3 Easy PR Tips

Someone asked me recently if I had a super tip that would blast them into PR wonderland. Well, I have 3 tips that everyone should know about PR and practice, but they aren’t going to “blast you into wonderland.” Publicity is a layered approach and it requires practice and the development of relationships. There is no such thing as overnight success- unless you’re only looking for 15 minutes of fame.

So, here are my 3 PR tips;

1. You need to be your own brand. Don’t let an interview, introduction, or any other opportunity go by without telling someone who you are, how you can help, and what your tag line is.

2. Your tag line should be a phrase that explains what you do and why you’re better! For example, Burger Kind’s is “Home of the Whopper”. They sell Whoppers. They are the only company that sells Whoppers. Period. BTW – There was no Whopper until Burger King branded it this way…..

3. Don’t stop selling – it’s not shameless to plug yourself, as long as you do it honorably. If you meet a radio show host, talk yourself up but do so in a way that he or she would see how having you would benefit the audience- not yourself. Remember, you have to solve a problem for someone in order to present media value. Often, this problem solving comes in the way of providing expertise or industry insight.


Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Writing Copy for the Media

I was thinking about the conference the other day when I came across a poorly composed press release.  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.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Overexposure 101

Overexposure is a very real thing. Publicists often have to walk a fine line when working with co-PR management (film, music, cross generational brands, etc.) to ensure that messaging and promotion is effective and not so heavy that fans or customers feel sickened by it.

Molly Tullis recently covered overexposure and I feel she captured it perfectly. She said, “In the summer of 2013, the Jennifer Lawrence love affair was at an all-time high. The Hunger Games had come out a year earlier, she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Role in the Silver Linings Playbook, and hit a home-run by saying all the right things about body image and young girls. But by December I was waiting for the imminent backlash. I didn’t have to wait long. Before she could cash her paycheck signed out to Katniss, Jennifer Lawrence was fielding reports that she was obnoxious, ‘everywhere’, and people were incredibly “sick and bored of her.” Ironic that a culture that had obsessively gorged on her girl-next-door charms felt sick soon after. Of course she was everywhere – we put her there. The same phenomenon happened with Reese Witherspoon and Anne Hathaway before her. We loved them, we put them on every cover, we give them sponsorships, and while they’re still walking red carpets, they’re consistently fielding comments such as: “I don’t know why… I just don’t like her.”

Here’s the thing- there is no measurement to predict overexposure. It has to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. If you look at Molly’s comments above, think about Jared Leto. He won the Oscar. He is in a successful band. He has his own streaming company for entertainers. He is practically everywhere and yet- he has no overexposure risk. I think this is because he is collectively evenly spread out (as a brand) across different mediums that cater to different audiences.

My point tonight is this, pay attention to your measurements and what audiences are saying on social media. The moment whispers start to turn south, pull interviews and reevaluate your publicity plan.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

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

Avoiding A Social Media PR Crisis

My number one rule for other publicists is to align yourself with the right thinking and the right brands from the get-go. It doesn't matter how broke you are, aligning with the wrong client can harm you financially in the long-run. I say this because promotions sync with social media, which syncs with you - the brand. Poorly executed launches for clients or clients that will not listen can reflect on your social media accounts and lead to your very own social media crisis!

Before you line up your brand with anther creative team, or a client, you should understand that there are real laws in place to help protect the public from brand bending, which can also harm you and cause you a social media crisis.

For example;

• Did you know employees and clients have the right to bash their employer on social media? Yep, if it is a money issue or a conditions issue, it is legal. And the current or former employee or client can discuss wages, hours and working conditions.
• Did you know that if a public relations persons Tweets on behalf of their employer without disclosing their "employee" status, your client can be fined up to $11,000 per incident?
• Did you know it’s illegal to buy fake reviews and/or fake followers on social networks and plenty of companies have been fined upwards of $250,000 for this?

The list goes on and on........

Don't sit around and allow clients to misalign your brand causing a social media PR crisis. At the same time, don't get caught up in a client's social media game, either. If you know they are buying fake reviews, walk away from the contract. If you know they are posting issues that can cause both you and themselves harm, walk away from the contract.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Leading The PR Way

I was recently asked how I became the leader of my industry. Well, thank you! I love being thought of as the industry leader. But, there is always more to learn and more work to be done. This is why my advice for anyone wondering how to become a leader within their industry is to meet regularly. Yes, touch base with your team. Delegating is a tool to use, not a form of leadership. Don’t let delegating tasks replace regular meetings.

