I am often asked by clients to target USA Today for media coverage, and with good reason: USA Today coverage can have a significant impact on businesses and organizations. Here’s why:

1. Circulation of USA Today: USA Today is the largest U.S. daily newspaper, with a Monday through Thursday circulation of over two million, and a Friday circulation of 2.7 million.

2. Additional Media Coverage Resulting from a Story in USA Today: Many media outlets — TV in particular — follow USA Today stories closely and do TV segments based on USA Today articles. So, if you’re featured in USA Today, there’s a good chance you’ll receive coverage in other media outlets.

What are USA Today journalists looking for?

Here are some tips:

1. Hop on the hot news story. Sometimes, there’s one story that the news is focusing on heavily (Hurricane Katrina, the Runaway Bride, etc.). Many times there are ways for your business to tie into the news of the day, which is pretty much all the media wants to cover. For instance, Hurricane Katrina is a hot news story at the time of this writing. In a USA Today story on gas prices related to Hurricane Katrina, a small business, gasbuddy.com, was quoted. In a story related to the financial impact of Katrina, a small business, Stone & Youngberg, a firm that deals in municipal securities, was included as a source.

2. Tie your business or organization into a current trend. USA Today rarely profiles individual businesses or organizations. But they will often include you in a larger trend story. For instance, if you make diamond jewelry for babies, you may not get your own business profile, but you may be included in a larger trend story about companies that offer “Baby Bling,” according to Lifestyle Editor Kim Willis.

3. Offer several sources, notes Small Business Reporter Jim Hopkins. You may have a great trend idea, but if it’s hard for the reporters to find sources, the story idea may die. Offering sources is one way to make the story happen — and you can control the names you give.

So if you are looking for great media coverage, consider focusing on USA Today.

Copyright 2006 – Margie Fisher

Margie Fisher, President of Zable Fisher Public Relations, is the author of the Do-It-Yourself Public Relations Kit. For more information on the Kit, the Pay for Results Publicity Program, and to sign up for the complimentary PRactical P.R. newsletter, visit http://www.zfpr.com

Almost assuredly you do, especially when your most important external and internal audiences behave in ways that stop you from achieving your organizational objectives.

With that attitude, you could have a long wait before you see community leaders strengthening their bonds with you; customers making repeat purchases; unions bargaining more frequently in good faith; prospects becoming customers; employees beginning to value their jobs; political leaders and legislators starting to think of you as a key player in the business community, and suppliers working hard to expand your relationship.

Lighten up and use public relations in your own best interest, and benefit from a really cost-effective assist to your business, non-profit or association.

And there’s another reason to do so. Tough times require tough tactics. Luckily, PR firepower can do for you what it was meant to do – help you achieve your operating objectives by moving those people whose behaviors have the greatest impact on your organization, to actions YOU desire,

You know it’s worth it, so give it a shot!

Best place to start is by listing your most important audiences, or “publics,” and ranking them according to the impact they have on your enterprise. Let’s work on the outside audience at the top of that list.

How aware are you and your colleagues as to how that audience views you? Could there be negative perceptions out there that, inevitably, will morph into behaviors that hurt your organization?

You really can’t afford to ignore that possibility.

So get out there and interact with members of that target audience and ask questions. The alternative is to spend a LOT of money on a professional survey. Instead, make the time commitment to do some home-grown research. After all, PR best practice says you should be in regular touch with target audience members anyway, so this interaction is probably long overdue.

Ask questions like “Do you know anything about us? Have you heard anything good or bad about us?” Stay alert to hesitant and evasive responses. Notice any negative undertones? Do inaccuracies crop up? Any misconceptions or rumors that need your attention?

The answers you gather are the fodder for your new public relations goal – i.e., the specific perception to be altered, followed by the behavior change you want.

Which requires that you set a public relations goal aimed at clearing up that misconception or nameless concern, correcting that inaccuracy or untrue belief, or disarming that rumor for good.

