If you are a business, non-profit, government agency or association manager, you need both. A skilled public relations “engineer” to assemble the resources and drive the action planning needed to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors among your most important outside audiences.

That engineer will help you as a manager to persuade those key folks to your way of thinking, And then move them to take actions that allow your department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

But you’ll also want those “mechanics” on board to handle communications tactics like brochures, special events, broadcast plugs, press releases and the like.

The force behind such a deployment is the underlying premise of public relations: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is usually accomplished.

The essential reality is that the right public relations planning really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors among key outside audiences.

As that manager, your PR effort must demand more than special events, news releases and talk show tactics if you are to receive the quality public relations results you anticipate..

The engineer-mechanic approach to public relations will deliver the outcomes you want. For example, capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way; welcome bounces in show room visits; membership applications on the rise; customers making repeat purchases; high potential proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; politicians and legislators looking at you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; prospects actually starting to do business with you; and community leaders now seeking you out.

Don’t overlook your PR worker bees. They can be of real use for your new opinion monitoring project because they are already in the perception and behavior business. But it’s not a slam dunk. Satisfy yourself that the PR staff really accepts why it’s SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. And do insure that they really believe that perceptions almost always result in behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.

Tell your PR people what your plans are for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Ask questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the exchange? Are you familiar with our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Using those PR folks of yours will also save money over the cost of using professional survey firms to do the opinion gathering work. But whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking the questions, the objective remains the same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Now we set down a public relations goal calling for action on the most serious problem areas you uncovered during your key audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or, stop that potentially painful rumor cold?

In like manner, establishing a PR goal demands an equally specific strategy that tells you how to get there. But just three strategic options are available to you when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like citrus dressing on your scones. So be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You certainly don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.

At this point, good writing becomes the issue because you must prepare a persuasive message that will help move your key audience to your way of thinking. Obviously it must be a carefully- written message aimed at your key external audience. Select your very best writer. S/he must come up with really corrective language that is not merely compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Here, you must select the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Lots are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

Since the credibility of any message is fragile and always up for grabs, the means by which you communicate is a concern. Which is why you may wish to unveil your corrective message before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher-profile news releases.

Before you create a progress report, you’ll find it useful to begin a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience in order to create comparative benchmarks. You’ll also want to use many of the same questions used in the benchmark session. But now, you will be on strict alert for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

When things slow down, as they occasionally do, you’ll be pleased that you can always speed things up by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

Once again, the right public relations planning really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors among key outside audiences.

The trick lies in knowing the difference in capabilities between those PR mechanics and PR engineers, then using their respective talents in your own best managerial interests.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2005

Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published over 200 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit:http://www.PRCommentary.com

If you don’t have a grip on public relations, how your most important outside audiences behave really CAN eat you alive.

But that needn’t happen, and for a simple reason: people like those who make up your key target audiences, act on their perception of the facts (like everybody else) which leads to predictable behavior, good or bad, about which something can be done.

The way to address target audience perceptions is to regularly monitor how members perceive your organization, especially any existing misconceptions or brewing problem areas. This is the monitoring phase.

Now, you isolate what is causing the perceptions you’ve uncovered, and the probable "fix" you will apply. Then you decide upon a realistic amount of behavior change you can achieve in an equally realistic time frame. You’ve just established your public relations goal.

Here, your public relations advisor moves into action by selecting one of three strategies available, to reach that goal: create a perception if none exists, change an existing perception, or reinforce it.

Then you prepare the persuasive messages you need to change perceptions among your key target audience. They should also address indirectly those problems or misconceptions that cropped up during your information gathering. The messages must also clearly identify what is really at issue, and be perceived as credible.

Now that you’ve done some information gathering while interacting with that key target public, you’ve set your public relations goal, strategy and prepared persuasive messages. How will you get those messages to the eyes and ears that need to hear and read them?

That’s what communications tactics are for - the "beasts of burden" that deliver your carefully prepared, persuasive messages to your #1 external audience.

And there are scores of them including face-to-face meetings with adversaries, newspaper and radio interviews, op-ed placements, speeches, press releases, community meetings and many, many more.

From this point forward you’re really in monitoring mode. You must interact again with members of that key, target audience, and keep an eye on print and broadcast media for references to your messages or viewpoints.

