Timing is everything!

As we prepare to head into 2010, there are a few things we hold self evident; We no longer have to say "aught" before the date (aught one, aught two, aught nine, etc.) although we can still say it just because it's fun to say...aught, that the success of small businesses and non-profits are essential to the survival of our republic, girls with glasses are hot, and that timing is everything.

I come to you with this entry for a couple of reasons.  First, as we go along and hopefully you learn more and more about handling your own public relations and media outreach, you will be successful in targeting your audience, creating your message, focusing on a story, identifying media outlets to pitch, keeping up with your social media efforts and so on. 

Second, and most importantly, I'm doing this entry as public service to journalists who constantly complain to me about pr folks calling to pitch them stories at the absolutely worst time.  Nothing angers a rabid journalist more than trying to pitch them a story when they're up against a deadline or desperately chasing down a lead. 

Before I get to my do's and dont's of pitch timing, let me tell you something about journalists in general.  They are overworked and underpaid (like most of us), they have strict daily deadlines that must be met, they never really leave their work at the office, they are irritable, cynical and nearly always tired.  These are generalizations, of course, but after working for fifteen years as a journalist, I feel pretty confident that it fits most of my former colleagues. 

With that in mind, I have to tell you that there really is never a perfect time to pitch a story, there are simply better times than others.  But don't get disheartened.  As a small business owner or non-profit director pitching a story for the first time, you will likely get the brush off, unless your story is really, really good.  Early on in this process you are an unknown entity to them.  And, like everyone else, journalists like to work with people they know and trust.  Given their paper thin margin for error, that makes sense. 

This is where the relationship aspect of pr comes into play.  Hopefully, you've taken them some Christmas cookies or St. Patrick's Day beer or maybe just some sandwiches on Saturday for a much needed lunch for the weekend crew.  As mentioned before, this is a great way to make some initial contacts in your local newsrooms.  There's a catch to this, but I'll get to it when I get to the tips, stay tuned.

So when IS a good time to pitch a story, particularly if you're still a relative unknown to folks in the newsroom?  There are a couple of answers to this question.  First there is long-term timing, daily timing and the never-ever timing.  Perhaps we should start with when NOT to pitch.

Pitching-Timing No-No's:

For the most part, newsroom timing is fluid.  Journalists are always prepared for the unexpected and are always looking for that breaking news story to spice up their issue or broadcast.  With one eye on the current news and another eye on what might be news, they tend to be a bit distracted.  Frankly, it's the perfect profession for people with ADD.  However, even as fluid as it can be, there are still some instances when their time is irrevocably tied up.  Mostly these times include daily news meetings.  While every newsroom holds their meetings at different times, you can bet the house that, regardless of when, the reporter, producer or editor you're pitching will, at some point, have to attend these meetings.

1.  Meeting times are not a good time to pitch.  It's not even a good idea to pitch right before a meeting.  Obviously when they're in a meeting, they are unavailable.  Right before a meeting, they are generally catching up on missed phone calls, preparing for the meeting and taking care of any other issues they need to attend to.  They don't often want to get into a long pitch.  A good rule of thumb is not to pitch ten to fifteen minutes before the daily news meetings.  You can find out when your local newsrooms hold their meetings by making a simple call to the newsroom.  You likely won't have a problem getting them to tell you their meeting schedule.  If you do, explain that you will be pitching them stories and want to be respectful of their time.  Nothing endears you to a journalist more than being respectful of their schedule (except maybe free food or alcohol).


2.  Never, EVER pitch a morning news broadcast before the show.  Morning show producers and reporters are perhaps the toughest to pitch because they are among the most stressed workers in the newsroom.  They come in the night before and have to digest the news of the previous day, figure out what the biggest news of the new day is, and keep track of any breaking overnight news.  They are focused, tired and the last thing they need is to deal with a story pitch while juggling news crews, tracking down leads and putting together a multi-hour show.  Duncan Shaw, Executive Producer for KCNC-TV in Denver says he regularly receives calls from folks pitching stories at 2, 3, 4 in the morning, assuming he has time to talk since his shows don't air until 5am.  This is a big no-no. 

While it might make logical sense to catch a morning show journalist early, before the craziness of the show takes over, that logic flies out the window when you realize that the craziness takes over the minute they walk through the door. 

An addendum:  Also don't pitch a producer or editor immediately after their show is over.  They have to do things like record promos for the next day, talk about any technical issues they might have had during the show and then, perhaps most importantly, decompress.  They will have at least one, mandatory meeting to attend before they leave for the day, they have to start putting together their show for the next day and will have tons of emails and phone calls to follow up on.  In other words, the window to reach a morning show reporter, producer or executive producer is very slim.  Your best bet is to catch them about an hour after their show is finished, but before their morning meetings begin.  In other words, you'll generally have about a 30 to 45-minute window.  During this window, you can try to reach the Assignment Editor, the show producer or the executive producer. 


