Chicago Small Biz PR Workshop

If you're a small business, entrepreneur or getting ready to launch your business and you're in Chicago, I invite you to join me for my PR Workshop at the SCORE Chicago office, which is part of the Small Business Administration. Register TODAY!

https://s08.123signup.com/servlet/SignUp?PG=1522055182300&Info=&P=15220551911422461500

In this workshop, you'll learn everything you need to know about public relations and how it can grow your business. I'm a 15+ year veteran with lots of knowledge to share and this is a rare opportunity to learn from someone like myself. You'll walk out armed with all the tools you need to start/launch a PR campaign on your own, or with a professional.

See you there!

Twitter the New CNN

When you’re in PR you have one eye or ear on the news while conducting work for clients. It’s tricky but I suppose it’s a good thing I’m a multi-tasker.

Using social media has made it even easier for me to keep up on the news. I literally get all my headlines on Twitter and click to read the stories I want to read. In fact, my Twitter account looks like a CNN ticker of latest news. And…the best part of it is that I can see how people react and comment on the breaking stories.

That’s why I found this so interesting – sent by @GuyKawaski on Twitter.

Twitter isn’t a social network anymore

Can I say, “I told you so?” Lance Ulanoff reports that “Twitter Is the New CNN.” He summarized a study done by Haewoon Kwak, Changhyun Lee, Hosung Park, and Sue Moon from the Department of Computer Science, KAIST (Korea). This is a presentation of the results of the study:

Staying on top of the news is key for my business, for obvious reasons. When I see something relative to a client I can easily craft a follow up story pitch idea and send it out immediately – while it’s still timely. More importantly, I can keep up on media and what stories they’re working on. In PR this is huge! I don’t have to read every site every day (which could be a full-time job in and of itself!).

If you’re looking to achieve PR, follow the news outlets and blogs that target your customers/audience and interact with them. Not only can you improve odds of catching a journalist’s attention, you can also listen to what people on Twitter are saying about your industry online. It’s brilliant!

We’ve already had great success in achieving media coverage for clients through….Twitter! It does take time to build relationships – like any you might build in life, but it pays off. Yes, we continue to take a traditional approach to media, but today Twitter is where news is happening and….breaking.

Follow me @SmallBizPRXpert or @MyStorySource

7 Stupid Reasons to Hire a PR Firm

This is a must read for anyone considering hiring a PR firm for their business. I always say that you have to be really educated before you make the investment, and that's what I attempt to do on Cascade Effect and also on Small Business Daily blog, if you haven't checked it out, you should!

The reality that this article poses is that you not only have to educate yourself on how PR works, how firms work, but you also have to find the right partner for your business.



7 Stupid Reasons to Hire a PR Agency
A capable agency should provide visibility and increased brand awareness while keeping your end-game in focus.
By Aaron Kwittken The PR Post Entrepreneur.com | April 20, 2010

Brand awareness, thought leadership, increased executive visibility, crisis communications preparedness . . . the laundry list of reasons companies should hire PR representation goes on and on, and a capable agency should provide all this and more. The decision to hire an agency should not be taken lightly and there are some common are pitfalls that should be avoided to ensure success. From unscrupulous agencies to recognizing your own misguided preconceptions; here are seven reasons you should not hire a PR agency.

Read more...

Fortney Gives Answers to Burning Marketing Questions

Want to see what I really believe about our company Cascade Communications and the current and future states of marketing? Here's your chance.

WhoHub.com has created a social networking space connecting people through Q&A interviews - warning....it's LONG! They really should shorten it some, but if you really want to know my take on marketing, especially PR and the digital/social media age this is the place to go.

I cover everything from the truth about PR, what makes our company so different, the "PRetend PR people", social and digital marketing, the importance of quality customer service and the future of marketing....one guess...the Internet.

You can read my Q&A for free, but it's also a great place to look for job listings.

Love your feedback and thoughts...remember, we can and should all learn from one another.

The Changing World of PR and Your Role as Client

Today, I came across an interesting article by Grant Cardone of Huffington Post (be sure to read the comments), and, of course, it sparked a blog post - one I believe will be a must read for anyone doing PR (professional, small business, client of any kind).

