Public Relations Princess

VineMe Lauches Today

I'm very pleased to announce that the latest startup in the Des Moines tech world is being launched by two dear friends of mine. VineMe is very cool!

Josh Fleming and Tony Muse come from different planets in my solar system. Josh is a colleague from the agency world and still my favorite listening ear and confidant. Tony was a high school friend and also mentored my kids in roller skating when they were young. Both of them are smart, accomplished in their own sphere of influence.

Tony Muse is a world-champion speed skater. Yep, he still looks pretty darn good in spandex, too! Josh is not only a rockstar at Lessing Flynn, but is a powerful force in the Des Moines social media community, where everyone has something to contribute. Josh is usually the first one to notice and use his considerable influence to point it out. He's also actively involved in the community, a husband and the father of four adorable kids.

Together, Josh and Tony created VineMe, a new social platform that allows users worldwide to crowdsource content by time, subject tags, places and people. The content is indexed and displayed in timeline form, allowing users to organize and search content chronologically. When I first heard of the concept, I scratched my head and said, "Huh?" Josh encouraged me to just sign up start posting photos. He was right. Select a few of your favorite photos, post and you'll get it. Here is a video that explains the concept. Happy Vining! And congratulations, Josh and Tony! WORD! 

Anatomy of a Good Blogger Pitch Email

There is no doubt that the PR profession is profoundly changing. As the months slip by, I can't stress this enough: Press releases are passé. PR professionals are forced with a decision: Get with it, or get out of the profession.

A few weeks ago, I got in some hot water with some of my fellow PR professionals for being too tough on a agency employee for sending me an off-topic pitch. Since then, I've received my share of pitches. Copyblogger's Brian Clark really inspired me today, after reading this excellent monster list of recommendations on how to pitch properly.

Since it's never my intention to simply point out what's wrong with our profession - but to try to point out what is right - I'm including this recent email I received, along with my comments, to point out why it works.

Here is the headline and the first paragraph:

It was addressed informally, "Hi, Claire," but that's cool. She spelled my name correctly. Second, she included a crucial detail. Since I contribute material to PR Daily, she immediately made the connection that she was sending this and thought it would be suitable for PR Daily. To be completely honest, the subject line was ok, but could have been a little more exciting. But it was descriptive, at least. Don't waste that crucial real estate with a spammy note such as "press release" or "for your consideration."

She obviously took the time to Google my name, noting my connection to PR Daily. That is crucial when dealing with a reporter or a blogger. It does not take more than 2 minutes to Google each person. If you don't have time to research each person, that means you are spamming your pitch to WAY too many people.

Next, it's a marketing trends story. I occasionally write about that subject. The best part came next. She offered her company as an ongoing resource! And gave me the name of a real person to contact. Cool!

The email was informative, factual, full of good information. The marketing trend link took me to a web page with the information promised. She also took the extra step of including the information into the body of the email in case I just scrolled down to see it.

Appropriately missing was a news release. Why? Because this is NOT NEWS. It's information. It's a huge mistake to use a "news release" format to transmit INFORMATION. This is called a "pitch email," and it's highly effective because it meets the following criteria:

1. On target with what the blogger writes about
2. Personalized and researched
3. Explanatory
4. Valuable information
5. Timely

Well done! I'd love to hear your stories of some great pitches you've received. Thanks for reading!

How to Wing It in a Media Interview

This video is my all-time favorite classic example of a media interview gone bad. It also shows the risks being associated with being named Guy. Here's the backstory, read it before you view the video and it will be even funnier! This is a great case study on how a even a clueless interview subject can be coached by a skilled reporter to give a reasonably sensible interview even if they are unqualified.

I never tire of seeing his facial expression when being introduced! Don't take any chances with your media training. All new spokespersons should be accompanied by a PR rep when they attend interviews.

Midwest PR Professionals Bring Value, Not Pretention

I worked for three Midwest agencies over a period of ten years. There was always THAT client. The one who thought that their business deserved to be handled by only the best. By "the best," they meant an overpriced, management-heavy organization where the average hourly rate is north of $250 per hour. To add insult to injury, sometimes our OWN agency would call in the "big guys." Talk about selling yourself short, and transmitting the message to the client that you really can't handle the business.

Here are some scenarios under which big agencies have been brought in to save the day. Any of these sound familiar?

