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Added for You - Five Great News Stories You're Sitting On Right Now
Most people understand that if they decide to change the location of a bathroom halfway through construction of a house it is going to cost them extra money. That’s why they spend so long making sure the plans are right before they begin.But it is amazing the number of people who don’t apply this same logic to business. Say, for instance, when they use a graphic design firm. A lot of people begin working with a designer with only a vague brief, then make important decisions on the fly, or even change their minds halfway through.When you consider that graphic design fees are usually based on the number of hours and concepts required, it's hardly surprising that this slapdash approach can end up blowing your budget by hundreds or
Full story: http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/542005cp.shtml
• Your Opinion Counts 2 - Straight to the Editor’s Desk
While serving as editor of business magazines in the past, there have been times when PR companies have contacted me following publication with some kind of gripe regarding coverage of their company or client.
Disgruntled PR people are often being beaten hard with large sticks by CEOs and senior management who just don’t ‘get media’, so their persistence is somewhat understan
During the past few years, we have heard a lot of whining in the media about outsourcing and offshoring. Let’s look for the opportunities in these irreversible trends (and ignore the whiners!).By fully leveraging offshore talent (a strategic view of global sourcing) we can improve productivity, increase quality, and create American jobs. Yes, I said “create America jobs.”An aggressive outsourcer in Pasadena, California named IndyMac Bankcorp has risen from the twenty-second largest U.S. mortgage issuer to the number-nine position in only three years. According to IndyMac’s CEO, they are more productive, more cost efficient, more flexible, and provide better customer service than the competition because of IndyMac’s outsourcing a
The problem is it’s often dull news which is ignored by all except the industry press and quite rightly so in most cases. If you land a contract, you issue a press release. If you take on a new senior sales rep, you issue a press release. Attending an exhibition? Press release, natch. These are simply announcements that you are doing what you do, that it’s business as usual.
With a little lateral thinking, however, you could be issuing press releases throughout the year which present topics and subjects that’ll have editors from all disciplines chasing you for the full story. Below I’ve presented just five brainstormers to get the creative juices flowing.
• Your Survey Says...
Even though I know nothing about your company, the odds are that you have the time and resources to carry out a survey which could get you some coverage if it’s implemented and reported properly.
Concentrate on your niche, whether that’s your industry or expertise. Keep it relatively simple, but ensure the final results have the potential to grab headlines. For example, if you’re a butcher, you could ask 100 people if they would give up bacon if their partner issued an ultimatum. ‘4 Out of 10 Choose Bacon Over Marriage’ is going to get an editor’s attention!
But be honest about your methodology. If you’ve simply polled a handful of your colleagues, don’t try to pass it off as a six-month research project.
Some journalists won’t touch a survey story with a barge poll unless it’s been carried out with the kind of planning that goes into a Nasa shuttle launch, but others might find it useful, particularly if it’s a fun subject and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
• Your Opinion Counts
Surf the major news sites - try Google News for starters:
http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&gl=us
Ask yourself what you or your boss would have to say about the main news stories of the day. Or perhaps a current event impacts directly on your industry. Pretty soon you’re going to have a story to tell.
A property solicitor in Scotland did this and the resulting story is great - here’s the intro:
“Scottish property solicitor criticises Gordon Brown's tax U-turn.
A leading Scottish property solicitor has criticised Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown’s decision to abolish without notice the exemption for deprived areas from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), saying that the measure would have an adverse impact upon the commercial property market in Scotland.”
Full story: http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/542005cp.shtml
• Your Opinion Counts 2 - Straight to the Editor’s Desk
While serving as editor of business magazines in the past, there have been times when PR companies have contacted me following publication with some kind of gripe regarding coverage of their company or client.
Disgruntled PR people are often being beaten hard with large sticks by CEOs and senior management who just don’t ‘get media’, so their persistence is somewhat understand
The salespeople and company sales force are those who actually generate your income dollars. Sure, it's important to have a good product, support which can respond fast, pretty design and make people write about your company in magazines, but still the most important part is to get the resulted leads converted into actual dollars.It's quite easy to organize the sales department. For instance, you can hire someone who have experience in managing this kind of department in other company. He or she will hire a team of sales professionals and they will generate some revenue for your business.The problem is that these people will usually use some principles they already know and the problem is that these ideas worked yesterday, but m
• Your Survey Says...
