As I write this on New Year’s Eve, I’ve seen any number of articles and blog posts on resolutions, both positive and negative.

So I make the following promise: keep reading and you’ll learn a new way to plan and focus the coming year—and it’s not work, it’s really fun!

You see, rather than focus on the micro (resolutions) I focus on the macro (theme for the year.) In my thinking, big picture = strategy. And to me, nothing says big picture than my “theme” for the year.

What do I mean by a theme? Well, you’ve heard of the Chinese calendar, right?

2010 is the year of the Tiger. 2009 was the year of the Cow.

I take a somewhat similar approach with a theme. At a high level, it’s what I want the year to represent or stand for. [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(4 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Celebrity and negative publicity often go together like hand in glove. Case in point, I recently spent two weeks in London and the newspapers there are a lot more “tabloid” in their approach to news than their USA counterparts.

And of course, I’m sure you’ve been following the David Letterman extortion plot saga. He had affairs with female staff members and when faced with extortion went public and admitted his failings with transparency and humor.

Letterman has received good grades in his response to the negative publicity. And his ratings are up 38% since the disclosure.And while Letterman’s ethics and response have been debated at length, in this article I focus on a lesser known celebrity’s response to negative publicity.

In fact, I chose this example because the issue is one more common and sympathetic: an athletic starlet’s weight gain from a previously “hot” body.

Here’s the headline from The Huffington Post: “Nicole Eggert Fat? Baywatch Babe Takes on Weight Critics In Funny or Die Video”

So come with me as I explore the thick and thin about this fat story… [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

PR has evolved. Even to the point it is now more relevant and more public than ever. New PR offers far more publicity opportunities than old PR ever did, especially for those who are not marketing experts. In “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” author David Meerman Scott explains, “The Internet has made public relations public again, after years of almost exclusive focus on media. Blogs, online news releases and other forms of Web content let organizations communicate directly with buyers.”

In the past, the media, as gatekeepers, deemed who received exposure and who didn’t. New PR offers many viable and immediate ways to reach prospects, buyers and key influencers directly. And yet with so many choices available, it’s easy to over emphasize technology and tools while core activities like strategy development receive short shrift.

For that reason, I present “The 4 Pillars of the New PR.” (Complete with handy mnemonic device for easy reference: each pillar begins with the letter “S.”) [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Yes, free press release sites can and do cost the uninformed and even the experienced marketer. Some of the costs are screamingly obvious others are more hidden. And it’s my role as your advocate to review and reveal them all. Let’s roll!

OK, so you’ve written your press release. Next action: online press release distribution. Now If you’re stuck in terms of a press release distribution strategy, here’s an earlier article about choosing between horizontal and vertical distribution.

(Editor’s Note: feedback please! Take the press release distribution poll at the bottom of this article to help us better gauge topics for future articles.)

Now the purpose of this article is to examine free press release sites-and more importantly-to realize that free doesn’t always mean no-cost. As a big believer of online press releases, consider me amazed, even dumbfounded when a new blog post or tweet surfaces with a BIG list of free press release sites.

So I wondered, am I missing something? Only one way to find out-dig in and do some due diligence. Curious about what I discovered? Well, my search turned up more questions than answers.

A sampling: first, where’s the context? Do I submit an online press release to all those sites? Some of those sites? Which free press release sites do better with the media? Is there software available that will mass submit to those sites? How do free press release sites perform vs. paid sites? What metrics do these sites provide or am I on my own in determining the release’s success or lack thereof?

Yes, my mind was whirring with questions each in search of answers. Here’s the challenge: most of my experience is with paid press release sites and newswires. Of course, some of you reading this now have limited experience in online press release distribution either free or paid.

So consider this foray into the free press release world an educational experience for both of us. And with that in mind…

5 Ways Free Press Release Sites Can Cost You

1.Extra time investment

Time is money. When you pay to distribute online press releases you can often rely on just one service, especially if you use big, established newswires like PR Newswire, BusinessWire and Marketwire. Even PRWeb can provide enough coverage to justify just using a single provider. [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(4 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)

 Loading ...

What’s your BQ? That’s Buzz Quotient… as in are you generating online buzz with your marketing and publicity efforts? Are you tracking and monitoring said buzz? If you’re not, you risk undermining your performance while giving your competition a decided leg up.

So what’s the best solution?  Well you can sign up for Google Alerts. Google Alerts delivers right to my email inbox a handy digest of what was being said about me, my company or my products—all tracked by keyword phrase.

(Disclosure: my PR Traffic course provides a full step by step on Google Alerts and how it can help your online PR efforts.)

And while helpful, informative and providing some extra viral marketing juice, Google Alerts just didn’t go far enough. That led me to the Filtrbox, a web, social media and buzz monitoring service.

Watch my Video review and Insta-Tutorialof Filtrbox and immediately discover:

• Why monitor buzz and why Filtrbox.
• 3 key benefits Filtrbox provides that Google Alerts does not.
• How segmenting your metrics boosts social media marketing ROI.
• How to set up your own buzz monitoring folders and “filtrs” in less than 2 minutes.

Be sure and comment and share your feedback on your own buzz marketing and monitoring experience.

