose contact details are guarded fiercely. If you get hold of their contact info treat it with the respect it deserves. 7. I've come across many clients who dealt with press in a former job but now dismiss their past contacts as being "old" or "not in the same area". How do you know until you ask? That freelancer you used to speak to about racing cars might also write about parenting issues - or, more probably, might know someone else who does. Don't just write off old contacts as dead ones. Finally, a client recently told me about http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/markets.htm Although it's aimed at freelancers looking for outlets to sell their work, it's also a great resource and inspiration for publications that may be PR opportunities. Paula Gardnerhttp://www.doyourownpr.com Paula Gardner is the author of Get Noticed! How to Boost Your Small Business Profile in 30 Days or Less available from http://www.bookshaker.com/product_info.php?products_id=37
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Well-Oiled Strategy Machine Yes, that's what public relations really is when it tracks important external audience perceptions and follow on behaviors. And again when it does something about those perceptions and behaviors by reaching, persuading and moving to actions you desire, those people whose behaviors affect your organization the most. PR Secrets for Small Business Most small businesses do little to no public relations (PR) to promote their businesses. The reasons are fairly common. Watch Your Attitude So many restaurants spend money on publicity and then practically chase customes away by the owner's attitude.Stop to think, please, who is really more important, yourcustomers, your chef or your own cost-saving ideas? True, youhave to keep your chef happy but not if he refuses to cook whatthe customer wants and you, Mr. Know What Matters Most About PR? When, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you are able to persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your department, division or subsidiary's success.And again when those outside stakeholder behaviors deliver results like more people returning to buy again, new prospects sniffing around, individual capital gift levels rising, or more inquiries arriving about strategic alliances and joint ventures. Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Dont Hold Back Information From the Media Some financial planners think that they shouldn't share their top tips with the media.I can see some validity in thinking this way. Boost Your Business by Partnering with a Non Profit Organization Is your business looking for new and creative ways to gain publicity and build your customer base? Partnering with non profit organizations may benefit your business in many ways.Why business owners and managers should consider supporting non profits as part of their marketing strategy:1. Building Community Support for Project Permitting, Construction, and Marketing Redevelopment is replacing new construction throughout the Greater Boston area, as construction costs climb and the commercial/retail vacancy rate reaches new (and alarming) levels.Redevelopment of highly visible, publicly owned or historic properties~ such as shipyards, air bases, and historic mills ~ involves all the usual steps of Federal and State permitting and approvals, and the additional layer of permitting involving historic, archeological and cultural review and approvals. TV Reporter Shares the Secrets to Getting Covered on the News Do you have a great idea for a story, but no clue how to get it in the news? Are you tired of pitching press releases the news media simply ignores?After twenty years of beating the street as a TV reporter, I have a scoop for you: the media needs good stories. But most stories are pitched so poorly, they are lost in the blizzard of faxes that blanket every newsroom. Mission-Critical Public Relations? As a business, non-profit or association manager, any tool that helps you reach your department, division or subsidiary objective IS mission-critical.And particularly so when that tool helps you persuade your most important external stakeholders to your way of thinking, and then moves them to take actions that lead to your success. Tough Times, Tough Tactics When times are tough, it's no time to ignore those external audiences whose behaviors matter so much to your organization.In your own best interest, are you seeing to their care and feeding? I mean, if a certain group of outsiders behaves in ways that really help or hinder your operations, they do rate your attention, right?Of course they do! That's why we call them key target audiences, or publics. Passion with Purpose - The Winning Combination The power of PassionPassion is an extraordinarily powerful spring. Without it religion, history, romance, and art are useless. How to Create Quality PR Results For many of us, the word quality is closely related to ourexpectations. When we receive the public relations results we planned for, we feel, understandably, that we havegenerated quality results. What is News? What may be the more appropriate question is: What makes a story newsworthy enough to get picked up by the media? Here are a few rules of thumb to determine if you have a news angle worthy of press coverage.First, is the subject relevant to anyone outside of your organization? For example, if your firm is announcing changes to the employee health plan, that's newsworthy of coverage in the company newsletter but not typically for the mainstream press. Managers: Are You PR-Fit? Can you honestly say that your business, non-profit or association's key outside audiences behave in ways that help lead to your success on-the-job?Or, have you pretty much ignored the reality that target audience behaviors can help or hinder you in achieving your department, division or subsidiary's operating objectives?Truth is, your unit's public relations effort can never be truly fit until the primary focus of the PR people assigned to you is shifted from tactical concerns to a more comprehensive public relations action blueprint like this: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving- to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished. How To Create A News Angle Think of a triangle. On the left, imagine the story you want to tell. Dont Do This to Your News Release! Hundreds of thousands of News Releases are sent out all the timeand many people will show you different ways to write a news release in a way that will result in publicity for you or for your company.However, many people over look the 17 Deadly Sins that you should never do or have in a news release. Publicity: Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Take a Reporter to Lunch Sometimes a phone call isn't intimate or long enough to convey all the information you have for a reporter.Two examples would be: if you have a dozen or so story ideas, or if you'd like to explain an extremely complex financial concept or strategy to a reporter. Life After Press Release Distribution? A few weeks ago I was participating on an on-line message board. One of the members was a new business owner who was very excited about sending out her company's first press release. So Whats Wrong With Strategic? Some folks see the word "strategic" as a needlessly tiresome and complicated notion. But anything that shows you how to get from here to there IS strategic, and something we all need. Speaking to the Press If you get the hang of speaking to the press and you can establish a few good relationships, their contacts and outreach can be extremely beneficial to the marketing of your organization.If you've never spoken to the press before - it can be an intimidating task.
|
| home | site map | contact us |