Because such indicators will reflect how local feelings about your organization are changing, you’ll then have a chance, if needed, to adjust both the communications tactics and message content.

As time passes, you’ll begin to notice increased awareness of your business and its role in the marketplace; a growing receptiveness to your messages by customers and others; increased public perception of the role your organization plays in its industry and in the community, as well as increasing numbers of prospects. At the same time, you’ll look for indications that any misconceptions, or other problems you discovered, have been resolved.

Of course, how much progress you achieve will depend heavily upon your continued personal involvement in the activity, and the amount of effort you invest.

The good news is that when behaviors among those groups of people important to your organization are actually modified, the public relations effort is a success, and nobody gets eaten alive.

In public relations, there are no more happier, happy endings.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2005

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net

Businesses of all sizes, including start up and Fortune 500 companies try to receive as much promotion and publicity for their product and services as they can. Quite often their marketing tactics require huge amounts of investment in time, energy and expense. Why not have a teleseminar tour and increase your visibility from the comfort of your own home or office, without paying a single penny?

Teleseminars are increasing in popularity, as they are a proven, cost-effective means of communicating valuable information to potentially large audiences (up to thousands) all at one time. It’s truly amazing how many teleseminars there are today.

Now, authors, entrepreneurs, business owners, marketing and public relations executives, speakers, coaches, and consultants can produce their own teleseminars through companies like Great Teleseminars Audio Production Studios.

They can increase exposure and publicity by reaching out to other professionals in their related industry that are hosting them as well.

By engaging in teleseminar tours you are allowing yourself to step beyond any limits and "reach out and touch" prospects and customers of almost any type of business. Making these calls allow you to prospect for new clients as you demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, increase your bottom line revenues, and maintain a presence that is always fresh and meaningful.

For those of you who are the “Do-It-Yourself” type, here is the step-by-step process on how to effectively manage a teleseminar tour campaign.

1. Perform a search using Google to see what companies and professionals within your specialty host teleseminars.

You must type in your specialty and then the word “teleseminar”, if you do not you’ll see the Great Teleseminars site and others like it, that are not specific to your industry. For example, type in “health teleseminars”, “sales teleseminars”, “dieting teleseminars”, or “parenting teleseminars” and you will quickly realize that many professionals in these areas are hosting teleseminars.

2. Do your homework.

Visit each individual website to ensure a good fit by reviewing their audience, the topics they have done in the past, and their price points. Do not overlook your competitors, as they may be willing to work with you. For example, in order to educate my clients and publicize my other business, PR LEADS,I host public relations and marketing teleseminars every Thursday afternoon. Although you might think I’d never want to invite a competitor on my show, the truth is we compete on different services, price points and markets, so we really don’t compete at all. We welcome the opportunity to appear on each other’s teleseminars. My teleseminars have featured PR gurus like TJ Walker, Joan Stewart, George McKenzie, Rick Frishman, Jill Lublin, B.L. Ochman, Alex Carroll and others – and I’ve appeared on many of their events as well!

3. Prepare your pitch

Lets say you find 10 good teleseminars to become a guest speaker on, now what? Before calling or emailing hosts, you must prepare your biography, product and/or service fact sheets, and 10 questions you would like to be asked if a teleseminar is to be arranged. You must also develop your hook—meaning why they should be interested in you and your topic, and how their audience can benefit from having you as a speaker. You’ll need this material to help promote yourself. You don’t want the host to write the copy for you. You want to be in control of the message, and let them fine-tune it to fit their needs. Your host will send some of this information to their mailing lists as the invitation, or post other parts of it to the website, and use the 10 questions as the script to interview you.

Teleseminar tours are a win-win situation for everyone. Teleseminar hosts reach the end of their expertise, so they are always looking for new guests that can tell a new story and lend a new way of looking at the world or exploring new subjects that the host wouldn’t know anything about.

In return for your expertise, the teleseminar hosts will promote your material, your name, and your product or services to their lists. Best yet, it doesn’t cost you a single penny for the added exposure. All you have to do is all the legwork online by using Google, preparing the hook, sending out some emails, and maybe making a few phone calls.