1. There is a perception by the client that Midwest agencies have no national media connections: The reality: There are many reputable agencies in medium and small markets. I worked on a multi-agency team for a large cell phone provider and our number-one PR performer year after year was a boutique Omaha agency. This team routinely kicked larger agencies to the curb in number of stories placed. Their secret? Good old shoe leather. They just picked up the phone and started dialing.


2. The pressure to "get some big hits" is coming from higher pay grades. The board is upset that the CEO's latest speech to the noon Rotary did not get covered by the local business reporter, so they want to push it up the ladder and get the Wall Street Journal to take a look at it. (!!!) This is a losing battle. Let the big New York agency give it a try. It's Mission Impossible. But remember, you might possibly still be blamed. (Tip: NEVER recommend the big fancy agency. Let them pick their own fat cat.)
   
   
3. Mistaken perception by the client that their stories are newsworthy: This is the number one existential problem between PR people and their clients. The client thinks his initiative is newsworthy and in an ego-driven frenzy, are desperately seeking attention. They think that it's YOUR (the small to mid-sized Midwestern agency) fault. It's hard to tell clients they don't have a story or need to work on their story. But it's your job. The smaller agency will bill you a lot less to tell the client the truth.


4. The "you get what you pay for" syndrome: Speaking of money, it is not unusual for agencies on the coasts, especially old-school Madison Ave types, to charge up to five times more for the same work you could get a in a smaller Midwest market like Des Moines, Minneapolis or Kansas City. The only time this may be advisable is when you're planning a high-profile event in New York City, LA or another city you're not familiar with.
   
   
5. Beware the Shark! Large agencies live and die by their client roster. In good years, they can afford to say no to business that medium-sized would kill for. In bad years, large agency wins are few and far between, so they may come after smaller fish.


6. Unceremoniously dumped! Large agencies think absolutely nothing of dumping a client when they can go after a bigger, more prestigious one. Worse yet, they may pass your business down the food chain until an intern is running the entire account. Wouldn't you rather have the business being competently run by a seasoned account manager, and closer to home?

Working with an agency that's closer to home, and run by people who may understand your business better. Sounds like a good strategy to me. Sometimes, you need the big guns, but for most PR assignments, the home team works just fine.

Create a Website Before Social Networking Sites

Recent research shows that 45% of all small businesses don't have a significant web presence of their own. Business owners are ceding control of their own message, marketing channel and search engine optimization, and letting others grab a part of their brand, without permission. Why would you give that kind of control to another person or an entity? For example, if a local restaurant doesn't have a website, shady web players like Yelp can come in as the first search result, running the risk of anonymous, negative reviews to be the first thing a potential customer might read about the restaurant.

But here's another conunundrum. Many small business owners, in the rush to be relevant in the new social media age, are trying to skip a step by going straight from no web presence to social media greatness. I'm talking them out of it one by one. Here's why.

Websites and blogs are really just content storage for your business. The type of content is only limited to your imagination and server capacity. For a retail business, it's the products you have to sell. For service providers, its a description of the services you provide. Social media sites are much more equipped to broadcast information, but not that great at storing it in any meaningful way. Your website is your story, written your way. It's your opportunity to define your strengths in a compelling way. Don't you want that to be the first thing your potential customers read?

Here are the steps you should follow for your web strategy when starting from scratch.

1. Reserve a unique domain for your website. Keep it as short as possible and memorable. I use the site GoDaddy.com, but there are others out there. If your preferred domain name is taken, add on your city or state to the beginning or end. For example: www.iowaicecreamstore.com.
2. Set up a simple website. I recommend using Wordpress, which is a flexible web platform that is typically used to create blogs. Using Wordpress from the very beginning of your project allows you to easily add a blog or other social content later using plugins. This is not a task for beginners. Get some help if you're not comfortable.
3. Create content and update frequently. Start a news page on the front page of your website, or better yet a blog. The key is to keep the content fresh so that your customers will keep coming back to see what's new. Fresh content is also a key ingredient to allowing search engines to find your site and rank it higher on results pages.
4. Now, you're ready to create a Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn company page. Use the links from your website to direct people to more information on the company site you created.
5. Constantly remind people that you offer information on other mediums. For example, "Find us on Facebook and Twitter," with icons prominently displayed, should be posted to your website and in your print ads.

Keeping the content fresh on a website is another thing to do on your busy list, but it's worth it. Your website will become the best lead generation tool in your arsenal.

