What if your media pitches always stood out from the pack? What if the editor’s eyes perked up every time they saw an email from you? You can bet this would improve your chances of getting coverage.

In this post, we’ll go over a few things you can do with your media pitches to make journalists and editors love them.

What journalists want in a story pitch

1. Sent to the right person

Journalists and editors love it when your story pitch is aligned with the beat they’re assigned to. A PR newbie mistake is sending out a pitch to any reporter they can find, or all 26 reporters at the target magazine. Either go to their website, or pick up an actual magazine and flip through the pages to see which journalist has written a story similar to one that you want to pitch. Do they cover entrepreneurs who are role models? How to solve a business problem? Companies that “do good”? Product reviews? News?

To compile a good mailing list, take note of what topics each media professional writes about. If you’d like to purchase media lists for lifestyle, women’s or children’s products, you can check out this company. My team recently tested their media lists and while there were a few errors (wrong email address), it was a worthwhile purchase as it saved us hours and hours of research time and very quickly resulted in media stories coming up for a client in People Magazine and Woman’s Day.

2. Compelling subject line

Your email subject line can make or break your story pitch. If it’s unclear, confusing, or boring, the journalist won’t even open your email. While clients or companies can’t always claim to have the “world’s first” of anything, identifying what’s unique in your offering, or how a certain market will benefit from your product or service and distilling it to one sentence can be great for clarifying your overall key message.

Try using a question they may be intrigued to read the answer to, or “great story on xyz” referencing specifically a story they wrote in the past.

Examples: “How should you spend your first marketing dollar? “ or “Who is benefiting from the postal strike?”

Like anything, you’ll have to test to see what works. One of my team members recently reached out to a reporter for Forbes on Twitter first, and then sent an email with the casual headline: “Some ideas for you”

In the email itself, she simply asked if he was open to hearing about two technology companies we worked with, and described them with one sentence each.  Total length of email = 5 sentences including the thank you line.

His reply was this:

“Honestly neither are interesting to me immediately, but I’ll be damned if this is not the best most honest pitch I’ve seen since I started working at Forbes. I’m sorry we can’t work together right now.”

The lesson is this: Don’t be discouraged by reporters saying no. Even if you have a good story to tell, relationship building takes time, and “no” usually just means “not right now.”  You can bet next time the reporter gets an email from Jackie, he’ll be opening it up.

3. Have quotable quotes or statistics

Reporters like to round out business stories with a neutral third-party – industry analysts or industry experts. Having statistics that support your business model, target market or validate your product add interest and save journalists additional research they may have to do for a good interviewee. Make their job easier!

Quotes also give you the opportunity to present opinions, observations, or assertions rather than just facts.

If you’re a small business owner, you can also use customer testimonials to show their experience of your company or product. Just make sure to get permission to quote your customer and if possible have their contact details – the journalist may want to interview them further.

And finally, don’t make the journalist work hard to find you. Your name, telephone number, and email address are a given. Why not add your company website URL, Twitter handle, and your business Facebook page?

Putting these elements in your media pitches will help you come across as a valuable resource for journalists and you’ll soon be a media favorite.

Which of these elements was new to you? Did I miss anything?

Share your suggestions in the comments below. Or connect with me on Twitter or Facebook.

Image by Walt Stoneburner

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Our biggest challenge in PR is getting our stories published in the news. But to get in the news, we must first be “newsworthy.”

Unless your business is related to politics or celebrities, chances are you need to work at being newsworthy. Don’t despair, even the most mundane of businesses can be compelling enough to land the news.

What does it mean to be newsworthy anyway?

7 Ways To Be Newsworthy

If you observe what gets published in newspapers, magazines and blogs, or talked about on the radio and TV, you’ll notice they have at least one of the following characteristics:

1. New

That’s why they’re called the “news” in the first place; they’re about things that are new. They’re happening right now. They’re happening for the first time. It’s novel, it’s fresh.

Action Point

• Look for what’s new in your business or in the activities you’ve participated in lately.

