From time to time, people ask me how public relations has changed
during the two decades in which I’ve been seeking publicity.  My
answer:  technology.  Twenty years ago, the fax machine was a
newfangled novelty.  Our primary means of communicating with
journalists was the telephone and the US Mail.  The advent of e-
mail and the web has made life easier in many regards and tougher
in others  - namely, thanks to hordes of clowns with money making
schemes and software that "blasts" press releases
indiscriminately to reporters, it’s become very hard to get your
e-mails through to spam-weary reporters.

But there’s another great advantage provided to publicity seekers
by the Internet — the ability to create an "online news room".
In the "old days", the press kit reigned.  Big bulky folders
loaded with press releases, glossy photos and slides were
standard.  They were expensive to design, costly to reproduce and
required lots of manpower and postage to assemble and distribute.
Today, you can simply direct a reporter to a web URL, where all
your press materials and high definition artwork awaits, ready to
be used.  It’s a huge time and money saver.

A quick note: the traditional press kit isn’t dead.  It’s still
handy to create some physical kits to use with key journalists,
as the very novelty of printed material can give you an edge at
times.  Also, some journalists still prefer a physical kit. Press
kits are an important tool at trade show booths & press rooms,
and special events.  However, gone are the days of sending out
large press kit mailings.  Keep the kits for targeted use only.

Creating a useful online news room is really pretty simple. One
of the main things a busy reporter wants is easy access to press
releases, corporate and executive info and artwork. A well put
together media room should provide a seamless walk-through.

Where Should the News Room Go?

There are two schools of thought on where to put your online news
room.  Some companies prefer to have it as a section on their
main site, visible to all as a link on a menu bar or other
navigational element.  Others build entirely separate sites just
for the media.

There are pros and cons to each.  Putting it as part of your main
site allows a journalist to "poke around" your site, absorbing
more of the feel and culture of your company and its products. It
also makes it easier if the reporter wants more information about
a particular product than can be found in your media materials.
Of course, since you’ll need to provide clear links to the online
news room to help such reporters find their way back, anyone
visiting your site can access your press materials. This is
probably not an issue but, if you feel potential customers may
become confused if they wander into the online news room, this
could be worth considering.

Creating a separate site allows you to tailor everything to suit
the needs of the reporter and prevents the possibility of
confusion for potential customers visiting your main site.  The
reporter however, will be unable to quickly "poke around" the
main site as described above, so you may consider that in your
decision.  If you do choose a separate site, give it a name that
incorporates your company (if you’re the Acme Company, go for
acmepress.com or acmeonlinenewsroom.com).  Also, provide clear
links to your main site throughout, and code them so that they
open in a new window, allowing the reporter to see your main site
without having to backtrack to the online news room.

Some Do’s and Don’ts

DON’T force journalists to register or sign in for access.
They’re busy folks and may very well decide not to bother.  Make
life as easy as you can for them.

 DO offer the opportunity for journalists to enter their e-mail
address if they wish to be kept abreast of the latest news from
your company, but don’t link it in any way to the ability to
access any portion of the site. DON’T confuse non-journalists who
may wander into the site.  Make it clear at the top of your main
page of your online news room what it and who it’s for.

DO provide a link to your consumer FAQ page and an e-mail link
for customer service to give non-journalists a place to go to get
their questions answered.  This will save you a great deal of
time responding to messages from non-journalists asking "why am I
looking at a press release?  How do I download a new driver" or
some such thing.  Here’s what Gateway says, "Gateway press
contacts are only able to provide assistance for qualified
members of the news media. They are not qualified to respond to
product or technical support needs…If you are not a member of
the news media, please feel free to visit our pages for Product
Service and Support."

DON’T try to lay out the online news room if you’re not a
talented web designer.  Don’t use flash, heavy java scripts and
other doo-dads. The face you put forth to the media must be
highly professional, and the ease of navigation and logical flow
of the news room is vital.

DO hire a professional designer who has a portfolio that includes
simple, easy-to-navigate, clean-looking sites.

What To Include in Your Online News Room:

Personal Contact Info.  The name, address, e-mail, phone number,
fax number and cell phone number of your primary media contacts
must be front and center. If you have an Instant Messaging ID,
put it in there, too.

Press Releases.  Place press releases in chronological order
(most recent at the top).  Keep traditional press release
formatting and use easy-to-read fonts.

Executive photos, product photos, charts, graphs, and other
appropriate artwork.  Provide multiple versions — 72 dpi (lower
resolution) for online publications and websites, and 300 dpi
(higher resolution) for offline publications.  Put instructions
such as To download, right-click and choose "save" next to the
graphics.  Make sure your pitch letters and press releases
provide links to the appropriate artwork on your site.

Backgrounders, executive bios, white papers, investor relations
info (if applicable), fact sheets, speeches, awards, streaming
media of:  press conferences, product demonstrations, president’s
speeches, etc.

