PR Campaigns with NO Budget

I can’t accept each and every client.  Even more so, I can’t accept clients who have no budget to work with. It sets me up for failureand  them up for disappointment. If you don’t have a budget, however, you shouldn’t shy away from trying to be your own pitch person.

Public relations, when executed properly, is a major part of any brand and marketing campaign.  The first thing you should know when you have no budget is how to define your story line. Everyone thinks they have a great news story. This is rarely true.  You have to really consider why someone should write about you or your product / services.  If you are not promoting anything that truly is newsworthy, don’t bother writing a press release about it. It will fall on deaf ears. So, this said, pick and choose your press release battles wisely.

You also have to consider  ProfNet as a resource. I know, there is a fee. Trust me, this website service is worth the fee. While others are hanging out on freebie or PRWeb’s internal “media connection” resource, real public relations experts are using ProfNet to connect with one another.  I suggest you save up your financial resources and invest in this one PR tool.  http://www.prnewswire.com/profnet/

Finally, don’t keep changing the direction of your campaign / brand and do not rely on who you know, photos of you with celebrities (or a like), or your social media following to boost your brand. You do have to do the work to get results and this will not happen overnight.

I’m hopeful these tips will assist you in developing a promising PR platform.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

PR & Photos

I’m often asked about photography branding when building an entertainment campaign. Here’s the thing, photos last forever- especially with today’s social media culture. It is very easy to ruin a political campaign or lose a CEO position if an unfavorable photo surfaces – and they always do. So, how do you avoid odd or inappropriate photos from ruining your career should you do a brand pivot?

First, stay in control at photo shoots. Sometimes it is easy, with all the attention and complements, to lose sight of your brand strategy. Never show skin when this isn’t the plan going into the shoot- even if the photographer promises not to print them. Second, make sure the photos you are taking would be viewed as appropriate by your mom.

Second, don’t take photos endorsing other brands unless you have cash on hand. Having other companies put their logos on your photos is tacky and makes your brand look easily bought. If you are bought, great- make sure you get a lot of money out of it. If not, don’t allow a “freebie” favor of a photo shoot or makeup application ruin your brand. Logos aren’t good, paid endorsements to show them are.

Finally, you shouldn’t ever be photographed with a drink in your hand. Ever! This photo will always come back to haunt you brand wise. Unless you are Kid Rock and sponsored by Jim Beam, there is no reason to be photographed with as much as a glass of wine in your hand.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO 

Mastering Branding

Branding is a major part of public relations. You have to have a consistent brand. Sure, pivoting with the times is important, but there should be a common thread or theme with your brand at all times.  People and companies who are constantly changing their objectives or brand identity will never gain traction with the media, their own success or with customer loyalty. Keep this in mind as I notate the top three ways to master your branding efforts below.

1.       Don’t try to impress people out of the gate.  Instead, watch people and mold your brand to what they like.

2.       Put your brand identity over money. If you spend your professional career chasing money, you will never truly capture. However, if you spend your career promoting your brand and explaining why your products / services are the best, money will come to you. Prioritize your brand over money and the money will come.

3.       Don’t rely on gimmicks.  Sham-WOW was great as a brand. Key word ‘was’. You don’t want to keep chasing success with trending brand gimmicks. McDonald’s doesn’t. Apple doesn’t.  Cheap products backed by gimmicky brands do. Think about this.

I hope you have a lovely weekend and that you truly take these tips to heart.

Until Monday,

Coco the CEO

PR Writing Tips

Tonight’s blog is dedicated to your Do-It-Yourselfers (DIY).  For those of you attempting to write your own press releases (and I don’t suggest you do unless you know AP formatting), here are a few pointers to get you started in the right direction. Note: I highly recommend you take an AP Formatting class, or obtain a copy of the AP Style Guide.

1.       First, make sure your announcement is  newsworthy. Don’t put a press release out to have a press release out.  Announcing a partnership, award, new product, etc. are all fine.

2.       Your headline shouldn’t read like a used car ad. Most people want to go with shock value. Well, that’s great but it can backfire. Most media outlets want to the point facts and headlines. A flashy headline is like flashing a cop- it’s frowned upon in the media world.

3.       Keep it under 400 words plus your boiler plate. A two page press release is never going to be looked at. Reporters are busy, behind, and understaffed when it comes to support. So, make sure you are clear, concise and under 400 words.