The world of media has changed rapidly, and continues to do so daily. Some of us got on the train immediately and have seen how technology/Internet can help us do our jobs better, while a lot of people simply failed to get on at their stop. Now they're running around trying to catch up telling clients "we're experts" when they really aren't.

In today's Internet-driven world, anyone can be "an expert"
Just take a minute to think of all those you've seen saying those exact words!
So, how do you decipher which ones really are experts?

The truth is that huge scores of PR people failed to catch on to social media and how the Internet can really help them be more successful for clients. They still work under the adage that if a story happens they must take credit for it (whether they achieved it or not) to look good for the client. Or worse.....they just don't know what they're doing, and sadly, there are a lot of people out there who say they do PR and really have no clue.

Back to Cardone's post: What got me on this post isn't his comment about PR dying, but that the fact that the transition hasn't happened with a majority of PR people yet; they're scrambling and not in a good way. They're trying to translate traditional PR in a non-traditional media market and they haven't quite figured out the new strategies. That's why Cardone was failing to achieve the results he wanted with his three PR firms. I agree with him that many agencies have yet to come to the new PR table, causing them to be sloppy and miss opportunities. Simply put, there's a new way of doing things these days.

Anyone can talk a big game, but can they play and win?
It's not always easy and requires patience, but you should find out
quickly whether your PR firm knows what it's doing, or not.

Here are some things to consider as a client:

• A great story ALWAYS achieves PR. This is a fact!
  
• Review your agency's press release. Is it really newsworthy or just fluff? Is it well-written and timely?
  
• I feel strongly that a PR firm's staff should all either have a degree in journalism or worked in the media writing news (PR is news! duh)
  
• They should know that, now, the other part of PR is a conversation, which is happening online everyday, where customers, not media, provide the third-party endorsement of your product/service to one another. Very valuable!
  
• Your PR firm should know that the Internet can only help their efforts, increase odds
  
• They should understand that the media environment today has created more freelancers, who are harder to track, and must make sure your online presence (online press room) is in top shape, should media find you while conducting a search
  
• SEO only helps PR
• That PR is no longer ego-centric, meaning it's not all about the agency. It's about teamwork. Today agencies can contribute to media finding your business, but the journalist may contact you directly. It's about "getting you out there" and, some may argue with me, it doesn't matter who gets the credit but rather that it happened.
  
• It's more than understanding how traditional media work (and the changes they're making) but the fact that PR has become slightly more complex with the Internet. They should be able to advise you on using video, blogging, social media and more from your end to help their efforts
• They should be experts on all fronts - traditional and nontraditional; marketing and Internet
  
• Marketing is more integrated now than ever before - I will toot my own horn and say that I did predict this in journalism school and so happy that I followed a career in general marketing (brand, advertising, promotions, PR, web and more) because the Internet has brought it all together. They work hand-in-hand
• Again, it's about teamwork and your PR professional/agency should be prepared to play fair and share one common goal with you - achieve media stories to grow your business -and they should think about being part of the team long-term
  
• Finally, PR is a patient process that clients must be sensitive to. Just because you put out a press release doesn't mean media are going to drop what they're working on at that very moment to cover your story. Any good publicist will communicate this, set expectations, maintain open communications and regular progress reports, know how to target pitches to media, rather than blanket pitches and even be able to walk away on their own if they don't feel they're getting anywhere.
  

It is a serious thing to find marketing professionals that are right for you and your business. I always tell potential clients to listen to their intuition, look for someone they like and trust, check out the agency's references, be thorough and feel good about it.

Thanks for the blogging inspiration, Grant, and good luck to you!

The Power of One Targeted Media Story

In truth, it is very rare that your marketing strategies work immediately, including PR. Why is this? Simply put sometimes the most targeted media story you can get may happen to be in a magazine, and national pubs work up to six months out. So, while you've secured the opportunity, you still have to wait six months for it to hit. This can be true for a lot of media. But then again, you realize that marketing, in general, is a long-term process that needs nurturing and requires patience.

There are those few precious times when a journalist can take interest in your story and change the face of your business overnight. The best way to explain this is to give you examples of two of our clients.

