PERSONAL PR: Public Relations and Marketing Tips That Work to Your Advantage

Public relations (PR)

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Here are some public relations tactics which you can use to give your business a competitive edge. Monitor your competition The first step to stay ahead of your competition is to understand who your competitors are, what they are offering and what type of media coverage they are achieving. An effective method to keep up to date with your competition is to monitor their media and social media activities through Google Alerts or other media monitoring services.

Google Alerts are free notifications that are sent to you when Google finds new results matching your keyword search terms. Include your competitors in your Google Alert keywords to receive regular updates on their activities. When you set up Google Alerts make sure you do them for yourself as well. There are also several paid media monitoring tools which will monitor all mentions across TV, radio, print and online including social media channels.

Write expert articles Writing articles is an excellent way to establish yourself as an expert in your particular field and give you an edge against your competition. Your articles must be relevant, engaging and valuable for your target audience. Articles can be pitched to media outlets, such as newspapers, magazines or blogs, and can result in media coverage for your business.

Provide commentary to the media The media is always on the lookout for new story angles, expert opinions and advice. This could be as simple as offering a response to an article or pitching yourself to a publication for an interview. Make the most of speaking opportunities Speaking at a conference or event is an excellent way to position yourself as an expert with your target audience, build your profile and credibility, and generate brand awareness.

Use case studies to your advantage Case studies describe a project or client your business has worked with. Using case studies gives potential customers or clients an insight into how your business operates, and how they can benefit from what your business has to offer. As media continues to making a significant shift to digital, social media has become an avenue to not only thank writers for their work on a piece, but to put more eyes on the coverage itself.

We offer a blend of services in the hospitality, retail, entertainment sectors with emphasis on start-ups and working with seasoned companies who are seeking creative new edge to their business. If there is one thing I have learned and witnessed first hand, is if you it becomes about you and not your client then all is lost.

There is nothing worse than seeing a publicist all over in clients photo opps this is their time to shine not yours. Of course followup within a reasonable period of time is reasonable. Our business is based on relationships and they are built over time and with trust.

5 Tips for Using PR to Grow Your Business

They will never forget it. At the age of 3, I had already published my own magazine. While The Alexander Times only had a circulation of 2 thanks mom and dad! As a lover of writing, reading and making friends, my career has come full circle to the things I enjoy most: Think like a Matchmaker. Be smart, do your research, and be relevant. Online Stalking is Okay! Follow the writers you want to pitch on their social media platforms. Learn their interests and their tone. Engage with them in an authentic manner.

Build the relationship so when you do pitch them, they might recognize your name. And obviously, read what they write.

Follow Through and be Gracious. If you are lucky enough to get a writer to respond to you, answer immediately.

Common PR Tools and Techniques

You may set boundaries with clients and only work with them during business hours, but the media is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you do, they will move on. Be appreciative of their time and consideration for your pitch. If your client gets covered, a hand written thank you note goes a long way. Help them so they will want to work with you again and again. Remember what your mother taught you: After a two year stint garnering publicity for entertainment and sports celebrities, he currently provides strategic communication services for Fortune companies in the B2B and B2C space.

One way to develop media relationships is by joining professional journalism organizations and attending their networking events. That may translate to promoting their articles on social media, helping them on personal projects…or by just being a friend. Find out if you have a chance of piquing their interest by doing your research.

Read their articles, watch their shows, listen to their podcasts, follow their Twitter, and etc. Not all press is a good press in my opinion, even more so when negative coverage can result in your client losing money in real time. Learn when to turn down a media opportunity by doing thorough research on the outlet and journalist expressing interest. Three of the ways we are successful with this are;. Be the one who does, you will see it makes a difference. One client hosts shooting clays events where he teaches media the art and history of shooting.

We usually even put their name in the subject line. He works with leading pro athletes, musicians and record labels. Also lose the gimmicks and cheesiness it just annoys journalists most of the time, give them something feasible and interesting based around actual facts. Just get to know them, their likes, dislikes, hobbies, you can find it all out via email conversations which may be easier, as it gives the individual the time to come back to you when they have time.

Even if you have to schedule it for a weekend, it always makes coverage better. Your pitches will be more personalised to them and their specific interests. As PR professionals we get blasted by journalists online about our laziness. Phoenix Jackson is an award-winning social entrepreneur, lecturer, and speaker turned author of the book The Spirit of Business. She has worked with many businesses, nonprofits, professional athletes, entertainers, authors, speakers and the like.

Find and relate with someone who can be a liason for your business and who can control the pitch to their media outlet. Let others fish for you.

