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Will You Add? - Three Ways to Invest Time + Money In PR
A question I hear or read often is, ‘is that professional enough?’ What is ‘professional’, and how is one professional and what is considered unprofessional? The actual definition of ‘professional’ is “Of, relating to, engaged in, or suitable for a profession: lawyers, doctors, and other professional people.” Or “Conforming to the standards of a profession: professional behavior.”When considering whether a service or location is professional, a great response comes from the dictionary again, which defines professional as “A skilled practitioner; an expert.” I have met many skilled practitioners who are not very professional. I have met many experts who I don’t initially consider a ‘professional’, but who convey a very professional and confident image. Sounds confusing, huh? Yes. In my opinion, a professional person is one who can convey their message or provide their service in a manner appropriate for his/her clientele. When I worked at the ho
Radio is also a lot cheaper – costs about 50% of SMTs – and has a lot of credibility…it’s really a big up and coming tool.
Again, you need plenty of lead-time for radio, although it’s less complicated than TV. We recommend 4-6 weeks of lead-time, to help with targeting and messaging. And sometimes radio is better because it’s not a visual story.
Fritz: With radio, you can get so specific on your demographic target…so the more you know about your target audience, you can really focus how to spend your dollars.
Kelly: Do you have an opinion on the difference in effectiveness between a straight radio interview vs. an editorial-based audio news release?
Elizabeth: I prefer radio media tours better, because you can attach a person’s name to a story and interact with the anchor…and connect better with the audience to build trust.
Kelly: Do you have a specific PR success story you'd like to share?
Elizabeth: We did a satellite media tour for the National Museum of the American Indian. The launch was a huge success…we had 21 interviews lined up for the Museum Director that turned into 91 airings nationwide. One place where we really helped was in targeting the radio stations – many we found were on Native American reservations.
Kelly: So how should people think about “success” – what are the metrics we should consider for PR?
When the exact longitude and latitude of the ship are known it's possible for the captain to chart an accurate course across rough seas. The general manager of a business is like a ship's captain. Knowing your location and direction is fundamental for charting the right course in sailing and in business.The charts for a business are its income statement and balance sheet. A good general manager uses these to know exactly where the business is and where it is headed. Armed with this information, better business decisions are more likely. A competent bookkeeper provides these reports accurately and in a timely fashion.It is the job of the bookkeeper to accurately state the condition of the business in a real time basis. The bookkeeper records all changes in the financials of a business using a double entry accounting system based on the fact that Assets = Liabilities + Owner Equity. All business transactions are accounted for using this system.Some basic tools of the bo
Kelly: When should people consider PR in their marketing efforts?
Elizabeth: PR should be included in every marketing plan you develop…from the very beginning of a new product being launched or a policy coming out. Use it heavily in the beginning to establish a brand, then level out over time. It’s also a good tool for handling crisis down the road.
For consumer-related messages, PR really builds credibility quickly – 40-50% of your budget isn’t unreasonable.
Fritz: The traditional view is that product marketing should go with ads, not PR…and that issues and position-related launches should use op-eds and PR. But I see it as actually the opposite…for example a good story on NPR will do more than, say, ads. Think of PR to launch a brand, and advertising to maintain it.
Kelly: What advice to you have for someone just learning about PR for their business or organization?
Fritz: PR is a process – it’s not a one-time hit or magic bullet. Just like networking or in social experiences, it takes time to develop trust and credibility. So just one press release in a vacuum won’t do it. This is really a cornerstone. One thing that really helps is planning – even if it’s a year out…you need to be thinking about it now.
Actually, you really need to be thinking and talking internally about it all the time. All of your employees are diplomats and ambassadors of your company. So all the internal communications need to be aligned, with policies on if or how to talk with the press, the general public…talking points are key, as is training. Protect your brand by getting everyone on the same page.
Kelly: So what’s the one thing you wish your clients would do that would make it easier for you to help them in their publicity efforts?
Elizabeth: Bring us into the planning process early on. Often, clients will sit down at the beginning of the year when they get their budget and plan, but don’t include their PR team until much later. You need to think through angles and pitches early on – and be thinking strategically…not just about tactics.
Fritz: Then there’s the media schedule – if you want to do big pushes in February, realize that you’re competing with the Super Bowl, Grammy’s and Oscars. Even if you’re local and on a smaller scale, there’s an annual cycle that you need to take into consideration.
Elizabeth: There are things you should plan around, unless you can relate your topic to these things.