About two years ago my friend, Dr. Michele Kehrer came to me and said "I'm one of few people in the country who treats chronic dizziness and balance issues, which 90% of Americans will suffer from at one point, and doctors don't know about me". It was a great story and was immediately picked up by the local ABC affiliate's HealthBeat. They came out the next week, taped and ran the story not just once but four times over the next several days - mostly appearing late night. Her business, Lifestyle Physical Therapy & Balance Center got more than a shot in the arm - she picked up over 100 patients and it transformed her clinic, literally, overnight. Two years later she has doubled her staff, again, and is enjoying less work and more management of the business.

More recently, as in this week, our pro bono client Kendall Ciesemier of Kids Caring 4 Kids, and I, finally saw the fruits of our labor. Roughly three months ago, Channel One, a news resource for six million kids across the country that is fed directly into classrooms, called and said they were in from New York for a story and wanted to cover Kendall's interesting story - and it is interesting (read more). Her primary goal: to distribute her "i care 2" kit and encourage American kids to support AIDS orphans in Africa. It took a few months to edit (and breaking for the holidays) and finally aired January 11, 2010 on Channel One. The result - within just a few days hundreds of kits were requested, donation pages set up on her website and....to date those numbers are still growing.

Why did these work to produce so much for these two organizations? Because the story truly hit their target demographics. Other key ingredients for success are two great stories, something the public would be interested in as well as learning about, they differentiated themselves from anyone else and both are extremely passionate about what they want to accomplishment.

This is what one truly targeted story can do for your business

This isn't to say that you aren't passionate about your business, it's about locating your story, writing and presenting it in a compelling way (Make it News!) and finding the one media outlet that reaches the particular audience you desire most.

Look, there are a lot of people out there who practice the "Bowl of Spaghetti" theory to PR - take a bowl of spaghetti, throw it up on the wall and see what sticks. In this case, write a press release, SPAM it to every journalist on the list and see who shows interest. Our particular approach was hands on, meaning our clients gave us their media wish list of about 10-15 and we went out and got them interested. It was more than just "sending an email", we crafted our story to each particular media and audience and....gasp....we even called them on the phone over just distributing by email.

Yes, generating PR, and marketing in general, takes time. Valuable time out of your day when you could be doing other things to run your business, but isn't it worth it to you and your business to focus on it for a week and see what develops? It could change your business and make your dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur come true.

In both cases, it took one person to stand out from the crowd with a great story to impart success. There is only one way to success.....go out and find your amazing story and if you're struggling, then it's worth it to find an experience news/PR professional to write it for you.

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert and @MyStorySource or subscribe to MyStorySource.com for FREE to pitch your story to media.

The Best FREE Resources for Getting PR

In the past, as a PR professional there were a multitude of great resources we used to help generate news stories for our clients. Back then many were pay services that came by fax or even mail! Can you imagine how far ahead journalists had to plan to get a query posted on that one!

Well those days are mostly gone, thanks to the Internet and many service, while still pay are offering part of their service for free (promotionally) and others are just FREE.

Now my cohorts would ask me why I’m giving these away, but the reality is that if you really wanted to find them online, you will and I would rather have you visit Small Business Daily and save yourself some serious time.

Help a Reporter Out – sign up to receive this free email distribution three times daily with the latest queries from journalists looking for sources. Be ware. Participation has rules so best to read them before you get booted from the list.

Pitch Rate – also an email distribution that’s focus is on industry experts

Reporter’s Source – free email distribution with leads but you don’t have the chance to pitch the reporter yourself. Actually, you send in your pitch, it’s evaluated by the publishers and they pitch it for you. If the journalist is interested they put you in touch.

My Story Source – just launched. Free email distribution to media that allows you to pitch your news in the email and journalists contact you at their convenience. Also a good place to build community with other small businesses and nonprofits.

The Publicity Hound – a great place to get tips on improving your ability to generate positive PR for your organization.

Toilet Paper Entrepreneur – another great resource for entrepreneurs of every shape and size. A wealth of knowledge and information. Read the blog daily!

Jennifer Fortney
Cascade Communciations

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

Benefits of PR - Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

It's rare that I actually post something from another public relations professional, but hey, we're all on the same team, right? I came across this on Twitter today and thought...."I couldn't have said it better myself!" So, Jenna, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Benefits of Public Relations
By: Jenna (Gruhala) Oltersdorf

It’s no secret that both public relations (PR) and advertising offer unique benefits when employed correctly. And, when working together, the two practices can build awareness, boost brand value and drive sales. Some of our most successful campaigns stem from a strong relationship between our PR team and advertising agency partners.