For those of you who do not have the time and would like the convenience of a virtual assistant, Great Teleseminars now offers Teleseminar Tours. We will complete prospect research, create the pitch and any required materials, make introductory and follow phone calls and emails, and arrange teleconferences around your schedule. For more information you may visit http://www.greatteleseminars.com/campaign.htm/

Finally, there’s an easy way to get your company name visible to your audience. And, it doesn’t cost you a fortune. Daniel Janal, President of Great Teleseminars and PR LEADS has helped over a 1000 authors, experts,consultants, doctors, and small businesses get the publicity they need in order to flourish. Check out http://www.greatteleseminars.com to receive a FREE E-Book.

If, as is often the case, you are preoccupied with comm- unications tactics instead of working a plan to actively pursue those outside audience behaviors that stop you from achieving your objectives, the answer is yes.

Fortunately, it’s no big deal making the switch to a public relations problem-solving sequence that works. Simply accept this reality: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.

What this approach to public relations can do for businesses, non-profits and associations, is help them alter the perceptions, and thus behaviors of their most important external audiences, those with the greatest impact on their operations. This can make achieving their objectives much easier, and much more likely.

Here’s how it could work for you.

Sit down and list those outside audiences of yours whose behaviors can damage your organization’s prospects. Then, put them in the order of how severe their impacts are, and we’ll work on #1 on that list.

First objective is to create a public relations goal. So, because it’s likely there are negative perceptions out there, you and your cohorts must meet with members of that target audience and interact with them. Ask many questions such as "What do you know about us? Have you had any kind of contact with us? What have you heard about our products or services?"

And while you’re asking those questions, keep your eyes and ears peeled for evasive or hesitant answers. And also for negatives like inaccuracies, untruths, misconceptions, hurtful rumors and false assumptions.

Your public relations goal can now be established using the responses you just gathered. And that goal will be the specific perception you wish to alter, usually leading to the behavior change you really want. For example, goals like, correct that inaccuracy, clearup that misconception, or squash that hurtful rumor once and for all.

What you need to know most about your new public relations goal is, how do I get from here to there, and what action program will be most appropriate? Your strategy will give you the answer. But you have only three choices when it comes to strategies for opinion or perception matters.

Reinforce existing opinion, change it, or create perception/opinion where none exists. But make certain the strategy you select clearly fits your public relations goal. Obviously, you would not select the "reinforce it" strategy option when your goal is to change a damaging rumor.

Writing, like it or not, is the next challenge. You need a message carefully prepared to alter your key target audience’s perception. But writing it is no walk in the park.

The message must not only be corrective and crystal-clear, it must also be compelling if it is to move your target audience member’s perception in your direction - a must, if those desired behaviors are to come about.

Like the military officer calling in artillery fire during combat, you must call in your communications tactics to carry your message to its target, the members of your target audience.

The arsenal is full of such tactics ranging from personal contacts, group briefings, press releases and speeches to emails, letters-to-the-editor, brochures, celebrity appearances and many, many others.

The only caution here is, check carefully that each tactic you choose has a proven record for reaching people like those who make up your target audience.

It won’t be long before urgent questions are raised. "How are we doing? Are we making any headway towards our goal?"

It would be ideal if your budget could accommodate the considerable costs of professional opinion surveys to answer those questions. However, as you did at the start of the program, you can again monitor perceptions among members of your target audience by asking the very same questions you used the first time around.

But now, you will watch carefully for indications that your message and communications tactics are moving audience perceptions in your direction.

You can always provide a boost to the effort by adding new tactics to the mix as well as increasing their frequencies. And check your message again to insure its impact and factual accuracy.

What you will have accomplished is the timely use of the fundamental realities of public relations. In this case, to salvage an unsatisfactory PR program so that it now delivers the external audience behaviors you need to help you reach your objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net

When should you send out a press release? You want to know my acid test? If it’s newsworthy and if it’s useful to the reader. It’s that simple.

There are many factors to weigh when considering the need to send out a press release. As a publicist I have sent thousands of releases over the years and while there are no hard and fast rules, the most important factor is that you’ve got to make sure it’s newsworthy and useful to the reader. Any thing else and it’s just a waste of time for the members of the media.

A good press release can accomplish a lot of things too. It can be used to announce information to the public, your investors, the media, your customers and even your competitors about you and your activities. To help my clients determine whether something is newsworthy I compiled a list of fifty-five press release ideas I give to them to get their ideas flowing about their own businesses. Some are for general consumer media and some may not apply to all business types.