Now, what happens to that goal? You select a strategy to get you where you want to be. The choices are few indeed when it comes to perception and opinion. You can create perception where there isn’t any, change existing perception, or reinforce it. That’s it. You should, however, match your strategy selection to your newly-established public relations goal.

Clearly, the most sensitive, even difficult step in this problem- solving sequence is message preparation. At ther same time, it’s your opportunity to write something that will change somebody’s opinion, and that is a really satisfying experience.

First, your message must stick to its knitting and not ramble. Address the inaccuracy, misconception, untruth or rumor clearly and in a believable and as compelling a manner as possible. Remember what it must do if the public relations program is to be successful – alter, change or reinforce what a lot of people believe. And that is a big job and a big responsibility.

If the message is the bullet, your “beasts of burden” are the gun, the means by which your communications tactics carry your message to the eyes and ears of members of the target audience.

And what a list of tactics offer themselves to you. Everything from open houses, feature articles, press releases and speeches to personal contacts, broadcast appearances, newspaper interviews and so many more.

Your measuring stick for each tactic is, does it have a proven track record for reaching people like those who make up your target audience?

So, you will get antsy and wonder if you’re making any headway with your new public relations program. Best way to tell is to monitor target audience perceptions all over again. Use questions similar to your first monitoring session.

Big difference this time, however. Now, you need to see indications that perceptions are being altered as a result of your corrective message.

If you want to speed things up, you can always add a few more tactics to the mix, AND increase some of their frequencies. The message should also be re-evaluated for the strength and persuasiveness of its underlying facts, as well as impact and clarity.

Yes, you may believe you “don’t need no stinking PR,” but there’s no denying that people in your area behave like everyone else – they take actions based on their perception of the facts they hear about you and your operation. So, you must deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach them.

And what that means is, in your own best interest, you must persuade many of your stakeholders to your way of thinking, thus moving them to take actions that lead to the success of your organization.

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 © 2003.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to general management personnel about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

In these days of every increasing demand and competition, there is a considerable choice available to the cautious consumer. People have the choice of various types of media, if they are looking to shop for any particular product.

Looking at the various types of media, we realise just how large the choices are for anyone venturing into buying or selling something. At the same time, there is the factor of convenience. It wasn’t so long ago, when the customer either went to the shops, to buy, or looked in the local or national press, to browse through the classified and commercial advertisements.

Then came along the advent of radio and television, which provided a whole new concept in advertising. You could now sit comfortably at home, and listen to, or indeed see, advertisements for your favourite products. But this didn’t provide a huge market in private individual advertising, due to the costs involved, although some local radio stations were able to provide so called ‘small ads’.

It has been customary in the past, for someone wishing to sell a product, to advertise it in the local and national press. This continues today, as one only has to browse through the papers, and see thousands of adverts from private individuals.

In recent times, we have seen the evolution of the computer, as an additional source of advertising, and more and more people are turning to this method, as essentially it is one of the most convenient methods of placing an advert. It is also very easy for buyers to browse through the ads, or more specifically, type a word or phrase into a search engine, and save time in being directed straight to the object they are searching for.

But let’s not be complacent about online advertising, either from the buyers or the seller’s point of view. Those of us who run online shopping websites are responsible in ensuring that our customers get a clear and concise picture of exactly what they are entering into, when they open a webpage. It is our duty to provide people with the facts, particularly if they are entering into any online financial commitment. How often do you see the ‘added extras’ tucked away, after completing the initial registration details, or see an additional credit card fee charged? How often do you see an initial price, only to be weighted down with hidden extras? It is imperative in this day of high technology that the end user, that is, the customer, is provided with the full facts of a transaction, at the very beginning.

Starting off with a low or ‘bargain’ price is all well and good, if that price is the final price, but far too often we see the final price creep up with additional fees, charges, add ons, call it what you may. The responsibility lies with the vendor, to ensure that the price has no ‘furry’ edges, and is transparent. If there are taxes in addition to the price, we as vendors, should state so, from the very off. If there is postage and packaging, extra costs for additional services, or anything else, it needs to be stated at the beginning.