To contrast the two, PR earns media coverage through strategic outreach to journalists while advertising is a controlled message placed in paid-for space. Both practices work to influence the behavior of consumers by swaying opinion, calling consumers to action, etc., but the tactics used to gain results and meet goals couldn’t be more different.

Unfortunately, PR tends to be overlooked during the planning stages of some marketing campaigns because many don’t fully understand the benefits. And, if PR isn’t overlooked all together, many times key decision makers don’t quite understand how it works or worse, don’t understand how to measure a PR campaign’s success (common measurements include impressions, number of placements and types of placements).

The primary goal of any PR campaign, no matter how large or small, is to build relationships. Through these relationships, we’re able to secure stories, build momentum and create opportunities for brands, be it a person, organization, product or service. Before launching any PR campaign, it’s important to outline measures of success to fairly evaluate the benefits as well as manage expectations both internally and externally.

So what sort of benefits can you expect from a well-planned PR campaign?

Read more....

Pitch to Editors Should Cross Mediums

Score Multiple Hits Per Pitch: Chicago Tribune Critic Daley Suggests Writing Pitches Adaptable for Print, Online, Radio and Social Media

Jim Bucci (jbucci@bulldogreporter.com) Issue Date: Daily 'Dog - August 19, 2009 "Pitches need to be adaptable to multiple platforms and multiple adaptations," says Bill Daley, a food and wine critic for the Chicago Tribune. "I need to be able to write something for the newspaper, rewrite it into a radio script and also do it as a tweet. For example, I once took research for one story and repackaged it seven ways for the different media types. Pitches have to be focused and laser sharp. Fewer journalists mean fewer of us doing more things." His additional tips for scoring more coverage per pitch: Read more...

10 Ways to Generate PR for Ongoing Media Coverage

Today, I'm going to let you in on a little secret that Fortune 500 companies and larger "small" businesses caught on to a long time ago: To grow a successful business you have to continue "branding" it in the minds of your audience. Okay, in layman's terms this means that you need to engage in a steady flow of marketing for the lifetime of your business to ensure ongoing growth and long-term success.

Yes, as a small business owner myself, I clearly recognize that funding an integrated marketing campaign year after year can be a real challenge for a cash-strapped small business, so let's just focus on the many ways you can build an ongoing PR program.

The one thing I continue telling my clients is that they have a real opportunity to leap frog over their competitors by being flexible and creative - you don't have the red tape and paper pushing through various departments to deal with. You can, literally, decide today that you want to hold a promotion in three weeks and make it happen.

To generate ongoing public relations for your business you simply have to keep thinking outside of the box.

First of all, everyone wants a business feature on their organization, but after you get it media aren't going to do it again, for at least five years, unless you grow at lightening speed or sign a serious client.

Here are 10 ways you can generate more PR for your business:

1. HR announcements
2. Business wins/partnerships
3. Sales/promotions
4. New product introductions
5. Expert advice & tips
6. Events
7. Charity tie-ins
8. Office Move - say into a larger facility, bringing jobs
9. Pro bono
10. Recipes/food

There are other things that you can pursue and each industry has its niches. This is just a handful of my top suggestions. For instance, trend stories that you can comment on from either a national or industry perspective - just don't get caught in the clutter of everyone else attempting to do the same thing.

To be successful at achieving ongoing PR you must clearly differentiate yourself from competitors.

At the end of the day, public relations is a credibility builder. The more people see your name or that of your business in the news, the more likely they will view it as a credible resource, and see you as someone they should do business with.

Public relations doesn't stop with the business announcement. Be different, be creative and generate more press to position you positively in your community and industry, and....you will GROW!

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert for daily SMB PR Tips, or become a PR expert for your business by joining www.SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com for inexpensive weekly lessons, templates, tips, advice, expertise, media interviews and more!

Magazine Sales Decline: Want PR, Subscribe Now

Everyday someone asks me what the most important element to a successful PR campaign is and everyday I give them the same answer: "Know the media. Understand how they work and what journalists are writing about". It's really quite simple, except that there are so many media outlets out there now. How does one keep up with all of it?

