MAKE PUBLIC RELATIONS WORK FOR YOU
MAKE PUBLIC RELATIONS WORK FOR YOU
But what’s the most cost effective way of going about it?
The choices can be daunting and your budget is probably limited.
Do you blow it on an all singing, all dancing, in your face advertising campaign?
If so, on what scale? Local, regional, national, global?
And what medium do you choose? Print? Radio? TV? Internet? Direct mail…?
In a sense, it doesn’t matter since everyone knows an advert is paid for, wherever it appears, gives your opinion only and therefore, unless they are extremely gullible, most consumers will take it with a pinch of salt!
So what you need before you start paying megabucks for column inches or airtime, is credibility.
That means independent, third party endorsement of your product - and the best way to get this is to court journalists.
You need to introduce them to your product, let them play around with it if they can and, hopefully write you up in the manner to which you’d like to be accustomed!
Enter your friendly Public Relations expert!
PR persons know the right media to talk to, the journalists who would be most interested in what you have to offer and the right time to break your news.
Their main aim is to soften the public up to your product, separate you from competitors and make it easy for you to, later, if you choose, advertise to a receptive, rather than cold, market.
Friendly journalists can achieve this for you – though they definitely would not put this down as their number one priority!
PR professionals are trained to approach the media on your behalf on their terms.
There are many ways of interesting the media. A punchy press release is essential but so is direct contact with editors/news desks to see if what you have on offer is really newsworthy. Newsrooms are inundated with press releases which normally end up in the bin!
You don’t want that, so a quick phone call or email to a journalist outlining what you will be selling, to ‘test the water’, never goes amiss.
An event, or special product launch, provided it is not too complicated and in danger of turning into a fiasco, is also a way of announcing your product. Let media professionals know well in advance, make sure they are properly taken care of on the day and, journalistic ethics permitting, you should get some pretty favourable press.
Always remember though that journalists are trained to report ‘warts and all’, so don’t expect perfect press unless your product is perfect!
Generally speaking, if you hire a reputable PR outfit, they will guide you through all the pitfalls and make sure you make the best possible impression on the market you are aiming at.
Don’t forget, every one thinks their ‘baby’ is the ‘bees knees’ and things don’t automatically sell themselves because you believe in them!
A good PR person will be honest and help put things in perspective in the most positive way for you – not just pass on propaganda to the public and media.
So, expect some differences of opinion about what should and should not be said about your company, product or service. Generally speaking a true PR professional will have a more focused view than you.
OK, let’s say you’ve taken all this on board, your product has aroused interest and you are now important enough to be interviewed on radio and TV?
Scary?
Of course not. You have a tame PR representative, right?
And that PR expert will make sure you have proper ‘live’ media training.
You will be coached on responses, body language, brevity and sincerity. It’s all part of the PR service.
As your company develops, if your product is suitable, you may well be interested in sponsorship deals. Again a switched on PR team should be able to arrange advantageous and profitable deals for you.
And, believe it or not, your PR person may be able to give you key advice on where and when to advertise when you decide that this is what you want to do.
A wise PR will have a wide knowledge of up-coming articles, features and media projects and will be able to advise when and where to best spend your money to maximum effect.
This might include advertorial – a paid for space/time where you control content – or space-for-space deals in pertinent magazines where you buy, for instance, a half page ad and get a half page editorial to tell your story.
There are lots of profitable combinations and a reputable PR company should steer you in the right direction.
Because, by nature, PR agents are media minded, they are also invaluable if your area of interest has any controversy surrounding it.
Good PR people will find ways of rallying local support, de-fusing issues and lobbying on your behalf at local and national governmental levels via press or committees.
To sum up, be proud of your product, obviously, but seek sensible help to promote it.
Public relations companies, if they are worth their salt, will find all kinds of ‘free’ ways to push your product. To complement their efforts they will suggest the most effective ways to use advertising and negotiate the best prices to do it.
They will have spokespersons to field any flak while you concentrate on your core tasks.
They will sift and sort the many overtures from advertising reps that you will inevitably get – and deal with any questions from public or press.
You, in the meantime, can count your profits.
MAKE PUBLIC RELATIONS WORK FOR YOU - To learn more about this author, visit Gwynne Chipperfield's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
You’ve made it so far. You’re an entrepreneur and you’re proud of your product. Now you want to sell it. Why not? It’s what you’re in business for!
