PUBLIC
RELATIONS
Bob Bly,
Copywriter and Consultant
USE SMART PR
to Unearth
Prospects
Do it in-house
for a fraction of agency cost
News releases about your products
can give you results-to-expenditures unmatched by any other promotion or
marketing tool. By investing a few days’ work and often less than $500 you can
achieve results comparable to those produced by and ad or PR agency-for a
fraction of an agency’s charges.
For direct marketers, news release
have one prime purpose-to produce sales leads or inquiries that can be followed
up with literature and/or qualified by telemarketing.
The key is to target your news
release the same way you target mailings to your
database.
Don’t simply mail to lists of magazines obtained from standard directories, like
SRDS, Bacon’s Publicity Checker, or Oxbridge. Screen copies of each magazine to
get a feel for its editorial approach, and tailor your release to the needs and
interests of its readers.
Five Tested Ways to Produce
Inquiries
As with direct mail, a lot depends
on your offer. Don’t just tack a sentence onto the end of your release like
“For more information, contact...” Make your offer specific. Make it tangible,
like one of these:
1. Free booklet and other free information. Business prospects are
always
on the lookout for ideas and information. The
offer of a free booklet or report stops busy readers and get them to act,
dramatically increasing lead responses Surprisingly, a modest charge does not
improve quality but does cut down response.
2. Free article reprint. A variation on the free
booklet theme. Trade journal articles written by company executives can be
reprinted and offered in a news release. Even competitive magazines in the
field will run the offer. A lengthy article can be called a “special report” or
“monograph” a short one, a “tip sheet.”
3. New product release. Short reports of new
products, with photos, are published by “product news” tabloids or in new
product sections of industrial magazines. The product need not actually be new.
Enhancements, new features, models, upgrades, or applications will do. Again,
for best response, offer a free brochure or data sheet.
4. New literature release. New product brochures,
catalogs, capabilities brochures, or other literature can form the basis of a
release. You can follow-up a new product release in a month or two with a new
literature release.
5. “New angle” release. Put a new slant on an
existing product. The product may not be new, but find a new angle or
application and you’ve got the makings of a news release. Is it newsworthy?
That’s the key. If it’s simply a blatant puff piece disguised as a news
release, the magazine, quite rightly, may suggest that you buy an ad. But make
it bright, creative, imaginative, add a free offer-and you’ll be surprised at
the response.
Some Common Myths About PR
1. Myth: Mailing press releases is archaic and ineffective.
Use modem, e-mail, fax, floppy disk, Fedex,
or other rapid-access media.
Reality: I see no evidence that editors give faxed materials more
consideration than first class mail. Long articles sent via floppy disk or
modem are acceptable, but will not increase chances of acceptance.
2. Myth: You can’t buy public relations with advertising.
Reality: In some cases, you can. but not in quality
publications with editorial integrity. Small magazines may give advertisers
preferential treatment (I have seen it many times and know it to be a fact
beyond dispute.) But chances are, the quality of responses won’t be worth the
effort.
3. Myth: You need “contacts” to get publicity.
Reality: Yes, contacts help, but you can succeed without
them. Everytime you get coverage, add the editor’s name to your Rolodex or
database. Send a short, sincere thank-you to the editor or reporter.
4. Myth: Editors want to be wined and dined.
Reality: It’s unnecessary. A few may respond to lunch at a
post restaurant or tickets to a basketball game. But most editors prefer to
keep PR sources at arm’s length. A simple thank-you note is all that’s called
for.
5. Myth: PR promotions don’t work without follow-up.
Reality: Follow-up may get some editors who missed your
material to consider it, but overall, a well-written press release, targeted to
the publication’s readers, will do just well without it.
Publicity has to be managed.
Postage, clerical time, media research, writing, checking, photos, addressing,
mailing-all take time and supervision. As a direct marketer, you’re in them
middle of things. Even though you don’t have the time, you may have the
clearest insights in your company into markets, applications, customers, and
prospects, so the responsibility for publicity may fall on your shoulders.
Product publicity conversion rates
are typically low. Still because of its comparatively low cost, it can be a
very profitable way to generate sales leads.
This article
is based on material from
“Targeted
Public Relations” by Robert W. Bly.
Published by
Henry Holt and Co., New York
Bob Bly is a consultant and
independent copywriter. In addition to “Targeted Public Relations,” he is the
author of 30 books, including “Business-to-Business Direct Marketing,” “The
Elements of Business Writing,” and “The Copywriter’s Handbook.” He can be
reached at 22 E. Quackenbush Ave., Dumont, N.J. 07628, (201) 385-1220.
|
Offer something free. Surprisingly, a modest charge doesn’t improve quality, but it does cut down response. |
USE SMART PR TO UNEARTH NEW
PROSPECTS
by Bob Bly, Consultant & Independent Copywriter.
Based on material from
“Targeted Public Relations” by Robert W. Bly, Published by Henry Holt &
Co., N.Y.
News releases about your products
seminars and speaking topics can give you results-to-expenditures unmatched by
any other promotion or marketing tool. New releases have one prime purpose-to
produce leads that can be followed up with literature and/or qualified by
phone.
