PR

[Robert Anderson]

We have retained a PR firm. They have presented us an elaborate plan that
includes news releases of things like new hires, client wins, etc.

Some of things they suggest (such as by lined articles) we think can
generate leads. However, some of the things they are suggesting seem like
fluff. Generating leads is our goal. We don't really feel the need to tell
the media every time we hire someone or buy a new copy machine or something.
:-)

Any thoughts on PR and its value? Should we ask for a stripped down PR plan
that just includes lead generating activities? That is our instinct in this
matter. Any thoughts on PR and its use for the small business would be
appreciated.

My gut tells me that most PR consultants think in terms of corporations and
that is probably how they were trained. Big corporations do a lot of PR that
is just in the category of nice to have -- e.g., announcing a new hire --
but that are not really core to the mission of making money. I guess it
comes down to resources and time.

[Dick Morris]

Let me speak to this as a former radio station program director. I did
radio for over thirty years before moving into the classroom. We used to
get all kinds of press releases from this one trucking firm over
anything and everything that was happening, including new hires, client
wins, etc. We never used any of them. Why? It wasn't of interest to our
listeners, and it really wasn't hard news. And it found its way into my
wastebasket.

Broadcast media, especially radio stations, are flooded with news
releases, with requests for air time or for coverage, and we have to do
*something* to sort the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. If our
listeners wouldn't be interested in the contents of the release, or if
the release couldn't be classified as hard news, we discarded it.

Your PR firm is doing you no favors if all it does is generate a
blizzard of paper aimed at media who are already drowning in it. Make a
list of your media. Find out the demographic they reach. If they reach
the demographic you're targeting, get to know the program director,
public affairs director, whoever is in charge of handling things like
that. Find out what s/he wants, then give it to him/her. That's the way
to get your name out in a way that can generate leads.

Dick Morris
Department of Business Administration
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Post by Robert Anderson
We have retained a PR firm. They have presented us an elaborate plan that
includes news releases of things like new hires, client wins, etc.
Some of things they suggest (such as by lined articles) we think can
generate leads. However, some of the things they are suggesting seem like
fluff. Generating leads is our goal. We don't really feel the need to tell
the media every time we hire someone or buy a new copy machine or something.
:-)
Any thoughts on PR and its value? Should we ask for a stripped down PR plan
that just includes lead generating activities? That is our instinct in this
matter. Any thoughts on PR and its use for the small business would be
appreciated.
My gut tells me that most PR consultants think in terms of corporations and
that is probably how they were trained. Big corporations do a lot of PR that
is just in the category of nice to have -- e.g., announcing a new hire --
but that are not really core to the mission of making money. I guess it
comes down to resources and time.

[Robert Anderson]

Post by Dick Morris
Your PR firm is doing you no favors if all it does is generate a
blizzard of paper aimed at media who are already drowning in it. Make a
list of your media. Find out the demographic they reach. If they reach
the demographic you're targeting, get to know the program director,
public affairs director, whoever is in charge of handling things like
that. Find out what s/he wants, then give it to him/her. That's the way
to get your name out in a way that can generate leads.

BTW, today we made the decision to drop our PR firm. It actually got us
quite excited at the prospect of doing our own PR. We realize it will be a
lot of work. Yikes.

Thanks. Yes, we were actually thinking that we would do the following:

1. develop our own media list.

2. write direct articles with our bylines.

3. send *interesting* press releases only. The fluff goes.

4. Join PRNewswire that has this service whereby you can be put in as an
expert to be interviewed by journalist. *** This is the item we are not sure
about ***

Thanks.

[Dick Morris]

Post by Robert Anderson
4. Join PRNewswire that has this service whereby you can be put in as an
expert to be interviewed by journalist. *** This is the item we are not sure
about ***
Thanks.

Do it! Remember that radio/TV stations are licensed by the FCC to
"program in the public interest as a public trustee." They're always
looking for something to put on the air to show they're fulfilling that
obligation. It may be a call-in talk show, a guest on the morning drive
or midday music shows, or whatever, but they're looking. I was when I
was in those shoes.

Dick

[Maren Purves]

Post by Robert Anderson
We have retained a PR firm. They have presented us an elaborate plan that
includes news releases of things like new hires, client wins, etc.
Some of things they suggest (such as by lined articles) we think can
generate leads. However, some of the things they are suggesting seem like
fluff. Generating leads is our goal. We don't really feel the need to tell
the media every time we hire someone or buy a new copy machine or something.
:-)

while a PR firm may be better at this, you can do that yourself
if you have to save that money, but do it.

Press releases may look like fluff but they will (assuming they
get printed) expose the reader of that section (rather than the
advertising section which is only read by the people who look for
that thing at that time) to your name and location (put your URL
in too if you have a web site) and for each one person who reads
it it will stick with some fraction of them.

While it may not immediately generate leads, it may very well
do so in the long term.