As a publicist the answer is not so easy for me, but it is quite a bit simpler and easier to do for small business. Just select those publications/media you want to be in and read, listen and watch each day, week, month. Sure you can get the latest news online, but it's worth it to subscribe....especially if you want to be in that publication any time in the next few years.

This week's news revealed bad news for the nation's magazines. It is our reality. However, even as circulations decline the demand for my clients and other small businesses to be in those magazines is not ceasing. Everyone believes that if they can only make into "O" that their lives and businesses will become a mad success. And that's why I say "If you want to be in it, buy it!"

Remember that while a magazine is a great way for you to promote your business, others rely on advertising in them, and others....well it puts food on their table. So before you cut subscriptions to your fav mags and those that could be your meal ticket, read this article and think again.

First Half Circ Data Reveals Bad Newsstand Dropoff
Aug 2, 2009
-By Lucia Moses for MediaWeek

Single-copy sales for many magazines tumbled in the first half of 2009, when consumers pinched pennies and delivery snafus kept many stores from getting product.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations’ first-half magazine report isn’t due out until Aug. 31, but filings of publishers’ estimates to the ABC’s Rapid Report paint a grim picture of single-copy sales, roughly a third of the industry’s paid circulation revenue.

Early this year, some publishers suspended deliveries to wholesalers over their demand for higher per-copy delivery fees. One of them, Anderson News, went out of business as a result of the kerfuffle. Read more...

Valuable SMB Reading

Just a collection of some valuable online stories that all small business owners should read. I picked up this collection through Twitter.

Three Reasons Your Business Needs a Blog

Free Apps for Monitoring Your Brand on Social Media

Six Laws of Small Business Advertising

Twitter Tips for Small Business

Why Your Business Needs a Policy and Procedures Manual


Jennifer Fortney, Cascade Communications and SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

How the Internet Can Help Drive PR

The Internet has done great things for our lives. Seriously, think about waking up tomorrow without it! Not only has it allowed us the opportunity to find news and information, resources and more, it’s given little stores across the world the chance to have customers around the world. We’re no longer tied to doing business in our local regions, but we have the opportunity to expand and grow our businesses in a way that’s never really been available before.

It is also giving small businesses the opportunity to attract the attention of media….that’s if they can find you.

This brings me to the key connection between SEO (search engine optimization) and generating public relations. PR strategy has always focused on the “traditional” with press releases and press kits being sent directly to journalists, follow up calls and emails sent and a proactive approach to results. Today, the Internet is giving journalists a new way to search and find small businesses, new products and companies, experts to use as story sources…but that’s only if they can find you.

Remember: When using the Internet to market your business, most people don’t know they’re looking for you and your business until they find you!

This is why SEO becomes a critical part of the marketing mix for your business, and to further your chances of generating positive PR for your business. It’s not enough to have a great website, you also need to make sure that it is built specifically for search – meaning what would the average person search for, or what terms would they use to find you? The same goes for how you write your press release and distribute it online. Like anything else, if you utilize your key search terms in your press release, the odds improve that a journalist, or new potential partner or vendor, will find you.

Crafting your story for SEO:

* Write your press release
* Write out a list of all the key search terms someone might use to locate your business
* Cut this list down to the Top 10
* Now compare your press release to this list. Where are these search terms? Are they located in the headline, sub headline or lead paragraph? Well, they should be.

This can become tricky though as the lead paragraph of your press release needs to be kept down to three-four to the point sentences. I know…tricky. If it seems impossible, then you might consider writing two kinds of press releases – one for media and one for search. Then make sure all of this is also available in your online press room, which I’ll talk about next week.

This one thing, if done correctly, will open new doors for you on the web. Whether it’s getting the attention of a journalist or finding a new partner in business offering a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s definitely worth giving it a go and seeing what happens. Use some the free release distribution sites, see what kind of return you get and then make changes in future releases.

However, the most important part of your press release, the point of it really, should never be overlooked. It’s about your story….something really, truly newsworthy. It’s not about writing a release every week and spamming it across social media networks and free distribution sites. It’s better to send them out when you really have news or something to share every now and again than each week. If the content is not valuable, after awhile, people will just ignore everything you distribute. It’s called…..crying wolf and when you do have huge news to share no one will be there to listen.