Search Tool.  Make it easy for journalists to find just what they
want, by making all your press materials fully searchable.

Online News Rooms to Study:

The best way to learn how to put together an online news room is
to see how some very smart folks have done it.  Here are three
outstanding examples….

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/default.asp
http://www.google.com/press/index.html
http://www.crayola.com/mediacenter/

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as
one of America’s top publicists.  Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp
he’s sharing — for the very first time — his secrets of scoring
big publicity.  For free articles, killer publicity tips and
much, much more, visit Bill’s exclusive new site:
http://www.PublicityInsider.com

What is the one thing that all of the best public relations
agencies do every year?

They research and compile editorial calendars from publications
that are pertinent to their client’s business.

You should too.

What’s an editorial calendar?

Editorial calendars are schedules of what topics a publication
plans for cover for a particular month. For example, the INC.
editorial calendar for July 2003
http://www.inc.com/advertise/magazine/calendar.html states that
they’re writing an article on various business services.

Bingo!

If you feel that you can contribute to this particular topic,
call or email the editorial department at INC. (try to "speak" to
the managing editor) and find out who (which reporter) has been
assigned to write the story. Email or call the reporter and
explain how you can contribute. It’s that simple — it takes less
time than writing this article - and is much more effective than
blast-faxing a garbage bound press release to inappropriate
reporters.

Final thoughts: Many publications post their editorial calendars
on their Web sites — usually they’re found in their advertising
media kits. Otherwise, contact the publication’s advertising
departments and ask for a calendar. Check for editorial deadlines
- many publications work 6 months in advance.

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as
one of America’s top publicists.  Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp
, he’s sharing — for the very first time — his secrets of
scoring big publicity.  For free articles, killer publicity tips
and much, much more, visit Bill’s exclusive new site:
http://www.publicityInsider.com

You know that getting publicity is vital to the health of your
business.  You probably also know that e-mail is the way most
publicity seekers get in touch with reporters to score that
precious coverage.  Here’s what you don’t know:  The vast
majority of e-mails sent to journalists never get read.

Bottom line:  if your e-mails don’t get read, you have no shot at
getting the publicity you so desperately need.

Here’s how to beat the odds:

Avoiding the Spam Trap

To a spam filter, your humble e-mail pitch may appear to contain
an array of trigger words and suspicious phrases.  A server that
relayed your message may be on a  blacklist - a "do not open"
list of known spammers.  Or perhaps the filter’s having a tough
day and has decided to start blocking things arbitrarily.  You
can’t prevent every instance of spam blocking, but you can take
some steps to help lessen the chances of your e-mail ending up in
a black hole.

The most important step is learning how spam filters think, and
creating e-mails that avoid the usual pitfalls.  Fortunately,
you’ll find that — once you can do this — many spam triggers
are easily avoided.

Rather than taking up space here with all the how-to’s, allow me
to simply direct you a terrific site on the subject:
http://www.wordbiz.com/avoidspamfilters.html

Getting Your E-Mail Opened & Read

After beating the spam filter, next up is getting your e-mail
opened and read.  The key:  the subject line.  No matter how on-
the-money your pitch, a subpar subject line will kill any chance
of getting the reporter’s attention.  You’ve got one shot at
getting your e-mail opened, make the most of it with a killer
subject line.

Here’s how to do it: 1) Place the word "News" or "Press Info" or
"Story Idea" at the beginning of your e-mail subject line, in
brackets e.g.:   [Story Idea]:

2) Try to incorporate the reporter’s first name also at the
beginning of the subject line.

3) If you know the name of the reporter’s column, for instance
"Cooking with Linda", also try to incorporate that.    One more
thing — if the reporter doesn’t write a regular column, try to
at least include their beat (e.g. Joe, re: your future pieces on
the wi-fi industry).

With these three tips in mind, a successful e-mail subject line
might read:

[Story Idea]: Linda, Here’s a Tip for Your "Cooking with Linda"
Column

That’s a heading that will stand head and shoulders above the
rest.

Here are a few more e-mail do’s and don’ts: Do:

* Make the information you place in the subject line short and
to the point. Often, reporter’s e-mail software cuts off the
subject at only a few words.

* Don’t get cute or be too vague in your subject line.  For
example "Here’s a Great Story!" is vague and sounds like spam;
"This Will Win You A Pulitzer!" will make you look silly (unless
you’re delivering the scoop of the century, of course!).

* Try to make your most newsworthy points at the top of your e-
mail message - don’t expect a reporter to scroll down to find the
news.

* Include your contact information, including cell phone, e-mail
address, regular address, fax number & website URL at the
beginning and end of the e-mail.

* Include a link to your website if you have additional
information such as: photos, press releases, bios, surveys, etc.

