Archive for May, 2008
May 30th, 2008
All too often good PR is tarnished by bad PR.
The biggest challenge in public relations is always finding that story. In fact, that’s also a big problem that faces many of the journalists and editors that PR people deal with on a daily basis. We all need that story to survive.
Advertising that is squashed into something that looks like a press release – or worse, a news release that struggles to find a point at all – doesn’t do anyone any good.
When you’re writing a press release or pitching a story to the media, take a step back and don’t just think about what you want that release to achieve for you. Look at it from the point of view of the editor or even the target reader you are trying to reach. Why should they care?
Making your press releases/media pitches newsworthy will improve your placement results dramatically. The better the story, the better your coverage will be.
This sometimes means taking that all important step back to look at different angles. Keep asking yourself why should ____ care?
Besides, a habit of sending out bad press releases is the best way to ensure a spot in an editor’s wastebasket.
May 28th, 2008
Whether solving a plaguing company problem or starting a new campaign, strategic planning will help you stay goal-oriented to help save time and effort. When implemented correctly, your strategic plan should allow you to show hard evidence of your effectiveness and establish criteria to judge the success or failure of the plan. Detailed and complete background research should be complete before you start the plan.
The first step is to state your goal. It should be long-term and spell out the overall outcome of the plan and what coordinated effort is needed to accomplish the goal.
The second step in strategic planning is to state the objectives. More specific than the goal, objectives should detail the knowledge, opinion or behavioral outcomes you want to achieve for each the publics included in your plan. The objectives should have measurable outcomes. An example is: Increase the program’s awareness among target audience by 25 percent.
The third step is to determine what strategies should be implemented to help reach the plan’s objectives. The last step in strategic planning is to carry out tactics. This is the operational stage of the plan where you begin concrete actions or decisions to implement the strategies.
May 27th, 2008
Often companies or organizations are frustrated because they’ve issued dozens of news releases but with no pick up on their story. While there is no golden rule to gaining that coverage, really knowing the media is the single most important guideline you can follow to assist in your efforts.
Each media vehicle and each market has specific requirements and needs, whether you are looking for coverage with local, regional or national broadcast or print media, or if you are seeking exposure in trade or vertical publications.
Television: Think visuals! Television can tell your story better with pictures or graphics and it certainly makes it more interesting to viewers than talking heads. Also, become acquainted with the station’s public affairs programs (e.g. morning, noon and weekend shows) for guest spot opportunities.
Radio: Know their format and demographics. Pitching an interview or story about a business-to-business issue is not of interest to a radio station with a format centered on teenagers.
Print: Get to know the sections and sub-sections of the publication. Each offer up a slightly different readership and focus. Where does your story fit?
Keeping these ideas in mind when approaching the media will help you develop better relations with them and assist in gaining the coverage you are seeking.
May 23rd, 2008
The Memorial Day weekend just a few hours away, and for some it may’ve already started.
We think this is a good opportunity to remind everyone to take a step back from work. Recharge your batteries. And most importantly, get that fresh perspective.
All too often we get into a routine which pushes creativity and spontaneity to the wayside. Here’s your chance to break that cycle.
Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. Take Bud Light’s newest ads – the misadventures of some guy who only utters one word: “Dude.”
It’s creative, simple, funny, and memorable. It’s fresh.
Creativity drives a lot of successful marketing campaigns – but when you’re looking square on at something day in and day out, it’s easy to slip into a routine
Here’s a challenge for you: Forget about work the next few days. Just go and do the things you’re going to do. No work! Nada.
But on Tuesday be ready to hit the ground running. Embrace that fresh perspective and be great. Strive for something new.
In the meantime…and enjoy your weekend!
May 22nd, 2008
Trade shows combine a variety of basic, yet essential, marketing tools that offer many benefits to your company. In the booth, you are the number one source of information for people who are making the buying decisions. It gives you a one-on-one opportunity to have face-to-face communication with potential buyers.
Trade shows are also time-efficient when it comes to sales because you are able to see more prospects in a short amount of time. Although you may attract some free pen collectors, you will undoubtedly draw in your target audience. You should do some research of the show’s audience demographics beforehand. Also, a note about giveaways — remember the concept of reciprocity; if they get something for free from you, they will likely be inclined to listen to your sales pitch. Make sure the booth staff is trained and knowledgeable about your products and services. You also have an opportunity to control your sales environment at trade shows. Your potential customer is coming to you instead of vice versa.
Trade shows can also enhance your company’s image. By participating in trade shows and conventions, you position yourself as an industry player. One of the greatest benefits of participating in trade shows is the relationships that result. Don’t let your leads fall by not following up afterwards. Hopefully the impression you leave will last longer than those pens.
May 21st, 2008
For years, marketers have always touted the value of a referral…word of mouth is cheap and effective.
These days, the term viral marking is as hot to marketers as dotcom was to speculators not that long ago. But we don’t think there’s a bust in store for the viral marketing.