Eric Holtzclaw of Lean Forward recently said,”regular meetings create structure, cohesion and a sense of community. They force accountability, not only for the individuals being assigned tasks or providing updates, but for the leader as well. Regular cross-department meetings encourage communication and learning about what others are doing. Well-run meetings are where strengths and weaknesses are identified faster and improved upon.”

I couldn’t agree more. Mico-managing is not a bad thing. If an employee doesn’t like to be micro-managed, they usually are hiding something. Either they lack accountability, don’t want to be part of the team and the constant meetings irk them, or a whole host of other issues exists. Either way, you’re the boss and you decide how work goes down, right?!

You can’t run a business without checking in and having meetings. You can do this virtually now which means you can take a half hour phone call to get updates from the golf course. You can still live your life and have your freedom without being hands-off when it comes to your business.

Until Friday,

Velma Trayham

These Words Will Kill Your Business

There are three words that can kill your reputation and your business. Why? Well, the following three phrases are generic as generic can be. What they say / signal is that you are not a problem solver or a go-getter, rather someone who follows the trends vs. making them.

“Innovative.” –  Don’t say it. Prove it. It’s as simple as this. Period.

“Driven.” –  I hate this word because it states that you are motivated to make money. Who isn’t? It doesn’t tell anyone why you or your services / products are special.

“Guru.” –  Self-proclamation is the worst thing you can do for your brand. Don’t self-state, instead show. Tell people about your awards, about your results, have your clients talk on your behalf, push your media clippings- but stating that you are a “guru” is as good as saying that you’re trying way too hard to impress other people–or yourself.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Really? Do You Mean That?

“I may be wrong, but…” has to be the single most phrase that drives me crazy. I never understood why someone, anyone, would use this phrase. Basically, it implies that you know or think you’re right- but you don’t have the guts or leadership skills to back up your own opinions or knowledge.

Think about it… how many times have you said, “I may be wrong, but….” ? Why did you say it? Did you say it because you truly are full of self doubt? Did you say it because you didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings? Did you say it because you didn’t want to come off as arrogant?

Meaning what you say in business is important. There is no room or time for social flattery or playing nice when it comes to being a leader. You have to say what you mean and mean what you say. If someone is saying something that is wrong or that you know will not work, speak up. You will be respected for your opinion. You can present it in a positive manner, too. This said, if you say it with self doubt, no one will be vested in your opinion because you- yourself- are doubting it.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

End of Quarter Reports

At the end of each business quarter, the time is upon the marketing and publicity world to provide growth accounts.  I'm going to list the key topics to cover within this report to help new publicity people understand what should be included. The same goes for clients who buy PR services- you too should know what to look for.

1.  The start to finish synopsis. It is always good to refresh your clients as to where they were at prior to hiring your firm.
2. The objectives you met and the objectives you exceeded. This is where you boast about how you exceeded expectations as a publicist.
3. Key message theme reviews followed by the program components you implemented.
4. Media value that includes brand visibility measurements and social media value. Don't forget to convert your followers as media value, as well as any followers you built for the client.
5. Campaign time.  Make sure you show results in stages of goals within a time frame, not just as met or the value they produced.

Again, beautiful demographics are important, but content is key!

Velma Trayham 

PR Tip!!!!

I was brainstorming with some of my peers and we all started discussing the issue of meetings and phone calls. Sometimes you are just busy. Back to back to back to back meetings, online meetings, phone meetings…. it can get to be too much. It causes stress and you have no chance to step back and think about  what you need to do. Well, here is the secret- go to the bathroom.

No, I am not joking. No one will bother you in the bathroom. You have a moment to just sit down- even if you don’t have to go- inhale and decompress. This snags you 2-5 min. to simply stay sit, absorb info., and think about what just happened in the last meeting while you prepare for the next meeting.  This does save you time. How? Easy. Notes!

When I don’t have to go to the bathroom between meetings, I still head for the bathroom. I sit down, I type out a quick email to myself and I use the subject line as follows ; ‘Recap meeting 10am.’ This way, later on, I have all my details and thoughts and can start planning execution vs. having to rethink about details, send follow up emails, or dropping the ball and having to do something over again.

So, next time you are too busy- take a second to visit the bathroom to regroup and save yourself time in the long-run.

Velma Trayham

How to be a great leader and female!

I was asked recently how a woman could become or be defined as a great leader. Hmm. What does being a woman have to do with leading? No one ever asks a man how he can become a great leader. Why are we women singled out? 

The truth is there are plenty of great women leaders out there and there are plenty of great male leaders out there. The test of leadership isn’t found within your DNA and birth sex, but defined by the following skills. Do you have them? If so, you’re a great leader.