Jennifer Fortney, Cascade Communications and SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com

Follow me on Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert or join our new group on LinkedIn My Source for Stories – where we connect small businesses with the media

New Blog Segment - News Links of the Day

There are so many sites out there offering all kinds of helpful information to me and anyone trying to understand or generate positive public relations for their business. With this in mind, I'm starting a new blog segment of relative news stories and information you should know.

Let me know what you think. In the meantime, I'll try and come up with a better name for this segment of posts and roll it out with a red carpet-type presentation.

NBC launches TheGrio.com, a "video centric news site" aimed at the African American community

Biz owners, be smart, use online wisely or could bring negative PR

Should your business Tweet? Tweeting not for everyone

And of course if you follow me on Twitter, you will see most of these throughout the day. Just thought it might be easier to provide one posting of my so called "food for thought".

If you're not following me on Twitter....you should be! Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

Why Your Business Needs a Press Kit

Your press kit is the most important tool you can have to successfully achieve public relations for your business. Why? It tells your story! You wouldn't go to a meeting or new business presentation without a materials to present and discuss, so why would you just pick up the phone and contact media and not expect them to request information?

It is the FIRST tactic I perform for all of my clients!

Developing your press kit is one of the very first things you should do before pursuing media stories. It's purpose is to be an all-inclusive package of information on your business that tells media why they should write a story.

A press kit might include:

1. Press release(s)
2. Owner bio (human interest story)
3. Company backgrounder
4. Product fact sheets
5. Tip sheets for expert positioning
6. Testimonials
7. List of story ideas
8. Product samples (as part of press kit mailing)
9. Product photos
10. Company logo and other valuable graphics

Let me re-iterate the importance of the press kit: I spend most of my time each week pitching media and when I speak to journalists by phone they always ask for an email with information (i.e. press kit materials). When I approach them via email initially I always include one or two pieces from the press kit - usually the most relevant press release and company backgrounder.

Remember that journalists receive hundreds of pieces of mail and email everyday and this is the ONE chance, first-impression you get with media. Since they don't have a great deal of time, you must include valuable information along with a well-crafted story pitch in order to catch the attention of media. If you don't they will either be interested enough to email and ask for information or....worse....they will trash the email altogether, and you miss out.

One last thing to remember is that just because you send out your story idea and materials to media doesn't mean that they're going to drop everything at that very moment to write the story - unless, of course, it is immediately timely. Offering media press kit materials allows them the opportunity to make some notes and put it on file for a future story that they may be considering your business for. Just make sure that your contact information near the top and clearly visible. No contact means no story.

For more information, read this...

Be Prepared for Anything When It Comes to Media Interviews

You’ve written the press release, pitched media your story and now a journalist wants to interview you. The story could be a feature on you and your business or it could be a trend story a journalist is considering including you in. Either way, much like you would for a job interview, you have to be prepared for anything when it comes to the media interview.

One great example of this is a client of mine Interview Angel founder Brent Peterson. My firm recently secured him an interview opportunity with the Wall Street Journal. The journalist had a job search/interview trend story in mind regarding crazy interview tactics (hoops candidates jump through for a job) that companies take to find the right candidate. She had a specific angle that she wanted Brent to comment on and we pitched his response to her. When she was ready to write the article she interviewed Brent who did discuss the things he’d initially responded with but also gave her another angle that was informational and generous on his behalf.

The angle Brent provided was about candidates volunteering their way to a job, which the journalist closed the article with. What was so generous was that he provided a real life anecdote of someone he hired on a volunteer basis to help create and promote the Interview Angel Sweepstakes. He not only promoted his business in the article but this young man and the sweepstakes all in one of the country’s top newspaper/online outlets. Brent followed his conversation with the journalist carefully and found a unique opportunity for his business.

Did he take a risk by going off topic? Maybe but not before making sure that he covered the specific angle the journalist was working on. All in all it benefited her story and made it that much more interesting for job seekers.

Being prepared to handle anything in an interview means knowing your business, industry and journalist’s story angle inside and out. It really truly is like interviewing for a job. You have to take time to research and prepare before any kind of interview; to be able to speak wisely on your business and industry while communicating key messages, other story angles that might be of interest and know the conversation can go in several directions. Once you’ve met the journalist’s needs you can afford to go off topic. After all, you’re just having a conversation with a journalist and as long as it’s related to the story it can go anywhere.