Don’t:

* Include more than a short pitch letter or press release in the
body of your e-mail.

* Allow typos or grammatical errors.

* Include an attachment with your e-mail.  In this day and age of
sinister viruses, reporters automatically delete e-mail with
attachments.

* Place the following words (by themselves) in the subject line:
"Hi", "Hello" -  the media’s spam filters will pounce and
destroy.

* Send an e-mail with a blank subject line.

A cool tip:  Use Google News (www.news.google.com) to search for
recent stories that have appeared relating to your industry or
field of interest.  Then, e-mail the reporter directly (use a
subject line such as Re: Your July 5th piece on electric cars).
Give positive feedback on the story and let him know that, next
time he’s working an electric car story, he should get in touch,
as you’re an expert with provocative things to say.  Give a
couple of supporting facts to back up the assertion, include your
phone number and web link, and ask if he’d like to see a full
press kit.  This technique really works!

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as
one of America’s top publicists.  Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp
, he’s sharing — for the very first time — his secrets of
scoring big publicity.  For free articles, killer publicity tips
and much, much more, visit Bill’s exclusive new site:
http://www.publicityInsider.com

While scoring a
nice story in BusinessWeek or USA Today is something to
celebrate, there are times when you need to grab attention a bit
closer to home.

If your business draws its clientele from a specific town, city
or region, focusing your energy on getting an elusive national
publicity hit may be overkill, especially when getting publicity
where you need it — in your home town — is often so much
easier.

Let’s look at some techniques you can use to reach potential
customers right where you live, through your local papers, radio
and TV stations.

1) Get to Know Your Business Editor.

Unless you live in a very large city, it should be fairly easy to
get in touch with the business editor at the main newspaper
covering your region.  A simple call to introduce yourself and
let the editor know that you have some news to share is a good
start.  Remember some of the golden rules of calling a
journalist, though: be respectful of his or her deadline (don’t
call an editor in the late afternoon as deadlines approach) and
always start with "is this a good time to talk?" before kicking
into your pitch.  In smaller markets, it may even be possible to
develop a personal relationship with a business editor, by
visiting the office or taking the editor to lunch. The bottom
line is this: keeping abreast of local businesses and finding
interesting stories to tell about people in the community is the
essential part of any business editor’s job.  He’ll be thrilled
to hear from you if you can provide something new and fresh in
those areas.

2) Keep the Releases Flowing.

Once you’ve built a relationship with a business editor, keep it
growing by providing a regular dose of fresh news about your
company.  Won an award? Hired a new executive? Investing in some
interesting new equipment? Scored a big new contract?  Let the
editor know with a well-written, hype-free release.  Don’t feel
the need to pump out a release for every little thing but, if
it’s something really newsworthy, keeping the editor in the loop
will help spur coverage on a regular basis.

3) Write a Letter to the Editor or an Op-Ed Piece.

If something occurs locally (or even nationally) that relates to
your business, let your voice be heard with a letter to the
editor or a longer "op-ed" opinion piece.

As a businessperson, your opinion matters when the subject
relates to your field of expertise.

Write a Regular Column. Many smaller publications (such as weekly
newspapers) are on the lookout for ongoing, well-crafted content.
You can fill their needs - and promote your business — by
offering a regular column. Chances are, you’ve seen features
along the lines of "Ask the Handyman" or perhaps a health column
from a local doctor.  Can you create a similar feature that taps
your knowledge or expertise?  If so, craft a few sample columns
and present them to the editor of a publication in your area. You
might even suggest that you don’t wish to be paid if your contact
information (your web URL, number, etc.) is included with each
column.  You’ll be providing great no-cost content for the paper
and generating strong local exposure — and credibility — for
your business.

4) Conduct a No-Cost Seminar.

Financial planners and real estate pros have known for years that
free seminars are a great way to drum up business and get local
publicity.  Try developing a one or two hour seminar in your
field of expertise and offer it to the public.  Make it meaty –
it can’t simply be a promo pitch.  Here’s some ideas to get your
creative juices flowing:

* Remodeling company: "Remodeling projects that do the most to
increase your home’s value"

* Doctor: "The latest research on extending your life-span –
explained and simplified"

* Stockbroker: "How to retire rich"

Promote your seminar by sending releases to the local media.
Keep your release entirely non-promotional.  Highlight your
seminar as a public service, not as a commercial event.  (Tip:
have someone videotape your seminar and offer the tape as a free
gift for future potential customers!)

5) Connect with Kids.

Local media outlets always enjoy stories that involve schoolkids.
Offer to visit a local school and talk to the students about an
important topic connected with your business or, better yet,
invite a class to come and visit your place of business.  (If you
choose the latter, make sure that your business is somewhat
visual.  Kids seeing how sheep get sheared or books get printed
makes for a good visual.  A bunch of children standing in an
office looking at accounting tables doesn’t.)  Craft a release
beforehand — this one probably works best with features and
lifestyle editors.  Suggest that they send a photographer down to
cover the event.  Also, it wouldn’t hurt to get in touch with the
person at your local school district who handles media relations,
as they may prove very useful in drawing attention.