1. Announce a new service.
2. Announce a new product.
3. Tie in with a national holiday, a birthday or anniversary.
4. Report a new study of your own and your analysis or forecast.
5. Tie in with a controversy by commenting on it.
6. Co-op an event with the media.
7. Utilize a national survey or study to your benefit.
8. Announce your exhibit at a trade show or convention.
9. Commission a survey and report the results.
10. Write a white paper and announce its availability at your web site.
11. Create and promote a special event.
12. Use a current news event to frame your release.
13. Host a seminar and announce the information discussed.
14. Announce an upcoming speaking engagement.
15. Schedule a speaking engagement at the local library… for free.
16. Make reprints of speeches available at your website.
17. Create a contest and offer a prize that’s newsworthy.
18. Pricing and policy changes.
19. Patents and trademarks.
20. Litigation won.
21. Announce the results of a new study.
22. The number of hours your employees donate volunteering in your community.
23. Involvement in various community events and activities.
24. Innovative use for your products.
25. First person stories about people using your product or services.
26. New clients you’ve obtained.
27. New testimonials.
28. Celebrities that use your product or service.
29. Financial projections and forecasts.
30. Announce a public appearance.
31. Appointments by government officials to offices.
32. Retirement of well respected and revered employees.
33. Recognition of long-time employees with 25 years of service or more.
34. Internal promotion of key staff members.
35. Send a letter to the editor and CC the media and your audience, “in case they miss it.”
36. New members of important committees.
37. Results of an election.
38. The passage of an important resolution.
39. Anniversary of the founding date of the organization or company.
40. Charitable donations by your organization.
41. ISO 9001certification of your company.
42. New awards won.
43. Association membership.
44. Publicly release a letter from a soldier or someone with poignant thoughts.
45. Report on a public project and offer insight to the problem.
46. Protest an activity or issue.
47. The sponsorship of a community event.
48. How to apply for internships in your company.
49. How to apply for scholarships offered by your company.
50. Open house where people can tour your plant, office etc.
51. Create an award to honor individuals in the community.
52. The appearance in front of a public entity, i.e. testimony before the US Senate.
53. Host a public debate.
54. Announce a fact finding trip and then report your findings.
55. Host a celebrity event and tie in your company.

Once you get the release written now what? How do you put it in the hands of the media? How can a company or individual know if it can handle media relations themselves or if it needs to hire a public relations firm, an independent publicist or a full fledged marketing firm? If you aren’t completely certain after debating the pros and cons, ask these questions:

* Are we getting all the PR we deserve?
* Is our competition getting more than their fair share of media coverage?
* Would media coverage bring more business to the firm?
* Do we have a PR strategy for continuous year round media coverage?
* Is our in-house “PR person or department” overburdened with “in-house” work like the company newsletter?

First of all, let’s define a PR firm. Some people interchange a PR firm with a marketing firm, or marketing agency, or even an ad agency. Basically a public relations firm handles media relations and is the interface between a company and the news media.

A public relations firm or publicist will “pitch” the media on a story idea involving a company, invention or author. A good pitch about a story that would interest the people who read, watch or listen to a particular media outlet gets coverage.

Many larger companies rely on in-house staff trained in public relations or marketing while others hire PR consultants or publicists to handle their PR campaigns.

Joe Nicassio, author of Guerrilla PR Brand Manager, says whether a company should conduct its public relations, marketing or advertising campaigns internally or externally should be determined by these factors"

Do you NEED solid, consistent media exposure week after week, or are you satisfied with "occasional" exposure?

Do you have the internal staff and expertise to commit the internal resources to your public relations, marketing, advertising efforts?

If you have the internal staff, and they understand Guerrilla PR principles, then there may be no reason to hire an outside agency. Paradoxically, the busier you get, the easier it is to parlay, or "set aside" consistent, important PR activities. Don’t get caught in that trap!

"Public Relations is a craft that requires PASSION," says Nicassio. "You may need PR, and you may even have the people to conduct your public relations, marketing, advertising campaigns but that’s not enough. To be truly effective, your PR campaigns must be conducted with PASSIONATE CONSISTENCY."

