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

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

The Publicist Interview

There are times when your client(s) should not give an interview. Often, you will be required to give an interview, or make a statement, to the media.  While us PR people know what advise to give to our clients when handling the media, are we able to do the same? Nerves can get the best of anyone, after all - we are human. So, how do you, a publicist, give a great interview on behalf of a client?

Here are some tips;

1. Don't jump into the interview. Ask for the reporter to meet you 30 min. prior to the interview so he or she can go over a brief history and what is new and up to date. This will help you develop a back and forth with the reporter and shake the nerves out.

2. Drive the conversation, don't answer questions. This is a big mistake for PR people because we are so used to providing facts and figures. If your client is, let's say, on trial- no comment isn't going to work. Here's an example of a great response to driving a conversation versus answering a question.

Reporter: Do you think your client is guilty?

** Don't answer 'No', instead say;

You: Of course not! I believe everyone has the right to due process and, while I know assumptions will be made, appreciate you giving me an opportunity to address the charges.  My client and I's concern is to catch whomever did this and to fully comply with police.  Has your newspaper received any tips?

Yo want to be long-winded. You want to ask as many questions as you answer. You want to be friendly and likeable.  Sticking with yes and no answers isn't always the best thing to do in crisis communication mode.

3. Research your reporter. If you can site certain alike coverage, you will gain the reporter's vanity card and be able to request edits easier, etc. Remember, PR is still a game of strategy.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital has hired Burson-Marsteller

I recently read all the nasty brand hitting Burson-Marsteller  is taking on behalf of its new client,  Texas Health Presbyterian. Wow, what some PR agents have to go through.

Typically, medical clients are a hard sell for the publicity teams who represent them. But, it doesn't have to be this way. In life, there are always exceptions to the rule. While Burson-Marsteller has an uphill battle for its client (which hired a PR firm way late in the game), all is not lost.

I'm sure Burson-Marsteller is going to implement these two rules (below), so why am I sharing them with you? Well, they are PR secrets that only season professionals implement during a time of crisis. Since this is a learning blog, it is important for me to share with both clients and professionals what steps need to be taken during these situations.

First, state a positive position on non-paying clients. Why? Well, there are already racist accusations and poor-hating statements on social media. The medical group needs to make a public statement on how it handles patients with no insurance and cite examples of its quality-control committee reviews in relation to paying (insured) and non-paying patients. This is damage control 101.

Second, host a town hall meeting with employees. Reporters are going to seek out employees to comment. Smart reporters are not going to the PR firm at this point. They want quotes - even if anonymous- to support sensationalized headlines. Reporters will find disgruntled employees to speak with before contacting the medical firm's pr team.   A town hall meeting can help address what would happen if non-aligned statements or concerns leak to the media before internal resources.

Cover ups shouldn't happen, but accidents do. Handling these situations from a media perspective can be a challenge. Remember, control the message and accentuate the positives.

Until Monday,

Velma Trayham

What Would Velma Do?

I want to start a series called "WWVD?" - basically, What Would Velma Do!  I get many, many questions throughout the day on branding and publicity. I want to reserve this series to every Friday. So, let's jump right into it!

Today's question is as follows, "Hey Velma, What do you do when your clients don't understand how to navigate Twitter?"

Answer- simple, education. Many publicists assume their clients know as much, or at least 50%, of them. This isn't true and you have to remember this. Unfortunately, many publicist don't educate their clients on what they are doing and why. First, you should always do this so your clients know your value. Second, you should do this so your clients know what they shouldn't do. I recently had a client who would post on Twitter about their services.... over and over again. This isn't going to get any traction as far as the brand itself and there is no ROI coming from these types of posts. So, I called the client and educated him on how to use Twitter and why.

So, today's thought is aimed at education. When you educate your clients on how to do certain things, or why you're doing certain things a certain way, you prove your value.

Until Monday,

Velma Trayham

The Smart Publicist

Being a publicist means you will have very little time to attend to yourself, but you need to.  I wanted to cover starting the day out to nurture yourself before you head to work to go to bat for others. So, here it goes!

First, you need to wake up 15 minutes earlier tomorrow than you did today. Why? To workout. Even if you already head to the gym at a different point in the day, wake up early and do 15 minutes (no more, no less) of jogging or walking around the neighborhood - whatever. Make sure you add this to your routine because it shakes off any extra glasses of wine from the night before, as well as helps to get the creative juices flowing.

Second, say two things out loud that you will get accomplished today. Why? Self affirmation is very powerful. People will screw up your schedule to be quite frank about things, just ask any PR employee. If you say two things out loud in the morning that you need and will get down, chances are they will be accomplished regardless of any schedule interruptions.