3.  Never wait until the day of an event to pitch said event.  Newsrooms need time to prepare.  They like to plan, even if they know that more often than not, those plans will end up as a heaping, flaming pile on the floor.  Newsrooms also have very few resources these days.  The pre-schedule their photographers and reporters whenever possible, to cover as many stories as they can in a single trip.  Sometimes that means a photographer will hit three or four different events in a few hours.  Reporters may start on one story but be available to cover another, bigger story if something breaks.  In other words, if you want to be in the mix for coverage, they have to know ahead of time so they can work you into the schedule, both in terms of manpower and on their rundown sheet.  If you call a couple of hours before your event is happening, it's almost guaranteed you won't be on the news that night.

4.  Don't pitch during the meet n greet.  Sometimes your first interaction with a newsroom will be when you pitch them, that can't always be helped.  But hopefully, you've taken my advice and made an effort to reach out to a newsroom ahead of time, laying the groundwork for what, hopefully, will be a productive relationship for both parties.  When you walk into the newsroom, arms full of food and beverages, keep in mind this is a get-to-know-you meeting, NOT a pitch.  It's okay to tell them about who you are and what you do and why you think you might have some good stories for them in the future, but try to avoid walking in, handing them a donut and immediately saying, "Man, have I got a story for you!"  Journalists will really appreciate the effort you're taking to simply meet them without having to listen to a pitch.  Take the time to ask THEM questions.  Find out when their meetings are, ask when is the best time to pitch them, find out what they're looking for in a story.  They'll respect that you are taking the time to find out about them and discover what you can do to make their jobs easier and they'll remember you for it when you make your first pitch.

5.  Don't always be pitching.  This kind of goes in the, "ways to develop a relationship" section, but I'm putting it here because it's important.  If you go to a media mixer, or end up at a party where you run into local journalists, avoid the temptation to pitch a story.  As I said earlier, journalists are always "on".  In other words, they're always thinking about news, and they enjoy their time away from the pressure that news brings.  At parties, they'll often be "talking shop" with other journalists.  This doesn't mean they automatically want to be pitched.  Take the time to just listen in on the conversation if possible.  You'll learn a lot, trust me.  Strike up a conversation with them that doesn't have anything to do with news.  Talk about family, or sports, hell, even the weather.  Also, comment on a recent story they did; if you liked it, tell them so.  This not only tells them that you are educated about their work, but they will appreciate the flattery.  

Pitch-Timing Yes-Yes:

1.  Learn the schedules for your local newsroom.  Whether it be print or broadcast, they will all have meetings and other items that will make them unavailable to you, know this schedule and avoid pitching them immediately before, during or after these times.

2.  Learn the personnel.  Different producers, reporters and editors have different schedules.  Unlike an office environment, newsroom folks aren't chained to a desk.  They walk around, eat lunch when they feel like it and adjust their schedule based on their abilities.  Their primary goal is to produce the best product possible by the deadline.  The best bet is to target one or two specific shows to pitch your story to.  If you know your stories are more often than not going to be a better fit for the weekend show, then get to know that weekend crew and their schedule.  If you think the Fashion section in the paper is going to be your conduit to media coverage, get to know that editor and reporter.  In this way, you will be able to know their schedule and know the best times to pitch them.

3.  Know WHO to pitch.  Again, this will change from newsroom to newsroom and from show to show, but knowing who to pitch your story to is just as important as when to pitch.  In some TV newsrooms, the Executive Producer is the best person to pitch, in others, it's the Assignment Editor, in others, it might be the reporter.  Getting the pitch to the right person goes a long way towards successfully getting media attention.

4.  Don't limit yourself.  I have been accused in the past of taking a shotgun tactic to my pitching.  I disagree.  A shotgun approach is simply sending your release and pitch to everyone in the newsroom.  This is a waste of time and just annoys journalists.  I do, however, send multiple pitches to newsrooms when I can.  I always send my pitch to the assignment editor or desk editor, and you should as well, because they are the gatekeepers to the news meetings.  I also send out a pitch to at least one line producer, an executive producer and one reporter.  That's four targeted pitches per newsroom.  That increases my chances that someone will like my story enough to at least get it onto the list for the news meeting.

5.  Personalize your pitch.  For each pitch I send out, I personalize it for the individual getting it.  I have their name at the top, and I add a short note to the top of my email explaining why I'm pitching them and why I think the pitch is good for their audience.  Sending generic pitches a good way to get ignored. 

Oh, but back to the timing issue:

We've discussed the never-ever timing issue a bit, and gone over the daily timing issue as well.  But the long-term timing issue is still very important.  As I said in a previous paragraph, you should never wait until the day of an event to pitch a story.  The long-term view is tricky, as you have to catch journalists far enough ahead of time to give them time to prepare, but also close enough to the event so they won't forget. 