6) Partner with a  Politician.

No matter how hungry you are for good press, I can guarantee
there’s someone even hungrier — an elected official.  If you can
team up with a local politician for a charity, educational or
public service program, chances are you won’t have to lift a
finger to get coverage.  Your friendly representative, state
senator, mayor or council member will gladly work the press to
generate attention.  A caveat:  if you’re going to hook up with a
politician, it’s probably best to do it with someone who’s not
considered a highly ideological or divisive figure, and try to
keep the topic as noncontroversial as possible.  Let common sense
be your guide.

7) Get on the Air.

Radio stations are an underappreciated  avenue for publicity.
Spend a few days listening to all the stations that serve your
area and seek opportunities to get on the air.  Look for general
interest talk shows, locally-produced news programs and community
affairs programs.  When you find something that seems
appropriate, contact the station and ask for the name of the
producer for that particular show or segment.  Then, give that
person a  call.  Tell the producer what you have to offer and why
you’d make a great guest.  And here’s a bonus radio tip:  offer
your products or services as on-air contest prizes for commercial
stations, or as pledge-drive premiums for public radio stations.

8) Make your Website a Local Resource.

Chances are, you’ve already got a website.  Why not devote part
of it to your community?  Set up a  local message board to
discuss topics relating to your field. Have a local "Ask the
Expert" section where community members can get advice. Provide
local news, sports or weather.  Donate part of your site to a
local organization (e.g. offer to post youth soccer scores and
news), donate part of a given day’s web-based sales to local
charity.  The possibilities are endless, so be creative and, oh
yeah, be sure to tell the local media about what you’re doing!

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as
one of America’s top publicists.  Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp,
he’s sharing — for the very first time — his secrets of scoring
big publicity.  For free articles, killer publicity tips and
much, much more, visit Bill’s exclusive new site:
http://www.publicityInsider.com/

Stripped down to its core, publicity is little more than one
person persuading another. You, the publicity seeker, must
persuade a journalist that your story is worthy of receiving
print space or air time. Your ability to sell your story to a
journalist is what it’s all about.

If you’ve ever sat with an insurance salesman who droned on and
on, you probably know that simpler is better when it comes to
persuasion. A few choice words, a brief, well-reasoned argument
and a strong close can make the sale. Too much detail, too much
rambling and too much pontification can kill a deal.

When pitching a journalist, the same rules apply,  Keep your
pitch short and to the point — and the results will come.

Unfortunately, many beginning publicity seekers — and even some
old pros — forget this advice. Instead of keeping things short,
they seek to overwhelm journalists with multi-page press
releases, extensive backgrounders and lengthy fact sheets. If
they even get read (and most just go directly to the trash) these
voluminous press kits only serve to bury your main argument in a
blizzard of verbiage.

That’s why I love pitch letters.

A pitch letter is a brief business letter, almost never longer
than one page. It can accompany a press release, or it can stand
on its own. Pitch letters serve one purpose — to pique the
journalist’s interest in your story. They needn’t tell the whole
story. Rather, they are "teasers" for the meat of your story
angle.  If you’ve hooked the journalist with your pitch letter,
you have a real chance of getting the rest of your press
materials read — and your story placed.

Pitch letters can be sent by snail mail but, increasingly,
they’re the perfect tool for e-mail contact. Too many publicity
seekers send entire press releases by e-mail when a few brief
paragraphs would serve their cause far better.

If you’re e-mailing a pitch letter to a journalist there are
three rules to follow:

1. Keep it short. Try to limit your pitch to two or three
paragraphs.

2. Never send attachments. In this era of worms and viruses,
that’s bad netiquette.

3. Take the time to craft a short, snappy headline. You don’t
have to tell your story in the headline — just make it
intriguing enough for the journalist to click "open", not
"delete"

Whether your sending it on paper or electronically, here’s how to
put together a strong pitch letter, step-by-step:

* Start off with your best shot

In the first sentence, try to give the reporter something that
will make him say either "Gee, I never knew that" or "That’s an
interesting angle for a story". Or better yet, try to get him to
say both things! Don’t mess around with formalities, and don’t
bury your angle in hype. Here’s an example of a pitch letter we
used to promote "the world’s largest game of Pictionary":

Mr. Joe Smith
Features Editor
The Daily Herald
Anytown, OH 44444

Dear Mr. Smith:

On November 19, during halftime of the California- Stanford game,
80,000 people will make history.

They’ll be helping to establish a New World Record by
participating in the largest participatory game in history — a
monumental round of Pictionary, led by the Stanford Marching
Band.

