By Cathryn Hrudicka, PR and Marketing Mentor™,
Cathryn Hrudicka & Associates/Creative Sage™
The following article is now also available at: http://webcontentawarenessday.com/articlepr6.htm
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Starting a new Public Relations campaign can be a daunting experience, whether it’s your first campaign, or you’ve been in business for a long time. Many entrepreneurs, authors and artists do their own publicity during the start-up phase, often not getting the results they want.
How do you tell your own story—or the story of your latest business offering—in a way that makes you stand out in the crowd? What can a PR professional offer you that you have not been able to achieve for yourself? When do you know if you should call a professional for help?
The first step is to think creatively about your business, new product or event. What is it that’s absolutely essential for the media—and your target audience—to know? If you could tell them only one big idea in one sentence, what would it be?
Got it? OK, write it down. That’s your essence, or your business’s essence, your passion statement. If you work for a nonprofit organization, write a one-line summary of your mission statement.
Now, think strategically. What products or services do you need to sell over the coming year? What big events will you be producing? Will your new book be coming out, or will you be teaming up with a local nonprofit to support a good cause?
Did you win a prestigious award? Did you develop a new business theory or do some groundbreaking research that industry analysts will want to cover? Are you on the forefront of an emerging trend? Write down these and any other points that set you apart and brand you as an expert in your field.
Next, pick out the top three or four items that will truly make you visible in the best possible way to your potential customers or audience. What makes your company or organization different from all the rest?
What results do you produce that are superior, and do you have extraordinary methods to produce those results? Those are your story angles. You want to highlight each of these angles in separate press releases that will be sent out three to six times a year, timed to meet media deadlines and also provide optimum coverage for your product. You don’t want to send out too many—only announce those events or launches that really show off your special results, or your company’s unique selling proposition.
Although some corporations and entertainers flood the media with frequent press releases, if you’re a smaller company, nonprofit or individual, you’ll demonstrate more credibility to the media—and the public—if you space your press releases out over a greater length of time—usually no more often than every 2-4 months. Focus on what’s most important in the eyes of the media and your market. It’s as important to know what’s not news, as well as what is. Many people and even large corporations make the mistake of confusing hype with news.
Your best bet is to tie-in your story angles with current news stories, and show how your book, good cause or new product solves a significant problem associated with that news item. This is essential if you want to pitch a talk show host on radio or television. If your solution is truly newsworthy, you can even pitch it to a news assignment desk editor. You won’t get on Oprah or similar shows without this essential news hook. In fact, if it’s really newsworthy, and you’ve demonstrated that you’re an expert, the media—and prospective clients—will come to you.
Even if you concentrate on online publicity, blogs and podcasts, and your aim is to create a Social Media “buzz,” you still want to focus on making your story angles as newsworthy or educational as possible, from your audience’s viewpoint. People can sniff hype from a mile away, and it may work against you, in the long run, to only tell your audience how great your product is—your potential customers want to know how it will help them solve their problems, and why they should care about what you’re offering.
By the way, some things that are not newsworthy any more are most web site launches, services that duplicate those offered by many other businesses, books that provide no new solutions, or self-aggrandizing statements that sound more like paid ads. Make sure your story angles pass the “true news” test, and then tell your story in a unique and compelling way that is concise, but excites the audience’s imagination so that they absolutely have to find out more about your newest product!
Watch for more articles about how to write press releases that are newsworthy and tell your story in a compelling way; and when to call for professional PR assistance.
Cathryn Hrudicka, Chief Imagination Officer of her company, Cathryn Hrudicka & Associates/Creative Sage™, is a master PR and Marketing Mentor™, who also draws upon her experience as an editor, producer, writer and journalist to mentor clients in public relations skills. She has produced outstanding results for a distinguished list of clients that include Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit leaders, internationally recognized artists, performers, entertainment and technology companies.
Additionally, Cathryn is a recognized expert in creativity and innovation, using her expertise to help solve key business problems and help organizations gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. She is a management consultant and executive coach for executives, companies, nonprofits, artists, authors and other accomplished people who want to solve key business problems or design an extraordinary life after retirement. Cathryn solves problems creatively and teaches others how to do it!
Contact Cathryn!
Get more tips at: http://www.CathrynHrudicka.wordpress.com and
http://www.CreativeSage.wordpress.com.