But what’s the most cost effective way of going about it?
The choices can be daunting and your budget is probably limited.
Do you blow it on an all singing, all dancing, in your face advertising campaign?
If so, on what scale? Local, regional, national, global?
And what medium do you choose? Print? Radio? TV? Internet? Direct mail…?
In a sense, it doesn’t matter since everyone knows an advert is paid for, wherever it appears, gives your opinion only and therefore, unless they are extremely gullible, most consumers will take it with a pinch of salt!
So what you need before you start paying megabucks for column inches or airtime, is credibility.
That means independent, third party endorsement of your product - and the best way to get this is to court journalists.
You need to introduce them to your product, let them play around with it if they can and, hopefully write you up in the manner to which you’d like to be accustomed!
Enter your friendly Public Relations expert!
PR persons know the right media to talk to, the journalists who would be most interested in what you have to offer and the right time to break your news.
Their main aim is to soften the public up to your product, separate you from competitors and make it easy for you to, later, if you choose, advertise to a receptive, rather than cold, market.
Friendly journalists can achieve this for you – though they definitely would not put this down as their number one priority!
PR professionals are trained to approach the media on your behalf on their terms.
There are many ways of interesting the media. A punchy press release is essential but so is direct contact with editors/news desks to see if what you have on offer is really newsworthy. Newsrooms are inundated with press releases which normally end up in the bin!
You don’t want that, so a quick phone call or email to a journalist outlining what you will be selling, to ‘test the water’, never goes amiss.
An event, or special product launch, provided it is not too complicated and in danger of turning into a fiasco, is also a way of announcing your product. Let media professionals know well in advance, make sure they are properly taken care of on the day and, journalistic ethics permitting, you should get some pretty favourable press.
Always remember though that journalists are trained to report ‘warts and all’, so don’t expect perfect press unless your product is perfect!
Generally speaking, if you hire a reputable PR outfit, they will guide you through all the pitfalls and make sure you make the best possible impression on the market you are aiming at.
Don’t forget, every one thinks their ‘baby’ is the ‘bees knees’ and things don’t automatically sell themselves because you believe in them!
A good PR person will be honest and help put things in perspective in the most positive way for you – not just pass on propaganda to the public and media.
So, expect some differences of opinion about what should and should not be said about your company, product or service. Generally speaking a true PR professional will have a more focused view than you.
OK, let’s say you’ve taken all this on board, your product has aroused interest and you are now important enough to be interviewed on radio and TV?
Scary?
Of course not. You have a tame PR representative, right?
And that PR expert will make sure you have proper ‘live’ media training.
You will be coached on responses, body language, brevity and sincerity. It’s all part of the PR service.
As your company develops, if your product is suitable, you may well be interested in sponsorship deals. Again a switched on PR team should be able to arrange advantageous and profitable deals for you.
And, believe it or not, your PR person may be able to give you key advice on where and when to advertise when you decide that this is what you want to do.
A wise PR will have a wide knowledge of up-coming articles, features and media projects and will be able to advise when and where to best spend your money to maximum effect.
This might include advertorial – a paid for space/time where you control content – or space-for-space deals in pertinent magazines where you buy, for instance, a half page ad and get a half page editorial to tell your story.
There are lots of profitable combinations and a reputable PR company should steer you in the right direction.
Because, by nature, PR agents are media minded, they are also invaluable if your area of interest has any controversy surrounding it.
Good PR people will find ways of rallying local support, de-fusing issues and lobbying on your behalf at local and national governmental levels via press or committees.
To sum up, be proud of your product, obviously, but seek sensible help to promote it.
Public relations companies, if they are worth their salt, will find all kinds of ‘free’ ways to push your product. To complement their efforts they will suggest the most effective ways to use advertising and negotiate the best prices to do it.
They will have spokespersons to field any flak while you concentrate on your core tasks.
They will sift and sort the many overtures from advertising reps that you will inevitably get – and deal with any questions from public or press.
You, in the meantime, can count your profits.
MAKE PUBLIC RELATIONS WORK FOR YOU - To learn more about this author, visit Gwynne Chipperfield's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
|||
Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Gwynne's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
|
||
|
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Telemarketing Success Put Yourself Into the Top 3% Business vs Personal Coaching System Sample Credit Application |
|
 | ||
 |
More PR Resources
Press Release Builder | |
 |
Top 50 Political Blogs
Top Political Blogs of 2009 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