Keeping standards extremely high and not taking advantage of the speed in which online transactions pass from one page to the next, to reach the final destination, is an objective that many online businesses have adopted. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go, for many. Let’s hope we will all, one day, maintain the standards that the general public deserve.

Paul Bryant is the Chairman of Wamee Ltd, a UK Online portal, for people to buy and sell almost anything. The website address is http://www.wamee.com. Wamee maintains a policy of transparency and clarity in every aspect.

You won’t be if you accept a very simple premise. Here, in just two sentences, is your pathway to effective public relations. A pathway that lets you target the kind of stake- holder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.

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.

And what behavior changes they can be. Legislators who see you as a dynamic member of their business public; prospects deciding to patronize your enterprise; customers buying from you again and again; local thoughtleaders strengthening their relations with you; employees who value their employer, and on an on.

What it boils down to, is that people in your marketing area behave like everyone else – they take actions based on their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your organization.

So, you need to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what you need to do to reach them with the right message. Your job is to persuade your stakeholders to your way of thinking and move them to take actions that lead to the success of your organization.

Here’s one way to do exactly that.

Who are those important outside audiences whose behaviors have the most positive OR negative impacts on your enterprise? List them in the order of how negatively or positively those impacts affect you.

Working on the target audience in first place on your list, let’s look at whether any of those perceptions out there are likely to morph into behaviors that can hurt your organization.

Assuming you don’t want to make a large investment in a professional opinion survey, you and your colleagues must interact with members of that target audience and ask many questions: “What have you heard about us and our products or services? Have you done business with us? Do you have a bone to pick with us? Keep an eye peeled for hesitant or evasive responses, and watch for any negative undertones. Notice a misconception, inaccuracy or rumor? Jump on it right away!

The data you gather from such interaction lets you form a specific public relations goal. In other words, you get to decide exactly what perception out there you would like to alter so that it improves your chances of getting the behavior change you really want.

Now, unless you select the right strategy that tells you how to pursue that goal, nothing’s going to happen. You’re lucky there are just three strategies to choose from when you’re dealing with matters of opinion: create perception/opinion where there isn’t any, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. And be certain that your choice matches the needs of your goal. For example, if you aim to correct an inaccuracy, you need a strategy that changes existing opinion, not one that reinforces it.

As you might expect, you must now prepare the message that, hopefully, will alter the offending perception and lead to the desired behavior. Since it must clearly address the untruth, inaccuracy, rumor or misconception in a believable and compelling way, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Oh, the message must also be persuasive as it makes the case for your point of view.

Keep in mind that, to be successful, your message usually must alter what a lot of people may have come to believe. It’s a big job, but as said in literary circles, “it’s worth the candle.”

How do you get this stunning message of yours to the right eyes and ears among members of your target audience?

Right! Communications tactics will do the job, and there are a ton of them at your disposal. From newsletters, press releases and letters-to-the-editor to brochures, consumer briefings, personal meetings, print and broadcast interviews and many others.

Soon, the question will arise, are we making any progress? At this point, you are wise to go back to those members of your target audience and ask the same questions you asked during your original perception monitoring session.

This time, however, you’re looking for evidence that perceptions are being altered in your direction.

If you are the impatient type, you can always increase the beat by adding new communications tactics and increasing their frequencies. It’s also worth re-examining your hard-won message not only for clarity and persuasiveness, but for factual effectiveness as well.

When it becomes obvious that the program has, in fact, persuaded many target audience stakeholders towards your way of thinking, you have a public relations success on your hands.

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 © 2003.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to general management personnel about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

In the ‘Age of Scepticism’ gaining media coverage is one way of cutting through the ever increasing noise to get your message across.