Finally, knock off any phone or in-person meetings that don't need to happen. People tend to spend more time talking about doing things vs. actually doing them. Meetings are a huge distraction in many cases. If a meeting isn't going to accomplish a decision during its capacity, skip it or cancel it. You should only call or attend meetings that 1.) stay within the time frame scheduled and 2.) will accomplish something by the end of the meeting. Discussion meetings are not needed. You can shoot a short email to a group of people and read their feedback in less time then it takes to actually walk to a meeting or call into one.

I hope this information helps you get ahead on what can be a great work week!

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

The “Magic Wand” of Publicity.

 PR people have to focus on a few key elements in order to even start thinking about launching a publicity campaign.  Marketing, branding and media communications are the obvious three biggies when it comes to creating a publicity campaign, but do you know what the magic wand ingredient is?  Logo identification!

Now, the psychology of blue in social media (such as on a website or advertising) isn’t good. It makes people feel indifferent about you and your company. People will often not pay someone who has a blue website. However, the ironic part of this is light blue logos do well. The key is to pair the light blue logo with a red and white website or even a yellow and white website – or any type of design collateral.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Skype all incorporate blue within their logo.  They also do this with their personal websites, which aren’t money makers per say. They make money from appealing to advertisers with numbers and data, not because they are concerned about drawing customers in based on web design and content.

Light blue is the magic wand of branding publicity. It isn’t the best color for websites that are introducing customers to a brand or encouraging customers to buy something. It isn’t a color that should be used on a website to gain trust with people, either.

So, if you want to power up your social media and online branding presence from a PR perspective – work on your logo and your website. Add in light blue to the logo and take out light blue from the website (unless you are pairing it up with yellow or white, which brings about a positive and more financially driven emotion within customers).

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 

When clients make PR mistakes.

 I often fear taking on new clients. Why? Well, in our industry we have three different types of clients. First, you have the overly involved clients who want to speak with you daily and know when you are and aren’t working on their accounts. Then you have the “I don’t care” clients who pay on time, barely speak with you, and are busy doing everything but updating their PR team with news. Finally, you have the self-sabotage clients (the third group). While there are many pros and cons associated with the first two groups I mentioned, the third group is the one to look out for.

 Why the third group is dangerous; the "parental-fixation" syndrome. What is it? Parental-fixation syndrome is when you become so focused on your company, product or service that you forget a bigger world exists out there. The third group of clients have this syndrome and, for them, everything in their lives deserves a media release and contains press value. When things don’t get picked up, they want to know where you magic wand is (or worse)! I hate to say this, but there are many publicists who also have this syndrome. How? Well, it can show up when you treat reporters as if their sole purpose is to tell your story. In reality, most of the time the media will be only slightly (if at all) interested in your news or what your clients have to say.

I am writing all of this under the title of “When clients make PR mistakes” because it is important, for us publicists anyway, to inform clients about the realities of day-to-day publicity efforts and what their reasonable expectations need to be. If not, the mistakes your clients make (especially in group three) will leave you with unhappy clients.  Communication is key. Neither group one or two will be a perfect client. You have to let clients know upfront what will be expected of them in the contract for services as far as communication goes. With group three, you need to be extra careful about over promising and under delivering.

All this said, clients can make mistakes about their involvement and PR assumptions. Not information your clients about the realities of PR is a common publicity mistake. Please take this information and learn from it.

Until next time,

Coco the CEO 

Visual Press Releases Are In.

 The way the world “does content” is changing daily.  Content will always be king, but how the content is presented is evolving. The new thing is the visual press releases. Thanks to social media, an average reader switches to a new trending topic every three minutes.  Most press releases are 300-400 words, which means about 5 minutes of reading time is required. If you aren’t writing a press release for a journalist, you need to consider visual press releases.

Now, there are two types of press release. The type that is pitched to journalists for actual media pickup and then the type that is sent off into social media land for public “buzz” pickup. Each type of press release serves a different purpose and a different audience.

With the public press release, you need visualization to overcome the three minute rule.  Images are  handy when you share your press release on social media – they’ll automatically generate an image preview, which, as you saw from the stats above, increases the likelihood of engagement. Make sure you own the images before you use them to avoid legal issues and public outrage- yes, this can happen.

Videos need to be used and they need to be under 15 seconds. This does not mean put a voiceover ontop of a stock photo. Instead, really use a company spokesperson in a fun and exciting way. Finally, create fun and clear infographics. You should have these easily downloadable on your website, too.  Infographics are cheap to develop and can really take your public press release viral.

My point on today’s blog is to go visual. Be bold, be loud, be press and public ready with all of your messages.

