Increase Your PR Revenue in 2015

Today I want to offer some basic tips that can help your PR company generate major dollars. First, don’t keep firing and hiring employees. Turnover costs more money than training or retraining an employee. It is actually more beneficial to invest in educating your current employees versus hiring and firing over and over again. Unless an employee committed and employment “sin”, try to work with him or her to help your own bottom line.

Don’t wanted 15% of your work week, which is the national average, on social media. You can delegate this work to an intern or a freelancer.  15% of your work week can be focused on seeking out and proposing new business leads versus working on social media. Writing blog posts and updating social media is important but a huge time water. Invest in someone else to do this for you so you can go after bigger business.

Finally, reward your customers. Find a way to give customers a reason to stay with you. Repeat business is important and easier to obtain than finding new business. If you have to give away a free Starbucks to a customer every month or pay for their business cards to be printed, do it. Do whatever it takes to keep old business- even if it comes to discounting a service or a product. In the end, you will make more money using this system.

Money is why we work.  If you are not making as much as you can each day then what is it that you are doing?

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

The Networking Event... Is It A Waste of Time?

I blurted out laughing in line at my favorite coffee house today. Why? Well, I heard someone discussing how terrible they felt about heading to a marketing conference next week. He didn't want to do the "go team" thing during any conference activities because - frankly- "that stuff doesn't apply in my day-to-day operations."  His honestly was brutal, his candor made me laugh, and he was 100% right!

Here's the thing, conferences don't have to be a waste of time. Networking events can benefit you. The trick is to know how to navigate these activities.

If you don;t head into a conference thinking about what you will not learn, chances are you will capitalize on the extra time (yes, away from your desk and your clients) to do the following;

Meet new people and potential new employees
Hear amazing speakers and generate ideas for your firm
Crystallize strategies you may have been considering
Forge partnerships with other co-managing PR firms
Learn about new technologies and figure out how to be ahead of your competition
Un-learn bad habits - which happens
Create a notebook full of smart tactics to take back to the office and implement

I think life is all about attitude. Sure, the things learned at conferences will not always fit into your day-to-day operations' plan. But, if you implement them correctly, they can elevate your business overall.

Until Monday,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

2 “Must Have” Traits for Today’s PR Leadership Needs

In the public relations business it is essential that you are able to lead a group. From leading clients through a rebranding campaign to heading up a multi-media press junket at the Academy Awards, you are expected to do it all!

This said, there are two “must have” leadership traits that make or break a public relations account rep. What are they? Being transparent and operating in real time. 

I can’t talk enough about transparency. It is crucial that you never lie, exaggerate or over promote yourself or your clients to the media. They can smell BS.  When leading a client or the press, be honest with them. Don’t over hype, don’t fudge the truth, don’t mimic someone else’s campaign.  If your client has a weak spot, address it right up front and then play up his or her other positive points. This is the definition of great leadership- knowing when to tell the truth and knowing how to not lie but play up other points.

Secondly, be on time with your media delivery. It is very hard to promote anything in advance with today’s 24/7 social media culture. You need to monitor Twitter and Instagram almost second by second. Thus, to lead, make sure you are using real time examples and headlines to pitch your clients or you will be dead in the water, as will be your company.

I hope these two simple, yet important tips, help you amplify your leadership skills.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO 

Specific PR

What is specific public relations? If you have a ground breaking product that can’t be enveloped into the mainstream media, you have to generate interest without a market. Thus, you have to specifically work harder to get media attention and convince the press that your new, revolutionary product isn’t a flash in the pan.

How do you do this? Well, there isn’t a secret recipe but I do have two fail-safe tips.

1.       Read all the semi-related industry publications you can.  For example, if you developed a new software product then it is best to read computer magazines and technology publications.  You have to know what reporters and writers you can go after based on their reviews and past articles. If you know one reporter hates new software products, don’t waste your time pitching him or her.  Get a game plan together simply by reading all the semi-related industry publications.

2.       Don’t BS reporters or overhype your product.   You will find that journalists have excellent “bullshit detectors”. If they know you’re stretching the truth, they may wright a poor review or simply send out an email to their peers not to cover your pitches. Thus, be up front with reporters and be yourself. If you over spin something, especially with a specific pr pitch, you will burn chances.

I hope these two tips help you shape a plan and formulate a strategy for your one-of-a-kind product. Have more questions?

Connect with me on social media or book me for a consultation!

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

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 

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

PR on the Weekend

As a publicist, you are like a doctor. You are always on call- even on your “off” days. Client emergencies come up, news doesn’t stop, etc. So, how do you step away from your role as a publicist until you get that crisis communication call?

Well, I have a few tips for stepping outside the publicist role until you do get that phone call.

1.       Shut your phone off when you go out with family and friends. They need your attention. Shutting your phone off for an hour or three will not end the world- I promise. So, shut the phone off and cut yourself off from email, text messages, social media updates and enjoy some “me” time.

2.       Make sure you never respond to a client when it isn’t an emergency during your days off. If you start responding on your days off to minor issues, etc.-  your clients will always expect you to do this. You are setting yourself up to work 24/7 which isn’t great because this actually lowers productivity levels.

3.       Don’t offer advice to friends in the business during days off.  PR people tend to hang out together. Don’t talk shop when at the movies, etc. It will be hard, but plan those conversations for coffee work dates during the week. A) You can write off the coffee expense and B) You are at work when it is appropriate to talk shop. Talking about work with PR friends on off time brings stress to the forefront of your mind and, in this case, you should just go sit in your office the rest of the day!

Try to use these tips and enjoy your time off this weekend.

I will be back blogging on Monday and Tuesday next week and then enjoying some “me time” away from the blog until July 7^th.

Coco the CEO

“Yuck” – These 3 Phrases Make You Sound Stupid!

Here is the thing, I hate when people don’t use words and phrases properly. Not only is this ineffective, it makes them look stupid.  I go to many meetings. Here are three phrases I would encourage everyone to stop using right now because they are worn out and make you look dumb.

Let me start with “synergy”, which is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines as "the increased effectiveness that results when two or more people or businesses work together.” Duh! This means anyone who works together on a project possesses synergy. I know plenty of people who work together and results of a project are increased but have no synergy. In fact, they backstab and claw at one another.

Second is “peel back the layers of an onion”. Are we working at Outback Steak House? What onion? What layers? If we need to remove layers to identify a goal or an outcome then the problem isn’t the onion- the problem is the people wanting to “peel back”!  There is no onion.  Call a duck a duck and start moving forward.

Finally, “can I be honest”. This basically means that anything else you say without this phrase in front of it is either a lie or a horrible exaggeration. People should always be on the receiving end of honesty – especially in business. Don’t use this phrase. It makes you look stupid and like a liar!

Do you have a business phrase that gets under your skin? Share it with me. I can’t wait to read your comments.

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