Research shows the average consumer receives between 1500 and 3000 marketing messages a day.

Editorial generated by media coverage is more credible than advertising and can help cut through the clutter.

It can also help build your reputation.

But how do you get media coverage?

Here are 10 tips for harnessing the marketing power of the media.

1. Know Your Strengths.

What are you an expert at? What is your specialized area of expertise? What unique services or information can you offer? Position yourself as the expert. Even in a crisis this can position you or your organisation as the ‘go to’ person. This builds credibility.

2. Clarify your communication objectives?

What do I want to achieve? To inform or entertain? To provide information? To build a profile? To influence public opinion? Personal marketing? Marketing or launching a new product or service?

3. Define your target audience?

Who is my target audience? General public? Customers? Competitors? Suppliers? What age are they, what level of education, what beliefs and values, geographical location, how do they use the media? What influence do they have?

4. Identify the best channels of communication.

What is the best way to reach your target audience? TV, Radio, Internet, newspapers - local or Statewide, specialist or generalist, industry publications, community newsletters?

5. What is your key message?

Distil what you want to say into three key points. Remember less has more impact. Be disciplined and stay ‘on message’. How can this message resonate with, influence or tap into collective attitudes among relevant consumers?

6. Build your case?

What are the features, advantages and benefits of your message for your target audience? What evidence and proof do you have? This helps overcome what I call ‘the hump of cynicism’ entrenched in many journalists when they ask ‘why is this news?’.

7. What is the hook?

What will make your message or news release stand out from the rest. Be creative. Use a media release to control the information flow.

8. Develop long-term relationships with the media.

Visit and meet them face-to-face. Network and get to know them.

9. Use the Three Golden Rules to Perform at your Best = Know Your Topic, Be Prepared, Relax.

10. Seek Professional Help.

For maximum impact, effectiveness and value seek the advice of a media and communications professional.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

It’s one thing for a senior manager to approve story angles for the publicity folks to use in shopping around for print and broadcast placements. Not an especially large amount of managing needed there.

It’s quite another matter, however, when that senior manager, with the best interests of his or her own department or unit in mind, actually overlooks the reality that people act on their own perception of the facts, leading to predictable behaviors about which something can be done on his or her behalf. Then compounds the error by failing to insist that the PR people make a special effort to create, change or reinforce the perceptions of those external audiences whose follow-on behaviors really DO impact his or her unit.

That’s a bit of too bad because those two, core, public relations functions require hands-on managerial cooperation throughout the organization if it’s to get its money’s worth. The two functions deserve first-class treatment because they help each manager target the kind of stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving his or her objectives.

Pretty important stuff!

What it says to business, association and non-profit managers is this: a key part of your job description is – or should be – do everything you can to help your organization’s PR effort as it strives to persuade important stakeholders to your way of thinking. And particularly when the program works to move those stakeholders to behaviors that lead to the success of your department and your programs.

In your own best interest, that means assuring yourself that your public relations program is actively MANAGED to that end.

Has anybody to your knowledge sat down and listed those external audiences whose behaviors could hurt your unit badly? Then prioritized them according to the impacts they have on your operation? This is a necessary first step in creating the right public relations goal for you. Here, in fact, is how public relations activity could proceed on your behalf.

Let’s take a look at the audience at the top of your target audience list. Because there could be negative perceptions out there, some of your colleagues will have to interact with members of that audience and ask a number of questions. “Do you know anything about our organization? Have you had any kind of contact with our people? Have you heard anything good or bad about us or our services and products?” Watch respondents closely for hesitant or evasive answers. And stay alert for inaccuracies, rumors, untruths or mis- conceptions.

The responses gathered by this kind of perception monitoring among members of the target audience provides grist for your public relations goal. Namely, the specific perception to be altered, followed by the desired behavior change.