It gets even trickier when you realize that the long-term timing issue changes not only from newsroom to newsroom, but also with the type of media you're pitching.  Here's a basic rule of thumb to consider when pitching an upcoming event:

1.  No more than a week out for broadcast.  While it's true that broadcast outlets like to plan ahead, they are also less focused on long term stories than newspapers or magazines.  If you pitch a story to a tv or radio station a month ahead, they will likely forget you unless you do some major follow up in the weeks leading up to the event.  If you have an event scheduled for a Thursday afternoon, it's a good idea to pitch them that Monday.  That's three days in advance, giving them time to plan, but not so far away that they'll forget.  Regardless of when you pitch, you'll want to follow up on the day of the event to remind them, just in case.


2.  If you're looking for a more in-depth package or story to be done on your organization or event, then a little farther out is appropriate.  Sometimes it takes a little more effort to put together a more comprehensive story together.  In these cases, you'll likely be working with an individual reporter and not a producer as much, so a couple of weeks ahead of time will work.  In some rare instances, say a morning show or daily special reporter (you know, the one who goes out and reports on some fun or unusual activity taking place around town) they put together their schedules a month or so in advance.  Ask them specifically when the best time to pitch them is and adjust your pitch schedule to them.

3.  For daily papers, a week, to two weeks out is appropriate.  


4.  For magazines, plan ahead and pitch up to six months in advance.  In the case of magazines, every year they put out a monthly schedule, detailing what kind of stories they will be focusing on in the upcoming year.  Find out which issue is best for your story and pitch immediately.  While magazines also have some sidebar and filler information they include which can be pitched up to a month ahead of time, your best bet to make a magazine is to pitch way, way in advance.

5.  Know what kind of story you want.  Is your story a 30-second mention at the 10pm show?  Is it a featured article in the business section?  Is it a package piece on the weekend?  The bigger the story you want, the more time the newsroom needs to get it together.  This is particularly true for print, but it is also applicable for broadcast entities as well. 

As a rule of thumb, and as a reminder; no more than a week out for broadcast entities, about two weeks for a daily print entity, and up to six months for a magazine.  While, again, these are generalization, if you operate with this rule of thumb, you will find you will have a better chance at successfully pitching your story.  Plus, if you're familiar with this pitching schedule, you'll be better prepared to adjust to those rare instances when the rule doesn't apply.

Just like social media, you can get into trouble when you try to do to much at one time.  You know your organization, you know what kind of coverage you want and you probably have a pretty good idea which news sections or shows your story will be a good fit for most of the time.

My advice?  Target a section in the newspaper, one or two shows at your local tv and radio station and one magazine to pitch regularly.  This will keep it managable for you and will allow you to grow a relationship with the journalists working your targeted outlets faster than if you pitched randomly. 

Finally, don't be afraid to make mistakes.  You WILL call at a wrong time, you WILL interrupt a journalist on deadline and you WILL likely annoy them at some point.  PR pro's who've been in the business for years still call at the worst possible time every now and then, so will you.  It's okay.  It's not the end of the world.  Simply apologize, and ask them when a better time would be to call.

For this reason, I always send out an intial email pitch and follow up with phone calls over the next couple of days.  This way they have seen the pitch and I don't have to take up as much of their time explaining why I'm calling.  Even if you call a journalist when they're very busy, most of the time they'll be gracious, but probably curt, with you.  Don't take it personally and let them know you're trying to be respectful of their time. 

Trust me, even if they don't cover your story, they'll love you for thinking about them and you'll find more success down the road.

It works, it really works!

Well, well, well...what do you know, apparently this social media "fad" is actually working.  Whoduthunkit?!  I had to laugh a bit when I read this article in the Denver Post this morning.  Here's a quick preview, check out the link to read the entire story.

Social media websites strengthened holiday season for retailers

By Steve Raabe
The Denver Post

Posted: 12/29/2009 01:00:00 AM MST

Updated: 12/29/2009 02:04:02 AM MST

(Thomas McKay, Denver Post illustration; photo by Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)

Holiday retail sales might have staved off a visit from the Grinch thanks in part to social media.
Nearly half of U.S. retailers polled in a pre-holiday national survey said they intended to increase their use of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter during the Christmas shopping season.
"Social media has allowed for a very efficient, low-cost way for retailers to communicate directly with their best customers on exclusive sales and offers," said Clay McDaniel, co-founder of Seattle-based marketing firm Spring Creek Group.

Here's my quick take.  Businesses everywhere are still learning how to effectively use social media, but they're starting to figure out at least a few things.  More than the bump in sales due to social media sites, what I found particularly interesting in the article was a mention of "Dominoes Pizza" and their use of social media to not only get feedback from their customers, but then to market the changes made based directly off that feedback. 