1)      You don’t care what people say, you have your vision and you are moving forward.  This stands true only if your vision is positive, lifts others up and you’ve done research to have such a provocative opinion about your vision. 

2)      You collaborate, you don’t delegate.  Anyone can delegate. Not everyone is humble enough to collaborate. You need collaboration with other people to build your brand, grow your business and improve your networking (in person and online) circle.

3)      You are a life-long learner. If you didn’t throw your degree on the wall and announce “I’m done” then you are a life-long learned. Continued education is the key to being able to pivot your company when new technologies or methodologies are introduced. 

You don’t have to be one sex or another to lead. You simply have to follow the three steps noted above to success.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Donald Trump – The most successful, yet failing, brand

Donald Trump is a great PR person. He is his brand. Everyone knows of him, but not everything he touches turns to gold. In fact, a lot of it doesn’t.  While the Trump brand may be known for luxury, it certainly isn’t known for paying bills or being a reputable source within the business community.  In fact, you can say Trump is more sizzle than steak.

How does this happen. Well, Trump himself is a good PR person. He talks a great game. He acts and looks the part of someone with true authority. He loves the camera and he loves social media.  This doesn’t mean he is making a profit or that he is good at business. Do you know any people like this? Chances are you do. There are plenty of wanna-be Trumps out there. It’s great to aspire to be like someone, as long as that someone is really successful and not just a bunch of photos and social media posts.

Here is a list of Donald Trump’s failures. I bet that from what you currently know of the man, these failures are not alongside your association with him. After you read this, they will be. Here’s the article: http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2068227,00.html Yes, each item is clickable and you can read all the dirty details.

So, why am I talking about Donald Trump tonight? Simple. Aspire to be a brand but don’t only be a brand. You have to walk the walk. In today’s social media culture it’s easy to look the part – just like Donald Trump.  You actually need to provide quality services that you can build your brand upon, not the opposite. 

If you’re feeling a bit empty and your profits are really non-existent, you may have to ask yourself some tough questions this weekend about your brand. Are you putting your photos and social media first? Are you forgetting that your brand has to stand for something- like services? Are you spending too much time on you and not your customers?

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

Not THAT Client! Heading off difficult clients....

There are two types of PR clients. Those who pay you to do your job, council when needed, and help promote growth. Then there are those clients who pay you to say their ideas are great, never challenge what isn't working, and sit and listen to them blab on about how great they are.....

The challenge in being kind lies with the second type of client. It is not your job to be kind to clients, although there is a way of saying certain things, but rather it is your responsibility to be honest and deliver the raw truth.  Clients can become very upset when you do this. They may even drop you for a while. Don't give in and be kind. Instead, restate what you said. Mean what you say and say what you mean.

I had one client who was a celebrity. She thought things were not moving fast enough for her in the campaign. We had many prior branding challenges to deal with. Things weren't going to move fast and I told her this when the contract was signed. Two weeks in, she started to call me every day and complain. I had no choice but to not be kind and be honest. She fired me. She fired the next PR firm and then the one thereafter. A year later, she tried to hire me again. I declined the contract.

You want to work with clients who are ready and willing to hear the truth and to do whatever it takes to build their brand and promote growth. You don't want to work with clients who expect you to be the 'yes' man or women. This said, below are my tips for delivering blunt, unkind PR advice.

1. Don't be sorry... be about shine. Don't ever apologize to a client if you have nothing to apologize for. They may want to hear 'sorry' but this isn't something they are entitled to hear.

2. Back up your words with facts and data. It's hard for clients to blow off your points if you can back them up.

3. Have an exit strategy. If you know a client isn't willing to change, figure out how you are going to exit the relationship within the contract's terms.

Until next time,

Velma Trayham

Getting the Attention of Google

I wanted to give you a mid-week tip to help you get your clients' website ranked better. We can spend so much time working on content development and media pushes, that we often forget to advise our clients on simple SEO and website ranking tactics.

Here are my top 3 ways to help get your clients noticed on Google!

1. Research key words that your clients' competitors are using. You want to let their clients know there is an alternative choice. It is a marketing 101 tactic- go to where the business is. So, don't bank on words you or your clients feel are important, instead- use what works!

2.  Make sure you are using these words not just in content development, but as meta-tags within your websites and social media postings (such as blogs). If you're not adding in meta-tags, you're content development is lacking!

3. Don't use high-resolution images for your website. Google actually penalizes users for doing this and will drop the ranking of your website as a result. Make sure your design falls within Google's guidelines- otherwise you are left with a pretty website that no one can find!