While the goal by itself isn’t of much use, with the right strategy, the public relations program is off to a good start. Fortunately, there are just three strategic choices for dealing with matters of opinion and perception. You can create perception/opinion where there may not be any, you can change existing opinion, or you can reinforce it. An effort should be made to match the strategy to the specific goal. For example, if you want to correct a misconception, you need the strategy that changes existing opinion, not one that reinforces it.

Now, some serious writing is needed. The corrective message to be communicated to members of the target audience is an opportunity to write something designed to change individual opinion, and that’s a positive experience for any writer.

Clarity is first, followed closely by accuracy and believability. Stick closely to the issue at hand – like an inaccurate belief, a misconception or a dangerous rumor. A compelling tone is useful because the message must alter what a lot of people believe, and that is a big job. Tryout the message on some colleagues for effectiveness.

With goal, strategy and message in hand, it’s time to call in the “Beasts of Burden” – the communications tactics that will carry that first-class message to the attention of members of the target audience. Luckily, there are many, many such tactics ranging from luncheons, news releases and personal contacts to print and broadcast interviews, speeches, press releases and dozens of others. Only requirement is that they have a proven track record for reaching your target audience.

In short order, colleagues will inquire whether any progress is being made in altering the offending perception or opinion. Ruling out an expensive opinion survey, your best hope of assessing progress is to return to the field and re-monitor the target public member’s perception.

While you ask the same questions as in the initial monitoring session, the difference now is you’re looking for evidence in the responses that the offending perception is, indeed, being altered. What you want to see and hear are signs that percep- tions are actually moving in your direction because, then, you know that positive behaviors cannot be far behind.

By the way, you can always move things along at a faster clip by adding a few more communications tactics, and even increase their frequencies. Your message should also be re- vetted again to double-check its clarity and factual accuracy,

One way to persuade your operation or department’s key stakeholders to your way of thinking – and move them to behaviors that lead to the success of your organization – is to insure that the public relations effort on your behalf is actively managed along such lines every step of the way.

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 © 2003.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to general management personnel about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com.

Journalists are trained and often experienced at getting information out of their subjects. Conflict and other negative situations often make the news and journalists often have a knack for taking a positive situation and twisting it into something else in order to make it more “sell”-able as news.

It’s a common scenario. The media calls after your organisation has put out a news release on the latest groundbreaking achievements.

You’ve done the hard work in preparing your media message, spending time honing the features, benefits, evidence and proof that will build your case to overcome even the most cynical journalist. After hours of brainstorming, you’ve come up with a great quotable quote that even the most seasoned PR pro would be proud of.

You’ve practised and warmed up your voice. You’ve spent time to quietly relax, using your favourite visualisation technique to anchor your feeling of confidence as the moment of truth comes quicker than you realise. You’ve never been more prepared for this media interview in your life. The opening questions go well and you grow in confidence. Your body language and eye contact show you’re in control and on message.

And, then it comes. Like an unannounced steam train, a question out of the blue. A tough ‘red herring’ completely throws you off balance as their ambush technique works with devastating effect. Crushed, your media interview stumbles from bad to worse. You miss several opportunities to stay on message and make the most of the media opportunity. Afterwards you feel deflated, humiliated and let down.

How can you avoid this situation and prepare for the tough questions that often come from seasoned, cynical and ’so what - who cares’ journalists?

Here are Five Ways To Handle Tough Questions In A Media Interview.

1. COMPLIMENT THE JOURNALIST

Many journalists are attracted to the media because they want to see their face on TV, hear their voice on radio and read their name in the paper. I call them ‘ego-driven’ journalists. Work to their egos and stroke them. Compliment them on a great question. For example, use "that’s a great question and I’m glad you asked it, ….."

2. GET BACK ON MESSAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

Once you’ve paid the compliment, get back on message as quickly as possible to show you are in control and not the reporter. For example, after the compliment use "…but what I want to say is this …"

3. FOCUS.

Good reporters will always look for an angle to make the story more newsworthy and will try a range of techniques to get conflict into the story. Keep your focus, be disciplined and avoid going down a line of questioning that is not relevant to the story or your message. Be firm, but polite. For example, "I really think we’re getting off track here, the main point I want to make is …."