Maren
---------------------------------------------------------
http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/~maren/palms_etc/
Your Source of Tropical and House Plant Seeds from Hawaii
specializing in Job's Tears in bulk and
fresh Gardenia Taitensis (Tiare) seeds.

[Robert Anderson]

Post by Maren Purves

Post by Robert Anderson
We have retained a PR firm. They have presented us an elaborate plan that
includes news releases of things like new hires, client wins, etc.
Some of things they suggest (such as by lined articles) we think can
generate leads. However, some of the things they are suggesting seem like
fluff. Generating leads is our goal. We don't really feel the need to tell
the media every time we hire someone or buy a new copy machine or something.
:-)

while a PR firm may be better at this, you can do that yourself
if you have to save that money, but do it.

We are going to try and do it ourselves. We may actually be able to do it
better than a PR firm. We know our industry.

[Quester]

Hi Robert,

As an advertising and pr copywriter, I've heard that line many
times..."We'll do it ourselves." Maybe so, but my experience with clients
going that route is that it just doesn't get done (particularly if they
don't have a dedicated pr person on board).

Most non-writers don't realize the amount of work that goes into an article,
or even a simple news release, and day-to-day business pressure has a way of
short-circuiting any planned pr work. And what about your writing skills?
Editors can quickly spot amatuerish work, so you'd better be talented (not
only do you need to be able to communicate clearly, but also write in
free-flowing editorial style). Best wishes in your efforts, but don't
underestimate what's involved.

Gordon
www.beckcopy.com

Post by Robert Anderson

Post by Maren Purves

Post by Robert Anderson
We have retained a PR firm. They have presented us an elaborate plan that
includes news releases of things like new hires, client wins, etc.
Some of things they suggest (such as by lined articles) we think can
generate leads. However, some of the things they are suggesting seem like
fluff. Generating leads is our goal. We don't really feel the need to tell
the media every time we hire someone or buy a new copy machine or something.
:-)

while a PR firm may be better at this, you can do that yourself
if you have to save that money, but do it.

We are going to try and do it ourselves. We may actually be able to do it
better than a PR firm. We know our industry.
--
Robert Anderson

[Robert Anderson]

Post by Quester
Hi Robert,
As an advertising and pr copywriter, I've heard that line many
times..."We'll do it ourselves." Maybe so, but my experience with clients
going that route is that it just doesn't get done (particularly if they
don't have a dedicated pr person on board).
Most non-writers don't realize the amount of work that goes into an article,
or even a simple news release, and day-to-day business pressure has a way of
short-circuiting any planned pr work. And what about your writing skills?
Editors can quickly spot amatuerish work, so you'd better be talented (not
only do you need to be able to communicate clearly, but also write in
free-flowing editorial style). Best wishes in your efforts, but don't
underestimate what's involved.

Well, we have successfully published articles and we have a weekly meeting
dedicated just to PR planning.

[Robert Anderson]

Post by Quester
Hi Robert,
As an advertising and pr copywriter, I've heard that line many
times..."We'll do it ourselves." Maybe so, but my experience with clients
going that route is that it just doesn't get done (particularly if they
don't have a dedicated pr person on board).
Most non-writers don't realize the amount of work that goes into an article,
or even a simple news release, and day-to-day business pressure has a way of
short-circuiting any planned pr work. And what about your writing skills?
Editors can quickly spot amatuerish work, so you'd better be talented (not
only do you need to be able to communicate clearly, but also write in
free-flowing editorial style). Best wishes in your efforts, but don't
underestimate what's involved.

By the way, I did not mean my "we can do it ourselves" thing to mean that we
have no need for any specialists. We have contracted a copywriter for a
project and we have contracted a graphic designer to do some Web design for
us. Both very talented people.

The problem we had is our PR consultant delivered no results so we figured
we could achieve more on our own...

[Dick Morris]

In my last post, I forgot to mention a great PR book, Jason Salzman's
"Making the News: A Guide for Nonprofits and Activists." It doesn't read
like a college PR textbook; it's full of great illustrations of how to
get--and keep--media attention. It's primarily aimed at the nonprofit
sector, but the advice Salzman gives is applicable to the business
sector as well.

Dick Morris

Post by Robert Anderson
We have retained a PR firm. They have presented us an elaborate plan that
includes news releases of things like new hires, client wins, etc.
Some of things they suggest (such as by lined articles) we think can
generate leads. However, some of the things they are suggesting seem like
fluff. Generating leads is our goal. We don't really feel the need to tell
the media every time we hire someone or buy a new copy machine or something.
:-)
Any thoughts on PR and its value? Should we ask for a stripped down PR plan
that just includes lead generating activities? That is our instinct in this
matter. Any thoughts on PR and its use for the small business would be
appreciated.
My gut tells me that most PR consultants think in terms of corporations and
that is probably how they were trained. Big corporations do a lot of PR that
is just in the category of nice to have -- e.g., announcing a new hire --
but that are not really core to the mission of making money. I guess it
comes down to resources and time.

