A post to all you wonderful peeps who subscribe to my blog. Firstly a big thank you, but also some news. I now have a new blog page and I'd like you to subscribe to that.
I'm in the midst of re-populating my posts, and will continue to maintain both blogs for the next couple of weeks, but from then on http://www.publicityexpress.com.au/blog/ is where I'll ask you to head for all the publicity, PR and marketing tidbits.
I'm delighted with the new blog's look & feel, a big thanks to the clever team at Grassroots Internet Strategy who set it up with Twitter feed and video readiness. I have had a few calls to post some video on Publicity Express, now I have no excuse!
Hope you'll join me on the new blog!
Phil
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Last Tuesday's TeleClass "How to plan and use PR and Publicity for Business Growth" is already seeing some amazing results. Close to 150 businesses registered for the call. Here's what some of the participants had to say afterwards:
"Hi Phil, thank you for giving everyone the opportunity to listen into your PR Planning Teleclass. I had some great ideas, and am now motivated to make media calls. The DIY PR Kit will be invaluable."
"Thanks Philippa. Really helpful in refocusing on PR and some great tips."
"Thank you, the telecall was great, I really appreciate all the information and your insider knowledge."
A great number went on to jump at the End Of Financial Year sale I announced, snaffling up my DIY PR eKit for a bargain $99. There are still Star Class Monthly and Annual Memberships available, visit the website for details.
Below are a few of the Q&As I received on the call:
Do I really just call the journalist?
Yes, that is how over 80 per cent of the stories you read, watch or listen to start out. By someone (usually a PR agent) picking up the phone and asking a journalist or producer to feature a story.
When I want to get magazines or TV to know about my product do I have to write a press release What is the best way?
Journalists simply don't have time to read through every news release they receive, and many of the ones in their inbox are deleted. When you're pitching the media you're effectively cold calling to sell your story. A succinct email saying why you're contacting them and why it's relevant to them is better than a lengthy press kit. But you may still want one on hand. They're great tools for other clients and investors, as well as useful to have when the journalist requests extra information.
Is there a good, quick way of finding out which publications our target audience reads/listens too?
The best way is to ask them - run a quick survey amongst your customers or prospects. Go into a newsagency and look for publications that target your demographic. Call the media outlet and ask for circulation statistics.
If you write an article for an industry magazine, can you pitch the same article to a rival publication in the same industry?
Not unless you want to upset both editors and set back your media relations efforts for years to come! Exclusivity is really important when contributing to publications. All journalists like to be first to 'break news' - it's great for ratings. Offering a published story to a rival is a no-no.
"Hi Phil, thank you for giving everyone the opportunity to listen into your PR Planning Teleclass. I had some great ideas, and am now motivated to make media calls. The DIY PR Kit will be invaluable."
"Thanks Philippa. Really helpful in refocusing on PR and some great tips."
"Thank you, the telecall was great, I really appreciate all the information and your insider knowledge."
A great number went on to jump at the End Of Financial Year sale I announced, snaffling up my DIY PR eKit for a bargain $99. There are still Star Class Monthly and Annual Memberships available, visit the website for details.
Below are a few of the Q&As I received on the call:
Do I really just call the journalist?
Yes, that is how over 80 per cent of the stories you read, watch or listen to start out. By someone (usually a PR agent) picking up the phone and asking a journalist or producer to feature a story.
When I want to get magazines or TV to know about my product do I have to write a press release What is the best way?
Journalists simply don't have time to read through every news release they receive, and many of the ones in their inbox are deleted. When you're pitching the media you're effectively cold calling to sell your story. A succinct email saying why you're contacting them and why it's relevant to them is better than a lengthy press kit. But you may still want one on hand. They're great tools for other clients and investors, as well as useful to have when the journalist requests extra information.
Is there a good, quick way of finding out which publications our target audience reads/listens too?
The best way is to ask them - run a quick survey amongst your customers or prospects. Go into a newsagency and look for publications that target your demographic. Call the media outlet and ask for circulation statistics.
If you write an article for an industry magazine, can you pitch the same article to a rival publication in the same industry?
Not unless you want to upset both editors and set back your media relations efforts for years to come! Exclusivity is really important when contributing to publications. All journalists like to be first to 'break news' - it's great for ratings. Offering a published story to a rival is a no-no.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
PR: Your key to customer loyalty
Customer loyalty matters, because selling more to current customers is easier and cheaper than finding and selling to new ones. Loyal customers tend to buy more, more regularly. And they will frequently recommend your business to others.
Public Relations, by definition, is how people think and feel about you. So if your PR activities are up to scratch, by default you’re going to have loyal customers.
Here are my PR tips for customer loyalty:
Understand the true purpose of PR. Effective PR is in large part about building trust and developing relationships. You want to create and maintain a strong feeling with customers so they are continually choose and recommend you.
Use PR to enhance your brand. I’m not talking logos and snazzy tag lines here. Branding that builds customer loyalty goes beyond what the eye can see. Great public relations builds brand at the emotional, gut-feeling, sensory and intuitive level.
Understand what your customers are paying for
You may think it’s your expertise. Yet the only way a customer can evaluate your expertise is through your credentials. What they can assess is positive outcomes. Did I feel good using this business? Did I feel valued? Just like the client I mentioned. He felt he could trust me – as his PR sat nav – to get him to where he needed to go.
Outcomes matter
Feeling valued and appreciated will only take you so far with customer loyalty. They need to see results and learn something from you to make it worth their while to continue as a customer. Here your PR activities need to involve showcasing the outcomes, or, if there’s a lag on results, being honest, explaining what you’re doing to get the right outcome, and reminding them what you’ve achieved for similar customers to maintain trust.
Public Relations, by definition, is how people think and feel about you. So if your PR activities are up to scratch, by default you’re going to have loyal customers.
Here are my PR tips for customer loyalty:
Understand the true purpose of PR. Effective PR is in large part about building trust and developing relationships. You want to create and maintain a strong feeling with customers so they are continually choose and recommend you.
Use PR to enhance your brand. I’m not talking logos and snazzy tag lines here. Branding that builds customer loyalty goes beyond what the eye can see. Great public relations builds brand at the emotional, gut-feeling, sensory and intuitive level.
Understand what your customers are paying for
You may think it’s your expertise. Yet the only way a customer can evaluate your expertise is through your credentials. What they can assess is positive outcomes. Did I feel good using this business? Did I feel valued? Just like the client I mentioned. He felt he could trust me – as his PR sat nav – to get him to where he needed to go.
Outcomes matter
Feeling valued and appreciated will only take you so far with customer loyalty. They need to see results and learn something from you to make it worth their while to continue as a customer. Here your PR activities need to involve showcasing the outcomes, or, if there’s a lag on results, being honest, explaining what you’re doing to get the right outcome, and reminding them what you’ve achieved for similar customers to maintain trust.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Embrace not face
I’ve decided to coin a new phase in PR & marketing speak. From now on, think about ‘customer embracing’ rather than ‘customer-facing’. After a weekend with Charles Melton Wines, I have felt embraced, applauded, saluted and valued. Far better than being ‘faced’, don’t you think?
All I’ve done is regularly buy over a dozen bottles of wine from Charlie each year – and by way of thanks he invited Tony and I to his 25 years in business bash. Over 240 customers flew in from around Australia, where Charlie and his team ran a social weekend of food, museum wine tastings, live music, dancing and more. All we had to do was get there and find a place to stay. The rest was on Charlie.
As a person with a passion for great wine, magical marketing and authentic PR, the weekend provided all three in abundance. Next time you’re thinking about your customers, check in and ask when you embraced them last. And for some great examples of testimonial and word-of-mouth marketing, check out the winery’s Facebook page from the weekend!
All I’ve done is regularly buy over a dozen bottles of wine from Charlie each year – and by way of thanks he invited Tony and I to his 25 years in business bash. Over 240 customers flew in from around Australia, where Charlie and his team ran a social weekend of food, museum wine tastings, live music, dancing and more. All we had to do was get there and find a place to stay. The rest was on Charlie.
As a person with a passion for great wine, magical marketing and authentic PR, the weekend provided all three in abundance. Next time you’re thinking about your customers, check in and ask when you embraced them last. And for some great examples of testimonial and word-of-mouth marketing, check out the winery’s Facebook page from the weekend!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Creativity gets media notice
One of the most enjoyable aspects of owning your own business is the creativity. It’s not the domain of creative ‘types, you don’t need to be a designer or an artist to get creative in your own business. Creativity helps distinguish you, turns customers into fans, and helps get attention from the media.
For example, The National Railway Museum (NRM) in the UK hired a six-year old as their “director of fun,” which led to nationwide overage on the BBC. The story wasn’t a gimmick, simply a great, creative PR response to a six-year old who’d applied to be director of the museum when he’d heard the encumbunt – Andrew Scott – had announced his retirement.
Sam Pointon wrote saying: ‘I am only 6 but I think I can do this job’. His letter explained that he was perfect for the job as he had been on lots of trains, had visited the NRM, and owned an electric train track on which he could control 2 trains at once.
Bosses at the NRM were so touched by Sam’s enthusiasm and determination that they decided to appoint him as their ‘Director of Fun’. Sam’s job will be to tell Museum bosses how he thinks they can make sure the NRM is the most fun place for kids to spend a day out.
View the full story on the BBC website.
For example, The National Railway Museum (NRM) in the UK hired a six-year old as their “director of fun,” which led to nationwide overage on the BBC. The story wasn’t a gimmick, simply a great, creative PR response to a six-year old who’d applied to be director of the museum when he’d heard the encumbunt – Andrew Scott – had announced his retirement.
