In the old days, when a company was planning layoffs, it delivered the bad news to employees, and then—if it was smart—issued a press release to let the world know how many people had been laid off and why. These days, companies concerned about crisis management and joining the “bad news” conversation online will also post the announcement on… Read More
Press Releases
Product publicity is easier if you can get into gift sections
If you have a consumer product that would make a great gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation Day, or the holidays, try to get into one of the many holiday gift sections featured by newspapers and magazines, or featured in holiday gift coverage on TV and radio. Most of this coverage does NOT require that… Read More
How to make news when there’s no news
Here’s a quick trick for creating news when there’s absolutely nothing new to pitch. Be willing to talk about your business problems and how you solved them. Pick up any business journal and you’ll see company after company mentioned, usually because they’ve figured out ways to solve a problem, whether it’s delivering the product faster… Read More
Journalists suspicious of ‘green’ story ideas
When Bulldog Reporter invited me to be a guest panelist on the July 24 teleseminar designed to help Publicity Hounds create news when there is no news, I jumped at the chance. I wrote three pages of notes for the session titled “Evergreen Magic for PR: Media Masters Show How to Make News When There’s… Read More
The Musician’s Guide to Brides includes press release tips
I love books about marketing and publicity that are directed to very niched audiences. So I jumped at the chance to contribute content to the book The Musician’s Guide to Brides—How to Make Money Playing Weddings by Anne Roos, who has been playing the Celtic harp at weddings for more than 25 years. On pages… Read More
Help promote ‘Say Something Nice Sunday’
Mitch Carnell of Charleston, South Carolina writes: “Last year, we celebrated the first Say Something Nice Sunday on the first Sunday in June. This is now an annual event. “We want churches and denominations of all faiths to join in. This is a Sunday when Christian will say nothing negative about any other Christian or… Read More
Bury bad news with online press releases
It could be a lawsuit against your company. Or a health department violation against your restaurant. Or a post at somebody’s blog, written by a rabble-rouser who wants to drag your name through the mud and destroy your business. If it’s bad news and it’s online, it could live on forever. Anybody who uses the… Read More
PR Web: Disband your Press Release Police
I’ve been a huge proponent of PRWeb, the press release distribution service, because of its great customer service and the rave reviews from publicists whose press releases get fabulous pick-up. But I don’t like what I’m hearing about the company’s Press Release Police who are hassling writers like BL Ochman, one of my favorite press release writers of all time, and award-winning publicist… Read More
Online press releases help your ideal customers find you
People searching for solutions to their problems type phrases like these into the search engines: “Relationship commitment issues” “Non-engagement letter” “Disgruntled employees” When you write press releases or articles that addresses your customers’ problems, and then post them online, you can generate lots of attention, new business and even journalist interviews. Management consultant Alan Weiss, for… Read More
New Year’s resolutions: Don’t make them on Jan. 1
Several years ago, I saw the same psychiatrist interviewed for a story about New Year’s resolutions almost everywhere I looked. He was quoted as saying that Jan. 1 is the worst day of the year to make them. That’s because most of us are stressed out from the holidays. We’ve overspent and overeaten. We’re tired. We’re cranky. And we’re… Read More