Catapult Public Relations - PR Tips

Designate a Spokesperson.

Mary — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:50:14 -0500

It is preferable to elect one key staff member to handle press inquiries. Preferably the spokesperson should have experience talking to journalists and be briefed on how to handle possible questions. Make sure all appropriate employees are aware of this person's PR responsibility, so that calls are routed there. This will keep your message consistent and will avoid that person getting caught off guard by over zealous reporters.

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When a reporter calls. . .

Mary — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:40:51 -0500

If a reporter calls unexpectedly, it is good to find out what information he/she is looking for, their deadline and then offer to call them back shortly. This allows you time to think through possible questions the reporter may ask to prepare your responses along with thinking about what your top three key messages should be. You'll be more polished and able to offer key sound bytes for possible quotes in their story.

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Off the Record?

Mary — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:19:47 -0500

No such thing. Anything you say to a reporter can be used in their story. If you have information that is time-sensitive, incomplete, or not yet approved, save it until your company is ready to release it.

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Localize an Existing Story.

Mary — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:50:40 -0500

Stay updated on national trends and how they might impact your local community. If there's a story angle that can be localized and you have something compelling and of value to say, consider a quick news release and email pitch to a local reporter. Journalists love trend-driven, time-sensitive and local story angles relating to national trends.

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Remember Phone Etiquette.

Mary — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:40:12 -0500

When calling to pitch a story, always:

Identify yourself, your company and location.
Ask if it is a good time to talk before you launch into your full pitch.
Avoid chit-chat unless the reporter initiates
Give a brief, direct reason why you are calling
Pitch the story in 30 seconds or less, instead of just confirming that the reporter received a news release.

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Leverage Trends For Coverage.

Mary — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:20:22 -0500

Stay updated on the news, focusing on national trends that might affect your business. When you see a trend that applies, either send a media advisory regarding that issue or offer a company spokesperson for comment. It is likely that your announcement will generate new ideas for reporters while highlighting your company as the focal point. Media sources love trend-driven, time-sensitive and story angles and having experts available to comment on them

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Focus your message.

Mary — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:28:38 -0600

The best way to make your message easy to understand is to stay focused on just one topic. Three supporting main points is usually enough to back up your story with adequate information. If you have several ideas, you may want to break it into different announcements.

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Respond Promptly.

Mary — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:01:02 -0600

Always call back the press promptly. even if you cannot answer their question immediately. Let them know you will try to find the needed information or contact. By responding quickly and respecting deadlines, you will become a reliable source and increase the likelihood that a story will run.

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Tweet Your News

Mary — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:46:19 -0600

If you are a twitter user, tweet your news. Do this in addition to your other methods of distribution, like the wire service, RSS feeds and direct journalist contact. Just be careful not to put on too many social media vehicles at once, so you are sending to the same people over and over again!

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Get rich quick:How you can use rich media webcasting!

Mary — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:39:14 -0600

Get rich quick:

How you can use rich media webcasting!

http://www.catapultpr-ir.com/Files/Tactics_Nov09_final_p22.pdf

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Consider Your Content

Mary — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:02:07 -0500

In the era of self publishing, quality writing is key to getting pick up in both print and online publications. With shrinking editorial staff, news releases are often printed as published or only reworked slightly. Well written content will be more likely to be used, since it saves editorial effort.

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Costly Errors

Mary — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:25:13 -0500

Far too many companies put out news releases containing spelling or grammar mistakes. Poorly written news releases, regardless of the news value they may contain, are a reflection of the entire company. Distributing a sloppily prepared release indicates to journalists that the company does not have high professional standards. Consider having a professional writer or PR firm work on your news releases. The end result will be well-crafted releases that grab the media's attention, and cast your company in a positive light.

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Help your Editor

Mary — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:26:56 -0500

Give reporters a clear story idea that you know their readers (and editor) will like. Think of yourself as their editor before you pitch them and you'll stand a greater chance of getting your idea accepted.

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With Twitter, Listen First, then jump in

Mary — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:37:35 -0500

Use social media to 'join the conversation' and connect with your customers
By Rebecca Cole

http://www.cobizmag.com/articles/with-twitter-listen-first-and-then-jump-in/

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Hold the Attachments

Mary — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:39:01 -0500

The proliferation of computer viruses and worms has made everyone leery of opening email attachments, even if the message is from someone they know. Some magazines have installed software that automatically removes attachments before forwarding the message to the intended recipient, but more often than not the entire email will simply be deleted. What that means for PR professionals is that they should always paste their releases in the body of their emails when sending them out to reporters. If there's an image to go with the release, let them know that artwork is available upon request.