4. KEEP YOUR COOL.

Under no circumstances should you lose your temper, shout or get angry. This only inflames the situation and comments said in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high can often get you in trouble. Remember they make great copy and sensational ‘news grabs’. Remain calm. Remember you are the one in control with the information that the media wants. You have every right to call a halt to an interview if the journalist become overly aggressive or offensive.

5. PREPARE and PRACTICE.

I’ve lost count of the number of times a novice interviewee has taken the whole bait and been taken down the garden path and completely off message by an irrelevant question during a media training exercise. Most people are quick learners and when they see it happening to others quickly learn not to do this once they’ve seen how easy it is to stay on track. Prepare for tough questions prior to the interview in a formal media training course or with a colleague. Road test your messages prior to talking to the media and you are more likely to stay out of trouble.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. You can subscribe by visiting http://www.8mmedia.com Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom’s blog at http://www.8mmedia.blogspot.com

Do it by restructuring your business, non-profit or association public relations program so that it delivers the stakeholder behavior changes you want. Changes that lead directly to achieving your objectives.

A good first step is to base the restructure on a reality like this: 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 accomplished.

Then, if you haven’t done so already, think about your important outside audiences and how their behaviors can help or hinder your organization. List them in order of damage severity, and let’s talk about #1 on the roster.

Obviously, before you decide how to deal with external audience perceptions and, thus, behaviors, it makes sense to find out what members of that target audience really think about your organization.

If you are not equipped with a budget to pay for professional survey work, you and your colleagues,have little choice but to interact with audience members and that means using penetrating questions – “What do you think of us? How much do you know about us? Have you ever had contact with our people? If so, was it a positive experience?” Stay alert to negativities, and watch closely for inaccuracies, misconceptions, and exaggerations.

The data you gather from such monitoring activity let’s you identify the most severe perception problem, then establish it as your corrective public relations goal. Which allows you to straighten out that misconception, correct that inaccuracy or deflate that exaggeration.

Your goal isn’t worth much by itself. It needs a buddy, and that buddy is a strategy that shows you what you must do to achieve the goal. Luckily, there are only three strategies to choose from when it comes to perceptions and opinions. Reinforce existing opinion, change it, or create perception where none exists. Here, by the way, you must take care that your chosen strategy fits naturally with your new goal.

Writing the message – especially one burdened with the job of altering perception – is never an easy job. In other words, it must change the opinion of a key target audience and that can be a challenging writing assignment.

All at the same time, the message must be persuasive and compelling. And to do that, it must be clear about what is to be altered and why. It must be truthful, of course, and believable if it is to move target audience perception towards your view. On occasion, you may wish to avoid the showcase effect of a separate news release leading you to either piggyback your message on another operating announcement, or deliver it live at one of your newsmaker special events or media interviews.

Since the message will do very little simply looking back at you from the word processor, you must round up your “beasts of burden” to carry your message to the right eyes and ears among your target audience. These are communications tactics and there are scores of them ready to help. They range from emails, speeches, and press releases to radio/newspaper interviews, newsletters, facility tours and many more. Only caution here is, make certain any communications tactics you use come with proof that they reaches folks similar to those in your target audience.

Questions will soon be raised as to whether your public relations effort is succeeding. Which will send you and your colleagues back into the field to question your target audience members once again.

Only this time, you’re on the lookout for change in the form of perceptions altered, and opinions modified in your direction, as you planned.

It’s also comforting to know that a lagging effort can be accelerated, and its impact increased, by adding more communications tactics to the mix. Further, their frequencies can be bumped up as well.

All of which increases the chances you will succeed in changing the behaviors of your key external audiences. Behavior change that you want and need, and that leads directly to achieving your primary operating objectives.