{ Comments }

(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

What’s a more likely scenario for media coverage: pitch a reporter out of the blue or a reporter who seeks an expert that matches your background precisely?

It’s the difference between “push” and “pull” PR. When you pitch a story, you are pushing your story to the media. Conversely, with “pull” PR, the reporter goes out and pulls down information, either via online research (where optimized press releases can appear) or via posting an actual request for an expert on a certain topic. In short: the reporter has a need, so who best to fill it and grab the media coverage? The answer can be you!

So where are these PR leads? And what kind of PR leads are they? There are several online services that charge a monthly fee. You can also conduct manual searches and identify reporters covering certain “beats” like lifestyle, health, business, etc.

For our purposes here, the title of this article is dead giveaway. Bottom line: Twitter is a gold mine for leads if you know where to look.

Caveat: lets expand the definition of the word “lead” to include traditional media, online media exposure (including blogs and other web sites) or a mention on air via a media anchor or reporter. For our purposes here, such exposure ranges from an on air mention to raise brand visibility and exposure to scoring media coverage for what you are selling. Of course, if a CNN anchor reads your tweet, you can say with great pride “I got on CNN!”

Important: in many cases, especially with the media personalities on this list, the desired outcome is not pitching your story via Twitter. It’s about joining the conversation and adding value, two traits that will serve you well with any of your tweets on Twitter.

The 4 Categories of PR Lead Sources On Twitter
As an online PR expert, I constantly monitor PR lead sources for myself, my clients and for my customers. And after some exhaustive research, including monitoring the Tweets of various Twitter PR lead sources, it makes the most sense to group them into the following areas:

1. Media: media personalities, reporters and anchors
2. PR lead services and PR lead aggregators
3. PR thought leaders and PR professionals
4. Newswires

So let’s look at each category at a high level before I reveal my top 10 list… [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Over 12,000 people search Google every month for the keyword search phrase “How to write a press release?” That’s a lot of folks in need of serious press release education and training.

And yet how many people behind those 144,000 annual Google searches actually write a press release, rather than just learn about it?

Hmmm…what if they had a digital press release template on their computer screens. Now we’re talking!

A template shortens the learning curve, helps us transition from learning to doing to implementing, and helps everyone from beginners to more experienced press release writers benefit from inherent press release best practices.

In theory, that’s how it’s supposed to work. But in reality? Not so much. I journeyed far and wide across the web on my quest for press release templates that delivered the goods in today’s web 2.0 and social media world.

Guess what I found?

Watch “The 5 Fatal Flaws of Common Press Release Templates” video and discover:

• The right and wrong way to use a press release template.
• How to spot a template that hasn’t been updated since the 1940’s.
• Which template components help shorten writing time to 30 minutes or less.
• The 2 key template components proven to boost press release ROI.

After viewing the video, be sure and share you thoughts. I’d love to hear them. And don’t forget to download my FREE Optimized Press Release Template from http://www.prtraffictemplates.com.

{ Comments }

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Welcome to 30MinutePR.com. Here, we talk Online PR, Publicity and Press Release tips on a time budget. In short, we share actionable tips and techniques that can be consumed and implemented very quickly. All because your time is valuable, the clock is ticking and our feet are firmly planted in a place called reality.

I chose 30 minutes because—big surprise—it’s doable. 30 minutes gives the brain time to engage, ideas to percolate and the “finisher” in you to emerge complete with a “forward-ho” mindset.

Of course, it’s no coincidence when it comes to scheduling and taking action, that 30-minute segments are the increment of choice with calendars, daily planners and project management systems online and off.

Now what about the tagline, you ask? “Long term buzz. It’s about time.” It sure is. Want to make the most of yours? Watch my introductory video and you’ll wonder why more blogs don’t feature four key accelerated training methods like 30MinutePR.com does. And please, give me your feedback on what topics you’d like me to cover in the future.

{ Comments }

(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Here’s a different look at Online PR than you might expect. You see, I wanted to combine two of my favorite things: Online PR and Kayaking. At first glance, they couldn’t be further apart. Yet, upon closer inspection, the parallels were many. (Disclaimer: I am primarily referring to sea kayaking rather than white water kayaking.)

1.Have a destination in mind
When I kayak, I don’t just plop the boat in the water and paddle aimlessly. I have a destination, even if I’m only out on the water for a couple hours. I like setting a goal: “I can get to the lighthouse and back in a couple of hours.” Sure, I want to have fun, yet just this simple destination mindset keeps my performance on track.

With Online PR, the destination is the outcome. What do you want to happen with an optimized press release? I’m a big advocate of action-driven, direct response optimized press releases rather than vague brand and awareness-oriented online press releases.

2. Come From Your Core
How do you spot an inexperienced kayaker? (No, not someone who flips over! That happens less than you might think.) The answer? They’re all arms. In short, they use their arms for paddling and as a result, get tired quickly. Coming from you core means using bigger muscle groups, primarily your chest and torso, and let your arms follow through that momentum.

Using your torso and having your arms follow is how I can kayak for hours on end, even when paddling upstream.