• Implement business-related activities that are different from what your competitors are doing, such as sponsoring a study (and then release the findings), participating in a charitable event, winning an award.

2. High-impact

An event becomes a news story, because it affects many people (since we’re all tied to our phones, think of anything Apple or Blackberry does) or affects a few people in a big way (cure for a type of cancer found). Something that has a limited effect so far (soft launch for a new product or service) — but can be scaled up significantly — is also newsworthy

Action Point

• How has your product/service/program affected your customers? Turn your answers into story ideas.

• Ask customers if any of them have discovered an unexpected but desirable result from using your product/service/program.

• Keep monitoring your customers to mine for indicators of impact (e.g., 10,000 downloads for an app, 1000th customer)

3. Close to home

People are naturally interested in things that happen in places or to people they’re familiar with. This is why it’s usually easier for us to get coverage in local media than outlets that are regional or national.

Action Point

• Monitor local media and bloggers, and keep an eye out for media opportunities.

• Think of what aspects of your business would be interesting to a local audience, even if it’s not necessarily compelling to someone outside your geographical location (e.g., hometown lad makes big with start-up business)

4. Celebrity

When something happens to someone famous, it’s news. Celebrity “sightings” wearing or using your product can mean an instant fan base for you, and immediate sales as your product becomes a “must-have” item.

Action Point

• Consider getting a celebrity spokesperson to represent your product or brand (this often involves working with their stylist if your product is fashion oriented or working with a firm specializing in celebrity gifting)

• Tap local or community celebrities to participate in your live events or other activities

5. Controversial

Controversy is newsworthy. To be controversial, you must be open to conflict, disagreement, and tension.

Action Point

• If there’s a generally accepted notion in your market or industry that you disagree with, speak up about it. But do so with grace and diplomacy. In other words, speak your mind without picking a fight

6. Interesting

Some news items may not have any of the characteristics on this list, other than the fact that they’re just plain interesting. These are usually stories that evoke strong emotions from the audience: anything from amusement, to fear, to anger. Absurdities and human interest stories usually fall under this category of news.

Action Point

• Regularly scan your industry and environment for elements that may raise eyebrows. How do they relate to your business?
• When you tell the story of your business or how your product came to be, watch your listener’s reactions. What captivates them the most? Play that up and possibly make a media pitch out of it.

7. Extreme

Whatever is the best, the biggest, the fastest, the most, the only, the first… makes the news.

Action Point

• What is the USP of your product/service/program? Use that as the starting point for a story idea.

• Ask your customers: What does your product do best? What is it most useful for? Ask permission to quote them.

Use the list above to identify story ideas to pitch to journalists. A good exercise is to sit down with a team once a month, go through the list, and brainstorm as many story ideas as you can.

Read, watch, listen to media, including social media, to get a good idea of what journalists find newsworthy. Soon mining your business for what’s newsworthy will become second nature to you.

Which of these newsworthy elements has landed you a media story in the past? Share your experience in the comments below. Or let me know via Twitter or Facebook.

photo credit: nicolaitan

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Now that PR is increasingly becoming “social,” it’s more important than ever to deliver your PR message with the help of images.

Visuals play an essential role in PR storytelling. They can bring your product or brand to life in a way that words, even when crafted by the most talented writer, can never accomplish.

Visuals are immediately comprehensible. You can impart a message with an image much faster than with words.

Images can also transcend language. Think of how the image of a mother cradling her baby evokes similar feelings in different cultures.

With social media as one of your PR tools, it has also become much easier to create, use, and distribute images.

Consider the following visual tools in your PR work:

Photos

Photos are still a great standby. They’re inexpensive to produce and easy to disseminate. For photos of products and special events, invest in a good photographer. It will pay off for years to come.

However, don’t underestimate your and your employees’ ability to create their own photos. Sometimes, an excellent photo opportunity comes up when your official photographer isn’t around. Whip out your smart phone or, if you have the time, your digital camera. A photo that’s relevant is more valuable than one that was shot by a professional.

You can also purchase stock photos from iStock, or use Creative Commons pictures from various sources, including Flickr. Make sure to read the fine print on the commercial use of these images and provide attribution, when it’s required.