4.       Don’t add a bunch of links.  Add only what is relevant and if you need to add more links or data, refer to the EPK request at the bottom of your release. Yes, you need to have an EPK request byline.

5.       Don’t lie.  People tend to skew the truth in press release. Remember, reporters will vet them and if you are caught in a lie, you will be the attention of unwanted media coverage.

I hope this helps but please contact my company for assistance if you feel you are in over your head.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO 

PR Basics

I had a reader send me a note stating I was using “pr” terms above her head. I checked with many readers, this isn’t the truth for most. However, this said, I do want to address the basics of PR to accommodate the reader and anyone else out there who may be lost when I mention or blog about public relations (PR).
 PR is defined as “Publicity is more effective than advertising, for several reasons. First, publicity is far more cost-effective than advertising. Even if it is not free, your only expenses are generally phone calls and mailings to the media. Second, publicity has greater longevity than advertising. An article about your business will be remembered far longer than an ad.

Publicity also reaches a far wider audience than advertising generally does. Sometimes, your story might even be picked up by the national media, spreading the word about your business all over the country.

Finally, and most important, publicity has greater credibility with the public than does advertising. Readers feel that if an objective third party-a magazine, newspaper or radio reporter-is featuring your company, you must be doing something worthwhile.”  [Inc.com]

So, if you want to boost your PR efforts consider the following:
1. Remember, not everyone will be interested. If your story idea is turned down, try to find out why and use that information to improve your next pitch. Just keep going, and don't give up. You will succeed eventually.
2. Once you reach the reporter on the telephone, remember that he or she is extremely busy and probably on deadline. Be courteous, and ask if he or she has time to talk. If not, offer to call back at a more convenient time. If the reporter can talk to you, keep your initial pitch to 20 seconds; afterward, offer to send written information to support your story ideas.
3. What you deem as “newsworthy” probably isn’t.  This term needs to be finally tuned when it comes to new PR people using it.  See what is trending online. This is truly seeking newsworthy items and then pitch around or related to the top 5 trending stories, if possible. If you can’t, you’re not newsworthy yet.

Until tomorrow,
Coco the CEO

The cost of PR.

One of the biggest questions I am asked about, when it comes to public relations, are rates. Well, rates differ from client to client.  Based upon the scope of work, crisis communication risk, existing crisis communication or branding concerns / challenges, and the type of PR focus needed,  rates can start at $60 per hour and build to $1,100 hourly.

Retainers are usually billed for high profile clients, while advance month-to-month terms are becoming more popular within the business.  However, I don’t believe a client should have a focus based on rates.  I know expensive PR people who aren’t worth a dime and cheap PR firms who do more than they are paid to do. Your brand is about you, so the focus has to be who matches your vision with the budget issue becoming a secondary concern.

I will state that no budget is a big problem. You do need a full-time publicist. First, on image alone it says something about you when you have an outside pr team representing you. Second, you don’t know what you are doing if you don’t have a pr background and this can hinder you, costing you more in the long run.  Finally, you need to put yourself out there and this costs money. Regardless if you launch an ad campaign or a pr campaign (do the research, ad campaigns are better) – you will have to invest in yourself and your brand.  If you don’t, who will?

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO

3 Stunning DIY Tips for PR

I am often asked how someone can launch their own PR campaign. While I don’t recommend it, people are always going to try their hand at public relations first when they are skeptical about the practice or truly don’t understand its value.

I don’t ever want anyone to be unsuccessful. So, if you are thinking about hiring a public relations team but want to try your hand at it first- keep reading. I’m listing my top three DIY tips for public relations tasks.

#1.  Don’t write your own press release.  You do need special training on AP formatting. Instead, write “how to” articles about your industry or products and send those to major publications for potential re-publishing.

#2.  Launch an e-newsletter that actually has content people want to read. Too many people use newsletters as a way to sell products. Don’t do this, you will lose your readership. Newsletters should promote anything as a “Special”, “sale,” or “buy now” campaign. Simply use a newsletter to convey actual news.

#3.  Host webinars. This is where the media gets to see and hear you vs. read a release or an article you wrote about yourself. They can see if you live up to their expectations and are capable of a television or radio interview.

Until tomorrow,

Coco the CEO