Many entrepreneurs beat themselves up looking to hit a grand slam home run. I’ve helped many entrepreneurs create their business strategies and overcome personal roadblocks that hold them back. In my keynote speeches at conferences and in my coaching sessions, I give entrepreneurs and small business owners a new, empowering way to look at their businesses and redefine what … [Read more...]
Is the Press Release Dead?
Does Santa Claus exist? Is the press release dead? These questions come up every year. While the existence of Santa Claus has been widely proven to be true, I’ll weigh in on the other question as one of my coaching clients asked me that question just the other day. My answer is simple. If you think a press release will get you quoted on the front page of the New … [Read more...]
How Can You Write the Perfect Pitch Letter?
A relatively new staffer at a PR agency asked me recently to consult with her and review the pitch letter she wrote. Here’s what I told her. Reporters and TV producers tell me they don’t have time to read long pitch letters. They are swamped! One producer said she gets more than 1,000 pitches a day! That’s right. Each day! So what can you do to stand out from the … [Read more...]
Why Press Releases Are Trashed By Reporters
Press releases get trashed when they are too self-serving. Far too many people think the purpose of doing media interviews is to get attention for themselves or make sales of their products. DEAD WRONG!That's why they don't get publicity. A press release has one purpose and one purpose ONLY. That purpose is...to get the reporter to call you for more … [Read more...]
Angling Especially for TV? Here’s How to Snag TV Publicity
Some publicity seekers find TV the toughest medium to crack. Whether or not that’s true, it can also be the toughest medium in which to pull off a masterful appearance. Factors that have little or no impact on how well you come across print can sabotage your effectiveness on television. For example, when Caroline Kennedy attempted to explain why she wanted an appointment to … [Read more...]
What Authors can Learn from The Promotion of Anchorman II and Ron Burgundy
"Anchorman II: The Legend Continues" is the highly anticipated, long overdue sequel to 2004's "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy." The first film quickly became a cult classic with its quippy one-liners and hilarious cast. The sequel premiered December 18. Leading up to the movie's release, the "Anchorman" team took promoting the film to another level. Ron Burgundy was … [Read more...]
The Changing Media Landscape: Bad News for Authors and Book Publicists?
Many believe the printed newspaper is dying a slow, painful, inevitable death. Since 2008, the presses at hundreds of newspapers have stopped forever. Many venerable print magazines have closed their doors. After 32 years of publishing Southern Accents, Time. Inc. shut it down. Ziff Davis stopped publishing PC Magazine after 27 years, and Conde Nast closed the doors on Gourmet … [Read more...]
Self PR for the Self-Published Crowd
You’ve just written a sure to be award winning book on the history of ducks in television. Hundreds of copies of it sit on your desk and you’ve sold one to your mom, one to your best friend, and another to your dog. How in the world do you get word out about your epic tome? Internet Word of Mouth The first thing to do, if you haven’t already, is set up a Facebook and … [Read more...]
The Halo Effect of Marketing
Here’s a question I get asked many times: How do I monetize the exposure I get from publicity? Any marketing tool is part of the marketing mix. The magic is in the mix, as Nido Quebin says. Or it is part of "marketing gravity" as Alan Weiss says. You have to write articles, blogs, guest posts, press releases, PR LEADS, books, white papers, and you have to make … [Read more...]
How to Pitch Reporters and Get Results: A Reporter’s Point of View
Lisa Earle McLeod is a syndicated columnist who uses PR LEADS to find sources for her articles and books, including her latest: . She is a sales leadership consultant. Organizations like Apple, Kimberly-Clark and Pfizer hire her to create passionate, purpose-driven sales organizations. She is also a best-selling author and sought after speaker. Her newest book, Selling … [Read more...]