Slideshows

Business presentations are another source of visuals that can be used for PR. Consider using online slideshow sharing platforms like Slideshare. Aside from hosting your slideshows, Slideshare lets you and other users embed your slideshows in your blog, website or company Intranet, and share it on social networks.

Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of data, statistics or information. These tend to go viral fast, because they’re visually attractive and compelling. Of course, the topic needs to be one of interest.

Infographics require a considerable investment in research: gathering data, synthesizing them, and choosing which ones to include in the final graphic.

You’ll also need to hire a good artist, one who can capture the essence of the data in visual terms and at the same time stay true to your branding. This article has excellent tips on what makes a good infographic, while this has an excellent list of sites for visual inspiration.

Videos

Videos can be a powerful way to tell your story. Imagine, not only will your audience see what your product looks like. They can watch it in action and see users interact with it. It’s an easy way for your prospects to visualize themselves in the story. Video is the best way to “paint a picture” of your product/service’s benefits.

However, video can also be difficult to produce well. You’ll need the right equipment, people who know how to produce and disseminate videos, and of course, the proper set up to shoot.

That said, audiences nowadays don’t demand broadcast-quality videos as they used to. With the popularity of YouTube, audiences have become accustomed to home-video quality. In fact, amateur videos created by your customers themselves are more powerful testimonials than a sleek video you produce. Watch this if you need more convincing about the power of video.

Jay Baer, author of “The Now Revolution,” says in this video that businesses are now only scratching the surface when it comes to using multimedia for marketing and PR.

If you’re already using social media and content marketing in your PR, think of how you can better leverage the power of visuals — photos, slideshows, infographics and videos — in your overall strategy.

Ideas?

Did reading this post give you ideas for using visuals in your PR? If you’ve been using visuals, what results have you gotten so far? How can you scale up your results?

Post your thoughts in the comments below.

photo credit: JD | Photography

PS: If you want to know more about how to use video to promote your business, I highly recommend Lewis Howes and James Wedmore’s Video Traffic Academy. (Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Lewis Howes and will earn a commission if you purchase through this link. However, I only ever recommend programs I believe in. That said, you should still do your due diligence before buying anything.)

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Marketing yourself or your organization online can be tricky. There are so many technologies, tools and platforms available, and so many different people with often times contradictory advice on which areas to focus on and what strategies and tactics you should apply. However, through all this noise, one of the most time-tested and dependable strategies for bringing in more traffic and leads to your website is this: blog regularly.

Some business leaders might balk at such a seemingly mundane idea. After all, didn’t blogs start out as places for moody teenagers to write about their newest crush or favorite band, à la LiveJournal circa 2003? Indeed they did, but much like Twitter, blogs have grown beyond their initial hobbyist beginnings to become a serious marketing tool. Let’s look at their application specifically when it comes to search engine optimization and attracting online traffic.

Why does blogging work?

Now, technically speaking, a blog is nothing more than a series of web pages arranged in a chronological order. Each blog post has its own unique URL or web page address. Internet search engines like Google and Bing spend their days crawling the Internet and indexing all the URLs that they can find. Therefore, each URL on your website is a chance to be indexed by the search engines and to be found by people searching online. So, say one company has a website with about 10 pages: Our Services, About Us, and so on and so on. Their competitor also has a website with about 10 regular website pages as well, but they also have a blog that they update bi-weekly. Since each blog post is technically its own web page with its own unique URL, after one year the second company actually has 114 indexable pages on their website. That means the first company only has 10 chances to be ranked and found on internet searches, but the second company has 114 chances to be found – over 10 times more than the first company!

So where’s the proof?

A great example of the power of blogging comes from my friend Ken Schroeppel, an urban planner in Denver. Ken runs a blog on Denver urban land planning and urban construction projects called Denver Infill. He started it a few years ago as a personal hobby and began posting on it regularly. What he originally thought would be just a fun personal project, however, suddenly exploded into the Denver public scene — his blog now gets 30,000 visitors per month. His blog has won him several awards such as the Downtown Denver Partnership award, the Denver Mayor’s Design award, and two Westword Best of Denver awards. Because of his blog, he is also quoted in the Denver Post and other media outlets. He says strangers will even stop him on the street and say “Hey, you’re the Denver Infill guy, right?” What a great example of the power of blogging.