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Pitch Using Twitter

Most people don't understand the power of Twitter. Well, here is a secret- most of the big production television shows request pitches directly to the affiliated producer or reporter using Twitter media. Never heard of it? Well, check out this example; http://www.usatoday.com/reporters/

Now, here's how to pitch via Twitter when you find the right person;

1. Make sure your Twitter profile is complete and professional. Photos of you drinking with clients or partying with other publicists isn’t professional and should be kept to your own private accounts, not your company account.
2. Make sure that your Twitter feed is active with industry news and valuable information for your sector. Remember, members are the press are professional BS trackers. They will call you on not knowing your stuff or being too self-promotive.
3. Follow up with a phone call. If the press agent hasn’t responded to your Tweet pitch, make sure you plan a 3 day follow up via a phone call. If they still don’t respond, don’t bug him or her. Try again later and with a different angle.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

Top Ways You're Killing Time!

Ever feel as if there isn’t enough time in the day? You are not alone, especially if you own a company.  Well, there are some things we as people do daily that really lead to time crunches and task bottlenecks. I’ve listed them below to help you identify where you are wasting time and recover it to become more productive.

1.     Administrative work. If you are a business owner then this is your largest waste of time. Many business owners don’t want to relinquish control over these tasks. Why? You should waste an hour or more a day consolidating reports, reviewing specific documents, etc.  Your administrative team should do this for you.  You only need to review report synopsis, considering details as needed- not in general and all of the time.
2.     You place value on quick tasks. Don’t do this. You are wasting time. If you put off schedule appointments for simple haircuts, responding to short emails, etc. – then you are adding items to your task list and building pressure upon yourself that isn’t needed. If it takes under 2 minutes to do – do it immediately.
3.     Finally, don’t repeat things. If you have customers who ask you the same thing over and over again, or want you to send them the same document over and over again, put it on your website.  They can find these answers and documents on the website or your administrative team can help.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham

The Top 3 Ways to Improve Your PR Business

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,

Velma Trayham 

More PR Mistakes.. What NOT To Do

I give a lot of advice when it comes to marketing, publicity and branding. Hey, they go hand-in-hand. I recently was asked what are the biggest mistakes one could make when working in the PR field or as a PR client.  I’ve listed them below for you as this was a GREAT question.

1. Photos, photo and more photos. Don’t rely on photos to make a brand. They have models for that.  People want substance, especially reporters. No one is simply going to cover you or your client because they have nice photos. PR doesn’t work this way. Yes, you need a photo to go with your media kit, etc. but these photos shouldn’t be the cornerstone of your campaign- even if you are an entertainer.

2.  Responding to the media via text.  This is a huge no-no, even if the media rep sent you a text. It is always better to call. Even if you get a VM, put a voice to the name and leave a message and then respond via text. 

3. Never, ever say anything bad about anyone to the media.  This will be the first thing quoted out of context at a later date. It is the same rule as liquor. If you are photographed with liquor and arrested years later, guess what photo the media will run. So, stay away from anything negative- even when responding in crisis communication mode.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham 

Start-Up PR

I'm not sure if I love or loathe new business. I mean this in the most polite way I can. Let me clarify... Start-up companies need a great PR plan, which companies like mine can provide. However, Start-up companies are not typically going to bank tons of press right out of the gate.

The Start-up companies also will not understand this. They don't think in layers as far as press coverage is concerned. They think everyone and anyone will embrace their concept / services and cover them and then they will see an immediate ROI. Well, this isn't true.

Start-up companies should hire PR companies to help brand their message and get them from Point A to the point between Point A and Point B. After the company is established, real media can start pouring in- which takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years!

A good PR program can gain critical coverage by positioning companies as experts on the bigger picture, which is what Start-ups should be concerned with.

This said, here is what a PR company should be doing for a Start-up during its first year;

• The media look for experts, particularly serial entrepreneurs, who will share their insights on new trends and technologies. A good PR company will take advantage of this.
• Creative and consistent PR tell customers that the business is strong, which is why AP style press releases- even if they aren't picked up- should be cataloged in a media room. 
• Good relationships with the media help Start-ups shape the competitive landscape to their advantage.
• Social media presence.... enough said! 

If you don't sell a Start-up on your PR company within the first four months, ditch them. They are looking for the end of the rainbow when they haven't even started the journey.

Until tomorrow,

Velma Trayham of ThinkZILLA

3 PR Tools Worth Having

Happy Friday. I was recently asked a question about what PR tools are worth having. Well, there are a lot of select from when it comes to publicity tools and apps. However, I will say that the follow three are "must haves" for newbies and seasoned PR professionals.

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 Monday,

Velma Trayham