Are You Looking for PR?

Through my dealings with Facebook Marketplace I met Hank Eder,  a Public Relations expert who lives on the East Coast. He graciously agreed to meet with me and let me post our conversation on my blog (since I am PR challenged 😉

I got some great ideas from him! Check’em out!

Local Media is a Stepping Stone

Try your local media:

• Local TV Stations
• Local newspapers
• Local Radio (AM or FM)
• Local Magazines
• Local Business Partners
• Local Podcasts
• Local Blogs

Focusing on local media can be beneficial. You may be able to connect with reporters, art critics, food critics or other local writers in person or at least someone who knows these people. If you can find there they hang out, you may be able to strike up a conversation (of course, try not to seem like a stalker 😉 Also, local stations are much easier for travel. If you are able to get an interview on a local TV station or radio station or in a local paper, you can use these materials to get to the regional or even national levels…like a stepping stone.

Regional or National Attention

If you are looking for a broader reach, Hank recommended PR Web. This is an online service that sends out news releases for you. There is a cost to this service, but Hank says he uses it often for his clients and has seen results. It’s free to sign up and they offer a 10% discount for new users. There are some other online services that are similar: acesswire.com and Help a Reporter Out.

If you would like to be a guest on a talk show like Dr. Oz or Dr. Phil, you should approach them from more than one angle. First submit your release on PRWeb, then get in touch with the show’s agent or producer. When you reach out, use stories to get their attention. Dr. Oz has a contact form on his site for guests who live in a certain area. 

Writing a Press Release

Although it might not be something you do on a regular basis, knowing how to write a news release is a valuable skill for a small business! Here are some tips that will help get it read!

• Keep it short and sweet.
• Your subject line should short be catchy.
• Use an event or a specific date to make your message more urgent. If you are planning a show, a celebration, a sale, a launch, etc, these date-driven activities can help get your release noticed quickly.

(Some publications, such as magazines, have longer lead time and some are more flexible. Reading their media/topic schedules, when they  are available, can be beneficial.)

• Use your own outlets. Your Blog, your social media, and your website can help you get your story out there. If these pages are set up well, you can point the media to them as a starting point. I have a client who runs a charitable organization. He was contacted through his website for an interview by a local journalist! It can happen!

Do It Yourself

Hank created an online tool called Self-Propelled Marketing for business owners who want to manage their own marketing efforts. If you are interested in this all-inclusive system, you can check it out here.