About The Author

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

Most of us are aware of the many benefits to having an Internet presence. These days a website is an essential element of your public relations and marketing mix. Particularly for small businesses, it provides you with a distinct advantage over your competition and establishes you as a leader in your area of expertise.

Some websites are designed as an on-line brochure for your business, yet others really drive the customer to make their buying decision. But what is the point of having a fancy brochure if no one is buying your product or service. A website can be a cost effective public relations tool for your business. It can help you attract prospective clients who may not hear about you otherwise and increase sales without adding overhead. But you need to promote it. Don’t just launch your site and then wait for business to come knocking at the door – it may not turn up. If you’re looking at creating a website or wanting people to know more about your on-line presence, here’s a few public relations tips to promote your site on and off-line.

Spread the Word Off-line

One of the first things you need to do is look at who your ideal customer or client is and who you want to attract to your site. It is important to know your audience so you can target your public relations campaign to them. Send out a media release to attract interest to your site through the appropriate media. Is it Time Magazine or Women’s Weekly? Perhaps the ideal avenue for you is your local newspaper or a business magazine. Of course just issuing a media release doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get a run so let’s consider a few other points.

1. Put your web address on all your communication collateral such as brochures, newsletters and on business cards, postcards, flyers about your products, catalogues and posters

2. Don’t forget to include it on letterhead, fax cover sheets and invoices

3. On stickers used for mail outs, packaging and products

4. Include it on promotional products such as pens, caps, coffee mugs, fridge magnets, t-shirts or uniforms and key rings

5. In your voicemail messages or your on hold message service

6. Mention your website address during radio or TV interviews and speaking engagements

7. At meetings suggest to clients they can find out more information about your company by visiting the site

8. Put it on all media releases

9. Include it in all your advertising – print, TV and radio

10. On the company car or van

11. Yellow pages, white pages and other business directories

12. All your email signatures

Think back to your target audience and include your website address anywhere a potential customer is likely to see it.

You’ve sent out your media release but don’t forget to let existing clients know your site is now up and running. Use direct mail, send them a note – a good reason to communicate with them – or send them an e-newsletter with the latest news. Or perhaps use in-store posters to announce the site launch to your existing customer base. Consider running ads in the local paper or business magazines if that is where you attract your customers. In short, keep doing what you’re doing to attract clients or customers to your business but add your website address to the mix.

How to Find You On-line

The way most companies promote their websites is by search engine submissions, but search engines and their effectiveness can be a bit of a maze. It does pay to talk to the experts on this one, try your web designer or web host first, as just registering with search engines does not guarantee you traffic. Also just because you have a lot of “hits” on your site doesn’t necessarily mean they are your ideal target market.

Most search engine traffic comes from Google and Yahoo! By using a combination of these search engines and using the right words and phrases on your site you would optimise your chances of being found. You don’t need to spend a great deal of money as some sites don’t charge at all and others charge a nominal yearly fee. Again it pays to seek advice from your web expert.

Once you do get that traffic to your site, here’s a few ideas to keep them there and to encourage them to visit again and again.

1. Keep your site interesting. Commit to updating on a regular basis

2. Optimise. Again talk to your web expert on this one but make your site is user friendly so visitors don’t log out because it’s too hard to find the information they want or it takes too long

3. Portray a professional image. Ensure consistency of your web design with your other marketing materials and don’t forget to include your logo

4. Present interactive features that keep visitors returning, perhaps a competition or an on-line survey. And don’t forget freebies. You must give your visitors something of value such as articles or fact sheets

5. Send out a regular e-newsletter to your data base that offers tips and information and a link back to the site

6. Post articles on other websites with links back to your site

7. Explore online advertising or sponsorship on another busy website

8. One of the most effective PR tools to drive customers to your website is through link exchanges with sites of similar interest. Locate sites that make a good match to your own and contact the owner to ask if they’ll link to your site in exchange for you linking to theirs

Like any public relations campaign, attracting visitors and potential clients to your website will take hard work, creativity, perseverance and commitment over an extended period of time. But don’t let your website just sit there – make it work for you so you can allow your expertise to shine.