-END-

Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with doctors, lawyers, inventors and authors. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC Nightly News, The New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Family Circle, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few. To discuss how Westwind Communications helps its clients get all the publicity they deserve and more, call 734-667-2090 or email: scottlorenz@westwindcos.com . Visit: http://www.westwindcos.com

Yes indeed! If you are a young person who has decided that a career in public relations will be your Caviar and Champagne in life, here are four situations in which you do not want to find yourself:

1. You confuse the basic function of public relations with sub-parts that make up the whole like publicity, crisis management or employee communications.

2. You feel unsure in approaching public relations problems, then uncertain about what counsel to give your employer/client.

3. As the years pass, you rely on career-long misconceptions about public relations but forge ahead anyway advising the employer/client ineffectively sometimes with damaging, if not dangerous counsel.

4. You realize too late that you have gone through your entire career without a firm grasp of what public relations is all about.

Newcomers can avoid those pitfalls by grasping early-on The Rosetta Stone of public relations, i.e., a guide to understanding the discipline and its core strength. Namely, people act on their perception of the facts; those perceptions lead to certain behaviors; and something can be done about those perceptions and behaviors that lead to achieving an organization’s objectives.

Which is why, when public relations goes on to successfully create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, it accomplishes its mission.

NO organization - business, non-profit or public sector - can succeed today unless the behaviors of its most important audiences are in-sync with the organization’s objectives. And that means public relations professionals must modify somebody’s behavior if they are to help hit the employer/client’s objective and earn a paycheck. All else are but means to that end.

And here’s one way to get there:

– identify the problem or challenge
– identify target audiences
– set the public relations goal
– set the public relations strategy
– prepare persuasive messages
– select/implement key communications tactics
– monitor progress
– and the end game? Meet your own behavior modification goal.

A bonus: you are using a near-perfect public relations performance measurement. I mean how can you measure the results of an activity more accurately than when you clearly achieve the goal you set at the beginning of that activity? You can’t. It’s pure success

So, as a beginner, can you expect to avoid the four pitfalls listed above? Yes, and here’s why:

– With proper preparation, you will not confuse action tactics with the basic mission of public relations because you will know precisely what each is and just what fits where in the public relations problem solving sequence.

– You will feel more confident about providing counsel to the employer/client because the public relations problem at hand can be clearly identified allowing you to select solutions that obviously fit into the action sequence outlined above. You will identify your target audiences because you will know exactly who your employer/client wants to reach, and the necessary action tactics will then be self-evident.

– You realize that you have gone through your entire career WITH a firm, successful grasp of what public relations is all about.

Of course, on the way you will also nurture the relationships between your target audiences and your employer/client’s business by burnishing the reputation of the organization, its service and products. You will do your best to persuade those target audiences to do what your employer/client wants them to do. And while seeking public understanding and acceptance of that employer/client, you’ll insure that your joint activities not only comply with the law, but clearly serve the public interest. Then, you will pull out all tactical stops to actually move those individuals to action. And your employer/client will be pleased that you have brought matters along to this point.

But when will that employer/client of yours be fully satisfied with the public relations results you have produced? Only when your "reach, persuade and move-to-desired-action efforts have produced that visible modification in the behaviors of those target audiences you, and they wish to influence.

In my view, this is the fundamental premise of public relations, its central, strategic function and the basic context in which you must operate in your pursuit of a successful and satisfying public relations career.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net

However large your company might be and whatever services or products it provides, it must always communicate with its customers. It should gain publicity and credibility. One of the most widely used tools to achieve this is advertisement. Nevertheless, one should not forget that however effective and appealing your advertisement might be, most of people tend to regard it as oversimplified and exaggerated statement. Really, in my experience, few of potential customers take your every word for its value in the advertisement. So how can you win the credibility of your company?! The credibility can be won if your statement is appeared in trusted and trustworthy information resources. Many research show that people trust more opinions of independent mass media and their representatives such as editors, journalists and radio commentators than the statements of salesmen and advertisement specialists.

The company can communicate with press by using press release service issued to mass media representatives. Press release services are one of the most effective means to gain the attention both of the public and press. How this statement should be written?! The most important point of the press release is its newsworthiness. If you organize some events, issue new products or start providing new services –than this is a sufficient ground for the issuing of the press release. The press release should be easy-to read and informative, it should not be confused with the advertisement. The press release should not be too long, neither it should be too short. One of the most important elements of the press release is its headline. The headline should grab the attention of the reader and provides your reader with the information on the purpose of your press release. The reader must know what your press release is about right from the start, from the first seconds of reading the headline.

