Rules For DIY Publicity

I want to talk today, a bit more than usual, about DIY publicity. Contacting the press is tricky. You should follow AP standards but you shouldn’t cookie-cut pitches, advisories, etc. Remember, PR is about relationships- not press releases! This said, I have 3 tips for you when it comes to writing and sending emails to the media.

1. Your focus should be on the subject line. Press members are busy! They are pitched by people they do know and don’t know 100 times a day. Plus, they receive emails from peers, their boss, publicists responding to story requests, friends, family, SPAM… their email boxes are flooded. If the email header reads “press release” or “media advisory”… don’t bother sending it. You need a subject line that will stop traffic.

2. Don’t BS a reporter. They hate hype. They can spot hype a mile away. If you use any type of promotional verbs or nouns, they will not only NOT cover you- many will put you on blast via social media. Reporters like quick facts and credible resources.

3. Attach this. Reporters are not going to open an attachment. Forget it. If they’re interested, they will follow a link. Yes, you need to provide two links in your email. One that goes to the media advisory or press release with more information and one that goes to the online media kit.

Remember, you can mess up on AP style, you can pitch the wrong reporter (who will send it to the right reporter almost always), and you can accidentally toss in a spelling error or two- and still get your story covered. Journalists can forgive bad style if the story is good. But, if you’re not doing the basics right (see above), they will never even open the pitch.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Are You Ruining Your Own Image?

Here's the thing, you shouldn't mix business with pleasure. In the publicity world, this can be very hard to do.  You have to create relationships with people but you have to keep it professional. Does this mean you don't go out for drinks after an event with your co-managers from different marketing and event teams? No. Does this mean you get black-out drunk, make-out with the cute AR from a competing agency, and tell your client what's up via YouTube? Heck, no!

Publicity people can turn on you. I don't care how loyal you think they are. Making friends with other industry insiders isn't advised unless you know that person for at least five years! The same goes for any other industry peers. You need to maintain your professional edge all of the time with everyone, even when out in social situations.

I recently ran into a junior AR who was mortified when her drunken client rant from an industry night went on YouTube and then was sent directly to her client account. "But the video was on my personal FB page," was her explanation to me. Really? And she didn't think the guy from the competing company - the one who wants her client account- wouldn't swipe it off her personal page and pull this trick? Remember, not everyone is PRSA certified!

Always be friendly but professional when working- even at social "after work" events!

Until Monday (yes, there isn't a blog tomorrow- Happy Halloween),

Velma Trayham

JustReachOut.com is ruining PR?!

 I recently read an article in TechCrunch about the power of PR and how it is a dying industry. Is it? PR is actually bigger than ever. PR companies are popping up all over the world and tech companies are offering more and more PR services to clients who can’t afford a true PR firm. So, yes – I think businesses like JustReachOut.com are killing business for some PR firms, but not all of them.

JustReachOut.com is a supposed easy way to pitch business to reporters. Well, it can be but there is still work involved. Additionally, these pitches often don’t contain media value. So, while the website gives business owners access to clippings within the same industry, an untrained person will not have the same impact pitching the reporter vs. a true publicist.  While this trend may be fashionable now, with tech companies making DIY PR easy, it isn’t going to sustain itself.

I don’t want aspiring publicists to become discouraged in the middle of this tech meets publicity culture.  You are valued, needed and businesses will always need public relations. If you lose a client to a DIY opportunity, such as JustReachOut.com, the client didn’t have the money to sustain your services long term. It was meant to happen and you need to move on and find better clients who know it takes money to make money are who are truly interested in obtaining press.

I hope you take this information to heart on this Monday,

Coco the CEO 

Can't wait for tonight! 1st ever Go DJ Awards in Houston!

(Houston TX- June 2014) GO DJ HIP HOP | ENTERTAINMENT RED CARPET AWARD SHOW. HONORING HOUSTON’S TOP 30 IN MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA.

The Largest  Go DJ Hip Hop| Entertainment Awards Show "Houston Edition" will take place in Houston,Texas, Monday July 21st 2014. This event is presented by Go DJ HI-C which is in fact the CEO of a global DJ Coalition called the Go DJ'S with over 250 Dj Members worldwide.

Fox 26 News Reporter Isiah Carey , Rapper Bun B, entertainment Attorney Carl Moore  are just a few  of the thirty business and entertainment professionals being honored at the first annual Go DJ Hip Hop Entertainment Awards.
We have a great turnout already. HBO and Comedy Central comic Ali Saddiq is the MC and the group of professionals we are honoring truly represent Houston’s spirit and energy,” Our invited guests and VIP presenters are receiving letters this week with special red carpet instructions. It is going to be a blast!”

ThinkZILLA PR Group, a Houston-based company with locations In Atlanta and Beverly Hills,California  will manage media and coordinate the event.  Not only does this bring attention to Houston’s business and entertainment talent, but it brings tourism into the city which equals tax dollars for local schools and outreach programs,” finished Trayham.

A full list of honoree’s may be requested  by emailing Velma@itsthinkzilla.com  The event starts at 6pm on Monday, July 21st of 2014, ending around 11pm. The award ceremony will take place at WAREHOUSE LIVE (Downtown Houston) 813 ST.EMANUAL ST. HOUSTON TEXAS 77003. Media credentials with red carpet access are available upon request.

Media Contact : prteam@itsthinkzilla.com or contact  Velma - 713-297-9122

Recovering From A Mistake.

It happens. We make a mistake and then we beat ourselves up about it.  Sometimes, however, others tend to continually beat us up over mistakes. Why? We are human. We should easily forgive as no one on Earth is perfect. It is hard to recover face from mistakes but it is possible. Here’s how; 

I tell everyone in business not to make immediate decisions after a mistake is made because they are usually rash decisions. Instead, don’t make any decisions for the next 24 hours.  Use this time to take a deep breath and let the emotional pain run its course. People now at days want to recover and cover quickly but that can lead to a bad situation becoming worse. There is no time limit on recovery so make sure you take the time to recover properly – not hurriedly. 

I also tell people to admit the mistake first versus being “found out.” Stating you know you screwed is lessens the possibility for speculation and gossip. Look at James Franco’s latest social media mistake. He publically asked a 17 year old girl out online. Did he run from it? No. Did he take down his Instagram account? No. Did he go on television and admit he made a mistake, yep! And his career isn’t harmed at all. 

Here’s the link to the James Franco video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWQGECiTpOE

My point today is to take things slow as far as reacting as long as you admit you made the mistake. Get ahead of the mistake and you are ahead of the game.

Coco the CEO