Fritz: The other thing is for clients to understand the difference between the story and how it’s pitched. We had a client who shot themselves in the foot by not allowing us to let the media ask them about a particularly hot topic – it’s got to be about what the public wants, not what you necessarily want to say.
Kelly: So what should a small company budget for PR if they want to build a regional presence?
Fritz: That’s a great question…and again, it depends on whom you’re trying to reach. You need to look at the scope of what you want to do. What’s your dream list, and then scale it back and budget realistically. Come up with smart PR dollars, and don’t waste your investment. So television interviews may not be needed, when radio will be more effective.
Kelly: Let’s talk about radio in a minute. But first, what are SMTs and VNRs...and why are they beneficial to PR campaigns?
Fritz: A Video News Release (VNR) is a pre-packaged news segment. It looks like anything you’d see on local news – with a reporter in the field, a voiceover, and it’s edited just like news. You then send that to any newsroom and they can pop it in, just like any news piece. So instead of the station having to come out and cover your story, you’re saving them the expense and time. News production has become so much more expensive and producer workload has tripled…so this really makes sense because you’re making their life easier, as long as it’s a balanced piece. You can even do a specific style for a specific network.
The SMT is a Satellite Media Tour. This is doing a series of interviews in a studio, with a satellite uplink that connects to any affiliate in the country, with a reporter doing 2-3 minute interviews. You’ll hit one- to two-dozen markets in a couple of hours, which would have cost you far more in travel, lodging, downtime, etc. Smaller companies don’t tend to go this way (there’s a cost of entry starting at about $12k), but once you figure out what it can do for you on a national scope, the dollars make sense. You can also use it for local and regional markets, targeting only those audiences you want to reach.
Elizabeth: Yes, if you want to launch something within a state (for example, a new mass transit system in a region), it’s much more efficient. Local elected officials may not have time to run around to every station in their market, but will have time to go to one studio for an hour or two, and talk to eight different local or regional stations.
Kelly: Okay – back to radio. How can radio boost awareness about PR campaigns?
Elizabeth: Radio is a great option for clients with smaller budgets. It’s also good to mix in with SMTs. Radio is a different audience – they tend to be captive and in the car. There are many different types of programs that are very targeted, so it’s easier to reach a specific audience.
Radio is also a lot cheaper – costs about 50% of SMTs – and has a lot of credibility…it’s really a big up and coming tool.
Again, you need plenty of lead-time for radio, although it’s less complicated than TV. We recommend 4-6 weeks of lead-time, to help with targeting and messaging. And sometimes radio is better because it’s not a visual story.
Fritz: With radio, you can get so specific on your demographic target…so the more you know about your target audience, you can really focus how to spend your dollars.
Kelly: Do you have an opinion on the difference in effectiveness between a straight radio interview vs. an editorial-based audio news release?
Elizabeth: I prefer radio media tours better, because you can attach a person’s name to a story and interact with the anchor…and connect better with the audience to build trust.
Kelly: Do you have a specific PR success story you'd like to share?
Elizabeth: We did a satellite media tour for the National Museum of the American Indian. The launch was a huge success…we had 21 interviews lined up for the Museum Director that turned into 91 airings nationwide. One place where we really helped was in targeting the radio stations – many we found were on Native American reservations.
Kelly: So how should people think about “success” – what are the metrics we should consider for PR?
It costs eight times as much to acquire a new customer as it does to keep an existing one. So if your business is constantly churning through an ever-changing sea of new customers, you're wasting money.But when you make respect for your prospect a goal from the beginning, it's much easier to retain more customers. And every purchase those customers make means multiplied profits.With that in mind, here are some concrete steps you can take to make your prospects feel your respect: Avoid hype at all costs. Never make a claim that you can't prove in the next breath. Give the reason why what you say is true. Not only does that make it easier for people to trust you, it also helps them justify to their mind the decision they've made with their heart – to buy what you're selling.Make it easy to buy from you. Online, make sure your web site is easy to navigate. And keep in mind, that easy for you does not necessarily mean easy for your customers. Ask yours
Actually, you really need to be thinking and talking internally about it all the time. All of your employees are diplomats and ambassadors of your company. So all the internal communications need to be aligned, with policies on if or how to talk with the press, the general public…talking points are key, as is training. Protect your brand by getting everyone on the same page.
Kelly: So what’s the one thing you wish your clients would do that would make it easier for you to help them in their publicity efforts?