Straight to point and no nonsense. Just the way a reporter wants
it.

Here’s another example — one that fits the "Gee, I didn’t know
that" category. It’s to promote the national winner of a contest
sponsored by one of our clients:

Dear Mr. Smith:

A miracle has bloomed and is now being harvested in the heart of
the South Bronx.

What used to be a trash-filled vacant lot covered with used
hypodermic needles and crack vials is now a spectacular 2 1/2-
acre working farm. Every day, under the watchful eye of Garden
Director and seasoned gardener Jack O’Connor, dozens of
neighborhood youngsters come to tend their garden plots, sing
songs, hear poetry and learn about nature. Jack has only one rule
of thumb: Before the fun starts, the day’s schoolwork must be
completed.

* Target your pitch

Even if you have only one version of a press release, you can
still target your pitch to a particular media outlet by crafting
a specific pitch letter. The purpose of the pitch letter in this
case — to frame the story in a way that makes it clear to the
journalist that it fits in with that media outlet’s approach.

Here’s a letter we wrote to The Paul Harvey Show to pitch the
story behind one of our clients, a board game company called The
Games Gang. It resulted in a story on Mr. Harvey’s show — one of
the biggest publicity hits you can get.

Notice that it’s written in a structure and style similar to what
you might hear on The Paul Harvey Show. We also played up the
"senior" status of the Games Gang members, as senior citizens
make up a significant portion of their listenership.

Here’s the letter:

Mr. John Smith
Producer
"The Paul Harvey Show"
Anytown, OH 44444

Dear John,

In June, 1986, a group of veteran toy sales people (average age:
60) were told there was no more room for them at the company
they’d served for more than 30 years.

They didn’t slip quietly into retirement, however. Instead, they
set out to prove the toy industry wrong — to show that
experience and commonsense are the keys to success.

They’ve done it.

The company they formed, The Games Gang, has taken the games
industry by storm. They’ve beaten the odds by creating one of the
most successful games in American history — Pictionary — and
following it up with another hit, Balderdash. Today, 10 million
games later, the "Over The Hill Gang" is at the top of the game
heap, having surpassed their larger — and younger — rivals.

We think your listeners and readers, especially those who feel as
if their best days are behind them, will find the story of The
Games Gang a real inspiration. We hope you agree.

I’ll be in touch soon.

Sincerely,

Bill Stoller

* Show how your story relates to the reporter’s audience

Did you catch this line in the Paul Harvey pitch letter?

"We think your listeners and readers, especially those who feel
as if their best days are behind them, will find the story of The
Games Gang a real inspiration."

That’s the line that probably put the story over the top. We took
what was essentially a corporate story and demonstrated that it
could have meaning to a wide group of listeners — even those who
don’t play board games or care about entrepreneurs.

Try to find a bigger theme in your story, especially one that
fits with the mission of the media outlet you’re pitching.

Pitch letters are wonderful and often underused tools. Just keep
them short, get to the point, try to show how your story can
appeal to a wide audience and, where appropriate, have a little
fun, and you’ll be pitching like a pro!

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as
one of America’s top publicists.  Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp,
he’s sharing — for the very first time — his secrets of scoring
big publicity.  For free articles, killer publicity tips and
much, much more, visit Bill’s exclusive new site:
http://www.publicityInsider.com/

Considering how fundamental they are to the publicist’s trade,
it’s always amazed me how lousy almost all press kits truly are.
Your typical press kit is a bloated folder filled with puffery,
hype, irrelevant information and worse.  The vast majority of
these monstrosities do little besides kill trees and clog
newsroom trash baskets.

The good news is that creating a press kit that actually works
really isn’t that hard.  Let’s look at the elements of a winning
press kit, and help you avoid some common pitfalls.

The Psychology of a Press Kit

There are two fundamental rules to creating a good press kit:

1. The press kit exists to make the journalist’s life easier, not
for you to present sales messages and hype.  Good publicists are
journalist-centric — that is, they think from the perspective of
the recipient, not the sender.  They take the time to learn what
journalists need and then they give it to them in as simple,
straightforward and user-friendly a manner as possible.
Remember, publicity is not about you — it’s about giving
journalists what they need to create a strong story.

2. Everything in the press kit goes to support your clincher.
Everything else gets yanked out.  (A refresher: a "clincher" is
my term for the one or two line distillation of your publicity
message.  It’s the publicist’s version of the Universal Selling
Proposition that marketers use to boil a product’s marketing
message down to its essence.)  You lay out your clincher in the
pitch letter that gets clipped to the cover of the press kit, and
the press kit serves to flesh out and support your clincher.
That’s it.  If your clincher is that you’ve brought a radical new
way of thinking to your market segment, then a backgrounder about
your "old fashioned commitment to excellence" not only doesn’t
support your clincher, it may actually contradict it.