Right now, it looks like most companies are using the social media sites in conjunction with direct marketing and advertising strategies.  For most small businesses and non-profits, major advertising and direct marketing plans are financially out of reach.  That leaves you with a social media/public relations partnership that is much more affordable, AND can be more target specific so you don't end up wasting time and money directing your message to people who don't, and won't ever, care about your product or service.

Still, the article is heartening because it shows that social media campaigns can, and do, have a tangible positive impact on an organizations' bottom line.  Be assured that these companies learned a valuable lesson about social media this holiday season and will continue to expand their online profile throughout the year and will be even more actively involved in social media campaigns next November and December. 

Your small business and non-profit will benefit from this as more and more consumers are driven online by major corporations for information on products and services.  While they're there, it's likely consumers will do a little shopping to find that perfect gift or service to buy for their loved ones. 

Looking ahead to 2010

If you didn't see my previous post about the value of not vewing the media as an adversary, check it out.  I like it, I hope you do too.  Once again, it's good to be back and I'm looking forward to a great 2010.  So with that in mind, as many of you sit back and reflect on the past 360-odd days and peer cautiously into the next year, I wanted to take a moment and discuss 2010.

First, though, I wanted to thank all of you who sent me their wishlist of topics they'd like to see on the blog.  As I figured, the response was overwhelmingly tilted towards social media issues.  I also received a lot of requests to continue to give some personal insight into the inner workings of the news.  To that end, I have a series of interviews arranged with folks who work in newsrooms, both locally and nationally so you can hear, in their own words, how a newsroom operates.  Hopefully it will also helpy ou understand their thought processes better as well.

When it comes to the social media angle, we'll take that journey together as the social media world continues to evolve and new tools are added almost daily.

With that in mind, here is an interesting article from BusinessWeek, discussing some of the biggest myths of social media.  Here is a teaser from that article:

Anyone can do it. A surfeit of whiz kids and more experienced marketers are claiming to be social media experts and even social media gurus. Search the bios of Robert Scoble's 56,838 Twitter followers using Tweepsearch (www.tweepsearch.com), an index of the bios of Twitter users, and you'll find:
• 4,273 Internet marketers
• 1,652 social media marketers
• 513 social media consultants
• 272 social media strategists
• 180 social media experts
• 98 social media gurus
• 58 Internet marketing gurus
How many of them have actually created a successful campaign for clients using social media tools? I bet you'd be hard-pressed to find half a dozen with real track records. 

I have to say that while I don't agree with everything in the article, I think it does make some excellent points.  Social media is NOT a guaranteed, sure-fire way to achieve success.  It is simply one tool in your kit.  As I've said before, you need a comprehensive plan that also utilizes traditional media, public outreach and some basic marketing/advertising.

Don't let the budget figures in the article scare you away.  Remember, this article is geared at larger businesses who are considering large, national social media campaigns.  These kinds of efforts could be costly.  But you can be successful with your social media and pr campaign without busting your bank.  It does take extra effort, an investment of manpower and some money, but done right, you can get a much bigger bang for your buck than many larger firms who will undoubtedly spend hundreds of thousands on their campaigns in 2010.

Plan For Success:

So there you sit, wondering how to make social media and public relations work for you and your small business or non-profit.  Perhaps you've learned a few things by reading this blog and by using other resources at your disposal.  The hard part, however, is how to put that new-found knowledge to use.

First, have a plan.  You have a plan, a vision, for your organization, you have to have a plan and a vision for your social media dn pr efforts as well.  Look ahead to your year.  Target specific events, celebrations, anniversaries, holidays, etc. that you have coming up.  Think about how your organization can use these events to spread the word about who you are and what you do.  Remember to keep in mind the lessons of the news peg and storytelling (character, relevance, timeliness, impact, wow factor) to catch the interest of both the general public and journalists.  Some things you can do to help your plan include:


a.  Put together a calendar to keep track of your potential pr and social media outreach events
b.  Write down your public relations and social media goals for the year.  Maybe you want to gain a certain number of new volunteers or donors, or perhaps you want to have a certain number of news stories on your organization.  The list should also include a "dream list," or a list of magazines, news shows, blogs, etc., that you want to be mentioned in.  This gives you a goal that may seem just out of reach, but will be a motivating factor in your efforts.