Sam Pointon wrote saying: ‘I am only 6 but I think I can do this job’. His letter explained that he was perfect for the job as he had been on lots of trains, had visited the NRM, and owned an electric train track on which he could control 2 trains at once.
Bosses at the NRM were so touched by Sam’s enthusiasm and determination that they decided to appoint him as their ‘Director of Fun’. Sam’s job will be to tell Museum bosses how he thinks they can make sure the NRM is the most fun place for kids to spend a day out.
View the full story on the BBC website.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Learning to Leverage Media Coverage: Part Three - To Build a National Profile
When you begin a public relations campaign, one of the most important things of which to be aware is what each media clip means to you in the bigger picture.
You might get a local TV interview here, or be quoted in an article there, and so on. It’s exciting each time coverage rolls in…nice for the ego, it drives people to your website, as well as all the other opportunities I’ve discussed in the past few weeks. But it’s what that coverage can do for you, collectively, that really takes your brand to the next level.
Each time you appear in the media, your “star” rises a little bit. You receive instant credibility and have paved another section of the road on your way to being seen as a national expert. Once you have a nice portfolio of coverage, it’s time to leverage it by creating a reel, which simply means having a video editor take clips from your TV interviews and print coverage, and put them in an exciting and media-friendly format.
Once you have a reel, you can use your coverage to create larger opportunities that will put you in the national spotlight, such as:
- Move from appearing in local media outlets to being an expert on national TV shows, or in national magazines
- Submit to magazines (local, regional or national) or online sites to pitch yourself as a regular columnist
- Send to casting directors of shows that would be appropriate for you to host or co-host
- Send with a book proposal to major publishers
I will continue to delve more deeply into securing some of these national opportunities in the coming weeks, including how to successfully make money from your media coverage.
You might get a local TV interview here, or be quoted in an article there, and so on. It’s exciting each time coverage rolls in…nice for the ego, it drives people to your website, as well as all the other opportunities I’ve discussed in the past few weeks. But it’s what that coverage can do for you, collectively, that really takes your brand to the next level.
Each time you appear in the media, your “star” rises a little bit. You receive instant credibility and have paved another section of the road on your way to being seen as a national expert. Once you have a nice portfolio of coverage, it’s time to leverage it by creating a reel, which simply means having a video editor take clips from your TV interviews and print coverage, and put them in an exciting and media-friendly format.
Once you have a reel, you can use your coverage to create larger opportunities that will put you in the national spotlight, such as:
- Move from appearing in local media outlets to being an expert on national TV shows, or in national magazines
- Submit to magazines (local, regional or national) or online sites to pitch yourself as a regular columnist
- Send to casting directors of shows that would be appropriate for you to host or co-host
- Send with a book proposal to major publishers
I will continue to delve more deeply into securing some of these national opportunities in the coming weeks, including how to successfully make money from your media coverage.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Oh no, we’re on A Current Affair – for all the wrong reasons!
Sometimes, despite all your best efforts, your business may not appear in the light you want it to. So what do you do?
Tell the truth, prove it with action, listen to the customer, manage for tomorrow, conduct public relations as if the whole company depends on it, remain calm, patient and good-humoured!
Kmart’s Anzac Day backflip is an example of good crisis PR. A single story on news.com.au garnered 430 negative comments in response to its decision to apply for pre-1pm trading. Kmart acted swiftly, within 24 hours issuing an apology, withdrawing its application, with managing director Guy Russo accepting personal responsibility.
“I got this one wrong and on behalf of Kmart, I apologise to the RSL, retired and current members of the Australian Defence Force and the wider community for any offence that this application has caused," said Russo.
If you compare the viewing stats on the Google News Chart, Russo’s personal apology garnered close to the same amount of views as the original story that caused the furore in the first place. The issue was handled effectively, quickly – and as a result faded off the news agenda as fast as it had arrived.
Tell the truth, prove it with action, listen to the customer, manage for tomorrow, conduct public relations as if the whole company depends on it, remain calm, patient and good-humoured!
Kmart’s Anzac Day backflip is an example of good crisis PR. A single story on news.com.au garnered 430 negative comments in response to its decision to apply for pre-1pm trading. Kmart acted swiftly, within 24 hours issuing an apology, withdrawing its application, with managing director Guy Russo accepting personal responsibility.
“I got this one wrong and on behalf of Kmart, I apologise to the RSL, retired and current members of the Australian Defence Force and the wider community for any offence that this application has caused," said Russo.
If you compare the viewing stats on the Google News Chart, Russo’s personal apology garnered close to the same amount of views as the original story that caused the furore in the first place. The issue was handled effectively, quickly – and as a result faded off the news agenda as fast as it had arrived.
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