Tag: pr tools

Tips for Driving Business via Local PR from Webinar

 

On Tuesday, February 10th, I had the pleasure of moderating a webinar discussing “How to Drive Business Though Local PR.”

 

Our participants, Nicole Rivard, Editor of the Norwalk Citizen-News and Matt Gentile, Director of PR and Brand Communications at Century 21, offered tips from both sides of the news release for successfully reaching targeted audiences in community publications.

 

Nicole Rivard first discussed the types of stories of most interest to an editor at a weekly community newspaper. These included news about local companies (or more likely, national brands with local branches, outlets, or franchisees) with the following content:

 

  • Giving back to the community
  • Participating with local schools
  • Opening a new business, location
  • Reaching a milestone
  • Growing the business

 

Matt Gentile spoke about Century 21’s efforts in reaching consumers and potential franchisees via news on the local level. Some of the most successful releases have positioned local agents and brokers as industry experts to whom the local media can turn for trend-related stories.

 

Century 21 not only targets various local markets from corporate headquarters, but also empowers regional offices and up to 4,000 brokers with a tool to easily and quickly send press releases to their own local media. The application they use, PR Studio, was developed by Grassroots PR.

 

Here is an overview of things to remember when pitching local media:

 

ü ONLY pitch stories that have a true local connection, such as a physical presence in the market, connection to a local businessperson, or event taking place

    

ü READ content from the publication prior to engaging to see if your story is a good fit for what is happening locally
 

ü BE AWARE of deadlines and printing schedules for weekly publications

 

ü EMAIL releases directly to journalists as opposed to relying on wires, social media, or other methods better suited toward national outreach

 

 

 

MatchPoint Launches

We’ve all played the target & hope game of using a media database:
1. Target journalist in database

2. Hope he or she still works at that outlet, covers that same beat, and has any interest in your topic

 

This week, MatchPoint is changing the game. MatchPoint is offering a 10 Day Free Trial to check out this innovative new way to match your press release or other pitching materials with relevant journalists and bloggers.

 

Here’s a link to the free trial sign-up:

 

http://www.prmatchpoint.com/register.asp

 

   

 

Healthcare Business Pitching Tips

 

The Chicago PRSA chapter’s January monthly luncheon meeting featured a panel of journalists focusing on the business of healthcare. Guests included Tom Burton of The Wall Street Journal, Diane Eastabrook of PBS’s Nightly Business Report, and Mike Colias of Crane’s Chicago Business.

 

Here are some tips the panel gave for pitching Healthcare Business:

 

ü DON’T pitch healthcare business reporters “medical miracle” stories that have no impact on business, the industry, or competition

    

ü DO have interview subjects available if you’re pitching TV

    

ü DO be helpful with details on medical data or have ready access to someone with details

    

ü KNOW what the media outlet does
 

ü KNOW what your organization does that would be of particular interest

  

  

Here are the types of enterprise areas that the panel would like to know more about in 2009:

 

  1. Healthcare Cost Containment
  2. Conflicts of Interest
  3. Industry consolidation and how it affects consumers

  

My compliments to PRSA Chicago and Steven Davidow for putting together such an interesting panel!

 

 

Local Media Is Alive and Being Read

 

The media is dying! Wait, not so fast…

 

Changing? Yes.

Evolving? Certainly.

But dying? Not even close.

I haven’t gone one day in the past three months without seeing numerous blog postings from those who are lined up to be the next person to point out that many media outlets are in trouble. There is a frenzy of public relations pro’s, media “experts”, and marketers who can’t wait to Tweet and re-Tweet about the latest layoffs at various newspapers or TV stations.

 

It amazes me that many in Public Relations want to promote the collapse of the industry vital to their own work.

 

Of course The NY Times is broke. The LA Times and the Chicago Tribune are under water. Most major papers are feeling similar pain. But the story that no one seems to be following is the stability of smaller local media outlets.

 

PRWeek recently reported on a survey by the University of Missouri School of Journalism that shows 86% of adults read a local community newspaper each week.

http://www.prweekus.com/Local-outlets-remain-stable-in-downturn/article/122662/

As small papers continue to put more of their content online, this number will surely grow.

 

Instead of PR and marketing professionals panicking because major outlets are downsizing, perhaps they should reexamine their target audiences and tactics. They should counsel their clients about the value of local media impressions in the markets where a client has a presence. Reaching out to local community outlets may not have the same sizzle as getting a placement in The Times or on a national evening news program, but the impact of these combined local impressions may be more beneficial in reaching the client’s goals.

 

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Welcome to PR Workbench! We are looking forward to exchanging ideas on media, marketing, and PR tools in 2009.