The Elements of a Press Kit

The Cover:  In my twenty years as a publicist, I have never
encountered a single journalist who told me the cover a press kit
had the slightest impact on their decision whether to run a
story.  Yet, businesses still spend thousands on glossy, four
color folder covers.  Don’t bother.  A simple colored folder with
your business name imprinted upon it will work just fine.

Some businesses choose to get stickers printed up with their logo
and place them on blank folders, which is fine too, as long as
the stickers are neatly applied.  Either way, don’t obsess over
it — it’s what’s inside that counts.

Letterhead:  The first page of each press kit element should be
on your letterhead.  Some folks prefer to get special "News from
(name of company)" letterhead printed, although, again, I doubt
it really matters.

The Lead Release:  If your press kit is going out in support of
an announcement, an event, a trend story or for another specific
purpose, the release that lays out the news should be the first
thing a journalist sees upon opening the folder. This "lead
release" should be positioned at the front of the right side of
the folder.

Backgrounder: This is the element of your kit that provides,
well, the background information to support your pitch.  It’s
written in the fashion of a standard news feature (i.e. in third
person, objective tone).  This is typically the longest element
in a press kit, often going 2 or 3 pages.  As you’re crafting
this, keep something important in mind:  if a journalist is
reading your backgrounder, chances are he’s already interested in
your pitch.  If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t bother with it.  You’ve
hooked him and the backgrounder can reel him in.  To do so, you
must answer the two questions he has:  "Is the claim made in the
pitch legitimate?" and "Is there enough material here for me to
do a story?"

Your pitch letter (based on your clincher) made a claim of some
sort about you, your company or your product.  You’re the
fastest, the most advanced, the hottest-selling, the most civic-
minded, etc.  Now you have to back up your claim.  Your
backgrounder is where this happens.  Provide proof, by giving
concrete examples, third party observations, study results, etc.
to support your pitch.  If you’re claiming that there’s a trend
taking place, here’s where you provide the statistics to back it
up.  If you’ve claimed that you’ve won more awards that anyone
else in town, here’s where you describe them. Don’t stray from
your purpose — to reel in the journalist by convincing him that
your claim is legit.

The backgrounder also must demonstrate that enough material
exists to support the claim - and that it will be easy for the
journalist to access this information.  Journalists don’t have
time to do extended investigation on every piece.  Provides leads
to websites, trade journals, experts and other resources to back
up your claim and help the journalist complete the story, you’ll
have a big edge.

To write a backgrounder, do some role playing.  You’re a
reporter.  Your editor has handed you a pitch letter and said
"write this up".  In this case, of course, the pitch letter is
your own.  While you’re writing it, try to forget that the piece
is, essentially, about you.  Pretend you’re an objective
reporter.  Track down  resources, dig up stats, interview
experts.  Try to see if you can create a credible piece that
proves the pitch’s claim to be valid and interesting to the
reader.  If you can, you’ve got a great backgrounder.  If you
can’t, it may be time to come up with a new pitch!

Bio:  Only include bios of people who are  relevant to the pitch.
A bio of your sales manager in a press kit designed to support a
claim of technological superiority is pointless.  A bio of your
head of R&D is valid.  Keep bios short (three paragraphs at the
most) and include only information relevant to the pitch.  The
fact your head of R&D spent twenty years at NASA is relevant,
that she loves golf and has two cats isn’t.  The point of a bio:
to show the legitimacy of those quoted in your release or being
offered for interview, and to help the reporter craft a short
description of the person when writing the piece.

Fact Sheet:  The fact sheet should distill the entire press kit
into an "at a glance" document.  Keep it short, use bullet points
and bold headings.  For example, I might start with the heading
The Story: and include a bullet point repeating the pitch.  The
next heading might be Why It’s Important:  followed by some
bullet points putting the pitch into a broader industry-wide (or
perhaps even worldwide) context.  Finally, I might use the
heading Why (name of my company) is at the Heart of this Vital
Story: and run some bullet points taken from the backgrounder
giving support to my claim.  Put this fact sheet at the front of
the left side of the folder, just across from the lead release.
This sort of fact sheet is amazingly powerful and almost never
crafted in the fashion I just laid out.  I’ve sold countless
stories because of this style of fact sheet and you can too.

Other Stuff: Filling out the kit with a company brochure and a
photo or two is reasonable, but don’t get carried away. Keep your
kit simple, stick to your clincher and think like a journalist,
not a marketer, and you’ll have crafted a first class press kit!

Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades as
one of America’s top publicists.  Now, through his website, eZine
and subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter for
PR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp
he’s sharing — for the very first time — his secrets of scoring
big publicity.  For free articles, killer publicity tips and
much, much more, visit Bill’s exclusive new site:
http://www.PublicityInsider.com

Most small businesses do little to no public relations (PR) to promote their businesses. The reasons are fairly common. No one within the small business knows the mechanics of writing a press release, and if they did, they don’t know what to say. Instead, small business owners wait for a local reporter to stop by or for a trade publication editor to notice them at a trade show. Most small businesses are still waiting, but a select few luck into their moment of fame; and when it comes, Wow! what an impact it can have.

Since most small businesses don’t do a lot of PR, the media is more responsive when they do. Media outlets typically get releases from big companies, so a release from a lesser known business will stand out. Here are a few secrets to getting your release picked up:

1. It can’t read like sales copy! Put yourself in the reporter’s shoes. Read your release and ask yourself “is this really news?” A press release that reads like a promotional flyer will never make it into print or prompt a reporter to call for an interview.

2. Create a good headline. This is your one chance to get a reporter’s attention. Keep it short and catchy. Again, it can’t read like a billboard advertisement or it will go in the trash.

3. Keep your release to one page typed at a 10 font double-spaced. Three to five paragraphs are enough. Don’t tell your whole story because the purpose of the release is to spark enough interest that someone will contact you to write a complete story or schedule an interview. Do tell enough of the story so that it stands alone without further explanation in case someone uses it “As-Is.”

4. Build a good distribution list. Identify the contacts of the media outlets for which you feel your story is best suited. Our firm distributes all PR directly to email contacts. If you can afford it, send a product sample or other physical information to specific media outlets.

5. Paste your release in your email message. Don’t send an attachment to a media outlet. Attachments such as Word documents may be picked up by virus protection software, and your release will never make it to the intended recipient. Always put your contact information at the top of the release with the release date.

6. Get help. Although you may not need a full-time PR firm for day to day business, it could be worth the investment during the launch of new products or services. A PR firm will get you better results and save you time since it is their business. There are also many good freelance writers who can help create press releases. A well-written release can get you a lot of mileage.

Long-term PR can really impact the bottom line. People read and listen to stories more than advertisements. If done properly, PR can put your company in a very high profile position. The recognition can impact existing customers and help bring in new ones. Often your partners and vendors feel a positive affect from your PR as well. By following these simple guidelines you should have a foundation to get PR started for your business.

Doug serves as the Ringmaster for Edge Marketing overseeing the business operations. His passion is for helping small businesses and start up companies achieve their revenue growth goals. Doug serves as Executive Director of Entrepreneurs Alliance of Indiana and sits on the board of the Business Marketing Association of Indianapolis, Rainmakers Marketing Group and Crossroads Communications (Radio Station Cluster).

More information about the author is available online at http://www.goedgemarketing.com

Public relations and news releases are synonymous in the minds of some. Because the media relations aspect of PR is so "public", the PR discipline often is narrowly defined by this tactic. PR is much more than cranking out positive client fodder for the media.

My definition: PR is developing, managing and maintaining relationships with any audience that can affect your organization.

Edward Bernays, the father of PR and the nephew of Sigmund Freud, takes his definition into the social science realm. (Well, what did you expect from Sigmund Freud’s nephew?) He advised clients on the social attitudes and actions to take in order to garner the support of audiences critical for success.

Bernays counseled his clients to do something to interrupt the continuity of life in some way to bring about the appropriate media and public response. Typically, these "interruptions" were done in such a way as to leave no trace of Bernays or his client behind.

Consider this. In the 1920s Bernays melded corporate sales campaigns with popular social causes. As an agent for the American Tobacco Company, he convinced women’s rights marchers in New York City to smoke Lucky Strike cigarettes as "Torches of Freedom." Unlike the Wizard of Oz, Bernays managed to stay concealed behind the curtain.

The problem I have with Bernays’ definition of PR is in its manipulative aspect. I believe that true PR practitioners seek common ground upon which to build mutually beneficial relationships.

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR, http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Duke Energy, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX and Verbatim.

You’re trying to recruit a downline into your program, you’ve tried every trick in the book, and no one is signing up. Is there a sign on your back that says you’ve got the plague? Maybe you’re lacking in internet etiquette.

Certain people skills are important for all business people. Online affiliate business presents unique challenges to the webmaster. While modern society tends towards individualism to the extreme, no consideration for others, and oftentimes total lack of self-restraint, internet relationships additionally have the mixed reputation of being cold and emotionless, depersonalized, fake, extreme (as in "flaming"), and untrustworthy until proven trustworthy.

Add to this skepticism towards commercialism both on and offline ("what’s he trying to sell me? what’s the catch?") and you can understand the importance of learning internet ettiquette for business success. I’ll give you 8 points to keep in mind.

1. Thoughtful attention:

Most internet communication is via the written word. For example, I can tell you that a website is really cool; maybe you’re first impression is that I’m saying I like it because it’s hip and trendy. In the context of a discussion of website color palettes I may be referring to the shades of blue and gray used. Or maybe I mean the site doesn’t draw the visitors…you see my point. Clarity is important.