And practice makes perfect! Print out what you want to say – story angles, key messages – get in front of a mirror and practice, practice, practice. Most importantly, remember to speak in short, valuable soundbites that the journalist can easily use as a quote.

And…you will create media opportunities that will truly benefit your business!

Learn more with our one-of-a-kind DIY PR program SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com

Follow me on Twitter for daily SMB and SMB PR Tips @SmallBizPRXpert

Summit Takes a Look at Future of PR, News Media

If you're interested in knowing how the future of journalism and PR is changing, here is a great piece and synopsis of a pros conference. It impacts small business as much as corporations, but also means that small business has the same opportunities as big business with big marketing budgets. Creativity will go a long way in marketing your business in the future.

Media Relations Summit Finale: PR Pros and Journalists Envision a Brave New Relationship in Web 3.0 Future By David Copithorne, Principal, Aquarius Advisers

Dan Abrams, MSNBC's principal legal analyst, set the tone for the final day of Bulldog Reporter's Media Relations Summit 2009 Tuesday when he told keynote attendees that the rules of the media relations game have changed for good. "These days, every business is a media business," said Abrams, who is also the founder of a new advisory service leveraging a database of 2,500 mainstream- and social-media experts to help businesses navigate the new media environment.

Reporters and editors struggling to feed the web 24-by-7 must collaborate with businesses creating their own media as digital technologies break down the old adversarial relationship between journalists and professional communicators. The result is a brave new world where best practices in PR, marketing and journalism are already being radically redefined, Abrams said.

Walls tumbling down — between old media and new media, journalists and PR people, companies and their customers, and within organizations of all sizes—was a recurring theme voiced by speakers from the ranks of both the media and PR throughout the day.

Read more.....

Follow me on Twitter: @SmallBizPRXpert and if you want to learn DIY PR visit SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com and join my unique program!

Theory Wastes Time, Focus for SMB

There are so many ways to market your business today, mostly thanks to the Internet. Chris Nastav has made some great points on Small Business Daily about many of these online networking opportunities and, I agree, that many have become quite a fad. One that has some business owners spending hours a day simply managing their social networks and not their business.

I truly believe in face-to-face networking and have been doing it since I started my business nearly eight and half years ago. I was so intensely focused that I would be off to some kind of networking event every day, even spending some days at a breakfast, lunch and happy hour. Then came the social networking sites and everyone and their dog was all over each and every one of them. I was exhausted and took a step away from it all and what I realized was that I was taking the “bowl of spaghetti theory” to networking – this is the complete and total antithesis of what I preach about marketing.

Instead of being targeted with my time and energy by attending events and utilizing social networks that would, well, work for me, I was flinging everything I had in about 10 different directions – much like taking a bowl of spaghetti, throwing it up on the wall and seeing what sticks.

What I was doing was wasting a lot of time. Since then, I’ve knocked myself down to only attending key events with key organizations and knocked my social networking focus down to four top sites. (Seriously, who are these people who have ALL DAY to do this?)

I use the networking approach here because it’s something everyone can understand. You’re in such a hurry to drive business that you aren’t being targeted or probably even all that effective.

Networking is one of the best ways to market your business, but unfortunately so many small businesses take this same approach in their overall marketing. Small business owners think they should be advertising so they do…every where they can but fail to reach their audience and say what they need to say. This carries over to direct mail, direct email, branding, public relations and even utilization of social networks.

Here are some things to ask yourself and discover how effectively you’re marketing and running your business.

* Take a step back – make a list of everything you’re doing to market your business. Now cross off the ones that have not yielded any kind of return whatsoever.
* Define where your customers are – What networking groups/organizations are they part of? What media do they read? Make a list of who your customer is; really define them in every way. It will lead you closer to them.
* Define what it is about your business that customers should be interested in. Make a list and begin to develop brand statements that quickly and concisely communicate to your customers; create interest. These should be used in every marketing element you utilize. In public relations we call them key messages. In networking it’s your elevator pitch.
* How can you position yourself and your business utilizing 30 minutes to one hour a day and two additional hours a week on networking? Remember, you have a business to run and your time is precious.
* Finally, take hold of your marketing opportunities by outlining time each day to commit to creating interest and awareness in your business. Make sure it’s targeted, communicates your business effectively and reaches your target audience.