 

What a Regular PR Flack Can Learn From South by Southwest #SXSW

There are certainly many PR pros on the ground in Austin this week, helping their companies and clients get noticed at SXSW this week. Here's a fun post by fellow flack Peter Himler. Sounds like he's working hard partying goofing off.

My reading and observing the #SWSX tweetstream and hashtag on Twitter, I've noticed that the annual mega-event is not a "must-be-there" event for most PR professionals. After all, it's hard to get away for professional development, and even harder to justify going something that looks like a drunk-fest.

What can you learn from it even though you didn't make the trip to Austin?

1. Tap into the treasure trove of information: Go to Slideshare.net and view recent SXSW presentations. Some are even downloadable. The competition to be a presenter is fierce, so only the best of the best make it. Be assured, there are new ideas and information to be discovered. Use the searchbar in the upper righthand corner of the screen and simply type in "SXSW." You can expand your search to order the results by date.
   
   
2. Learn how to follow a tweet stream (live or later) If you're on Twitter, go to the search bar and simply type in the tag #SXSW, and it will bring up the latest SXSW tweets in real time. You'll be able to hone in on sub-tags as well. Click on any one of the subtags to begin following that stream. The SXSW tweetstream goes so fast it's almost unreadable, but you can find interesting people to follow by using this technique.
   
   
3. Enter the conversation stream with additional information: If you want to comment on the SXSW tweet stream, it hardly matters if you are present at the event. Most people in Austin are tweeting each other from across town, anyway. Just be relevant, nice, and brief, and don't forget to tag your info with #SXSW. @Reply someone directly if you want to be sure to get their attention.
   
   
4. Trendspotting: Quite a few technology giants (as well as startups) launch new products and services at SXSW every year. Check out all the panels, presentations and sponsored events on the official SXSW site. Check out the official launchof SlideRocket. Pretty cool.
   
   
   
5. Plan your PR for next year: Just like a traditional trade show, pitching a journalist or a blogger starts well before the event. Do not expect to reach someone right before the next SXSW, or during the event. In fact, I've heard several journalists complain that it's too late to pitch them, and that they don't plan to answer work email until they return to the office.

Better yet, hop on a Delta flight, buy a pair of new sunglasses, and head to Austin next year to see what all the fuss is about. How about you? Have you been to SXSW? Would you go back?

Why Women in PR are Making Less Money

Preliminary data from a recent Public Relations Society of America’s 2010 Work, Life & Gender Survey shows that female practitioners' income continues to slide. The data indicate that the average annual income for men in public relations was about $120K; that figure for women was about $72K. In our 2006 survey, the average annual income for men was $98,188.82; the average for women was $67,853.08.

While researching this post, I found some very interesting (read: scary) opinions on whether a woman's place is at home with her children. As I've known since my kids were small, women have pressure coming at them from all sectors of society. Everyone has a different opinion of what women should do. I say women need to do what is best for themself and their family and ignore all the rest.

When I was 25, I already had two small children. My husband and I both worked full time and had the kids in daycare. I made the agonizing decision to stay home with them soon after my youngest daugther's first birthday. There were no shortage of opinions on what I did. My husband was scared to be a one-income family (I started an in-home daycare shortly thereafter), my friends rolled their eyes and told me how bored I would be. I stayed home for seven years, and during that time the personal computer was introduced en masse to the workforce. Just by not being there, I was falling further and further behind.

Upon re-entering the workforce at a ridiculously low salary, I found out why it's so hard to take a break. It took me most of the last ten years to catch up to where I should have been, salary-wise. And choosing PR as a profession nearly guarantees that you'll never be wealthy. There are very few examples I can cite in which a communications professional becomes the big boss.

A few other factors are in play as well:

1. There is still a taboo among most people about talking about salary. It amazes me that acquaintances will tell you all about their sex life or relationship and no one ever talks about how much money they make.
2. Men ask for more money when they get hired, they're more aggressive about asking for raises, and they don't hesitate to job-hop when they get sick of waiting for a raise.
3. In exchange for more flexibility at work, many women work part-time or stay in positions which they are not as responsible for as much as their more career-forward co-workers.
4. Maternity leave sets women back. Period. End of story. I have seen it happen with my own two eyes. Part of it is how women are viewed by their peers (men and women alike) and part of it is actually covering for the person who is gone.
5. Managers don't want to hire pregnant or women who are thinking about having a baby. If they have a choice between an equally qualified man and woman, they'll choose the man every time. It's hard to prove, but I've heard the comments with my own two ears.