Try to avoid using exaggerations. It might be difficult sometimes especially if the company starts providing new services or products. Remember that your story will be read by highly skeptical and even distrustful media representatives. They can be impressed only by true, credible facts rather than by the statements that might not correspond with the reality. If you follow these simple rules, than you will be able to write press release that will impress press representatives.

Peter Finers is a senior copywriter at Killer-Content.com - Copywriting Services. He has several years of experience as copywriter and has worked for several large press release service companies. Currently he is working on the problems of improvement of the press release services provided by the company.

Because when it comes to public relations, non-believers can produce a double-bummer — missed opportunity AND a ton of wasted money. It really is a shame because we do public relations to change the behaviors of certain groups of people important to the success of those very Doubting Thomases.

And speaking of non-believers, what’s the real reason some shy away from public relations? I believe it’s because they don’t understand, or believe, the direct connection between what public relations is capable of delivering and their need to achieve specific business objectives.

So, what do we say to non-believers?

Surely it’s not that difficult a concept to understand or accept? People act on their perception of the facts; those perceptions lead to certain behaviors; and something can be done about those perceptions and behaviors that leads to achieving your organization’s objectives. That’s pretty good!

Better yet, you can establish the degree of behavior change you want, up front, then insist on getting that result before you pronounce the public relations effort a success.

That way, you KNOW you’re getting your money’s worth.

But it gets better. How can you measure the results of any activity more accurately than when you clearly achieve the goal you set at the beginning of that activity? You can’t. It’s pure success when you meet that goal.

Public relations is no different. The client/employer wants our help in altering counterproductive perceptions among key audiences which almost always change behaviors in a way that helps him or her get to where they want to be.

But, the Doubting Thomases might ask, are we really qualified to do that job?

I think yes, because everything we do is based on the same realities — people act on their perception of the facts, and we can do something about those perceptions. So, when public relations activity successfully creates, changes or reinforces that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations effort is a success.

In practice, you may want people to perceive your organization more positively, thus strengthening its reputation. Or, you could communicate a company’s strengths to a target audience leading them to a positive perception of the firm, in turn leading to new investments in the company’s shares.

I know our non-believers are not primarily interested in our ability to communicate, paint images or schmooz with the media. Nor are they especially fascinated with our efforts to identify target audiences, set public relations goals and strategies, write persuasive messages and select communications tactics.

What I believe they DO want is a change in the behaviors of certain key audiences leading directly to the achievement of their business objectives.

Which is why I continually stress that quality planning, and the degree of behavioral change it produces, defines the success or failure of a public relations program.

Done correctly, when public relations results in modified behaviors among groups of people important to an organization, we could be talking about nothing less than its survival.

But that means public relations professionals must modify somebody’s behavior if they are to help hit the objective and earn a paycheck - I believe everything else is a means to that end.

But, we can’t let the Doubting Thomases off the hook without reminders that some very basic but unattended perceptions may be out there that could lead to very costly negative behaviors. For example, if sales prospects are unaware of your product or service, you will not get them as customers; if your customers don’t remain convinced of the value of your product or service, you lose them; and if employees believe you don’t care about them, productivity suffers.

And on and on when still more audiences like citizens, journalists, regulators, investors and legislators don’t believe you.

So, what do I believe the unbelievers still want from us whether they know it or not? I believe they want us to apply our special skills in a way that helps them achieve their business objectives. But no matter what strategic plan we create to solve a problem, no matter what tactical program we put in place, at the end of the day we must modify somebody’s behavior for them if we are to earn our money.

Which is why I say that when you measure our real effectiveness, you will be fully satisfied with those public relations results only when our "reach, persuade and move-to-desired-action" efforts produce that visible modificationin the behaviors of those people you wish to influence. In my view, this is the central, strategic function of public relations - the basic context in which we must operate.