With Online PR, what are your core strengths? Are they coming through in your optimized press releases? Online PR is a proven way to demonstrate you are an expert authority. Don’t shortchange your optimized press release because of conforming to an out of date notion of what you think an online press release should be or do. Today, properly optimized press releases are a cost-effective method of reaching your target market directly. [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a company or a PR firm, the distribution of optimized press releases does present both challenges and opportunities. The good news? With a little extra work-make that a little extra attention-you’ll maximize and leverage both the reach and longevity of all your optimized press releases BEFORE they are sent.

Your press release distribution strategy should start with answering two VERY important questions:

1) Press release distribution: horizontal or vertical?
2) Who’s more important: reporters or customers?

Now you may think, distribution of optimized press releases can’t be that black and white, it’s more gray. Well, sure, you’d like to have everything, but that’s not how it works. There is a reason we call them “target” audiences.

Let’s tackle horizontal vs. vertical press release distribution first. And the best way to illustrate the difference between the two is with a few examples:

• Selling online = horizontal
• Reaching a business to business audience = vertical
• Targeting a specific industry sector (like technology) = vertical
• Geo-targeting a specific region: city, state, or country = vertical
• Appealing to multiple regions and countries = horizontal

With distribution of optimized press releases, you can even adopt a horizontal vs. vertical perspective when it comes to targeting reporters or customers… [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Getting stuck sucks. Maybe it’s a momentary indecision or something more deep-rooted. The outcome, or lack there of is the same regardless. To give you some background on how I identified the top 4 press release distribution stumbling blocks, they were culled from the following sources:

Source #1: client and consulting work

Source #2: information product research, development and sales feedback

Source #3: Speaking engagements

That gives you some insight on how I identified where individuals and companies alike are having the most resistance when it comes to press release distribution.

Stumbling Block #1:  How often should you distribute online press releases?

Uh, more than once. You wouldn’t believe how many people do one release, expect the world to beat a path to their door and when that doesn’t happen, they get discouraged or give up. Like most marketing, press release distribution is an ongoing endeavor. [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Does the world really need another PR blog even one specializing in Online PR? Obviously, the answer is yes because, a) you’re reading this PR blog and b) the money’s been spent on branding so there’s no turning back.

In my prep research of blogs of all marketing types-Internet marketing, Offline PR, Online PR, Publicity, SEO, and more, the same missing ingredients kept popping up.

Granted, there is a TON of great content out there. (One look at my bookmark and tags list will tell you that.)

And yet there seems to be little to no attention given to well, attention! As in ours is most fleeting and we are all stricken with surfer-it is and ADD. So what’s the solution?

A start would be if any PR blog, mine included would contain the following ingredients:

Missing ingredient #1: “consume-ability”

Missing ingredient #2: “context”

Missing ingredient #3: “action steps”

To clarify, the goal isn’t trace amounts or to simply touch on these missing ingredients. These missing ingredients need prominence and priority. That way, they’ll register and hit home with the desired audience while the reader transitions from casual observer to active participant. [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(2 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Some PR traditionalists grow a little uncomfortable when you put ROI and PR or ROI and Online Press Release together in the same sentence. PR and publicity have traditionally been perceived as awareness and branding-driven, and less for making the cash register ring, at least directly.

Yet with the advances of online PR,  the ability to reach prospects and customers directly, and now with our current challenging economic issues, PR ROI is on the front burner.

NOTE: you may have read some blog posts about the death of the press release. My response? ‘Bout time. Beat that dead pony? Not going there.  But I will say that press releases with no story, no angle, just a boring announcement? Not a fan. I’m happy to see that type of press release die.

Let’s focus on the living as in how to make your Online Press Release not only come alive in the eyes of readers and media, but also some best practices to spur action and ultimate conversion.

Introducing 7 Ways to Amp Your Online Press Release ROI…

1. Turn Your Online Press Release Into an Optimized Press Release

As much as this sounds like Online PR 101, even PR pros forget to do this or don’t optimize press releases consistently. Just putting a standard press release online without enabling all the Web 2.0 and social media benefits, is really only scratching the surface of online visibility. What are we talking about here? Making your online press release “search engine friendly.” This expands your online visibility. [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

First off, if you do a search online for the search phrase “media room” you’ll get numerous results on where to put that 50-inch flatscreen TV. Uh, wrong media room. We’re talking online media room. Because to fully maximize your PR and publicity efforts, you need an online media room or online newsroom. Besides being an ideal way to organize your publicity materials and news clips, an online media room that’s easy to access shows reporters and journalists you know how to play the game their way.

Put yourself in the journalist or reporter’s shoes for a moment. You are on a deadline. A TIGHT deadline.  With all the cutbacks in news and media companies, you’re working longer hours with less support staff than ever before.

You’ve got a couple leads on interviews and you’ve visited their respective websites. So who scores the interview? I present two individuals who are respective experts in their field.

Individual A:

No clearly defined area for the press or media on the web site’s main navigation. Last press release was issued two years ago.

Photos and images are out of date. Pertinent company information is sketchy. Advertising and promotion items are mixed willy-nilly with publicity materials. No audio or video excerpts. [click to continue…]

{ Comments }

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

 Loading ...