Elizabeth: Bring us into the planning process early on. Often, clients will sit down at the beginning of the year when they get their budget and plan, but don’t include their PR team until much later. You need to think through angles and pitches early on – and be thinking strategically…not just about tactics.
Fritz: Then there’s the media schedule – if you want to do big pushes in February, realize that you’re competing with the Super Bowl, Grammy’s and Oscars. Even if you’re local and on a smaller scale, there’s an annual cycle that you need to take into consideration.
Elizabeth: There are things you should plan around, unless you can relate your topic to these things.
Fritz: The other thing is for clients to understand the difference between the story and how it’s pitched. We had a client who shot themselves in the foot by not allowing us to let the media ask them about a particularly hot topic – it’s got to be about what the public wants, not what you necessarily want to say.
Kelly: So what should a small company budget for PR if they want to build a regional presence?
Fritz: That’s a great question…and again, it depends on whom you’re trying to reach. You need to look at the scope of what you want to do. What’s your dream list, and then scale it back and budget realistically. Come up with smart PR dollars, and don’t waste your investment. So television interviews may not be needed, when radio will be more effective.
Kelly: Let’s talk about radio in a minute. But first, what are SMTs and VNRs...and why are they beneficial to PR campaigns?
Fritz: A Video News Release (VNR) is a pre-packaged news segment. It looks like anything you’d see on local news – with a reporter in the field, a voiceover, and it’s edited just like news. You then send that to any newsroom and they can pop it in, just like any news piece. So instead of the station having to come out and cover your story, you’re saving them the expense and time. News production has become so much more expensive and producer workload has tripled…so this really makes sense because you’re making their life easier, as long as it’s a balanced piece. You can even do a specific style for a specific network.
The SMT is a Satellite Media Tour. This is doing a series of interviews in a studio, with a satellite uplink that connects to any affiliate in the country, with a reporter doing 2-3 minute interviews. You’ll hit one- to two-dozen markets in a couple of hours, which would have cost you far more in travel, lodging, downtime, etc. Smaller companies don’t tend to go this way (there’s a cost of entry starting at about $12k), but once you figure out what it can do for you on a national scope, the dollars make sense. You can also use it for local and regional markets, targeting only those audiences you want to reach.
Elizabeth: Yes, if you want to launch something within a state (for example, a new mass transit system in a region), it’s much more efficient. Local elected officials may not have time to run around to every station in their market, but will have time to go to one studio for an hour or two, and talk to eight different local or regional stations.
Kelly: Okay – back to radio. How can radio boost awareness about PR campaigns?
Elizabeth: Radio is a great option for clients with smaller budgets. It’s also good to mix in with SMTs. Radio is a different audience – they tend to be captive and in the car. There are many different types of programs that are very targeted, so it’s easier to reach a specific audience.
Radio is also a lot cheaper – costs about 50% of SMTs – and has a lot of credibility…it’s really a big up and coming tool.
Again, you need plenty of lead-time for radio, although it’s less complicated than TV. We recommend 4-6 weeks of lead-time, to help with targeting and messaging. And sometimes radio is better because it’s not a visual story.
Fritz: With radio, you can get so specific on your demographic target…so the more you know about your target audience, you can really focus how to spend your dollars.
Kelly: Do you have an opinion on the difference in effectiveness between a straight radio interview vs. an editorial-based audio news release?
Elizabeth: I prefer radio media tours better, because you can attach a person’s name to a story and interact with the anchor…and connect better with the audience to build trust.
Kelly: Do you have a specific PR success story you'd like to share?
Elizabeth: We did a satellite media tour for the National Museum of the American Indian. The launch was a huge success…we had 21 interviews lined up for the Museum Director that turned into 91 airings nationwide. One place where we really helped was in targeting the radio stations – many we found were on Native American reservations.
Kelly: So how should people think about “success” – what are the metrics we should consider for PR?
Registered nurses offer professional and qualified nursing service for families, individuals, communities, and groups. They provide health-education programs to promote, maintain, and restore patient health. Registered nurse salaries vary according to the type of nursing, years of experience, and geographic location. It is generally dependent on the schedule, requirements, work load, experience, and training of the individual. Educational qualifications and responsibilities are other factors that affect registered nurse salaries.Over the past few years, registered nurse salaries have increased a great deal. The largest increases are for experienced nurses. To retain and attract qualified registered nurses, hospitals provide competitive salary and benefit packages. It includes annual salary, hourly wages, commissions, tips, and bonuses. Facility size is also an important factor in salaries. Registered nurse salaries increase with the increase in number and types of hospital beds. Nun the story and how it’s pitched. We had a client who shot themselves in the foot by not allowing us to let the media ask them about a particularly hot topic – it’s got to be about what the public wants, not what you necessarily want to say.
