Marketing VS. PR- What's the better value?

Marketing people have to shop products and services and pay attention to statistics and ad buys. PR people work with media outlets to help the public understand and spread a "word of mouth" campaign to promote products and services. Yes, this is the difference and yes- these two fields / industries have to work together but also as separate entities. 

Recently, there has been a mesh of these two industries. And while I agree that there are now four segments of publicity (paid, perceived, social, and traditional), there are also four segments of marketing (paid, perceived, social, and statistical). 

The problem I see with new PR people seeking my help is a "one size fits all" attitude.  You can't do it all. You need to stick to one side of the field and work closely with either your publicist or marketing counterpart-especially if you have multiple clients!

Spreading yourself too thin is becoming a big problem, especially in the publicity and marketing industries. So, as you head into this week- make sure you are not spreading yourself too thin. Make sure you are staying on your side of the field in order to best serve your clients.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham 

The Types of PR... Who Are Your Clients?

There is a difference between celebrity PR, branding PR and corporate / business PR. Most people don’t understand how important corporate / business PR is.  Many believe a press release should only go out when a new product / service is launched. Well, that is true but it shouldn’t be the cornerstone of your PR campaign.

Internal PR relations is often overlooked when companies hire a PR firm. There are crisis communication needs, Board of Director and investor relations that have to be properly navigated, and there is employee morale via company newsletters, email statements, etc.  This component of company / business PR is expensive, needed and continuous. So, why do many companies overlook it?

Simple. Ignorance. When you launch a company – don’t always bank on the media to be your best advocate. Your employees are. They talk about the company and their employment experience to others as much as any member of the media. So, it is important to accurately communicate with your team. There are also legal issues as to what and how things are communicated. Thus, many of us PR professionals work on a day-to-day basis with legal team, a fact often not known by the general business community.

If you are seeking to open up a business, or improve your company’s standing, anytime soon- think about this area of public relations and then call me! I am happy to provide a quote on my services.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

PR At Its Roots

Public relations is about managing the media and developing a brand. It isn’t about making someone famous through managing appearances or mingling with celebrities – which is one of the biggest misconceptions to date. 

Public relations professionals don’t book work or appearances outside of media interviews, talent or literary agents do this. Public relations professionals book media appearances based on what a client is doing. If you have to do the work for your client and then get them media interviews – there is a problem with the client. This said, below are my top 3 common PR mistakes.

1. It is two different things entirely to pitch news your clients force you to pitch against your better judgment and pitch something to a reporter without the thought of you believing it is news in the first place. Yes, pitching what a client thinks is newsworthy doesn’t make it so. You need to educate your clients on this or your company will be reflected in the mistake as much as the client.

2. Your timeline isn’t what the press cares about. In fact, you need to care what the media’s timelines are. I recently read this piece of advice and couldn’t agree more. “Let’s say you are sending a Christmas wish list to a monthly magazine. When do you send that pitch? October? August? Try June or July. If not, tell your client to wait until next year or focus on weekly trades. Editorial calendars change sometimes but lead times do not. Know the deadlines first, and know not to call a reporter when he or she is buried under one second.”

3. Know the news. Everyone thinks their clients are special, and they are. However, you will not get your clients picked up by every single news outlet. In fact, for every 500 outlets pitched, expect a 3% return and not right away. Remember, editorial calendars exist!

As you move forward into your PR career, you will create connections that will make it easier for you to pick up the phone and bump competing press agents and their stories. Until then, follow the rules and don’t make these 3 major mistakes.

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

The Different Faces of PR

There is a difference between celebrity PR, branding PR and corporate / business PR. Most people don’t understand how important corporate / business PR is.  Many believe a press release should only go out when a new product / service is launched. Well, that is true but it shouldn't be the cornerstone of your PR campaign.

Internal PR relations is often overlooked when companies hire a PR firm. There are crisis communication needs, Board of Director and investor relations that have to be properly navigated, and there is employee morale via company newsletters, email statements, etc.  This component of company / business PR is expensive, needed and continuous. So, why do many companies overlook it?

Simple. Ignorance. When you launch a company – don’t always bank on the media to be your best advocate. Your employees are. They talk about the company and their employment experience to others as much as any member of the media. So, it is important to accurately communicate with your team. There are also legal issues as to what and how things are communicated. Thus, many of us PR professionals work on a day-to-day basis with legal team, a fact often not known by the general business community.

If you are seeking to open up a business, or improve your company’s standing, anytime soon- think about this area of public relations and then call me! I am happy to provide a quote on my services.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham 

1 “MUST” Tip for Breaking the Ice with A Member of the Press

Publicists don’t have a magic wand in their desk drawer. Their relationships with the media come from a long line of pitching, meeting in person, bugging, sending over holiday cards, repeating this process without feeling rejected, and then repeating it again. It gets easier as time passes and you prove yourself as a publicist, too.  

This said, I wanted to share one key thought (or magic want maneuver) today when it comes to breaking the ice with a much sought after member of the press. If you can’t crack a relationship (or even a smile) from a press agent, implement the Tripe R method. This method consists of Respect (1), Reliability (2), and Response (3).  

First, you have to respect the demand on journalists today. Many people blog for free and get paid by ads or PPC campaigns- not media resources.  This said, budgets are tight and reporters have more responsibilities along with a skeleton staff due to cutbacks. Traditional media is competing with a heavy freelance community. If you call a reporter once during the day, leave it. Don’t call four or five times. Don’t send emails throughout the day. Don’t trample on their time. Be respected and also make sure what you’re pitching is included in their assignments category, otherwise you’re just being annoying.

Second, be reliable. This means not exaggerating facts or shoving hype when speaking with a reporter. If a member of the press can learn to trust you as a resource, you will have them knocking at your door- not the other way around. So remember, never lie to the media to get press attention. It will backfire.

Finally, be responsive. If you can’t respond to any member of the press within 5 minutes of the day or night (and anytime of the day or night) you can say goodbye to your client’s story / interview and the relationship with the reporter. Most members of the press work long hours and are usually up late finishing stories. They may send you an urgent email at 1am asking you to verify a fact. Do it. Be available at all times to the media as this is part of your job as a publicist.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

Instagram Leads 2015 for PR Clients

I can’t tell you how many of my PR clients are lost when they show up in my office. They have either been burned by a bad publicist or they have been trying to DIY it.  While a pro, like me, has to reign things in and rebuild or brand from the bottom up, there is one app that I tell my clients to use and to use frequently. It’s Instagram.

Now, people seem to be hooked on Pinterest and not Instagram. The opposite should be true.  Pinterest works great as an intention book or a quick recipe share with a deep link. It is popular for hairdressers and retailers as a way to engage with their clients. From a personal branding perspective, Instagram is better for converting a fan base that TRULY follows you.  You can have all the social media accounts in the world but if you’re not using them properly, and you’re not converting ‘Likes’ to business, why bother?

Instagram means brand loyalty and brand loyalty means business, maybe not as immediate ROI- but it will cultivate leads that eventually turn to business. Pinterest, however, is for sharing pretty pictures and recipes.  Many tech savvy journalists agree with me. Instagram is still beating Pinterest as one of the top phone apps to use for business in 2015. If you don’t already have Instagram, and you’re not actively using it, you’re already that far behind. The good news it is isn’t too late to join the game.

You can’t outsource Instagram either. I take that back, you can- but it defeats the point. Content and marketing can be outsourced for Google+, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Instagram demands more of your time because it is a social engagement app. Your followers want a peak into your life, not a marketing update!

So, ask yourself if you’re active on Instagram. If not, download the app right now and start posting!

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA