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1 #1 pet peeve of journalists. People who call and pitch not knowing what they cover. Do your homework.
2 100’s of engaged followers will do more for you than 1000’s of token ones.
3 After a pitch, make sure you give several contact #s to a reporter. The press waits for no one.
4 Ally yourself w/local charity, sponsor sports teams. Commitment to social responsibility attracts customers.
5 Remember the 5th “P” of the new marketing mix, Presence. If they can’t find you, they can’t work w/ you.
6 Instead of asking for new Facebook “Likes,” link your “Read More” email mktg campaign messages to Facebook & encourage feedback.
7 Your “About” page is often your 2nd most visited. Focus on you & them. Tell a great story of who you are & what you will do for them.
8 Transition from thinking about how SM strategy helps your biz to how SM strategy helps your customers. Then you’ll see results.
9 Think about the phrase “You can’t change what you can’t measure.” Are you using your analytics strategically?
10 SM is all about THEM, not all about YOU. Do an audit of your networks. Is it just about you? Commit to engage to get results.
11 Acknowledge tweets, emails, comments. It’s not good PR or customer service to ignore anyone.
12 Ask how customers heard about you. PR is an ongoing process & needs constant tweaking.
13 Be helpful. Reciprocity produces incredible returns on a simple tip or referral.
14 Be on time, or early. Punctuality is a sincere form of courtesy.
15 Be sure & have press materials ready to be sent at a moment’s notice.
16 Be real, honest, genuine. Authenticity is catnip. -- Networking
17 Always pick up the check. People won’t remember what they had for lunch, but they’ll always remember who picked up the check.
18 Transfer the enthusiasm you feel for your brand to everyone you meet. You’ll see results.
19 A good press release - about 400 words. Shorter the better. Just enough info to secure an interview.
20 A great pitch - Story angle tie-ins, description of where it could fit in the media outlet & a call to action.
21 A happy customer is your greatest endorsement. Respond promptly and honestly.
22 A media angle must have some distinctive quality. Journalists sniff out what’s different, not what’s the same.
23 A quick call or email to a journalist outlining your pitch tests the water.
24 A site that blasts your pitch to reporters & bloggers nationwide -- http://www.pitchforpr.com/
25 A strong brand can make any business stand out, particularly in competitive markets.
26 Always say thanks to a journalist for a story, mention, item etc.
27 Smile, look engaging. Networking.
28 Apply for an award. Ck local Biz Journals, chambers. Like positive news stories, awards confer credibility.
29 Segment your market based on consumer lifecycle. Provide content, add value for each stage.
30 Make an editorial calendar & stick with it. Use as a reminder to add content, update photo’s, Facebook, keyword research, etc.
31 Need inspiration? Keep a list of your targeted keywords at your desk. Use as content/headline/alt text inspiration.
32 Schedule a free webinar: “What You Need to Know About....” or “5 tips to...” Great for SEO, listbuilding.
33 Web copy should sell benefits not features.
34 Don’t just share links on Twitter/FB/LI. Add your voice & personality, Solicit feedback. Connect to convert.
35 Commit to updating your site at least once a week. Search engines love new content.
36 If you haven’t already, sign up for http://www.helpareporter.com. Invaluable for business owners.
37 People find your site while looking for a solution to a problem. You have seconds to grab their attention & provide the solution.
38 Appreciate at least one person daily. By email, twitter, FB, phone. Karma.
39 Are you monitoring your presence on Twitter? Try TweetBeep - Google alerts for Twitter.
40 Are you prepared w/facts & figures so you can respond to a PR crisis quickly?
41 Are you ready to handle the media’s questions -- no matter what they are?
42 Are your news releases objective? Backed by facts & figures? Focused on 1 or 2 main ideas?
43 As a marketing tool, news releases are only as valuable as the keywords & phrases that are contained in them.
44 As you increase your network, remember follow up is key – b-day, thank you, thinking of you, holiday cards.
45 Assume your audience is inundated w/info and ask, what’s different about my message?
46 Attract followers in your target market. Why care about 1000’s of followers who don’t care about what you have to say?