[Robert Anderson]

Post by Dick Morris
In my last post, I forgot to mention a great PR book, Jason Salzman's
"Making the News: A Guide for Nonprofits and Activists." It doesn't read
like a college PR textbook; it's full of great illustrations of how to
get--and keep--media attention. It's primarily aimed at the nonprofit
sector, but the advice Salzman gives is applicable to the business
sector as well.

Great. We are definately going to have to study PR in order to do this well.

Any other book recommendations and PR web sites?

To bad

[Dick Morris]

Post by Robert Anderson
Great. We are definately going to have to study PR in order to do this well.
Any other book recommendations and PR web sites?
To bad

Unfortunately I'm not as expert in Web sites as I ought to be, so I
can't tell you anything there. As for books, yes, there are other PR
books, but most of them are written for the academic, e.g. Mary Ann
Moffitt's "Campaign Strategy and Message Design." Salzman's book is
written for the layman, the PR non-professional. The others go down deep
and come up dry, where Salzman explains, in common-sense terms, how to
befriend media outlets so that you solve their problem (programming,
news stories, etc.) while they solve yours (publicity). In this case,
befriending the media outlets isn't taking the PD out to lunch, it's
coming up with a well-prepared guest for their morning show or a
well-crafted news release. I honestly think that's the only book you'll
really need.

Dick

[Wayne Lundberg]

Post by Robert Anderson

Post by Dick Morris
In my last post, I forgot to mention a great PR book, Jason Salzman's
"Making the News: A Guide for Nonprofits and Activists." It doesn't read
like a college PR textbook; it's full of great illustrations of how to
get--and keep--media attention. It's primarily aimed at the nonprofit
sector, but the advice Salzman gives is applicable to the business
sector as well.

Great. We are definately going to have to study PR in order to do this well.
Any other book recommendations and PR web sites?
To bad

You could learn a lot from the pioneer and master in Direct Marketing which,
in a way, is targeted PR. "Being Direct" by Lester Wunderman. I got my book
through a special program put on by the US Post Office in an effort to
stimulate Direct Mail.

Wayne

[r***@gmail.com]

Hi Mr. Morris
Can you suggest a book for a for profit..
I am just looking for something that can help with ideas and
suggestions.
My primary focus is to reach publications, editors in the aviation
industry.
I have started by creating a list of the magazines we would like to our
press release to be showed on but how would you suggest I begin to
build a relationship with the editors..

Please advice and feel free to reply to my e-mail:

***@gmail.com

Thanks!

[Dick Morris]

Hi, and I'll reply to the forum.

Don't let the title of Salzman's book throw you. Yes the title says "a
guide for non-profits and activists," but the advice he gives is just as
valuable to a for-profit corporation. He aimed his book at the
non-profit sector because most non-profits don't have, and can't afford,
a professional PR person to maintain contact with the media; his book is
a basic how-to-do-it. His advice will also work for a small business
that's unable to hire a PR professional. The concepts are the same,
although the labels (for-profit/non-profit/activist) may be different.
You still need to define your message, pick your target and reach it
with the correct medium. The key is making that medium your friend, and
Salzman shows you how. Now if you're a for-profit, I'd go one step
farther than Salzman does, in that I'd buy spots on the radio and TV
stations you want to use.

Here's the link to the book at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0813340950/qid=1111610136/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-8920924-5009711?v=glance&s=books

While I was on Amazon, I came across another Salzman book, "Let the
World Know: Make Your Cause News." I can't vouch for this one as I
haven't read it, but the synopsis looks good. Here's the
link:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006QCOZ2/qid=1111610136/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/102-8920924-5009711?v=glance&s=books

And just in case someone is wondering, I get nothing from Jason Salzman
or his publisher. I took a PR class five years ago, the prof assigned
that book, and I've kept my copy and still refer to it.

Dick Morris
Department of Business Administration
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, OK 74464
http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~morrisr

Post by r***@gmail.com
Hi Mr. Morris
Can you suggest a book for a for profit..
I am just looking for something that can help with ideas and
suggestions.
My primary focus is to reach publications, editors in the aviation
industry.
I have started by creating a list of the magazines we would like to our
press release to be showed on but how would you suggest I begin to
build a relationship with the editors..
Thanks!

[Roger L. Cauvin]

[ Moderator's note: followups to this and other posts will be delayed
several days. -JimL ]

Post by Robert Anderson
We have retained a PR firm. They have presented us an elaborate
plan that includes news releases of things like new hires, client wins,
etc.
Some of things they suggest (such as by lined articles) we think can
generate leads. However, some of the things they are suggesting
seem like fluff. Generating leads is our goal. We don't really feel
the need to tell the media every time we hire someone or buy a
new copy machine or something.

It's short-sighted to determine the value of a particular PR effort in terms
of the leads that it directly generates. Effective PR helps build your
brand. Over time, one of the most important contributors to lead generation
is a strong brand. But it's a long-term effort.

[saijade]

http://www.prweb.com/

The above link is has a free PR service..also includes PR NEWSWIRE.
Look into it...

Good Luck!