My Fav PR Apps for 2015!

Let's face it... apps help keep us BUSY PR professionals on target and in the loop. I'm starting the second month of 2015 off with a list of my three favorite apps to keep business and PR pitches as organized as possible and without looking automated or unprofessional.

I'm listing my "Favs" below. Please connect with me by leaving a comment below this blog as to if you use any or all of these apps or what your favorite apps are.

1. PitchRate. This free service connects journalists with topic experts – such as small business owners – for free media coverage. HARO is good, but PitchRate delivers results!

2. Zemanta. Basically, this is a blog service on steroids. The service will index your marketing content for multiple Content Ad formats. It saves you tons of time and is worth signing up for.

3. Aminstitute.com. This clever website helps you develop the perfect headline for your next release or ad campaign. Oh, it is free too! You want to write in AP style, but you want to capture emotion- this website tool helps you do both.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham 

Writing Fails

I went to a PR conference in NYC recently. I was thinking about the conference the other day when I came across a poorly composed press release. I bowed my head and immediately thought of all of my peers at the conference who would laugh at this.  You see, writing separates the stringers from the professionals. No matter how many connections you have, if you can't write- you will fail. Period!

This said, I wanted to share the top 3 writing mistakes YOU need to avoid. If you don't, your peers will look at you like a stringer and you will not obtain any respect within the media relations field.

1. "At the end of the day"  - Do not ever use this. You should be able to write your point without having to point it out. If you have to write a "look at me" tag, the rest of your writing is fluff and journalists will hate it and laugh at it.

2. "I know you're busy" - If you're using this in a pitch or  a sales letter, slap yourself on the wrist. Everyone is busy. Writing this phrase just wastes more of the reader's time and it sounds corny. Avoid using this phrase at all costs.

3. "In this day in age" - Ok, first- we all assume that you are writing about the present. If not, why are you writing at all. The goal is to be media savvy and relevant. This phrase is ad copy and doesn't have a place in the PR world.

I hope this info helps you become a better writer and understand what separates the true professional from the wannabe.

I'm off tomorrow for the Federal holiday. The blog will return on Wednesday.

Until then,

Velma Trayham

PR’s Social Media Rules

Publicists love to toot their own horns. Well, that’s why they are publicists, right?! The problem with this is social media shouldn’t be about promotion, but more about engagement. Since most newbie PR pros are not navigating social media properly, I wanted to use today’s blog to clarify how to really rule in social media from a PR perspective.

First, use Vine to make a 6 second video for any news announcements. Not sure what Vine is? You’re further behind than first thought and should click here to learn more.  https://vine.co/

Next, use all other social media accounts to write a brief announcement that should cater to how people will benefit from it- not why they will care. For example, if you are releasing a new flavor of ice-cream- don’t announce it as your company releasing a new flavor. Instead, write “Chocolate lovers united! Velma’s Ice-cream adds Chocolate Devil flav. Option. Limited time only.”  In fact, if you find yourself writing more about you and your clients versus how the audience will benefit from the alert or release, it may be best to take a PR writing or social media writing course.

Finally, engage with those who care. Go through your followers and do random giveaways for products or promotions. This is the best and most low-cost way to ensure people are engaged with your brand using the element of surprise. Plus, when your brand is mentioned- you need to respond and respond quickly.

I hope these brief pointers have been helpful.  Don’t forget to engage with me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/cocotheceo

Coco the CEO

4 Pet Peeves of Publicists

Let’s get real. You hire a publicist because you are not a publicist! So, why then do you bug your publicist? This is a major complaint of anyone within public relations field – the know it all clients.  We are often now allowed to meet our capabilities as PR professions because we are so busy taking phone calls, reading emails and reviewing edits from clients. The truth is, the most a client stays out of our way, the better promoted he or she will be!

I took a poll among my peers for tonight’s blog. So, without further delay, here are four ways to annoy your publicist. If you can refrain from committing any or all of these four ‘pet peeves’ then you will have a happier publicist and a better chance for media coverage.

1.     Put me on Oprah and do it tomorrow. LOL, OK – and can I charge you more for this order?  If you're just starting a public relations campaign, don't expect to end up on the front page of the Times--or any major news outlet--by Friday. Media campaigns take time and you need to be aware of publication cycles. Just because you think you’re newsworthy doesn’t make it so. Give your PR team 6 months to a year to build up your brand.

2.     “When am I going to get an interview?” This is a common question for those new to the PR field. Again, things take time and sometimes breaking news happens or you are interviewed and the story is cut by an editor- or even the reporter. Stop calling your publicist on a daily, hourly or second-by-second basis asking when the interviews will start rolling in or why they were cut. You will receive a PR report. It will be accurate. Your PR team wants to be resigned based on their ability, but again – you have to get off email and phone attempts to pressure them so they can be on email and the phones with the press.

3.     Demanding. Oh, most PR people hate this. Don’t demand anything from your PR team unless you want to be put at the bottom of the ‘to do’ list re: your account.  You get a lot more with honey then you do with vinegar. Demanding reports early, copies of pitch reports early, or just being demanding in general gets under the skin of many PR agents because their job is already demanding enough.

4.     Expect results in 30 days or less. Again, PR is a process. According to one of my peers, “If a PR firm promises you dramatic results at the end of the month, they're not being honest. PR is a long game where relationships and brand awareness build over time.  Public relations is a valuable tool in any company's toolbox. It's important, however, to have realistic expectations about what public relations is and what it can do for your company. And you have to work with the PR team. If you are not following their recommendations and tips, you’re hurting your own brand and setting the PR team up for failure.”

Remember these points and help your publicist out!

Until next time,

Coco the CEO

Recovering from a crisis

I had a client get arrested this weekend. It was a simple misunderstanding, but it happened. At first, I wanted to panic. Not only is this person a client, he is a personal friend. I had to gain my composure and look at the situation from a business perspective instead of a personal one.

If you find yourself in crisis mode, my suggestion is to follow what I did this weekend. You need to disassociate emotionally from the situation in order to handle it methodically. This isn’t going to be easy and it will not be fun. However, your role as a business person- regardless if you are in the PR business or the food industry- is to address the situation head on, honestly and with integrity.

My biggest piece of advice for recovering from a professional crisis is to remain calm, composed and emotionally detached from the situation. Stay professional and approach everything with a plan. Don’t give immediate answers, don’t take bad news personally, and don’t react.

If you need more information on crisis management and communications please contact me. I am here to help.

Coco the CEO