5 Tips for Using PR to Grow Your Business | HuffPost

Does your product or service relate to what is going on socially? Can it be bridged with an endeavor that positively impacts others? Ensure everything from their social profiles, to marketing collateral and the press kit are all consistent and designed with high quality. This helps the person or brand stand out automatically. Beth Feldman has more than 20 years of experience overseeing consumer, entertainment, lifestyle and tech public relations, and marketing campaigns on behalf of major television networks, leading digital brands and best-selling authors.

Feldman is the co-founder of Beyond PR Group, a full service public relations agency specializing in lifestyle and consumer publicity. Additionally, she is a pioneer in the parenting blogosphere as the founder of Role Mommy, an online community, events company and blog network which connects influencers with major brand opportunities and entertainment experiences.

Previously, Feldman served as Vice President for CBS Communications where she spearheaded campaigns on behalf of the entertainment, marketing and consumer products divisions. Craft a targeted pitch that would resonate specifically with their readers or viewers. Share your sizzle reel: Additionally, provide specific segment ideas or tips your client can share either on air or in print. You may pitch a producer dozens of times and then finally, they email you back but need you the next day for a demo segment.

Clear your schedule and make yourself available. Once you meet the producer in person and if they like you, you will get the revolving door treatment and get invited back again and again. Celebrity publicist Marie Driven Theodore is a recognized player on the entertainment scene. She represents what it means to have a pulse on popular culture while also narrowing in on establishing a presence in emerging markets.

Marie is known for her role as a liaison for Caribbean talent, from mainstream to niche categories she manages a base of support and operations for her clients through strategic relationship building. One of my effective ways to gain an editor attention is to have a eye catching headline. Editors receive tons of emails everyday you have to be mindful and pay attention to what they like to write about in the media. My second way of gaining an editors attention is to understand their brand. Do your research to understand what they like to cover.

I normally try to give an editor a story that will gain them readership. The Thrid way to gain an editors eyeball is introduce yourself without selling a client. They would appreciate the introduction and keep you in mind when you decide you have a story that makesense. Heather now focuses on developing her smart, scrappy, strategic agency with her comprehensive knowledge of digital and print advertising; SEO, geo-fencing, geo- targeting, and social media.

There are a few key rules I follow when it comes to media relations, and all are governed by the idea that journalists want to interact with real people with real and intelligent opportunities. How can you grab attention and engage the reader immediately? With a thought provoking question? Think about how you want your content to be perceived and write a headline that speaks to that; then, use it as your subject line.

Journalists and PR people are humans too! We need to remember that. People want to be spoken to like people, not automated response machines.

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Give them one line on each of your clients that immediately makes your clients relevant to them. If someone speaks down to you or asks you to do something beyond what could ever be considered normal, stand up for yourself as a professional, in a professional way. Reasserting yourself as another professional will, more often than not, allow you to gain respect with the other party.

Hack your own pitch data. Hacking into the data that we create on our own every day at the most basic levels can offer a macro look at PR efforts and help optimize everything you do to get the best media coverage. Spend five minutes on HARO every day. Tell your CSR story. However, doing good business is doing good PR. When shared smartly and humbly, showcasing corporate social responsibility CSR efforts can help raise awareness about what your brand is giving back to the community and get more people to support your cause s. Jackie, the founder of GreatHerGood.

As a native New Yorker, Jackie has a diverse background in television production, public relations, celebrity booking, and marketing. When you post, think about adding quality vs quantity. Post valuable content that your audience can really benefit from, keep it relevant and post on a consistent basis. Is it best to target online, hard copy mags or TV…maybe all three?

Be realistic in terms of what kind of press is right for your business and what can take you to the next level. Be who you really are and share it with the world. There is only one YOU. What is your narrative? Does your business give back to a charity? When you share your passion behind your business, it creates trust and brand loyalty. Is your story one that others could relate to or learn from?

People want to hear about it! Be frank about your obstacles and share your successes. How did your business change you?

Take us on your journey and share your narrative. People can and will relate to THAT more than your products. Jennifer graduated Summa Cum Laude from the S. Think about what they need to craft a compelling story and only pitch them clients that make sense for their beat. Reporters often write for multiple outlets or change jobs. Following them on Twitter will help you keep up to date with their current coverage.

Make it easy for them by giving them all the assets- links, images, talking points- they need. Reporters are very busy. Be sure to follow up via email and phone. There is a fine line between being pushy and being helpful. Learn this balance and whenever you can, meet them in person to solidify the relationship. Everyone has time for a coffee! Set clear expectations with them about best practices for speaking with the media. Hold a face to face media training so that they understand how best to clearly and concisely convey their story while providing the reporter the information that is most relevant to their piece.