Be prepared.  Small businesses and non-profits often miss out on great pr because they're not prepared to react quickly when opportunity arises.  One of our clients when I was with the PRAS Group, was Big Box storage.  One night they were watching the news and saw a story about a large apartment fire i Boulder.  They quickly mobilized and got some of their storage boxes up to the fire to help those families displaced by the fire.  They got some great positive public outreach as well as some fantastic news coverage from their efforts.  They were ready to move quickly and decisively when the opportunity presented itself.  A few tips on being prepared:

a.  Have your press kit ready to go.  As I mentioned in a previous entry, you don't have to have a tailored press kit or release ready to go, just a basic kit that outlines your organization's philosphy, history, the important players, some photos and generic video that you can use for any situation.  If you have this all onine on your website, you'll never be caught unprepared to give out information when asked.
b.  Have your message ready. It's very likely that your organization has a mission statement.  That's not necessarily your "message" but it can act as a guide to creating your message.  We'll discuss exactly what a "message" is in upcoming entries, but for the time being, think of what you tell people about your organization when asked at parties or other social events.  Boil that answer down to one or two sentences, and you have, essentially, your message.  If you have your message, your organization's focus, memorized, then you will be able to insert that message into every public interaction you're involved with.  The more people hear your message, the more they'll understand your organization and the more they'll remember you, your business or non-profit and what you stand for.

Focus.  You may already be using some form of social media.  That is great.  But don't get bogged down in trying to learn every single social media tool out there.  Find three social media tools that you feel comfortable using and then focus on using those tools.  Learn everything you can about them.  Figure out how to use them effectively to market your organization.  This could be a combination of Facebook, Twitter and blogging.  It could be using podcasts, video, whatever tools you decide to use, use them regularly.

Learn a new tool monthly.  This may sound like a contradiction to the previous paragraph, but it's not.  This is simply saying to keep up with the changes.  Social media changes are coming fast, almost daily, if you don't keep up with the new tools available to you, you will be left behind.  You don't have to use the new tools if you don't feel like they will be helpful.  But if you have a solid base of social media tools that you use all the time, it becomes much easier to mix in a new tool to test its effectiveness from time to time.  As you learn more about what's out there, your social media arsenal will grow, right along with your business.

Don't get discouraged.  Simply posting a blog, a podcast and Facebook entries won't bring success overnight.  It takes time.  You have to use your tools regularly, daily, weekly, maybe even hourly.  Remember, the average person usually has to see or hear something three times before they remember it.  You are trying to establish a presence among your audience and potential audience.  You have to stay in their face a little bit.  You may not see a jump in your business in the first week or month of your efforts.  You may get turned down several times when you pitch to local newsrooms.  But keep posting, keep pitching and keep a high profile.  You WILL start to see your base of customers or shareholders grow.  One quick note here; I'll be discussing how to measure your social media efforts in upcoming entries.  It IS important to be able to measure your social media and even your traditional media efforts so you know where your time is being spent most effectively.  Ask customers or shareholders how they found out about you and even ask them their opinion of your social media efforts.  One of the great aspects of social media is that it's so interactive.  Listen to the people posting on your blog, or Facebook page, etc.  They'll guide you just as consumers guide sales strategies.

Here is one tip that I can't stress enough; 
Do something you've never done before.  If you don't already use an e-newsletter, put one together.  If you already have a newsletter, then start a blog.  Start a podcast, start using video, sign up for Facebook or Twitter if you already haven't.  The point is to do something that you're not doing now.  All of these things require little, if any, financial commitment.  Your pr and social media outreach has to grow just as your business grows.

It's always exciting to end one year and look ahead to a new year.  It's a time for a fresh start, a time for goal-setting and high hopes.  Here's hoping we all have a happy, healthy and successful 2010!

David vs. Goliath?

It's so good to be back.  After taking a short break for a week from the blog, I'm back with more information, tips, insight and advice for small business owner and non-profits.  It's funny because over the holidays a friend of mine asked me if I was certain this blog was such a good idea.  She was concerned that I was angering larger, more established PR firms in the area by giving away their "trade secrets".  She was even concerned that I might upset some folks in local newsrooms because I was allowing people to "peek behind the curtain" of traditional media, so to speak.

It made me think, and then chuckle.  She compared me to a tiny David slinging stones at the goliaths.  It's a legitimate question, if not an apt analogy, to what I'm trying to do here.  It got me thinking and, while I don't want to spend a lot of time on this topic, I did want to say something about it.  Briefly, I wanted to say this:  I am not concerned about upsetting anyone in the "business" whether they be in PR or journalism.  It's not that I don't care what they think, I do.  I'm not concerned because, first, my priority is to help small businesses and non-profits succeed.  As a longtime journalist, a PR professional and one-time small business owner, I know the challenges that smaller organizations face, from funding, to staffing to decisions over paying a bill or paying a consultant to help you generate business so you can eventually not have to worry about paying that bill.

I also know that journalists and public relations folks are human beings (believe it or not, they are).  They don't like seeing businesses fail.  They aren't some curmudgeons sitting behind large oak desks rooting for organizations to go under.  It's just that they're under very stringent deadlines and financial considerations, like everyone else.  Throw in the fact that the entire universe of journalism and PR is changing by the second, and they simply don't have the time to spend on issues or organizations they perceive to be unimportant.  Well, perhaps unimportant is the wrong word here.  It's not that they view you as unimportant, just a lot lower on their list of priorities. 