My advice to women in the workforce who suspect they are not being paid as well as a male colleague: Do your research. Snoop around. Ask advice from people who you might be able to confide in. Arm yourself with surveys that indicate what the going rate for your position is. Then complile a list of your accomplishments and ask for a raise. You can do it. If they say no, move on. Sometimes the only way to get a raise it to move to a different job.

Update (3-14-11) Found this article on Forbes Woman today that adds to the conversation.

Have you ever found out you were making less than a male colleague? Have you ever asked for a raise?

PR Spam Blogger Relations Case Study: The Truth Be Told, You Should be Outraged

Lately, I've received some really off-target spam "news" releases from PR types. Last year, my friend Todd Defren and I commiserated about the sad state of PR spam last year, when he told me about a press release he was pitched, all about oatmeal. Todd writes about PR, social media, and agency life. Not consumer products. By the way, Todd is a true thought leader and visionary, the "social media news release" was his brainchild.

Another leader in calling out bad pitches is the "Bad Pitch Blog." They're taking on the silly media relations frenzy that surrounds SXSW each year. It's worth a follow. Here is their social media relations quiz.

Today, I received a completely off-target news release, one of those "Yeah! We're the agency of record for our new client!" garbage news releases. In my opinion, it's great to be "thrilled" to have a new client, but keep this stuff to the Advertising and PR trade pubs. Or better yet, just post it on your agency's website. In this case, the agency was "The Truth Be Told" (offices in New York and LA!)

PR spam is a serious threat to the credibility to all PR people, and it's getting really bad. I'm always encouraging my friends in the media to take action and push back. So, I decided to respond. Here is the exchange that ensued.

First, the breathy first paragraph of the "News" Release. The pitch was exactly three words long.

For your consideration:(!!!!) <----- (That's it, in case you missed it!)

TRUTH BE TOLD TO REPRESENT CANADA G00SE

New York, NY (March 9, 2011) – Canada Goose, Inc.,the Canadian company, who for over 50 years has been committed to producing the best extreme weather outerwear in the world; proudly made in Canada, announced today that Truth Be Told, Inc., a public relations and marketing firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, was selected as the agency of record for this iconic brand.  “We’re thrilled to have Truth Be Told on board. The last five years have been a time of remarkable growth for our company in United States,” said Kevin Spreekmeester, VP Global Marketing.  “We believe that TBT has a unique combination of New York savvy and Los Angeles savoir faire to provide the perfect public relations marketing support we need to maintain the upward momentum.”

ME: "Why on earth would you send me this release? You obviously have no idea what you are doing."
Amanda S. from Truth Be Told: "Then it would behoove you to change your details on the media search engines."
Me: "I write about public relations. You've obviously never read my blog. My search details don't include anything about wanting to read random press releases that I would not write about in A MILLION YEARS."
Amanda: "By the way, I hope the advice you give clients includes building relationships, because clearly you're terrific at that."
Me: "I didn't ask you for anything. You are the one who sent me a cookie cutter "For Your Consideration" agency of record spam email. Clearly, I could give a crap less, and your sass is not helping your case, that of your client, or your company's reputation. You do know I'm a blogger, right?"
Amanda: (note the change in tone): I have never engaged in such a correspondence with a media person, nor do I intend to.  I was simply surprised by your reaction and perhaps reacted too quickly. We work with several outlets that focus on media moves and somehow your name ended up on this short list. Apologies if it clogged your inbox. There is no reason to endanger my business or the reputation of our client, that spends a lot of time and resources on protecting the environment and endangered species.

Best,

Amanda

The best part of her entire pitch was buried in her hasty apology! If she had done a little research on Twitter, she would have discovered that I sometimes tweet about water quality and the environment. If she would have done her due diligence and perhaps noted SOMETHING about my blog or even given one hint that she had followed me on Twitter, it would have been a different story. No, I would have never written about Canada Goose, but at least it would have made me think that she truly researched her pitch.

This is a perfect example of "spray and pray," or "throw Jello at the wall to see how much will stick" PR. I don't know anything about Canada Goose, but they certainly deserve better service than this.

Have you ever done the "Spray and pray?" Can you share how you found out it's not the best way to pitch? I'd love to hear your stories. There, I feel better now. Thanks for reading.

P.S. The Truth Be Told PR: Please don't fire Amanda. I promise she has learned her lesson and will remember it for the rest of her career. But you have some serious training to do. Here are some tips from Journalistics on how to allow reporters and bloggers to opt out of your media lists.