Public information officers for government agencies and nonprofits are often the first people the media contact when disaster strikes. Even though many have formal training on how to respond, PIOs representing numerous agencies in the same community sometimes never meet each other. When there’s a major disaster, the PIOs are on their own. Misinformation can… Read More
Keep track of who’s using your articles
If you write articles for print or online publications, here are three reasons why you should keep track of who’s using them. –You want to thank the editors and start establishing a relationship with them. –You want to add their names to your media database and continue submitting articles as often as you can. –You… Read More
Newsletter shows you what to do before crisis hits
“Crisis Manager,” the free international email newsletter about crisis management, has a complementary website, Crisis Manager University. The goal of the site is the same as that of the newsletter–it brings crisis management education to those who don’t work in this field, or even necessarily in PR. “People are crisis managers, whether they want to… Read More
Small business news is red hot
If you own a small business, you needn’t feel like the tiny David up against the giant Goliath when it comes to being covered by the media. Small business news is red hot right now because a huge segment of the economy is fueled by small businesses hiring. Check out the tips I offer on… Read More
Go out with a bang and write your own obit
True Publicity Hounds take every opportunity to build the buzz and keep it humming, even long after they’re gone. How? By writing their own obituaries. Check out this article in Newsweek magazine on an emerging trend–writing your own obit.
Double-check dates in press releases
Here’s a tip that seems so obvious that you’ll wonder why I’m even mentioning it. But TV personality Connie Dieken says it’s a frequent mistake that will send your news release or story pitch right into the TV station’s wastebasket. Ditto for news releases sent to print media outlets. Too often, the day and date… Read More
Submit online articles to pull website traffic
Once a month, small-business marketing expert Sharron Senter writes a how-to article that helps small businesses tackle a problem. She submits it to up to 30 different portals. A portal is a launching pad of sorts that helps consumers find destination and commerce sites. Search engine websites you are familiar with such as Google, Yahoo!,… Read More
Write special reports
If you aren’t writing special reports to help your customers help themselves, or to create a quick and easy product, you’re missing a wonderful chance to become better known and create an easy revenue stream. The secret is to choose topics that are only an inch wide, and then present content that goes a mile… Read More
Write a thumbnail bio for the end of your articles
While en route to a speaking engagement, I found a page in Airtran Airways’ in-flight magazine that’s a great lesson on how to write thumbnail bios. These are one- or two-sentence bios that you can tack onto the end of articles you write for other publications, along with your contact information such as an email… Read More
Don’t put dates on press releases
Here’s another big boo-boo made by made by many people who write news releases. They put the date the release was distributed right at the top. Why not just include a headline in 40-point type that screams, “OLD NEWS.” In an era where hour-old news is practically ancient history, dating your news releases is just… Read More