However, your blog will only be a success if you’re intentional about your subject matter. If you want to be found by people searching for Denver urban land planning, like my friend Ken, then write about Denver urban land planning. If you want to be found by people searching for Denver marketing, then write about Denver marketing. Don’t get on your professional website and write about what you had for lunch (nobody cares), and don’t get on and complain and moan about your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend (like the teenage Livejournal crowd).

Here’s what you do:

1. Write out a list of topics that are related to your organization’s products or services, or your professional goals.
2. Then sit down, open up your calendar, and plan out a schedule for regularly writing about these topics. Share your perspective on the latest developments in your industry, write answers to some of your customers’ frequently asked questions, and offer tips, advice and resources for people who are interested in the subject matter that you specialize in. Plan on publishing at least once a week.
3. Set aside a specific time each week to write your scheduled blog article — say, Wednesday at 9 AM, and hold to that schedule.

This will take some discipline, but then again, what in life doesn’t? Stick with it long enough, and you’re going to start seeing some great results.

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I talked previously about the different ways you can repurpose your media coverage, but what about your company “wins”? Think about the last time something great happened to your company – like signing a big client. How did you leverage this win to boost your PR efforts? If all you did was write a press release and pitch it to the media, then you’re not taking full advantage of the different ways this one win can be used over and over again in your PR and marketing.

For example, let’s say Apple has just contracted you to provide them with a service for one month. There are ten ways you can leverage this win to get more publicity over time:

1. Write an SEO press release and post it on your site. If the story is big enough (in this case, signing Apple would be pretty BIG) you should think about posting it on services like PR Newswire.
2. Turn your press release into a blog post that can be easily shared.
3. Feed your blog through the RSS functionality on Hootsuite to automatically populate your Twitter and Facebook page. Simply announcing your big news on your social networks can lead to new followers and business opportunities.
4. Announce that you signed Apple in your company newsletter- this is definitely something you want to share with your subscribers!
5. Following your one month of service, write a solid case study about working with Apple: What were you contracted to do? What were the measurable outcomes? Did you get signed on for another project because of your great work?
6. Pitch this case study to media and bloggers.
7. Repurpose your case study for your blog. Do one post on it or do several! You can write a post as a recap, how-to, lessons learned, etc.
8. Since you’re now feeding your blogs posts to Twitter and Facebook via Hootsuite, your fans and followers will instantly learn about your experience working with Apple.
9. Make sure to include your case study in your sales kit.
10. The resulting media article(s) from this win can be posted on your website, used in your sales kit, mentioned in award and speaker applications…there really is no end to how this win can help your business!

How did you leverage your last big win? Is there anything else you would add to this list? Please let me know in the comments below or connect with me via Twitter or Facebook!

Photo Credit: Watermarked.cutcaster.com

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In the two and a half years since I’ve been active on social networks, I’ve met a ton of really interesting and influential people. I love online networking and it works really well for me as an entrepreneur running a virtual business.

However, I’ve been attending more live events and conferences recently and networking in person because I really love meeting new people.

Even if you’re not the host, a speaker or an exhibitor at the event, here are simple ways you can have fun, make an impact and maximize your presence -– and therefore the business opportunities coming your way.

• GET personal

Yes, it’s usually a conversation opener to ask someone what they do, but that’s probably something you can learn in-depth from their website. I ask people questions like: what they will do for fun after the event, did they travel with their family, who’s an interesting person they have met at the event and why.  Which of the presentations are they most looking forward to?

It helps to make the conversation more memorable in their minds, and in yours. You may also learn a thing or two about the conference, or other attendees you would otherwise miss.

Make sure you ask for their business card and make notes –- that way when you follow up you can remind them of your conversation and make an instant re-connection.