When you really tighten your target audience you will become much more effective in generating sales and business. Example: If I advertise or get publicity in a health-oriented publication for my (hypothetical) organic food business I’m more likely to increase sales and fast. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Don’t stretch yourself too thin and get caught up in what you think you should be doing, or what trends seem to saying you should do. Zero in on what works for your business. Put time and energy where your customers are and they will find you. Your business will become successful because you put effort into being focused, targeted, efficient and effective.

KFC Achieves Major PR Score, Misses Mark in Delivery

For those of you who read my blog(s) regularly you know that I harp on one thing....Are you prepared for PR? Are you fully prepared for what can happen to your business virtually overnight with one major national media story?

This week KFC (part of the Pepsi Co. brands) scored BIG TIME when Oprah announced that KFC was giving her viewers the opportunity to get a free bucket of their new grilled chicken two-piece meal by printing off a coupon from her website.

What I deemed a "brilliant" marketing moment for KFC quickly turned into an ugly nightmare of lines, angry customers, TV crews and bad PR for the company. Every company wants to get the attention of Oprah and she obliged, but your business MUST be ready on all fronts for the attention major PR opportunities like that can have on your business.

Here's where KFC missed the mark, and what you can learn from them:

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare - No one goes to battle without a plan, and I can guarantee that if a Colonel were really running the business the battle plan would have been very clear to all. Preparation isn't just for the corporate office but, in this case, all of your "franchises" and spinoffs. Even vendors, retailers and all business partners need to be fully aware of your marketing plans or when a BIG media story might be coming out.
In fact, you might consider doing a video or conference call, webinar or go around to each major store personally to walk them through the program

2. Communication IS THE KEY - Clearly KFC failed to effectively communicate to its stores around the country what the plan with Oprah was, why the company was doing such a HUGE promotion and, most importantly, the steps each business needed to take to manage crowds, additional publicity in local markets and general customer service.
KFC totally blew it! It was easy to see that local stores were completely overwhelmed and TOTALLY under-prepared.

3. Test before implementation - In my industry there are plenty of agencies out there that come up with "brilliant" ideas and then are surprised that the concept flops when they implement to the public. Terrible! Think about every time that you've seen a major company implement a program and watched it flail and then fail. I learned this a long time ago in the radio business and still believe in the importance of testing....ANYTHING - a promotion, product, marketing campaign, anything and everything should be tested before implementing and turning it lose on the public.

4. If you screw up, admit it - It holds true in relationships and with the public. Customers lose faith fast in companies that fail to communicate with them appropriately. At the worst their perception of your brand goes down and so do your sales, until you can regain their faith. KFC should have immediately delivered a statement to their upset customers across the country yesterday, but I believe that they should have contacted Oprah and apologized for being completely under-prepared. I will tell you one thing, I doubt that she'll work with them again any time in the near future.

5. Finally, the most unfortunate outcome of the KFC situation is, in my belief, going to be the strained relationship between the corporate office and local franchise stores. The company now needs to do some serious damage control on the inside to regain the respect of the store owners who make the company what it is. After this debacle....I highly suggest a paid vacation for all to the Caribbean and small group sit downs with executives where they can share their experience and input. It's a band-aid but it's a start.

Why PR Will Help Your Biz Thrive in a Recession

Sales & Marketing April 10, 2009, 1:09PM EST

Why PR Is the Prescription
The right story told at the right time can bring valuable attention to your business, even during a downturn By Steve McKee

Times are tough. It can be difficult to keep your focus on driving the top line when the bottom line is bleeding red. A lot of us can identify with John Krafcik, acting president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America, when he says, "Flat is the new up."

Still, you know you can't put your marketing program entirely on hold. You need to do something to attract new customers (and give existing customers more reasons to stay). It may be sacrilege for an ad guy to say so, but I recommend a healthy dose of PR. Yep, PR.

There are a couple of trends that, while causing headaches for journalists, can work in your favor: Properly understood, they can help you generate attention for your business.....

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