Successful Publicity

A Successful Publicity Campaign...

    “Famous is as famous does”

Here are some key steps to take in your quest for great and effective publicity:

The famous and most successful businesses get known through publicity.  Fame and success is not automatic, you create it through strategic campaigning.  Implementing techniques for increasing and expanding exposure are a easy and effective.  A great publicity campaign starts with courage and creativity, and then planning.  It succeeds through persistence.   

SEND A DIRECT MAIL PACKAGE

Publicity will bring your business into the forefront of your target audience quicker than any advertising campaign can hope to do.  And besides it costs less.  Publicity and good press releases will solidify you as an expert.   Good press reflects a solid reputation and creates a deep, abiding confidence in the consumer.   There is nothing wrong with being a shining star with infinite possibilities.   Even the best and most spectacular website will not attract visitors if no one knows about it.  Search engines will do only so much.  

Fame comes from creativity, planning, hard work and persistence.  It also means that what you are selling, or who you are, and what you do is important also. Publicity has its rejection; become skilled at not taking it personally, it will eventually work.  Be positive!

Creating a Positive Image for your Business or Practice with Print Media

 Timeliness

In promoting your business or practice - timing is everything!  Start planning your marketing campaign now.  Procrastination never accomplishes anything.  Pay close attention to the calendar and holidays, national days, regional events and seasons to direct your marketing efforts.   Spend time investigating and create a publicity calendar containing school opening dates, public holidays, National “what-ever” weeks and tie these in with your releases.  As always a good source are advertising departments of local papers and the Internet.

Press releases (examples to follow) offer a free means of print media promotion. A first-class press release answers the fundamental questions of who, what, when, where, how and why. 

 

1.       The title and lead sentence written to catch the attention of the reader.

2.       The first section with the basic information you want to communicate.

3.       The last paragraph contains the details of the business, practice or event.

4.        Included at the end are contact methods for the reader for additional information.

 

"  A press release should be only one page long.

"  Edit and Proof-read .

"  Send out the press release 10 to 14 days before an event for a daily paper.

"  Call weekly or monthly community publications to find their specific time frame for press releases and send the release in a timely manner.

"  Follow up your release with a phone call to see if it was received.

"  If your release is used - always follow up with a thank you note to the reporter and include your business card!

  

1.       A Press Release: A valuable tool to increase awareness.  Create a very dynamic one-page press release.  Target publications that would be most interested in you and your business.  Don't whine out the details; make that press release sing your praises.  Send the release to a real live editor and follow up with a phone call.  Let the press release be the invitation to the follow up phone call.  Make connections with the media.  Be polite, be excited, and be patient.   It may take several press releases to get the point across.   Keep with it! 

 2.    Create A Press Kit: This is a strong tool!  A Press kit is basically an embellished and enhanced press release turned into a package. It's a more complex but attractive tool.  It will tell more about you and your company, and should be pulled together into a nice neat folder.  This folder of information about you or your business should contain:

"     An Introduction or Front Letter
 
"     One or Two Press Releases
"     A Fact Sheet (about you or your business)
"     Bio Sheet (of you and your accomplishments)
"     Copies of Published Articles
"     Company Literature
"     Photos – professional 
"     A Business Card
"     Small flat samples if available
"     Brochures 
 
"     CD’s with digital information

Send your press kit when an editor, publisher, or producer wants to know more about you or the business.

3.       Newsletters Offline.  A whole world still exists offline.  Locate newsletters or smaller print publications offline and submit articles.  This can be a very dynamic way to increase your exposure as well as add to your press kit.  Have professional photos of yourself or the products.  You can locate newsletters in your subject area by visiting the local university library reference section.   Ask for a directory of trade newsletters - do your research.  Once you have been published, it's easier to step up to the larger publications.  The process starts small and grows.

4.       Speak Up!  That's right. Start giving talks or demonstrations on your area of expertise.  Start locally at civic clubs and local educational programs.   Find a local talk radio show and make your case to the producer.  It's surprising how many local talk radio shows are actively looking for new speakers.  Once you have achieved Talk Radio, the opportunities will start coming to you.  Do all you can to network!

5.   Publicity Pitches: Put together several dynamic article ideas. Just the ideas and brief concepts, not the actual article.  This is called a Publicity Pitch.  Take those ideas and then pitch them to editors of targeted publications.  This process saves Editors time and puts the outline right into their hands.   Editor's love ideas, especially ideas that are completely outlined and correct for their readership.

 

Look here for examples of effective "Press Releases"

Tips & Tricks

Five Things Every Direct Mail Package Should Include

  1. A letter. Believe it or not, no matter what else you include in the package, the letter is the most important part of the mailing, after the outside envelope.
  2. A reply deadline. Create a sense of urgency, even if you don't have a real deadline. A soft deadline - "Please reply by June 30, 2000" - does the job.
  3. A telephone number, e-mail address or URL. Make it easy for your reader and include this information in the body of the letter. Don't assume it's enough to have it printed on the letterhead.
  4. A "free gift" offer. Give the reader a freebie for responding, and choose a gift that relates to your product, service or offer.
  5. Testimonials. Third-party endorsements are always more effective than your own marketing-speak. Use quotes from satisfied customers to add weight to your claims.

   

Using the correct words!!

Pursue the right word, this task should never lead to pretension or hairsplitting: shun arcane words, do not use words merely to flaunt your vocabulary, avoid distinctions where no difference exists, and above all don't use any word unless you know it’s meaning. When in doubt, check the dictionary.  Read...  "Writing Tips"

Language has a shelf life. Clichés and other commonly used expressions make writing seem stale, and they convey the impression that you're incapable of thinking for yourself. Best to follow Orwell's advice here: "Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print." 

Clear, effective business writing not only reads well, it’s also good for one’s business and career.  One of the master keys to success in any line of work or in one’s personal life, is the ability to convey your ideas effectively to others.  You may have the greatest idea in the history of modern thought but what good is it if you cannot release it from the confines of your own mind. Read...   Think Positive!!  And use positive words in all that is written!

Know the purpose of what you are writing – keep close, a short written statement of purpose and refer to it often as you write!  Use this trusted statement as your guiding light!

To Contact us by E-Mail:  JOANS followed by @ joansvoboda.com (formatted to foil Spam Bots!)

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