• GIVE first and you shall receive

The secret to positive networking (the one where you feel good rather than sales-y and slim-y) is to think about what you can do for the other person. When getting to know them, ask what their goals are for attending the event. What are they hoping to achieve?

Listen well. Maybe there is some way you can help by introducing them to someone in your network or sharing information you know. Maybe later on as the event progresses, you meet someone that could help achieve those goals. Introduce them and believe that the good karma will come back to you! (It usually does.)

• GENERATE conversation in the hallways

I was recently at an event with over 600 people and I noticed almost a third were in the hallways, lobby and other places — not necessarily listening to the speakers.  Many were clustered in groups of 2 – 4 people. As one of them said to me, “this is where the deals are made.”

I couldn’t agree more. Although I had already met the founders of a company I wanted to meet, a chance encounter by the coffee bar with one of their marketing people is what may lead to a project for us: the marketing person contacted me even before the event ended.

• GO to breakfast, lunch and dinner

Many events include meals, or perhaps a nominal charge for an additional networking opportunity. Go! I once met the spouse of someone I had been trying to meet, at a pre-event reception. After getting to know each other, she offered to connect me with him. Problem solved. So, sit with new people each time and get to know them. I’ve found the most fascinating information about businesses and their leaders from their staff, service providers and peers simply by asking, “What do you think of this company?” The more information you can gather, the better prepared you’ll be when you meet your potential clients. People are lazy and don’t do enough research. Be the exception.

• GREET the hosts

Would you show up to a party and not greet the hosts? Of course not. Make a point of meeting and greeting those who have organized the event. Whether it’s one person or an entire committee, you can easily find out who they are or have someone point you in their direction. Tell them why you are there and what you are looking forward to. They are always interested in constructive feedback. And of course, they are looking to help YOU get the most out of the event. So tell them your goals and ask them if they can help you. After all, a good host will want to make sure you enjoy the party and tell everyone about it.

• GROUP your tweets

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention tweets. Almost every event these days will include a Twitter #hashtag so that people before, during and after an event can easily find each other, see who’s there and take online networking offline (and I’m also finding that people who meet me at an event ask what my Twitter name is and follow me after the event). It’s also good for those who couldn’t attend to see what other people’s experiences are like.

• GRAB the app

With smart phones, social media and sustainability encroaching on all aspects of our lives, it was only a matter of time that the paper event guide would fall out of favor. I recently got to experience a fun and powerful app from Quickmobile that allowed me to pull up each day’s updated agenda, speaker info and bios, event logistics, feedback forms and the attendee list where I could message an individual — all from my iPhone.

Those are just seven of the ways you can turn a live networking event into a huge business opportunity.

As always, think of others first — be gracious and interested — and these face-to-face connections will pay off in goodwill, partnerships, and maybe even some PR.

What tips do you have for making the most of live networking events? Share them in the comments below, so we can all learn from each other.

Or you can send them to me via Twitter or Facebook.

Thank you!

Image by Nan Palmero

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Last week, I wrote a post about choosing a PR partner, whether an individual consultant or a full-service PR agency. Today, I’d like to talk about how to make the most of working with the PR partner you’ve chosen.

Working with a PR partner can be an essential step in the growth of a business. A good PR consultant or agency will help you refine your core messages and make sure they reach your target markets. The best part is, you’ll accomplish all this without doing all the nitty-gritty work yourself. You can focus on growing your business instead.

However, your results will depend on how much you put into the relationship with your PR partner. Below are some of my tips for working with your PR agency or consultant.

How to Get The Best Work From Your PR Agency or Consultant

1. Have clear objectives.

Don’t expect to hand over your company’s direction to your PR partner.  They’re the communication experts, but you’re still the expert on your business and product.

Even before bringing a PR agency or consultant in, you should have clear objectives and goals for your business.  This way your PR partner can tie-in recommended PR strategies and tactics to help you meet your overall business goals – it won’t be publicity for publicity’s sake.

2. Educate your PR agency or consultant on your business, market and industry.

The success of your PR partner depends on how well they understand your business, your product, and your target market. Give them all the information they’ll need to have an intimate understanding of your business — and then some.