Kelly: So what should a small company budget for PR if they want to build a regional presence?
Fritz: That’s a great question…and again, it depends on whom you’re trying to reach. You need to look at the scope of what you want to do. What’s your dream list, and then scale it back and budget realistically. Come up with smart PR dollars, and don’t waste your investment. So television interviews may not be needed, when radio will be more effective.
Kelly: Let’s talk about radio in a minute. But first, what are SMTs and VNRs...and why are they beneficial to PR campaigns?
Fritz: A Video News Release (VNR) is a pre-packaged news segment. It looks like anything you’d see on local news – with a reporter in the field, a voiceover, and it’s edited just like news. You then send that to any newsroom and they can pop it in, just like any news piece. So instead of the station having to come out and cover your story, you’re saving them the expense and time. News production has become so much more expensive and producer workload has tripled…so this really makes sense because you’re making their life easier, as long as it’s a balanced piece. You can even do a specific style for a specific network.
The SMT is a Satellite Media Tour. This is doing a series of interviews in a studio, with a satellite uplink that connects to any affiliate in the country, with a reporter doing 2-3 minute interviews. You’ll hit one- to two-dozen markets in a couple of hours, which would have cost you far more in travel, lodging, downtime, etc. Smaller companies don’t tend to go this way (there’s a cost of entry starting at about $12k), but once you figure out what it can do for you on a national scope, the dollars make sense. You can also use it for local and regional markets, targeting only those audiences you want to reach.
Elizabeth: Yes, if you want to launch something within a state (for example, a new mass transit system in a region), it’s much more efficient. Local elected officials may not have time to run around to every station in their market, but will have time to go to one studio for an hour or two, and talk to eight different local or regional stations.
Kelly: Okay – back to radio. How can radio boost awareness about PR campaigns?
Elizabeth: Radio is a great option for clients with smaller budgets. It’s also good to mix in with SMTs. Radio is a different audience – they tend to be captive and in the car. There are many different types of programs that are very targeted, so it’s easier to reach a specific audience.
Radio is also a lot cheaper – costs about 50% of SMTs – and has a lot of credibility…it’s really a big up and coming tool.
Again, you need plenty of lead-time for radio, although it’s less complicated than TV. We recommend 4-6 weeks of lead-time, to help with targeting and messaging. And sometimes radio is better because it’s not a visual story.
Fritz: With radio, you can get so specific on your demographic target…so the more you know about your target audience, you can really focus how to spend your dollars.
Kelly: Do you have an opinion on the difference in effectiveness between a straight radio interview vs. an editorial-based audio news release?
Elizabeth: I prefer radio media tours better, because you can attach a person’s name to a story and interact with the anchor…and connect better with the audience to build trust.
Kelly: Do you have a specific PR success story you'd like to share?
Elizabeth: We did a satellite media tour for the National Museum of the American Indian. The launch was a huge success…we had 21 interviews lined up for the Museum Director that turned into 91 airings nationwide. One place where we really helped was in targeting the radio stations – many we found were on Native American reservations.
Kelly: So how should people think about “success” – what are the metrics we should consider for PR?
The other day I was cleaning out my refrigerator. I hate to admit it but it's not something I do often - note to self, delegate fridge cleaning.While I was tossing out stale bread and stinky leftovers (some I couldn't quite recognize...yikes!), it occurred to me that in business the things that prevent you from growing rapidly are often found inside your business.Yes, lack of marketing, poor selling skills and an ineffective model can slow your growth but rapid growth is really an inside job.Here are the top three growth stealing culprits that could be lurking in your business: I refer to them as the 3 P's:1. PeopleI hear from many solo professionals that they aren't in a position to hire a team - virtual or otherwise - yet they wonder why they can't get further in their business. My business productivity did a complete 360 when I found my first virtual assistant. You see, in order to increase your profits, you must bring in more revenue thce. You can even do a specific style for a specific network.