Every day, I have the privilege of working with A-list talents, artists, and renowned brands. Just this year, I was honored to be named a recipient of the Top 40 Under 40 award. When you want great media coverage you need to be creative in your approach and make sure that you are on point with your pitch. You need to be specific at all time and you will see an increase in coverage. Take the time to get everything ready before writing the email and press sent this one you save yourself tons of time. I know this can be a tired task but can bring a new audition. For example one of my client is a Top 5 artists in Canada and we got him to do a piece about his condo in downtown Toronto and it got a great response.

They use publicist get tons of emails and calls per day and last thing they need is a publicist calling them a million time. With a commitment to excellence, Conduit Media Solutions seeks to execute the highest level of service in traditional and new media platforms, engaging audiences and creating relevance.

We maximize the moment and garner press for our clients. Aaron Crisler, born and raised in the small town of Austell, GA, has two decades of experience in the entertainment industry. Crisler moved to Nashville, TN in and began as a photographer, quickly gaining trust in the industry working countless celebrity events, red carpet and award ceremonies in Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York.

Crisler asked the client if they had a publicist to work the carpet, they replied: Who should we get? The rest, as they say, is history. Crisler serves his clients with integrity, excellence, and attention to detail. Try to get to know someone before you pitch them. Be genuine and authentic in your outreach. Most everyone is overworked and everyone is just trying to get through the day and make the world a better place, so remember to be kind.

You never know what that person is dealing with in their personal lives.

Learn to take NO for an answer, but then move on to the next and then the next, until one of those doors opens for your client. Know what you want to say. Media outlets are always looking for hard news or trend pieces. You want your message to be important and communicate an element of hard news in order to grab their attention. What you have to say breaks new ground, changes the game, or alters perceptions. Offer a unique perspective. Those two words say it all. Bring yourself to the story. They want to connect with what they are reading or seeing.

When you are in a room with a group of friendly faces, you connect with them directly on a human level.

Bring some of that to the story you want told. Most importantly, be timely. All journalists work on a deadline, so find out what their deadline is and set a time to contact them. Make sure you call them or are available at the agreed time. Natalie Glaser works with premium lifestyle clients across the food and drink sector at M Booth. Natalie is a media maven, always thinking of the next big idea and seeing her pitches come to fruition in top national, regional, and lifestyle publications.

Your DM should be the equivalent of a 2 am you up? This should be taken literally and figuratively. No one wants to read it either! Alli Williams is an innovative, scrappy go-getter with a flair for strategic communications and a passion for brunch. Alli has worked in brand creation and reputation management for over four years. She specializes in media relations, content creation and SEO optimization. Building relationships with journalists is important. Understand the media relations is a give-and-take relationship.

As PR people, we must build that foundation with journalists rather than simply relying on them to help up when we need them to. Original content is the key to developing an interesting brand. The key to getting good media coverage is finding an angle that is fresh and new. It can take some trial and error to find out how to best pitch your client or company. Lee Regal is an experienced PR and media professional with a background in writing and blogging and a track record for developing fresh strategies to increase client visibility.

Lee is currently an account director at DiGennaro Communications, where he focuses on b2b clients in the ad tech and media spaces. You can have a perfect pitch and be overlooked by a reporter because of the sheer amount of emails flooding their inboxes. A great way to cut through the clutter is to build strong relationships with reporters.

Remember, every time you send a pitch out, your reputation is at stake. Ask any great PR practitioner the keys to success, and reading the news will always find itself near the top of the list. She understands the importance of having a close-knit relationship between SEO and PR and leverages her outreach ability to secure crafted and pointed placements which in turn increase both brand awareness and SEO rankings. My first tip to getting great media coverage is outlining your promotional strategy to the editor; even in the initial pitch!

To top it off, you will be included on their website with a link pointing back to your article. The virality and success of a post is often how editors are valued. Knowing this, make sure that you have a promotion strategy ready to share with the editor and execute on it to get that hit! My second tip would be, stand out. Publicists have their tactics, like piggybacking off of a timely topic or sharing something that is unique about the product. This type of pitching is already an expectation, so if you are trying to get an editor to cover you, offer them what they would never expect!

Some ideas might be: My third tip would be to look into the site metrics of the outlet you are pursuing. When you ask me for a tip about how to get good, media coverage, my initial thought is, how impactful is this outlet to my audience and is the site increasing in rankings? Sometimes, I see more traffic and first click conversions coming from a niche blogs than even the New York Times.

I know this, because I look at google analytics and identify which placements are actually good for my client based on the agreed upon KPIs before the campaign began. My passion driven agency services entrepreneurs, influencers, and brands in fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment. Make GENUINE connections with the media personnel— Introducing yourself to editors and getting an understanding of what they are looking for is the perfect way to start a great working relationship. Editors are real people who get thousands of emails daily and its better to see a familiar name who they know is only going to reach out with pitches that are relevant to what they write about.

If you have a story or products that has been on the market before lead with what makes you and your product unique.

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