Don’t be afraid of overwhelming them or giving them too much information. There’s no such thing. A good PR consultant or agency will know how to synthesize all that content and use them to position and communicate about your business.

3. Keep your PR partner in the loop.

Update your PR agency or consultant on what’s going on in your business, no matter how seemingly trivial. You never know what would make a good PR opportunity or media pitch. A good PR partner will try to create as many media pitches as possible, so give them all the fodder they need – think of events you are attending, speeches you’re presenting, tradeshows you are exhibiting at, awards you have applied for or won, as well as anything that may signal growth and expansion of your business.

4. Listen and trust.

You hired your PR partner, because of their expertise in putting together a compelling message and making sure it reaches your target audiences. Trust them to get their job done. Listen to their suggestions and be willing to try something new, even if it feels uncomfortable and scary at first.

5. Monitor your results.

Before your PR consultant or agency begins any work, agree on key metrics you will both be looking at to measure results and impact. And then have regular status meetings to go over deadlines, deliverables and issues. Nowadays, you don’t even have to meet face-to-face for these status updates. A phone conference or even a webinar with key people can be just as effective and don’t require a commute.

6. Identify your in-house PR coordinator.

Have one person in your company who is tasked with communicating with and keeping your PR agency or consultant well-informed on a regular basis. Ideally, your PR contact person has enough authority to reach your company’s top management when decisions need to be made — and fast.

7. Have a spokesperson.

Your company spokesperson may or may not be the same as your PR contact point. Your spokesperson is the one who’ll be giving press interviews. He or she needs to be authoritative, credible and able to think fast to respond to unexpected questions.

If you have a bigger company, you may want to create a core team of spokespersons, so the task of responding to interviews is spread around.

Whether it’s just one person or a group of spokespersons, ask your PR agency or consultant to train them in giving interviews. Before an important interview or press conference, your spokesperson(s) should practice with your PR partner.

8. Stay involved.

Just because you have hired a PR partner doesn’t mean you can just “set it and forget it.” Attend regular meetings with your PR agency or consultant. Read the reports they send you. Keep the lines of communication open.

9. Consider your PR agency or consultant a key partner.

Your PR consultant or agency may be outside your company’s formal structure, but you should treat them as a partner nevertheless – one that can help grow your business. One way to do this is by involving them in important company meetings, especially ones that have to do with communication and marketing.

10. Learn the basics of PR.

You’ll be a better client if you have at least a rudimentary understanding of what PR is and how it works. Ask your PR agency or consultant for an orientation for you and your key staff.  The more people thinking about PR for your business, the more opportunities will come your way.

These are just some of the ways you and your PR agency can have a smooth and productive relationship.

What Do You Think?

Have you been working with a PR agency or consultant? If so, what lessons have you learned? Share them with us by posting a comment below.

You can also send them to me via Twitter or Facebook. Thanks!

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At some point in your business’ life, you’re going to need the services of a PR professional. Perhaps you’ve got big goals that require getting your message out to a bigger audience — one you can’t reach if you tried to do your own PR, and one you don’t have the staff for.

Choosing a PR partner to help you accomplish your goals can leave you as confused as a kid in a candy store. With so many options and a limited budget, how do you get the most bang for your buck?

In this post, I’ll share with you the considerations you need to make to determine what you really need, and how to find the right PR expertise.

Before Hiring a PR Partner

Before you work with a PR partner, make sure to clarify your:

• Goals

What do you want to accomplish through PR? How do you want to position your company in the market? How do you want to be perceived?

• Expectations

Assess the newsworthiness of your products, services, and programs. Be realistic with what you expect from PR. It isn’t a magic wand that will make your products a bestseller.

• Budget

How much can you allocate for PR? Many companies think of PR as a one-off expense to launch a major product or service, but a sustained effort over at least six months is really what will build momentum. Figuring out an overall budget will determine which PR activities can be implemented, and which will have to wait.