The SMT is a Satellite Media Tour. This is doing a series of interviews in a studio, with a satellite uplink that connects to any affiliate in the country, with a reporter doing 2-3 minute interviews. You’ll hit one- to two-dozen markets in a couple of hours, which would have cost you far more in travel, lodging, downtime, etc. Smaller companies don’t tend to go this way (there’s a cost of entry starting at about $12k), but once you figure out what it can do for you on a national scope, the dollars make sense. You can also use it for local and regional markets, targeting only those audiences you want to reach.
Elizabeth: Yes, if you want to launch something within a state (for example, a new mass transit system in a region), it’s much more efficient. Local elected officials may not have time to run around to every station in their market, but will have time to go to one studio for an hour or two, and talk to eight different local or regional stations.
Kelly: Okay – back to radio. How can radio boost awareness about PR campaigns?
Elizabeth: Radio is a great option for clients with smaller budgets. It’s also good to mix in with SMTs. Radio is a different audience – they tend to be captive and in the car. There are many different types of programs that are very targeted, so it’s easier to reach a specific audience.
Radio is also a lot cheaper – costs about 50% of SMTs – and has a lot of credibility…it’s really a big up and coming tool.
Again, you need plenty of lead-time for radio, although it’s less complicated than TV. We recommend 4-6 weeks of lead-time, to help with targeting and messaging. And sometimes radio is better because it’s not a visual story.
Fritz: With radio, you can get so specific on your demographic target…so the more you know about your target audience, you can really focus how to spend your dollars.
Kelly: Do you have an opinion on the difference in effectiveness between a straight radio interview vs. an editorial-based audio news release?
Elizabeth: I prefer radio media tours better, because you can attach a person’s name to a story and interact with the anchor…and connect better with the audience to build trust.
Kelly: Do you have a specific PR success story you'd like to share?
Elizabeth: We did a satellite media tour for the National Museum of the American Indian. The launch was a huge success…we had 21 interviews lined up for the Museum Director that turned into 91 airings nationwide. One place where we really helped was in targeting the radio stations – many we found were on Native American reservations.
Kelly: So how should people think about “success” – what are the metrics we should consider for PR?
Cutting through the clutter and actually getting your prospects to sit up and pay attention is no easy feat given the amount of information that's thrown at us every day. When you swamp your prospects with unnecessary information it works against you: it clouds their minds and confuses them and confused people don't buy.So, how do you decide what to include and what to leave out? Here are two important guidelines to get you started.First: Your target marketAll your materials need to be geared to your target market.What are their pains and problems, hopes and dreams? That's what you need to talk about. They have to be convinced that you understand what makes them tick (and what they need to tick even better!), and that you have a solution to their problems. For your purposes, that's all they want to know. Before I ever put a word on paper I spend a lot of time researching my client's target market and figuring out how to hit their hot buttons.Seic audience.
Radio is also a lot cheaper – costs about 50% of SMTs – and has a lot of credibility…it’s really a big up and coming tool.
Again, you need plenty of lead-time for radio, although it’s less complicated than TV. We recommend 4-6 weeks of lead-time, to help with targeting and messaging. And sometimes radio is better because it’s not a visual story.
Fritz: With radio, you can get so specific on your demographic target…so the more you know about your target audience, you can really focus how to spend your dollars.
Kelly: Do you have an opinion on the difference in effectiveness between a straight radio interview vs. an editorial-based audio news release?
Elizabeth: I prefer radio media tours better, because you can attach a person’s name to a story and interact with the anchor…and connect better with the audience to build trust.
Kelly: Do you have a specific PR success story you'd like to share?
Elizabeth: We did a satellite media tour for the National Museum of the American Indian. The launch was a huge success…we had 21 interviews lined up for the Museum Director that turned into 91 airings nationwide. One place where we really helped was in targeting the radio stations – many we found were on Native American reservations.
Kelly: So how should people think about “success” – what are the metrics we should consider for PR?
Elizabeth: It really depends on what your goal is: to increase public awareness? to increase museum visits? to sell more books? So we provide statistics on airtime…and encode our broadcasts to see how long they last…and then compare that to ad dollars. Advertisement usually ends up being far more expensive that what they invested for the tour, not to mention the difference in credibility you get from PR vs. ads.
Kelly: So where can people go to learn more?
Fritz: We recommend a couple of websites:
http://www.satellitemediatour.net/
http://www.videonewsrelease.info/
http://www.radiomediatour.com/
http://www.brollproduction.com/
And if you’re in the Washington, DC area, please join Fritz and Elizabeth at PR Nation, Buzz Media’s monthly networking event. For more information visit http://www.buzzmediapr.com or http://www.prnation.org.
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