As for the Doubting Thomases, I hope these remarks contain a nugget or two that assists you in leading them to a better understanding of how public relations works. Especially how it can strengthen relationships with those important groups of people - those target audiences whose perceptions and behaviors can help or hinder the achievement of their business objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net

Perhaps you’d like to promote your organization’s event. Maybe you’re trying to publicize your cause. Or maybe you’re trying to get media attention for yourself or your product. Sometimes it’s difficult to have your voice heard amidst the cacophony of competing messages.

The mainstream media often refers to today’s information overload. After all, people get their information from more sources than ever before. There’s broadcast news, cable news, newspapers, magazines, radio, online publications, bloggers, discussion boards, RSS streams, and more. It seems, however, that people aren’t overwhelmed with information; they’re simply customizing the way they receive information. As for the mainstream media’s hype about overload, it may very well just be a case of sour grapes. When people turn to other sources for news and information, the market share of the mainstream media decreases.

When you’re trying to get your message out to the masses, follow the lead of public relations professionals. Their approach to promotion is to use multiple channels, both in traditional media and in new media. By blanketing as many channels as possible, your efforts at public relations and promotion are bound to be successful.

When you want to get the word out, you first need to define your audience. Who is it that you’re trying to reach? If you’re trying to market your message to 18-34 year olds, you don’t want to waste your time with media that draws an older crowd.

Once you define your audience, you need to craft your message. Indeed, if you are using multiple channels or trying to reach more than one audience, you may have to craft several messages. For each, it’s important to try and see the world through the eyes of your intended audience, and the design a message that they will find appealing.

When you know your audience and have your message, it’s time to distribute that message. Although that can seem like an obstacle for an amateur, there are actually many venues through which you can do public relations and promotion. There are even online marketing opportunities that allow you to post free press releases and offer free public relations services.

One such service is pr-inside.com. It’s a free public relations service that helps you in promotion - whether you’re promoting your online business, your organization, or yourself. You simply register and submit your free press releases. It takes about five minutes, after which the pr-inside.com team reviews your text and adds it to their public relations website.

There’s no need to be intimidated by the competition from big public relations firms or the savvy mainstream media. With some forethought and a targeted message, you can publicize your message effectively using free online marketing tools.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this Business and Entrepreneurs Website and Majon’s Business and Entrepreneurs directory.

If you leave a star player sitting on the bench, you could be the loser.

Look at it this way. Because you push hard to reach your sales and marketing objectives, you need the help of your top external audiences.

If you agree, what are you doing to insure their support? At the least, you need to prioritize those key target audiences and work them hard from the top down because few of us can do them all at once.

When I say work them hard from the top, I mean start by monitoring carefully how members of that most important target audience feel about your business. You must interact with them and ask a lot of questions.

Notice any negative feelings? How about misconceptions that need fixing? Any inaccurate understandings of your products and services? In short, ANY perceptions about your business that you need to alter?

With information like that in hand, you can set your public relations goal. It could be as simple as this: clear up that misconception, explain away that inaccurate understanding, or respond clearly and positively to feelings of uncertainty.

So, with your goal all set, what’s next? Right! You select a strategy. Since you have only three choices, it will be an easy decision. Create opinion (perceptions) where none exist, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. Let the goal you established guide your strategy selection.

Now you go for the meat on the bone, your message. And it will need to be a specific and compelling message that clearly and creditably lays out, for example, why the rumor is dead wrong, or why that belief about the company is not only inaccurate, but unfair. In brief, the message must be both crystal-clear and very believable.

But even a first-class message does no good sitting on a shelf. It needs aggressive communications tactics to carry it to the eyes and ears of members of your key target audience, whose behaviors you wish to alter.

Fortunately for all concerned, there are dozens of communications tactics available to you. They range from emailings, speeches, press releases and face-to-face meetings to broadcast interviews, consumer briefings and open houses and a lot of others.

But the moment of truth arrives when you remonitor how members of your key target audience NOW perceive you and your business. Again, you must ask plenty of questions while attempting to highlight how, and if perceptions have been altered by your communication. What about that frighteningly inaccurate perception of your business - better than before? And the specific misconception that most of your products are made in South East Asian sweat shops. Any improvement there? And the small number of interviewees who had never even heard of your firm. Has that number been reduced?

If insufficient progress is noted, remedies include a heavier, and wider concentration on communications tactics. As would a review of, and adjustment to your message content.

The prize remains the same. Altered perceptions leading to desired behaviors that directly contribute to the success of your business.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net