Even though I know nothing about your company, the odds are that you have the time and resources to carry out a survey which could get you some coverage if it’s implemented and reported properly.
Concentrate on your niche, whether that’s your industry or expertise. Keep it relatively simple, but ensure the final results have the potential to grab headlines. For example, if you’re a butcher, you could ask 100 people if they would give up bacon if their partner issued an ultimatum. ‘4 Out of 10 Choose Bacon Over Marriage’ is going to get an editor’s attention!
But be honest about your methodology. If you’ve simply polled a handful of your colleagues, don’t try to pass it off as a six-month research project.
Some journalists won’t touch a survey story with a barge poll unless it’s been carried out with the kind of planning that goes into a Nasa shuttle launch, but others might find it useful, particularly if it’s a fun subject and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
• Your Opinion Counts
Surf the major news sites - try Google News for starters:
http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&gl=us
Ask yourself what you or your boss would have to say about the main news stories of the day. Or perhaps a current event impacts directly on your industry. Pretty soon you’re going to have a story to tell.
A property solicitor in Scotland did this and the resulting story is great - here’s the intro:
“Scottish property solicitor criticises Gordon Brown's tax U-turn.
A leading Scottish property solicitor has criticised Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown’s decision to abolish without notice the exemption for deprived areas from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), saying that the measure would have an adverse impact upon the commercial property market in Scotland.”
Full story: http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/542005cp.shtml
• Your Opinion Counts 2 - Straight to the Editor’s Desk
While serving as editor of business magazines in the past, there have been times when PR companies have contacted me following publication with some kind of gripe regarding coverage of their company or client.
Disgruntled PR people are often being beaten hard with large sticks by CEOs and senior management who just don’t ‘get media’, so their persistence is somewhat understan
Many business customers and consumers have felt less than adequate customer service from many companies due to these corporations implementing; Just in Time Ordering and Distribution Systems. A few years back many companies introduced new computer systems which were to streamline their distribution systems and allow for less inventory by linking customer purchases up with real-time networks and cut out both the middle man and their distribution warehouses. Did it work?Well it worked in many ways, but when there were hang-ups it cost many companies their best customers, because the unsatisfied customer waiting for parts or an item had a fit over the process. Consider how many times this has happened to you as the parts counter person sa
But be honest about your methodology. If you’ve simply polled a handful of your colleagues, don’t try to pass it off as a six-month research project.
Some journalists won’t touch a survey story with a barge poll unless it’s been carried out with the kind of planning that goes into a Nasa shuttle launch, but others might find it useful, particularly if it’s a fun subject and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
• Your Opinion Counts
Surf the major news sites - try Google News for starters:
http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&gl=us
Ask yourself what you or your boss would have to say about the main news stories of the day. Or perhaps a current event impacts directly on your industry. Pretty soon you’re going to have a story to tell.
A property solicitor in Scotland did this and the resulting story is great - here’s the intro:
“Scottish property solicitor criticises Gordon Brown's tax U-turn.
A leading Scottish property solicitor has criticised Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown’s decision to abolish without notice the exemption for deprived areas from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), saying that the measure would have an adverse impact upon the commercial property market in Scotland.”
Full story: http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/542005cp.shtml
• Your Opinion Counts 2 - Straight to the Editor’s Desk
While serving as editor of business magazines in the past, there have been times when PR companies have contacted me following publication with some kind of gripe regarding coverage of their company or client.