The idea is nothing new. Building a buzz about your brand has worked in the real world for years…companies still employ street teams of interns. There is a lot of value in getting people chatting online – trends that used to spread slowly are now free to explode in cyberspace.
I don’t need to go into details on viral marketing; there are books, blogs, and enough search engine results to choke Google out there to tell you everything you need to know.
But here’s a warning for you.
Before infecting the Web with your viral campaign, make sure your product, webpage, service, or whatever can live up to the hype. Your buzz can turn into dud in a hurry if the folks that bought into the hype are disappointed.
Bad buzz on the internet will spread and reverse your opportunities just as fast as they were created.
May 20th, 2008
A favorable corporate reputation that may have taken years to establish can be destroyed in moments during a poorly handled crisis. While crises are not always preventable, with a strategic crisis management plan, your company can make the right moves to minimize the damage. The first step in building your plan is to be proactive and identify issues within your company that could potentially become a crisis. If you can identify the conflict at an early stage, you have a better chance of reducing the damage it may cause.
Have a designated spokesperson should a conflict arise. This doesn’t always have to be the PR person. Make sure internal personnel know what to do during a crisis and establish “who needs to know what, when?” within the company. During a crisis be reactive and respond to all media inquiries and provide updates on a regular basis. Hiding and ignoring the crisis won’t make it go away.
In your messaging, identify the problem, communicate your actions and develop a solution to the crisis. Of course, the last step in crisis management is recovery. Systematically assess the damage and begin to repair your reputation and credibility. Remember to keep your crisis plan current by updating it every 2-3 years.
May 16th, 2008
Open up your favorite newspaper or magazine. Take a quick skim through all the ads. How many do you really take notice of?
Being the bread and butter of media, we can’t blame any publication for wanting to fill its pages with advertisements – but we still want our ads to stand out.
Here are a couple of things to do, and a few don’ts, to help the reader take note of your ad.
DO use a hook or a catch. A headline or slogan that draws the reader’s attention is going to imprint something in their memory.
DON’T fill your ads with clichés. Everyone’s heard them already.
DO organize your thoughts. The reader will miss your message in an overly complicated advertisement.
DON’T try to copy a competitor’s advertisement. Just because it’s working for them doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you. Worse, a similar ad campaign could backfire by reminding the reader of your competitor.
DO use humor or be clever. Obviously, it’s not appropriate for every business out there. But if a little humor can fit into your marketing; putting a smile on the face of your potential costumer isn’t going to hurt.
DON’T settle for any placement in the publication. If you have any say, or the budget, aim your ad to your target market. It beats getting buried in sections that may not attract as many readers.
DO proofread. Enough said.
Just remember to be creative. Your advertising efforts should never be an afterthought. Getting your ad noticed is going to maximize the return on those advertising dollars spent.
May 12th, 2008
Corporate sponsorship for an event is a fundamental element of relationship marketing that can benefit your company by increasing its visibility and providing an opportunity to build relationships with the right people. However, before you involve the company’s money, logo and reputation, make sure the sponsorship meets certain criteria.
Is the sponsorship right for the company? The event should be credible and appropriate for your organization’s involvement and should not conflict with your corporate message. Also, consider the attendees of the event. Are they your target audience and what is the expected attendance? If you can reach a larger segment of your target audience by using the intended sponsorship money to implement an ad or direct mail campaign, you should ask if it is practical to be involved with the event.
Sponsorship involves more than just your company’s dollars; it also deals with its reputation. Therefore, you must consider how well the event will be managed. Remember that if the event is poorly organized and implemented, the sponsors’ names are associated with it.
Before agreeing to sponsor, you should be able to define what you expect to receive in return and make sure those expectations are laid out in the contract. Also, make sure you go over how the event will be publicized and promoted. A little research goes a long way to prevent you from throwing away your organization’s money and reputation.
May 8th, 2008
Don’t worry, you don’t have to cover up the eyes of any children and you’re in no danger of this blog getting obscene.
We’ll save you all the scientific stuff (you can find that HERE), but all that great content you’ve whipped up for your website may just be filler…unless it’s optimized for the web reader.
When putting up content on web pages, or long emails for that matter, studies show that those reading from the comfort of their computers may not be catching every word. In fact, after the first few lines, the amount absorbed by readers tends to gradually be less and less.
Kind of like the shape of a letter F.
We’re not saying that you should abandon all of your written web content in favor of flashy multi-media stuff. But organize your thoughts a little bit differently when writing for the casual web browser.
The most important thing to remember is to get to your point. Forgo long introductions and don’t try to build anything up. Also, burying important content in many paragraphs is going to get information lost. If you need to relay many bits of info to your reader, do it with bullet points – or even spread it out over multiple pages.
Obviously, the internet is a constantly evolving medium and there are no definite rules. But it is a great thing to keep in mind the next time your populating those web pages.
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