Let's face it, while your organization is one of the most important things in your world, in their world, they have much larger fish to fry.  When I worked for a local mid-sized PR firm, they handled clients with national, and in some cases worldwide impact, companies like Shell Oil, Kroegers, The U.S. Army.  They didn't have the manpower to handle every small organization that came looking for help.  Plus, their rates were way too expensive for most small business or non-profit to afford.  At times, they would take on a non-profit who fit with their values or would be a good long term investment, such as the Colorado Colfax Marathon.  And it was an investment in money and manpower since the company lost money in the venture.  But the contacts that were made (the scope of the project was huge, major media partners, state and municipal government involvement, scores of community groups were involved) made the effort worthwhile. 

They didn't enjoy turning people away, but they just couldn't afford to take on every small business and non-profit that came knocking.  The same story can be repeated at PR firms throughout the city, state and country.  Trust me, they are thrilled that there is an avenue out there that is willing to help the small organizations they can't get to. 

On the newsroom side of things, I can only say this.  Journalists are always looking for good stories.  They know they have missed some excellenct stories over the years simply because the people doing the pitching either didn't know how to get their point across effectively, or they just didn't pitch because they didn't know how.  Anything that helps reporters, editors and producers save time, ease headaches while still offering good stories, well, they will line up to cheer for that.

In the end, though, it's not about upsetting anyone, it's about helping folks out.  Hopefully the information this blog provides not only helps small businesses and non-profits, but also helps out PR firms and journalists.  And you're a part of the solution.  Remember, you're not in an adversarial position with PR firms by handling your own media efforts.  They might even be more willing to help if they see you have an idea of what you're doing and only need a little input or advice over a glass of wine or a mug of beer. 

You're also not in a fight with the media.  Keep in mind that you are their lifeline to good stories.  You are giving them something they both want and need.  In return, they give you something you want and need; some much needed public exposure.

There is no King David slinging rocks at the Phillistine Goliath, not in 2010.  There's simply too much access, too many tools and too much competition for a real David vs Goliath cage match anymore.  Anyone can succeed today, regardless of size.  No, today there is simply entities fighting for their slice of the pie and the ones that realize the people on the other side of the lines are much more valuable as a partner than an enemy, are the ones who will succeed.

Random Thoughts, Your Questions

Only seven more shopping days till Xmas, kiddos, if you haven't bought all the goodies yet, wait until Christmas Eve.  It's what I do, and it's not nearly as crazy as you might think...seriously.  But onto more pertinent issues.

Your Feedback:

I have a ton of ideas that will keep this blog going forever, and I really enjoy it.  But I'm conflicted  a little.  On one hand, I started this blog to give small business owners and non-profit staffs tips on how to do their own public relations.  This means dealing with a lot of traditional media strategies, as well as some more general PR tips and thoughts.  I really want to give the basics of quality public relations so you can go forth and pitch your organization with confidence and success. 

But clearly, social media is also a big part of getting the message out about your organization.  I want to include all of that information as well. 

So in the spirit of the holiday, I'm asking for gifts (what?  That's not the spirit?  Bah Humbug, then).  I want to hear from you about what you want from me.  Is there a burning question that you have about pitching your organization?  Are there issues you are having trouble with?  Is there a specific aspect of PR and marketing that you want to know about?  Are you more interested in the social media angle than traditional media? 

Send me your questions, your scenarios, your complaints.  This blog is for you and it should reflect that.  I will answer all questions, either here in this forum, or privately in an email.  I will also address any organization-specific questions with privacy in mind. 

So get your questions ready and send them to me, either in the comments section, or to my email at cdgallegos01@earthlink.net  I look forward to hearing from you all.

Speaking of social media vs. traditional media, I received a lot of great feedback on my last entry, so thatnk you.  Which leads me to the next item on the itinerary.  As is the case with every December, writers are all busy putting together lists and breaking out their crystal balls, in an effort to put out their most finely crafted end-of-year stories (in contrast, we'll be getting a ton of end-of-decade stories next year, although a few will pop up this year as well).

In keeping with that time honored tradition, here are a couple of fine reads that look back at the past year, and also look ahead at what might come.

Social Media in 2010:

The first is a great article  courtesy of Judy Shapiro from Advertising Age, looking at the possible impact of social media in 2010.  Frankly, while reading it, I was surprised at the overall generall impression of social media as it stands RIGHT NOW.  To think that there are still major PR and marketing firms that use social media simply as a sideline tool, well, it simply stuns me.  I think it's because a lot of professionals out there still haven't been able to figure out how to use the tools effectively, or they may just be waiting to see how social media continues to develop.  Either way, in my humble opinion, they need to get on the field, or they're going to get Wally Pipp'ed.  (look it up, it's a sports reference, I like it.)