Disgruntled PR people are often being beaten hard with large sticks by CEOs and senior management who just don’t ‘get media’, so their persistence is somewhat understan
New advertising ideas and techniques most always get the quick attention of the optimistic small business owner.The first time you hear about something new to use or adapt, your mind races to fast forward, especially if the testimonials are realistic and seem to relate to what you are doing.To illustrate, picture that ad salesperson standing right there in your business. Temptation is staring you in the face. "It's a great deal," they tell you.Do you go for it or not?Here are three sets of realistic questions to ask yourself as you evaluate the proposal: **************************************** 1. Take a step to the side and consider this. Is your current advertising already covering t
http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&gl=us
Ask yourself what you or your boss would have to say about the main news stories of the day. Or perhaps a current event impacts directly on your industry. Pretty soon you’re going to have a story to tell.
A property solicitor in Scotland did this and the resulting story is great - here’s the intro:
“Scottish property solicitor criticises Gordon Brown's tax U-turn.
A leading Scottish property solicitor has criticised Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown’s decision to abolish without notice the exemption for deprived areas from Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), saying that the measure would have an adverse impact upon the commercial property market in Scotland.”
Full story: http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/542005cp.shtml
• Your Opinion Counts 2 - Straight to the Editor’s Desk
While serving as editor of business magazines in the past, there have been times when PR companies have contacted me following publication with some kind of gripe regarding coverage of their company or client.
Disgruntled PR people are often being beaten hard with large sticks by CEOs and senior management who just don’t ‘get media’, so their persistence is somewhat understan
The past few weeks have presented nothing but bad news for the formerly world leading American automobile industry. Henry Ford must be rolling over in his tomb. Alfred Sloan, the architect of the multi-division General Motors juggernaut, is a very sad “car guy” in the sky these days. Plant closings, huge employee layoffs, lost market share and horrid fiscal performance indicate that the “big three” (including Daimler-Chrysler) are in big trouble. They must change, and change is not pleasant for huge business complexes, or for employees, suppliers or customers.This brings to mind a change that occurred right before my eyes as a small boy growing up in Kentucky. Several times each week, a horse drawn ice wagon would pull up in front of o
Full story: http://www.clickpress.com/releases/Detailed/542005cp.shtml
• Your Opinion Counts 2 - Straight to the Editor’s Desk
While serving as editor of business magazines in the past, there have been times when PR companies have contacted me following publication with some kind of gripe regarding coverage of their company or client.
Disgruntled PR people are often being beaten hard with large sticks by CEOs and senior management who just don’t ‘get media’, so their persistence is somewhat understandable.
But 9.98 times out of 10 the PR exec is simply not going to get what they want - some kind of full-page, front-cover apology and glowing testimonial signed by the publisher himself printed with a photo of the editor’s public execution.
Every time I let them down I did say: “Write in - we’re always keen to receive letters to the editor.” I’d guess one in 20 actually went ahead and did so, but you know what? If every one of them wrote in I would almost certainly have printed them all. Good editors embrace transparency - if you disagree with them or their reporters they’re likely to print your letter.
• Happy Birthday
At the very most you’re 364 days away from some company milestone and if you put your mind to it you may find a few anniversaries just around the corner.
Don’t limit yourself to the xx years since the company was launched, how about the anniversary of the company’s first profit, a look back at the day the company took on its 10th employee, or the date a key contract was secured.
Then tell the tale of how your company has developed since this date. Be sure to include some drama, the good times and the bad, and plenty of meaty quotes from the most senior talking heads.
• Make a Date
Hunt for an angle based on some future date that is covered in one way or another by local and national press.
Browse some of these major online almanacs for inspiration:
http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory/
http://www.scopesys.com/anyday/
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/archive.html
What you’re doing here is following the Happy Birthday strategy, but looking for external hooks on which to hang your news release.
Local newspapers in particular like to keep an eye on the calendar, so if you can provide your neighbourhood newspaper with a story, photo opportunity or news release and photo package related to a particular event, celebration or holiday, you could get some great quality local coverage.
• Only Five?
Trawl the internet for reasons to write a press release and you’ll come up with dozens of lists. Some of them provide 30 plus reasons to issue a release, but the vast majority of them require you to have “done something”. They are reactive reasons, rather than proactive.
The reasons given above can be put into action today - you don’t have to wait to secure a new contract or make a high-level appointment to get ink.
You might not have known you were sitting on those news stories, but there’s no time like the present to tip off the press that y
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