47 B4 you pitch. Do your homework. Watch TV, read several issues of magazines & blogs & a week’s worth of newspapers.
48 Bad PR? Respond immediately and never lie. The media are trained to investigate and they WILL find the truth. Just ask Tiger Woods.
49 Be authentic. Email messages should read as if you’re telling a story. On the phone? Relax.
50 Be briefed on current events. Always. You’ll be able to converse w/ any CEO.
51 Be honest with journalists & reporters. They know. They make their living talking to people.
52 Be humble. Journalists & bloggers need content to fill their pages, but arrogance will get you nowhere.
53 Be proactive. Network weekly. Plan to meet at least one new person a week. You’ll see results.
54 Be productive. Reach out to new clients and friends. Look w/in your circle for a connection.
55 Use a monitoring app like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck. Create columns for keywords, your industry, your competitors. Join the conversation.
56 Have a new product/service? Select a few customers or clients to be “beta” testers. Get feedback, they feel good about being hand selected.
57 Make it easy for readers to leave comments. If possible, avoid requiring login, difficult captcha’s. Comments create authority, loyalty.
58 There is a balance between personal branding and blatant self-promotion. Find yours.
59 Your customers Google you, read reviews about you, research your competition...all before making contact with you. Monitoring matters.
60 Trial & error is now trial and measure. Focus on analytics to study onsite behavior, craft targeted messages, identify opportunities.
61 The key to high quality, relevant content creation is knowing your audience. Do your homework to know what resonates with your target.
62 Create co-marketing opportunities w/ complementary businesses. Leverage each other’s networks with discounts/promotions.
63 Write copy like you talk. Be friendly, short, avoid marketing speak. Ask yourself before you publish “Would I respond/react?”
64 Be realistic about when the media will cover you. Lead times vary & media outlets can have a one-day to 4-month window.
65 Be thankful for every mention your company receives. There is no such thing as a small hit.
66 Be your brand. Be in love w/ & inspired by your brand’s mission. This translates trust & authenticity. Good press will follow.
67 Before meeting w/ a journalist, read their last 5 articles in full.
68 Before you pitch -- Know editorial deadlines & be early.
69 Know your target market. Who do you want buying from you?
70 Build relationships. When people feel they know & trust who you are, they will invest in your brand every time.
71 Boost your brand awareness. Make use of Leads Services. HARO, Pitchrate, PRSourceCode, ProfNet.
72 Brainstorm various story ideas & angles. Each message needs its own presentation, approach & delivery.
73 Brand yourself. You are an expert in your field. Execute your plan via speaking, volunteering, Social Media. Blog, network.
74 Branding is complex yet simple: the creation & development of a specific identity for your biz, product or person.
75 Build relationships – lunches, trade events, seminars.
76 Who is your competition? It’s no longer the local competitor but breaking through the noise. Understand what holds your customers attention.
77 Be sure your out of office reply includes links to your profiles, site, blog, FAQ’s landing page.
78 As the saying goes…Building a community is more effective than building a following. Everything you share should have that in mind.
79 Instead of just using testimonials (I love this product!) use customer case studies (this product/service resulted in......for me/my biz).
80 Set clear expectations of how you’ll use your opt in list & deliver what is promised. Segment sign up for interest & increased targeting.
81 Stop using auto DM’s. Take 5 min/day to send a personalized message to new followers about their bio/site. Make it about them, not you.
82 Not sure what to blog/post about? Focus on client/customer stories. Makes future volunteers/donors envision working w/ you.
83 Try a new platform each month–video blogging, webinars, Foursquare. Monitor results. New channels=New Opportunities.
84 Having 10K Twitter Followers or FB Fans means nothing if they aren’t buying from you. Quality over quantity for true success.
85 Use @socialmention’s Q&A feature to find ppl asking about your product/service. Answer w/ a link back to your site.
86 Submit your content-Benefit from their traffic & search power. Look for industry or location specific sites that allow for blog creation.