2009's Biggest PR Blunders:

 
The second article is a list of the top ten PR blunders of 2009.  It comes courtesy of PR Newswire, but the list was assembled by Fineman PR, a biggie in the industry, based out of San Fran.  Keep in mind when you read this list that it only deals with events that really fall into the realm of PR or crisis communications, and really had an impact on an organization that makes public relations decisions regularly.  That's why the "Balloon Kid" isn't on the list.  Although that was a huge PR blunder, it actually achieved what the father wanted; another fifteen minutes of fame.  So, while it might have been a major boneheaded move, maybe even a crime, from a PR standpoint, it wasn't a monumental blunder.  Clearly the father was coming from the school of, "no PR is bad PR."

If you want more insight into public relations, both PR Newswire and Advertising Age are good reads.  They're both very industry-focused and for the general small business owner or non-profit director you might have to spend a little time digging through all the content to find those nuggets that really pertain to your situation, but if you have time, both sites will give you an insight into the world of PR and marketing.

Here's another little website I found.  It's called "WhatTheTrend"  It monitors Twitter trends.  It's interesting, but honestly, I'm not sure, yet, how this can be a really effective tool for you.  It kind of reminds me of those sites that list the most popular words of the day or week or year.  On the other hand, if you Tweet regularly, you can check in every now and then and see if you're keeping up with the masses who set trends and have a very short attention span.  But perhaps more importantly, you can do a quick check in to see what people are talking about.  It's like a peek into the world's largest water cooler.  This kind of information will help you out when it comes to finding a news peg or angle for your pitch.  Remember, if people are talking about it, the news industry notices.

I'm doing an interview with a local executive producer today and hope to have that for you either sometime next week, or I might hold it until January, since I know so many of you will be out enjoying the holidays the next week or so.  In the meantime, stay happy, stay warm, and be focused on success.

Social Media vs. Traditional Media

In an effort to completely butcher a well known quote, let me say this, "Reports of the demise of traditional media have been exaggerated."  In other words, as much as the landscape of public relations has shifted towards social media, traditional media outlets still provide value for small businesses and non-profits looking to snag some free publicity.

The biggest difference is this; ten, even five years ago, when organizations needed to raise the profile of a new service or product, the first place they looked was the local newsroom, followed by national media, magazines, radio shows and networks.  I'll admit, I'm a bit of a dinosaur, having worked in traditional media outlets for most of my adult life and only getting on board with true social media marketing within the past few years.  I'm still learning, as we all are, how to use every social media tool at my disposal, and, perhaps more importantly, how to use them well.

The difficulty is twofold.  First, new social media tools emerge every day as others fade away.  At one point, MySpace was the king of social media.  It has been replaced by Facebook, Twitter, Digg, technorati, etc. (YouTube has been, and continues to be a powerhouse in social media circles).  The second problem is that not everyone is really certain exactly HOW to put all of these pieces together to run a world-class PR and marketing plan.  Everyone uses them diffrently for different reasons.  Depending on what your organizations' goals and needs are, you will use these tools in your own unique way.

Here's a look at a list of top ten social media outlets currently being used by small businesses and non-profits:

http://mashable.com/2009/10/26/socia-media-entrepreneurs/

There is no debating that social media has changed the way organizations get the message out to their audience.  Lessons from the original internet bubble burst have been digested and passed on to a new generation creating and evolving "Net 2.0".  Social media is a monster that is really just waking up and those not on board now, had better buy a ticket and take a seat, because it's only going to get more pervasive and influential.  But does that mean that traditional media is dead?  In an answer, no.

Once again, the website, "Personalize Media" has an in-depth look at why traditional media is still relevant.  Here's a short clip:

Traditional providers – it’s very simple. You no longer control distribution or dictate what gets consumed. Apart from a few mass produced, live, appointment to view episodics, reality shows & hyped box office the rest is in competition with people-produced, personally relevant media & conversation.

The Plan:

One of the biggest mistakes I've seen, whether it was during my time in a newsroom, or since I've moved into public relations, is that too often small businesses and non-profits choose a single path or outlet and rush blindly forward like the "Light Brigade" in the battle of Balaclava.  There's nothing but menacing cannons waiting in the valley of that strategy. 

Perhaps it's a lack of funds, or maybe a lack of time, both perfectly legitimate reasons, but for some reason, small businesses and non-profits don't use all the tools available to them near enough.  In order for you to be successful in getting your message out to the masses, you have to be all-inclusive.  Don't think of a strategy as having only one, two or even three prongs. 

During a discussion with a non-profit director last week, we were discussing their use of social media to raise awareness, promote specific events, and generate interest in their cause.  When asked what tools they were using, it became clear that, for the moment at least, their primary social media vehicle is Facebook.  Don't get me wrong, Facebook is fine, good even.  But it has to be only one tool in an arsenal of social media weapons .  And when it's used, it can't be just one post and gone.  They were posting regularly on their Facebook page, but then there was very little follow up to that post. 