2. Taking the time for clarity:

The internet has accustomed us to instant gratification. Just as you may not stick around if a website takes more than 10 seconds to load, or if a webmaster takes more than 30 seconds to make his point, you may not take the time to clarify what’s been said in an email or chat and become angry or impatient. It’s important to understand intentions. Be careful to separate your own emotional reaction from what was actually meant. Be sure you understand that the intention was to poke friendly fun, not to criticize, and so on.

3. Timely communication:

Understand the customers’ or colleagues’ expectations and needs, and be considerate of how and when you communicate. Remember that people need to be remembered, recognized and included.

4. Create a culture of caring:

As I stated above, we live in a world of lack of consideration. Think about how careless we can become with our language when we rely on eye contact and body language to communicate our meaning. These are absent on the internet. We have to consciously create a culture of caring. Everyone needs to feel safe, connected and important. Building trust allows everyone to ask questions, which is the only way to learn, even when they risk appearing stupid.

5. Be the Super Affiliate you want in your downline:

Express your goals, accept responsibility for your words, remember that we are all teachers, be visible (in forums, in your blog, with personal notes and changes in your website text, updates and newsletters). Be honest and genuine, listen well, be generous and helpful, be clear in expressing what you need, give thanks and stay in touch.

6. Help others achieve their goals: Refer your customers elsewhere when appropriate, this builds trust like no other action can. This can even lead to reciprocity from your competition or a joint venture.

7. Find common ground: remember you are building friendships and teamwork as well as making money.

8. Remember, you are your team’s greatest advocate. If you’ve learned the above skills well, you know your teammates and can come to their aid and defense if need be. You’re there when they need you, and their testimonials grace your homepage.

If you allow yourself to grow and change in these 8 ways and apply them to your internet communications, you’ll be successful at building trust and rapport with your online colleagues. They’ll be scrambling to sign up and they’ll want to stick around.

Glenn Beach is a poet, writer and home business entrepreneur in Nova Scotia, Canada. Free newsletter, more articles, and business start-up info at: http://www.work-at-home-business-opportunity-canada.com

Tis’ the season for business and corporate gift-giving! If you believe in the law of reciprocity, and if your business is the least bit successful you must; you know that giving back is not only the right thing to do, but it’s very smart business as well. Let’s look at some of the benefits and mechanics of Christmas and holiday gift-giving.

* WHY DO IT AT ALL?

Gift giving is an excellent way to not only say thank you for all the business and continued loyalty your clients and customers have shown over the past year, it help to solidify relationships and in some cases, actually tilt the playing field in your favor. A well-conceived business gift will speak volumes on your integrity, thoughtfulness and sincerity and may make the difference between you and a competitor. As for employees, the days of 50 years and a gold watch are long gone, so a token of appreciation during the holidays or other special occasions can turn a mediocre relationship into one of fierce loyalty.

* WHEN TO DO IT?

Obviously Christmas and the season surrounding it are the major themes here. Other times of the year, such as Thanksgiving, Easter, Labor Day etc., may also present golden opportunities as it is not expected then. Other times to consider might include occasions such as a business anniversary, marriage, births, promotions, new offices or branches, and possibly retirement (ESPECIALLY of a competitor!)

* WHAT TO GIVE?

This can be the most difficult part of the process. All of us have been the recipient of the cookie cutter approach, as the countless fruitcakes of Christmases past haunt our freezers. In a large company, it’s difficult to avoid this, but by bearing this in mind, you’ll be able to come up something unique and stand out above the rest. Also think of the nature of the business relationship. Anything inappropriate would not only be unappreciated, but could have the opposite effect of that you’re trying to achieve. If you can, try to make it as personal as possible, reflecting the interests and likes of the person receiving the gift. Be mindful of religious differences, as you don’t want to offend in that area either. While striving to give the nicest gift possible within your budget, take care not to appear as though you are bribing anyone for business or loyalty.

* HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS?

Start as soon as possible, and dedicate at least one person to work on this solely, as depending on the size of your list, it can become onerous. Given enough time and resource, however, it can be done quickly and efficiently. Shopping online has made things so much simpler. You can find so many more choices with the click of a mouse than you could with weeks of prospecting on foot. Many of your favorite brick and mortar merchants now have an online presence as well, as they too recognize the immense possibilities of the medium. Take advantage of web vendors, many of whom offer free shipping, corporate and bulk discounts, and many other perks to get your business. It really is a time-saver!

Christmas and Holiday gift-giving isn’t the gargantuan task it used to be. The internet and a smart strategy make it profitable and enjoyable!

Keith Thompson is webmaster of GiftsForBiz.com, and the recipient of many BAD business gifts.