87 Schedule 10 min/wk for blog/news commenting. Makes you the expert, bonus SEO, drives people to your site. Provide value, not spam.
88 Nurture your relationships. When people feel they know & trust who you are, they will invest in your brand every time.
89 Build your list. Joint ventures w/experts who have an established database.
90 Build your team. It’s not always the $$ that you need, it’s people w/expertise & contacts.
91 Building your media list - news editors decide which stories will be covered by which reporter.
92 Call your media contact with a brief phone pitch before sending materials -- for a heads up.
93 Calling someone in the media? Your first 4 words should be - Are you on deadline?
94 Community newspapers - Customize the story to their local readers.
95 Consider DIYPR for your biz. Excellent option for any size company. You’ll see results quickly.
96 Consistency is king. Come up w/your 10-second elevator speech & use it. Consistently.
97 Conversations about your biz occur every day on Twitter, FB, LI - for public viewing. Make sure to monitor daily.
98 Create & maintain key relationships. Identify people w/common interests & different skills.
99 Create & participate in special events to attract attention & customers. Fairs, trade shows, conferences.
100 Create a fact sheet for your biz. You need one to feed a journalist correct info.
101 Great story angle. Start a Hall of Fame. Induct some of your industry’s top people.
102 Create a media kit. Make it downloadable on your site. Carry print ones in your car.
103 Create a story angle by tying in with Holidays, or create your own. http://www.mhprofessional.com/category/?cat=3
104 Create alliance w/ charity to benefit from special events. This offers you the op to drive coverage of your good works.
105 Create an online newsroom w/ press releases, links & PDF’s of media coverage, etc.
106 Create links in releases to deliver potential customers to landing pages on your website.
107 Create news by staging an event.
108 Create PR ops - submit articles, commission a survey, give expert opinions, comment on blogs, letters to the editor.
109 Create strategic alliances. Partner w/ talented and super smart people.
110 Create valuable content targeted at solving problems for your customers. Offer solutions & you’ll receive enormous return.
111 Creative releases can lead to stories that increase sales, enhance credibility & give you a competitive edge.
112 Creativity & a clear, focused, understandable message that can be communicated in seconds is paramount.
113 Create a resource section for your site–tips, events, how to’s, reports. Being an information source=return visits=loyalty.
114 Can the person monitoring your SM (ex, marketing) address questions? If not, have communication plan w/ the ppl who can.
115 Have a happy customer? Ask for a video testimonial. More personal, easy to optimize, more authentic than text. Share on site/facebook.
116 Do a search for your target industry+associations. Most produce newsletters & content, are underfunded & looking for guest contributors.
117 If repeating the same message on FB, Twitter or LI, vary the language. Ex: if promoting event repeat the same concepts w/ different words.
118 Apply the social strategy to your email campaigns. Don’t sell or broadcast. Identify pain, provide a solution.
119 Use analytics to determine what is resonating with your customers/clients & to craft future messages.
120 Repurpose your best content by creating a drip email mini-course campaign. Added value for your existing list, great list building tool.
121 Create alerts for yourself, your org, your key players & your competition. Know what is being said, identify opptys the competition misses.
122 Before sending an email campaign, do a complete audit. Proofread, check every link, do a spam check.
123 Using video? Remember the average attn span is 20-30 seconds. Be professional, engaging & have a clear call to action. Brevity is key.
124 Crisis Checklist - Make lists of leading, difficult & tricky questions that could be asked & practice answering.
125 Crisis PR - Acknowledge quickly, keep statements factual. Explain remedy plan.
126 Whatever the scale & type of Crisis PR, own it from the start. You can contain & minimize if you take control early.
127 Customer service first. The customer tells the true story. Make sure you can support what you’re hyping.
128 Customers have choices and if you’re not consistently vying for their attention, you’ll fall off their radar screens.