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Alma Maters matter

Mary — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:28:22 -0500

If you are sending a news release from your organization that features a member, employee, board member, staff, etc. of your organization, remember to send the release to the alma mater(s) and hometown media of the person featured. This will help expand visibility of your organization to many other outlets and readers gain further visibility of your organization's featured person, helping to further spread your news.

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Advisory or News Release?

Mary — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:45:34 -0500

Not sure if your news should be in the form of a media advisory or news release? Here are a couple of guidelines to follow:

A media advisory is usually an alert sent to the press about an upcoming event. It describes Who, What, When, Where and How the event will take place in the form of brief paragraphs.

A news release is a more descriptive piece about a new product, personnel or newsworthy change within a company.

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More is better!

Mary — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:27:27 -0500

Don't assume that reporters (or even analysts) will know and understand basic facts about your industry, company or product/service. Oftentimes, they know less about the topic at hand than you think! It's good practice to always "start at the beginning" by providing a quick snapshot of your company and product overview while incorporating your key positioning messages throughout the discussion. Better to error on the side of repeating information they may know (in which case, they'll tell you) versus assuming they understand. It can make the difference not only in the coverage results you get, but also help to position you as a potential source they can call on in the future.

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Seasoned Executives need media training too

Mary — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:06:44 -0600

CEO's often feel they don't need media training because they are in the public eye frequently. This can be a pitfall due to the fact that they often are caught off guard by the questions a determined reporter can ask regarding a launch. Media training can assure a polished, complete story is presented to the press.

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Staying on Message Wins Again

Guy Murrel — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:56:00 -0600

All of us have just experienced one of the most compelling, exhilarating and exhausting election cycles (PR campaigns) in history. While the pundits re-hash and analyze every detail of the results, those in the PR and marketing community should take note that the campaign that stayed true to its core message - from start to finish - was victorious. In an age when companies can and do change messaging on a whim, usually in reaction to competitive, market or global developments (how many of you are developing your "our solution helps customers during the economic downturn" story?), it's important to resist the temptation to endlessly tinker with core positioning and messaging. For president-elect Barack Obama and his campaign, the core, simple message of "Change" provided the foundation to articulate both the candidate's vision and his positioning off of his opponent. It also provided the consistency and focus that kept an entire organization, from candidate and senior advisors all the way down to thousands of citizen volunteers, marching to a singular, constant drumbeat that the McCain team could never drown out.

During a recent edition of 60 Minutes Obama campaign director David Plouffe said it best: "The great thing about our campaign was we didn't have a lotta discussion about what our message was or what he wanted to do," Plouffe said. "From the beginning, he knew exactly what he wanted to say. And it's one of the reasons we were successful. A lotta campaigns will spend hours every day wondering about how to change their message. And he was pretty clear about what he wanted to say, where he wanted to take the country, and either people would accept it or they wouldn't."

What's your core message? Have you seen great success stories like Obama and Clinton (It's the Economy Stupid!)? Or, have you bared witness to the opposite?

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Keep Everyone Informed

Mary — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 12:10:36 -0500

Have regular informational meetings with your PR firm or department so that every newsworthy event is recognized. Events that could be publicized are often passed by or discovered by PR and marketing departments too late to be utilized by the media. Some events an executive may not see as important could be newsworthy and support the company's PR goals. Provide frequent updates so that these items are recognized.

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Leveraging Editorial Calendars for PR Opportunities

Mary — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:34:04 -0500

Editorial calendars are published by every trade publication and offer a great way to see what editors will cover in upcoming issues. Editorial calendars are included in a magazine's media kit to help advertisers better schedule their promotions. If used correctly, editorial calendars provide a great avenue for PR because you can pitch story ideas in line with the topics you know will be covered by the magazine.

Every magazine has different editorial calendar guidelines. Monthlies usually work anywhere from one to four months in advance of items listed. Weeklies, on the other hand, work ahead only one to four weeks. Once you've identified an item, find out who's assigned to write the story and when they'll be working on the article. Then, with a quick email or call, make contact with the writer to briefly introduce your company and how it can be a source.

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ColoradoBiz Article on incorporating social media

Mary — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:09:00 -0500

Take a deep breath
Strategy is key when incorporating social media

By Rebecca Cole

Companies caught up in the whirlwind of social media and Web 2.0 tactics can stray into the danger zone of ignoring strategy, messaging and the continued importance of personal interaction.

Link to Full Article:

http://www.cobizmag.com/articles.asp?id=2237

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Competition is Good!

Mary — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:49:15 -0500

Many company execs make the mistake of saying "We don't have any competitors." If you don't have any competitors you either aren't being honest or you don't have a market for your product. The willingness to identify who your competitors are gives you credibility and builds trust.

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Let the press know how good you really are

Mary — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:06:49 -0500

First, recognize that people want to know about your accomplishments. Second, understand that getting the word out about your recognition helps to build your credibility.

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