PR Consultant vs. PR Agency

When you’re ready to outsource your PR, you have two choices. You can work with either a PR consultant or a full service PR agency. Either one can meet your PR needs. It all depends on what you want to accomplish and what resources you have.

A PR consultant is for you if you’re just getting started. PR consultants are generally less expensive than a full service PR agency.

PR consultants are great if have specific projects you want to hand off. That way, their deliverables and outputs are concrete. You’ll be able to monitor their progress easily and tell if they’re meeting their milestones.

On the other hand, consultants tend to be generalists. They can do pretty much any task involved in PR. However, they may not have the strengths you need.

For example, a PR consultant may be a good writer but not strong in media relations, picking up the phone and pitching to an editor. They may not know how to train you or your spokespersons to face the camera for an interview. Or they may not be up-to-date on how to use social media for PR.

Contrast this with a PR agency, which is made up of a pool of people. That translates to a pool of different talents, each of which can be tapped to address your particular needs. The writer will write your press releases. The media relations person will pitch journalists. The trainer will train your spokespersons, and the strategist will sit down with you to plot your PR campaign.

Also, PR consultants generally have less resources than agencies. As an example, my technology PR agency, Cross Border, invests over $7,000 a year for a media database so we can quickly put together media lists and editorial calendars for clients. Not all solo PR consultants can afford this.

Finally, because most consultants are doing business solo, when your consultant goes on vacation, so does your PR. Or if they land big clients, they can easily get swamped and drop the ball on smaller clients (which could be you).

On the other hand, a PR agency can easily pull in additional staff and consultants to keep the momentum going for all its clients.

How to Choose A PR Agency

If you’ve decided to work with a PR agency, here are things to consider:

• Team

Find out who the senior and junior members of the PR team are. Who make up the team, and what are their responsibilities? Will the team be big enough to service your needs now, and as your company grows?

The team members should also be people you’re comfortable with, people you like and trust. You’ll be working very closely with them, telling them the most intimate details of your company and product. So choose the agency with people you like and enjoy being with.

• Expertise

It’s always an advantage when the agency is already familiar with your industry. Ideally they have a good combination of strengths, experience, and expertise so they can hit the ground running with all your PR initiatives.

• References/Reliability

A good PR agency will have a proven track record. Talk to past and present clients to find out what the agency’s working ethics and style are, whether they meet their deliverables and bring a good ROI.

• Long-term vs. Project Basis

Whether you’ll put an agency on long-term retainer, or hire them on a project by project basis, largely depends on your goals.

On a per-project basis, you can complete existing projects, and carry out specific, time-limited PR programs within a predetermined budget.

If you have the resources and ability to plan for the long term, then it pays to have the same team working with you, from strategic planning to execution. With this arrangement, you’ll also have the flexibility to take advantage of PR opportunities you may not have anticipated.

Choosing the PR professional for your business is an important decision. Think of the key points I provided in this post, but also follow your gut. When it comes to PR pros, you have plenty to choose from. Take your time, ask all the questions you have, and go with the one who gives you the most confidence.

Your Thoughts?

Are you currently working with a PR professional, whether a consultant or an agency? If so, how did you choose whom to work with?

I’d love to hear about your experiences in choosing a PR professional. Tell us about it in the comments below.

Or send me your thoughts on Twitter or Facebook. Thank you!

Image by Tracy Hunter

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Getting your business talked about in media — newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, and the Internet — is what PR is all about.

You rejoice every time you get media coverage. It’s an opportunity to reach more of your target market, as well as potential partners and investors.

However, there’s more to media coverage than just getting exposure.

It also adds to your perceived credibility and authority in your field. It gives social proof that you’re good at what you do, that your product delivers, that your business is legit.

Therefore, you should use any media coverage you get to maximize these benefits. Don’t just clip them and stick them into your media kit. Of course, you should be doing that — at the very least.

Below are 10 ways you can reuse and repurpose your media coverage:

1. Printed marketing materials

Who says clips of your media coverage belong only in your media kit? You can quote what media have said about you in your brochures, product manuals, print ads and business cards. You could put logos of the media outlets that have reported about your business or product, with a header that says “As Seen In.”