Target your news release the same
way you target mailings to your database. Don’t simply mail to lists of
magazines obtained from standard directories like SRDS, Bacon’s Publicity Checker
or Oxbridge. Screen copies of each magazine listed in these sources to get a
feel for its editorial approach. Tailor your release to the needs and interests
of its readers.
SIX Tested Ways to Produce
Inquiries
1. Free booklet and other
free information offers. Business prospects are always on the lookout for ideas and information.
The offer of a free booklet or report stops busy readers and gets them to act,
dramatically increasing lead response. Surprisingly, a modest charge does not
improve quality of leads, but does cut down response.
2. Free article re-print. A variation of the free
booklet. Trade journal articles you have written can be reprinted and offered
in a news release. Even competitive magazines in the field will run the offer.
A lengthy article can be called a “special report” or “monograph”; A short one,
a “tip-sheet.”
3. New product release. Short reports of your new
products with photos are published by product news tabloids or in new product
sections of appropriate trade magazines. Enhancements, new features, upgrades
or applications work. For best response, offer a free brochure or data sheet.
4. New Literature. New product brochures,
catalogs, or other literature can form the basis of your release.
5. “New angle” release. Put a new slant on an
existing product. Your product may not be new, but find a new angle or
application, and you’ve got the makings of a news release.
6. Is it newsworthy? That’s the key. If it is
simple a blatant puff piece, the magazine, quite rightly, may suggest that you
buy an ad. Make it bright, creative, imaginative, add a free offer, and you’ll
be surprised at the response.
In addition to “Targeted Public Relations,” Bob Bly
is the author of 30 books, including
“Business-to-Business Direct Marketing,” “The
Elements of Business Writing” and
“The Copywriter’s Handbook.” To order phone (201)
385-1220. Bob Bly is a consultant.
WHY USE A PUBLICIST?
by Bill Arnovitch, The Corporate Image Store
Ph (612) 884-5852 FAX (612) 884-6181
The Corporate Image Store
As an invited guest on radio and TV news and talk show interview
programs, you gain a large untapped market for your programs and products. You
also pick up instant credibility, stature, and the word “expert” attached to
your name. Here are the reasons why radio, TV and print publicity are
desirable.
·
No
paid ad is as direct and warm as a media guest appearance.
·
News
and talk show interviews generate visibility and instant response to you and
your product
·
Ads
will not make you famous, a guest
appearance will.
·
Your
message has more credibility as
“News” than as an ad.
·
Important
people appear on news and talk show interviews.
At our Corporate Image Store, we specialize in placing our clients on
news and talk show interviews. In this age of corporate downsizing and cutting
budgets, our clients recognize the value of this type of publicity.
We work with our clients’ existing
public relations structure to augment exposure in the right market place. We
have direct access to over 20,000 media contacts in radio, TV and print.
While celebrates get considerable
exposure, there is a lot of air time made available for products and people who
can discuss their knowledge to a particular focused audience in an interesting
and entertaining way.
The Corporate Image Store is the
primary source of generating name awareness for speakers, recording artists,
newsmakers, attorneys and Fortune 500 Corporations. Our work is extremely cost
effective, maximizing media exposure and targeting the right markets and
audiences at a minimal cost.
ANOTHER IRWINNING TIP
by Irwin Zucker,
Promotion in Motion,
Founder-Book Publicists
of Southern California
THE WORLD LOVES CELEBRITIES!
Therefore, it’s good for all of us to be celebrity-oriented. Send
materials about yourself to show biz personalities or current newsmakers. They
love to hear from the public. You can easily get celebrity addresses by calling
AFTRA headquarters in Hollywood, California, or the Screen Actors Guild in the
same city. You’ll get the agent’s full data. Just send your information to the
star, care of the agent.
When attending a convention, note
the celebrities present. Approach each celebrity with your camera (always have
one with you-and politely request permission for a photo to be taken with you.
Ask someone near you to take the picture. The celebrities generally comply.
Once you have the photo, you can use it to your PR advantage in flyers,
presentations and in your local paper.
Who Knows? One of these days you
might become a celebrity, and some one will ask to take a photo with you!
Naturally, you’ll say YES!
Irwin Zucker,
(wearing cap)
spotted famed astronaut
Buzz Aldrin, center, at a
recent
meeting of NARTSH (National
Association of Talk Radio
Hosts)
in Washington D.C., and was
caught
by the camera. Author Ivan
Burnell flanks Adrin,
who has authored a new book,
“Encounter with Tiber.”
At the same NARTSH FERENCE,
Buzz happily agreed to a
photo session
with Dr. Morton Cooper,
author of “Stop
committing Voice suicide.”
and Dr. Riki Jones,
of “Negotiating Love.”
Irwin Zucker, Pres.,
Promotion in Motion
6464 Sunset Blvd.,
Hollywood, Ca 90028
PH (213) 461-3921 FAX (213)
461-0917
“Sharing Ideas” Fall, 1996,
Vol. 18, Issue 6, Royal Publishing, Walters Speaker Services, P.O. Box 1120,
Glendora, CA 91740 (818) 335-8069, Fax (818) 335-6127