Public Relations Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersGo Ahead, Get Emotional!Did Harley Davidson create the desire for rebellion and the feeling of freedom that comes from conquering the open road? Did Starbucks create the desire for a sense of sophistication or for people to feel like they are part of a community? Of course not! Harley Davidson and Starbucks simply found wonderfully resonant ways to […] How To Use Awards To Get PublicityBusiness awards, as entering and winning (or even reaching finalist position) one of these is a great method of ensuring PR and many awarding bodies, such as the big banks out there, also do a great job of publicising their winners. The big thing that puts people off entering these awards is the work that […] A Real Life View of PRMany mistakenly view PR as an emergency measure, a tool to be utilized during a crisis, or as a temporary supplement to a marketing campaign. In reality public relations is the most effective strategic business tool at your disposal. The Media and the Economic Self Fulfilling ProphecyThe media needs to report the facts, regardless how grim, about the economic troubles. But, the messages of doom-and-gloom tend to become self fulfilling prophecies. The trouble is that in order to get our economy back on track, ultimately what we need to address is a confidence issue and one is going to spend or lend if they are continually being terrorized by the media. PR Lessons from the Delphic OracleI recently visited Greece, including Delphi—home, in ancient times, of the Delphic oracle. To produce her prophecies, the oracle chewed hallucinogenic laurel leaves and/or inhaled volcanic fumes and raved nonsense, which the attendant priests translated into ambiguous prophecy. The oracle was a smash hit in the ancient world, not just Greece. Potentates as far away […] Fear and the Success MindsetIf fear is your sole motivator, you’ve already lost, because by definition, even if you become a billionaire, you can’t be a success. Who defines success as leading a wealthy, opulent, fearful life? 5 Public Relations Musts During Economic Tough TimesIf you put a strategy in place, you can not only weather, but grow your business during uncertain times. Making Money in an Economic DownturnIf you’re a savvy business person, you understand that an economic downturn is precisely the time you can have a greater impact and get a bigger bang for your marketing buck. My Book’s Self-Published Can I Still Get Media Coverage?A self-published author’s real struggle has to do with distribution and marketing. When it comes to media relations, if you do it right, you can play in the same ballpark as the majors. Pitch the Story, Not Your BookPitch your book and you have a certain number of stories and media hooks. Pitch yourself, your life experiences, your anecdotal stories and your book and you’ve suddenly broadened the bulls eye… Press Releases Arent DeadThere used to be a lot of hype about online press releases. Recently it has died down a little bit. We are still finding that it works well for clients. But there are some very definite riles to follow. When done properly press releases are a great way to generate publicity, drive traffic and boost […] Making the Most of Your Trade Show ExperienceTrade shows and expos are a terrific way to showcase your business and meet new customers. Preparation, several months in advance, is the key to ensuring that you maximize the experience. Very often local trade and business organizations host an annual expo of some kind. These usually offer a good opportunity to get your feet […] Getting the Word Out – Organizing a Media KitEvery business can benefit from writing and organizing a media kit. While larger companies tend to use press kits on a more regular basis, smaller companies may still have occasions to use them. Preparing one in advance can ensure that you are ready when the need arises. The contents of the kit will vary depending […] Learning To Be NiceYou have to be able to sell something to someone if you are in business. Most people do not have the perfect product or service that sells itself. A business needs customers and clients to like it. Learning to be nice is an essential skill for any business. It is, therefore, amazing that so many […] I’ve Published a Book – When do I get on OprahEven if you are publishing with a major house, approach your book’s PR launch as though you’re self publishing your book. Don’t expect your publisher to do the work. Present with PizzazzA presentation can be one of the fastest and most effective methods of getting your message out to the right people. How successful we are often depends on our ability to communicate effectively and convincingly, yet public speaking is still something many people try to avoid.Like it or not, when you run a business, you […] Even Small Companies Can Have Big PR ProblemsCrisis Planning for Small Businesses The thinking goes that big companies face the most daunting crises, based on sheer size, number of employees and scope of operations. Yet a small business may face even bigger problems since its revenue and profit margins usually are based on a much smaller operation and often precarious financial situation. […] Most PR Efforts Are a Waste of Time…Money…EnergyIt’s too bad that so many firms waste so much money on public relations activities that have little or no impact on the press or, more importantly, on their prospective customers. One of the key reasons these activities fail is that management lets their in-house staff or an outside agency handle the company’s PR without […] What Makes Media MagicWhat truly makes this process magical is that when you appear in the media, regardless of how big or how small the outlet, you never know who’s going to see it or what opportunity is going to come your way because of it. A local Los Angeles-based newspaper once ran a story on my company, […] Why Doesn’t the Press Call?We started enjoying the benefits of the Internet before it was the Internet. More than 20 years ago – when the National Science Foundation awarded the first four contracts to connect engineers and scientists around the country into an on-line community – we started to work with the fledgling CERFnet that was awarded the contract […] |
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