129 Daily Newspaper deadlines: every day, usually at the end of the workday.
130 Develop a low cost PR campaign & handle in house. PR is a powerful tool & a successful campaign lends credibility.
131 Develop a mission statement that shows your reason for being and the value you provide to your customers.
132 Develop calendar of events & make your biz visible in areas related to potential clients’ interests.
133 Develop your 10-sec tagline that expresses who you are & what you do.
134 Research topics relevant to your biz & who writes about them. Add to your media list.
135 Develop your PR plan of attack. What communication vehicles will you use?
136 Did you know that as many as 80% of job openings are filled by networking?
137 Do your homework before pitching. Familiarize yourself w/the outlet & its focus.
138 Don’t be scared to call a reporter. You pitch your company every day to customers. The media is no different.
139 Don’t forget -- Bloggers are journalists too. Find them at top100bloggers.com or Bloggers.com.
140 Don’t just donate time to an organization. Stake out a leadership position. You’ll meet & help others.
141 Don’t overly promote. Be helpful. Show expertise & reputation will grow. Your voice will be sought & respected.
142 Don’t take “no” personally. Editors receive several pitches a day.
143 Dress appropriately. Dignified dress is a sign of self-respect, something you always want to convey.
144 Effective PR doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Think about DIYPR. http:// hlmediapartners.com/.
145 Empower your life. Give to your community. Biz happens while volunteering & gives you a legit aura of leadership.
146 Engage media on Twitter - follow reporters you want to build a relationship with. Find them at mediaontwitter.com.
147 Entertain while you inform or you won’t be noticed.
148 Even if you’re a Twitter naysayer, claim your handle before someone else does – like your competition.
149 Everyone is clamoring for good press. You must bring the noise to your release to make it stand out.
150 Face time - the most effective & underused method of communication. People do biz w/who they know & trust.
151 Figure out your uniqueness. Use this as part of your brand. Use it everywhere. FB, Twitter, in your elevator speech.
152 Find execs to follow on Twitter - http://www.exectweets.com.
153 Find story ideas in the course of your daily routine. Keep a notebook handy. You’ll be surprised at what you find.
154 Focus on the brand of you to take your biz to the next level.
155 Focus on what your biz achieves for clients. Your brand is no good to you if it’s not delivering what customers want.
156 For marketing purposes, assume that elderly consumers are 15 years younger than they actually are.
157 Free service for non-profits to help maximize media coverage - Media Trust http://www.mediatrust.org/.
158 Get your release off to a strong start w/a compelling headline. You have one chance to make a 1st impression.
159 Give several contact numbers to a media contact. The press waits for no one.
160 Good media angle? Determine need. Is your idea beneficial to others? Does it serve a purpose?
161 Find a negative comment/post/tweet about your org? Acknowledge in public (shows you’re listening), resolve in private.
162 Instead of focusing on connecting to convert, focus on connecting for community. Conversions will follow.
163 People do business w/ people they like. Show some personality in your SM efforts.
164 Your website is your most important piece of real estate. Look at it as a customer/client. Are you impressed? Is it helpful? If not, fix ASAP.
165 Eye tracking studies reveal our eyes are drawn to the first few words of headlines. Select headlines carefully for maximum impact.
166 Forget marketing speak. Write sales copy how customers/clients speak & search. Need ideas? Ask them to tell you in their words what you do.
167 Keep a list of emails you subscribe to that you actually read. What is different from those you don’t? Apply that to your own campaigns.
168 Integrate your efforts. Ex: Include an email opt-spin form on your Facebook page. Make clear the value for signing up.
169 Great stories can lead to awards & prestige for the media. That’s why they’re always receptive to the next great idea.
170 Grow connections in categories you need to reach. Review each invite before you accept. Make sure it’s a fit.
171 Have press materials ready to be emailed at a moment’s notice. Backgrounder, bios, photos, quotes, links.
172 Having a successful PR & branding strategy is not all about you. Promoting others builds your audience & reputation.
173 Honor your process. You are the best salesperson you have. Know your work & don’t undersell yourself.
174 Host your own event. People do business with people. Face time.
175 How would you sum up your business if only given 10 seconds? Perfect it.
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