2. Online media page

Create an online version of your media kit, and add scanned images, streaming audio clips and video clips of your media coverage. If the originals are available online, you can link to the media outlets’ websites as well. This goes to show your media clips are authentic.

3. Website sidebar

Create an “As Seen In” box on your website sidebar, and place the logos of all the media outlets that have reported about you. As an example, check out my sidebar on the right.

4. Online landing pages

Quote media reports on online sales pages and squeeze pages. If any media outlet has said good things about your product, use that as a testimonial on your products page. Also, add an “As Seen In” box in your landing pages, for increased social proof.

5. Inspiration for taglines, headlines and copy

Are you revamping your marketing materials? Brainstorming a new headline or tagline? Read over your media coverage to come up with new angles. The media offer a fresh perspective on your business, which could resonate well with your target market.

6. Client communications

Send clippings to your past and existing clients, to remind them why they work with you and should continue to do so.

7. Project or business proposals

Quote from your media clippings to add credibility to your proposals. This may help “push” prospects who are still on the fence about working with you.

8. Office display

Frame media clippings and display them in your office, especially your reception area. This will “prime” clients, partners or new staff who are waiting to see you.

9. Newsletter, blog and social network updates

Your appearance in media is worthy of being announced in your own content platforms. Don’t forget your Facebook page and LinkedIn updates as well.

10. Applications

Whether you’re applying to speak in a conference or be qualified for an award, your media exposure could make a big difference. For example, it could mean the difference between you getting that keynote versus a panel discussion.

Your media coverage adds to your credibility and provides solid social proof of how well you deliver on your promise. Use it to your best advantage.

Those are just 10 of the ways you can use media coverage. Have I missed any? How do you use your media clippings?

Let me know in the comments section below.

Image from Crestock Stock Photos

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I know you dread it. But sooner or later, if you’re serious about getting publicity, you’ll have to pick up the phone and pitch a reporter on your story.

It doesn’t have to hurt. Not if you follow these simple tips.

1. Ask permission.

You wouldn’t call your best friend and then start ranting when she picks up the phone. Same thing with reporters. Show that you respect their time. Before diving into your pitch, ask them, “”Do you have time for a story pitch?”

If they say yes, then great. If they say no, then ask when would be a better time.

2. Be brief and to the point.

Just because a journalist has given you permission to take up their time doesn’t mean you should go on and on. They’re busy, just like you and me.

So very briefly, tell them who you are and what you have to offer them. You don’t need to spend five minutes giving a backgrounder on who you are and what your business is all about.

3. Tailor your pitch.

When you call, make sure you have the correct reporter’s name and media outlet in front of you. It’s easy to get names mixed up when you’re making one call after another. Don’t refer to the journalist’s “readers” when you’re talking to a broadcaster.

Also, make it clear why your story would be interesting or relevant to the journalist’s audience. Why would their reader/listener/viewer care about your story? Show you’re familiar with their newspaper, magazine, radio program or TV station, what audiences they reach out to, and the type of stories they like. This makes their job easier and makes you look like the thoughtful, PR-savvy entrepreneur you are.

4. Be helpful.

If the journalist isn’t interested in your pitch, it’s ok to ask what they’re currently working on and to offer whatever helpful information or leads you may have.

Don’t be selfish. Help them in any way you can–even if it won’t directly benefit your business in any way. This positions you as a source of information… hopefully one they’ll call on again and again.

5. Respond promptly.

Sometimes, the call will end with a journalist requesting you for more information or additional materials. Always send these promptly. Ask them what their deadline is, and respond ahead of the deadline.

If you can’t get the information to them on time, let them know. They’re going to respect you a lot more than if you leave them hanging.

Finally, don’t give up. If the editor isn’t interested right now, it doesn’t mean she won’t be interested next time you call. Don’t take things personally. Stay positive. Keep on the lookout for stories you can tie into your own business, and keep trying until you succeed.

PS: For more on pitching to journalists on the phone, including a detailed script you can follow, check out “How to Do Your Own PR.”

Image from Crestock Stock Images

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