Until next time,

Coco the CEO

PR and Charlie Sheen

 Charlie Sheen knows how to generate media value without doing anything. Look at his recent Taco Bell run-in.  He obtained tons of media pickup without presenting anything of media value. Why is this? Well, the Charlie Sheen brand spent the last 25+ years building upon one legal issue and one drug problem after another. So, anytime Charlie does something outrageous, he generates his own level of media value.

For brands starting out, it will take years to generate Charlie Sheen level media value.  I’m not always sure his media value presents anything that interesting, either. I mean, he went to Taco Bell drunk. Why does this gain over $200k in media coverage? We know why but I guess I’m frustrated, as a  publicist, that the coverage comes so quickly to nonsense.

Charlie Sheen’s media value should be sought after, don’t get me wrong. However, this media value power should be used for something good once it is obtained.  Look at actor Mark Ruffalo. He has the same level of self-generated media value, only he uses his value to bring attention to serious social and global issues.

I want everyone to think about this today when considering how you build your own, or your clients’, brands. Once you arrive at Charlie Sheen level, will you use your media value power for good? If so, why not start implementing those steps now?

Until next time,

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

Public Relations Ethics

Does your company employ a code of ethics for your Account Reps? If not, you need to have your attorney write one up as soon as possible and get the signatures of the Account Reps obtained. You see, there is often a grey area when it comes to publicity and certain areas of gifting, tickets, event attendance, etc.  There are two major associations that oversea ethics, and you don’t want to get on their bad side!

This said, and with regards to information, ensure your code of ethics includes the following;

1.       Preserve the integrity of the process of communication. This means you should be honest and accurate in all communications.  You need to act promptly to correct erroneous communications for which the practitioner is responsible and preserve the free flow of unprejudiced information when giving or receiving gifts by ensuring that gifts are nominal, legal, and infrequent.

2.       Compete fairly among other professionals preserves. This means to promote respect and fair competition among public relations professionals. This also means free and open competition without deliberately undermining a competitor.

3.       Finally, ensure a conflict of interest doesn’t exist. This means you will avoid actions and circumstances that may appear to compromise good business judgment or create a conflict between personal and professional interests. You have to disclose promptly any existing or potential conflict of interest to affected clients or organizations. You also have to ask and encourage clients and customers to determine if a conflict exists after notifying all affected parties.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

Public Relations Boom Booms

Ever get a work boom boom? Not sure what this is? It is a minor mistake that isn’t going to get you fired by a client, but it will lessen your reputation with them. Well, as publicist this can happen to us- even though we spend the majority of our time preventing and even recovering our clients from the exact same thing. So, how as publicists do we use our own tools and take our own advice?

First, treat the situation as a minor hiccup. Don’t make a bigger deal than it is worth. Step away from the problem for 24 hours so you can think of the recovery plan from an objective point of view.

Second, know you don’t have to respond right away, if at all. We have to respond quickly on behalf of our clients. There is now rule, however, stating we owe ourselves or anyone else an immediate explanation for a minor hiccup. Again, the first step will help you evaluate if you need to address the issue and if so, how.

Last, move on. This is the hardest step of all for us PR people. We tend to harp on details. Let small mistakes go as we are all human. Let’s say you had a spelling error in a press release. It happens. Move on. If you totally put in another client’s name on that same release- well, that’s more than a hiccup. So address yourself, potentially address the situation and then move on with dignity.

We all make mistakes. Boom booms happen. Recovery is what keeps real PR professionals moving forward.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

The New Business Owner, Common Mistakes

  I own several businesses. I started and sold businesses and I’ve learned from past failures- hey, it is a part of entrepreneurship.  What business owners need to understand is there are three massive entrepreneur mistakes often made during the first four to five years of ownership. To avoid setting yourself up for your own created downfall continue reading and learn from these points. 

1. You decide that you don’t need SCORE. Why? Most business owners miss this opportunity thinking it is a complicated process or a waste of time. It’s not. Here’s the link: http://www.score.org/ I recommend SCORE as a great way to really look at your business model before you go out into the business world. Seasoned professionals will give you the God’s honest truth about your company and what you’re missing. 

2. You can’t do everything yourself. Many business owners believe they can and will attempt to do this as a way to save money.  You don’t know everything, you could be missing something, and spreading yourself too think is a recipe for disaster. Get interns, hire freelancers, get creative – do whatever you need to do to bring on help- period! 

3. Your growth is stunted. So many business owners focus on starting a business that they fail to write a growth plan after the first year. If your business is still around after 365 days, congrats! Now it is time to write that growth plan and then follow it.

Make sure you really consider these three concepts as we head into Wednesday. 

Until next time, 

Coco the CEO  

Are You The B-Word?