Sue Currie is a professional speaker and the director of Shine Communications Consultancy an executive development company. Sue’s strategies help boost your public profile and increase profits by enhancing your professional image and building brand visibility.

Through her training and speaking programs on personal branding, image and media, she helps you to grow your company’s major asset – You! Sue enjoys helping others to bring out their personal best and Shine. To find out more or subscribe to Sue’s ezine visit http://www.shinecomms.com.au

You’re a business, non-profit or association manager who needs to achieve your organizational objectives on schedule. Since public relations should be helping you do just that, why leave it wholly in the hands of others?

In your own best interest, get personally involved in your public relations effort and ask the PR team servicing your department, division or subsidiary a few questions.

Are they focused on a workable, comprehensive plan for producing those key external audience behaviors like customers coming back for repeat purchases; new prospects starting to sniff around; capital donors asking for more information, and others deciding to specify your services or products, and similar good stuff?

Ask the PR folks how they feel about using the fundamental premise of public relations as a guide to the PR work they are doing for you. For that matter, what do you think about these two sentences? 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 accomplished.

The nice thing about that premise is that it shines the PR spotlight directly on those outside groups of people with a large say about how successful you’re going to be – namely, on your key external target audiences.

Then ask your PR team how they feel about using these tools to capture the perceptions, and thus behaviors of your most important outside audiences.

For example, do you and your PR people really know how your organization is perceived by those target audiences, and are you all really aware of the behaviors that flow from those perceptions?

Because that’s where the rubber meets the road – target audience behaviors that help or hinder you in achieving your operating objectives.

To find out what target audience members think about your organ- ization, you and your PR team must interact with them and ask a lot of questions. The alternative is to spend considerable money on professional survey work, but let’s assume that’s not really an alternative at this point in the budget cycle.

At any rate, we’re talking about questions like “What do you think of us? Have you had dealings with us? Were they satisfactory?” Stay alert to negativities such as misconceptions, inaccuracies, false assumptions and rumors.

With such data in hand, you’re ready to establish your public relations goal. Often, it can be expressed in a few words: clear up that misconception, correct that inaccuracy, or clarify that false assumption.

But no PR goal is ready for battle without a sound strategy to tell you how to reach it. In matters dealing with perception and opinion, there are just three strategies from which to choose: reinforce existing perception, create perception where there is none, or change it. A word here, make certain the strategy you choose is a good fit with your public relations goal.

Clearly, the most challenging aspect of the PR problem-solving sequence is preparing the message that will do the heavy lifting – altering individual perception within your target audience pop ulation. It can do so only if it’s both persuasive and compelling. As the PR team’s “client manager,” you must also be involved in message preparation. Is it clear as to what perception needs to be altered, and is your rationale believable and persuasive?

Next, hitch up your “beasts of burden,” the communications tactics you need to carry that message to the eyes and ears of your key target audience. Fortunately, you and your PR team have a long list of such tactics available ranging from press releases, media briefings, newsletters and facility tours to radio and newspaper interviews, brochures and face-to-face meetings. Just be sure that the tactics chosen have a record of actually reaching folks like those in your target audience, and that the budget can accommodate the type and frequency of communications tactics required to do the job.

Pretty quick-like, you will wonder just how much progress towards your public relations goal you are really making. Which is the signal to re-monitor perceptions of those members of your target audience. Same questions, but a new objective: watch closely for signs that perceptions are actually being altered.

You can always apply more pressure to the effort by adding new communications tactics to the battle, AND bumping up some of their frequencies.

By keeping a managerial eye on your public relations program – and satisfying yourself that it is focused on helping you achieve your operating objectives – you can be certain your PR dollars are being spent on that workable, comprehensive plan for producing those key audience behaviors that impact your operation the most.

About The Author

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