I was in line at a coffee house and I heard two guys classify their female boss as the B-word. The conversation grabbed my attention. As I listened to their complaints, I could tell their boss was described right. But, I thought it was funny how I immediately started to think about the way men clarify women business owners. I jumped to a discrimination accusation before I heard the entire conversation.

Calling attentive and smart women the B-word is a problem. However, what about the women who embrace this title? Is pushing someone on your staff a good thing? The more the men in line spoke, I realized it wasn’t. They resented her. They went out of their way to do their duties without going the extra mile for her. Had she not been so demanding and so hard on them, these two men probably would have embraced her leadership and gave her more as far as creativity and productivity are concerned.

I grabbed my coffee and I moved on. Here’s the thing. I want you to go into this weekend realizing being a tough doesn’t mean you have to be the B-word. In fact, being harsh is probably going to get you less from your employees than presenting what you need in a nicer manner.

Until Monday,

Coco the CEO

How to Stay On Your Game!

People ask me all the time about staying on your game in business. Who has time to really go focus on networking when you have a business to run, right?! Wrong! Here are my three tips to staying on your game.

1. Try to meet one new person every single day. Yes, you never know who you are going to meet so make sure to introduce yourself to one new person at your local coffee store or in your office complex daily.

2. Spend 15 minutes each and every day doing something you hate. Why? It helps you grow your problem solving skills when faced with a challenge.

3. Share photos of your goals on social networks. Yes, your goals. Working for retirement? Share photos of places you want to retire. Working on becoming famous? Share your writing, music, etc. on these mediums. Why? Sure, the posts tell people about you but, more importantly, they work as self-affirmation and keep you on track towards these goals.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

How to write a proper press release.

If you are going to attempt to write your own, or your company's own, press release there are a few rules you need to be aware of. While I always suggest having a professional within the public relations industry assist you, I understand not everyone has the budget to accommodate this need. First, understand every press release you send out will not be picked up by a media sources. It is the nature of the reporting and broadcast game. Go into your press publication efforts with a realistic strategy.

The first element of writing a good press release is to ensure it is newsworthy. DD news that is relevant to you is not always relevant to the media. For example, if you are a real estate agent who just sold a multi-million dollar home that might be significant to you but it may mean nothing to the media or industry – specific media. However, if you just sold a multi-million dollar home that was once old by Robert Redford and a media in 53, which is very different than a press release, may be warranted. Of course, you would have to get the permission of Robert Redford and the new homeowner.

The next element of writing a good press releases to understand that a press release should not be of a promotional nature. Many novice public relations professionals make this mistake. A good press release reads like stereo instructions, not an advertisement. You also want to look of Associated Press style, otherwise known as AP style. Writing with good for is a plus in the eye of any reporter. If you use the sales copy for a non-– AP format, regardless of how newsworthy your press release may be – it will not be picked up.

Finally, understand the elements of a press release, which are; the headline, the restatement by line, the day, the introduction paragraph which restates how the headline is relevant to the byline and includes any immediately where further information can be found, a supportive paragraph – which should include further details in the event that a reporter does not click on the immediately, a quote – quote can be from the media agency putting out the press release, a client or relevant party directly related to the press release for yourself, a recap paragraph that is not redundant – this is hard to do but necessary, and a boilerplate. A boilerplate is simply who, what, when, where, why and needed details about the source putting out the press release and for the subject matter of the press release.

So, remember when you are writing your press release to check Google news. If what you are writing about isn't trending or relevant within your own industry for the national spotlight, you need to rethink your angle for your product. Also, remember that formatting is key – journalists are very busy people and sticklers for details.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

3 Apps Every Business Owner Should Have in 2014

Apps are such an amazing tool. I promise you 2014 is the year of the business app. So many business owners are utilizing this tool to grow business and keep customers loyal. If you love apps as much as I do then keep reading! I’ve listed the top 3 apps for business owners in 2014.

#1. Uber. This app helps you connect to other business owners, clients, staff- whoever. So, what is it? A personal driver of course! The link is below. Yes, Uber connects you with transportation anywhere in the world without a hassle. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uber/id368677368?mt=8

#2. FedEx Office. This app is one of the most helpful on-the-go apps for entrepreneurs. You are able to quickly and easily send files, documents or photos through the app to your nearest FedEx location to be printed or made into a beautiful presentation. The best part? You can upload files directly from Google Drive and DropBox! Here’s the link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fedex-office/id601452706?mt=8\

#3. Pocket. Always coming up with great ideas on the go? Not sure what to do with them? Use Pocket! This app saves all types of content - anything from a lengthy article to a work report -- to all your electronic devices. You can keep ideas fresh, content nearby, and re-inspire your self during review sessions! Here’s the link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-formerly-read-it-later/id309601447?mt=8

More business resources for you tomorrow!

Coco the CEO