And follow up is a key word here, folks.  I always tell clients that you can get a great segment on the local news covering your organization, but that bump goes away very quickly.  A single news hit, might be a big deal for a day, but think about it...even the most watched local news program only reaches a small percentage of the overall available audience.  The same goes for a great mention in a popular magazine or national network program.  Add in the headaches of not being able to control exactly when or where your mention airs or is printed or the content itself, and a traditional media report means little when left to stand alone in a jungle of messages, media and distractions.  That great news report suddenly seems small as it gets overwhelmed and, eventualy, forgotten.  The same holds true when using social media. 

It can be done:

Small businesses and non-profits battling time and money constraints can still put together a comprehensive PR and marketing plan consisting of both social and traditional media to successfully spread their message to their audience, it just takes a little smart planning.  Spend a meeting, take a long lunch, do it at the beginning of the day when you've asked your staff to think about the issue a little.  Here are some tips to putting together and executing your plan using BOTH social and traditional media.

1.  Assemble your tools, solidify your message, make sure your audience is identified.

2.  Start comparing your tools to your audience.  If, like most organizations, your audience is varied, take a look at what social media tools different segments of your audiences uses most.  Some may prefer Facebook, others may use Twitter, while others might use something completely different.  Match the tools with the target.
 
3.  Don't forget the traditional media outlets.  Even today, reports on established, respected traditional media outlets lends weight to your product or service.  This includes smaller neighborhood papers, industry magazines and websites, larger daily papers, television stations and any national broadcasts you may target.  You can get a listing of local media outlets as well as contact information from the internet for free.  Neighborhood papers are often overlooked, but they are read regularly by folks who live in those neighborhoods, plus you can usually get a mention by simply sending a press release or email with little follow up necessary.

4.  Set a timeline and follow it.  You don't want to send out a release to a traditional media outlet, get some coverage and then blow it by not doing any social media follow up to enhance the coverage.  At the same time, you don't want to have a massive social media push and not get any traditional media coverage to lend credibility to it or reach those that aren't online. 

5.  Delegate.  This is not a one person job, really.  It takes the efforts of the owner, director, staff, volunteers, interns, everybody.  Even if it's just having interns post follow up notices on your Facebook page, every little bit helps.  In a multi-stage social media effort (or what is being called "Transmedia") you can assign one person to focus on a different element of the SM campaign.  One person focuses on Facebook, the other on Twitter, a third on Feedback.com, etc.

6.  Monitor and update.  This can be done by a couple of individuals in your organization.  You'll know fairly quickly which elements of your campaign are working.  You might be getting some great response online, but nothing from the traditional media.  Or maybe the local newsrooms show interest, but a few elements of your social media campaign may be fizzling.  You can start to be flexible here and begin focusing your efforts on the areas of need.  Be careful here, though because once one area begins to lose some daily care, it too will begin to falter.

Think of your multi-platform campaign in terms of the traditional "rule of three" strategy.  Like advertisers who understand that seeing or hearing a commercial once does little to impact the audience, you have to know that just a single posting or news report doesn't change your bottom line either.  However, if someone in your audience sees a news report (either live or in a follow up email or posting), combined with a Twitter, and a Facebook post and a Google Alert and Yelp listing and a...well, you get the idea.  When someone suddenly find themselves inundated with your message on various platforms, it begins to stick with them.  They beging to take notice.  You immediately begin to look big, you start to create buzz. 

It is true that traditional media no longer holds the keys to kingdom, so to speak, but they're still gaurding the gate, it's just that they now have a lot more company.  To completely ignore traditional media is to write off an entity that still reaches millions of viewers, listeners and readers every day.  Social media is essential to the success of any PR or marketing campaign today, but traditional media is still a player, and if used correctly, can add weight and reach to your social media efforts.

Square peg, round hole; Pitching holiday stories

Let’s try this again.  I started writing an earlier version of this entry, but got sidetracked along the way.  By the end of draft number one, I had discussed audience identification and magazine freelancing, the importance of news angles, shareholder census mapping and somehow got sidetracked into a brief history of the Roman Senate.  Okay, that’s not true.  In all honesty, I don’t know a thing about shareholder census mapping, so…yeah.

I’m going to try and make this draft a little more focused.  However, with that said, I DO want to let you know that entries on audience identification and digging up news angles for your pitches are upcoming.  If you want a brief history of the roman senate, you’ll have to buy me a beer first.

I wanted to talk a bit about the news peg and how it can help your organization, particularly during this time of year, when newsrooms are literally being inundated with holiday story pitches.  What is a news peg, you ask?  I’ll tell you.

The Peg:

In simplest terms, a news peg is a story that relates to a news event that is happening “right now”.  Journalists will toss around words like “news cycles” and “angle trees” but really, a peg is just something that can help you find something timely and relevant in your story to make it of interest to a news agency.  A peg doesn’t necessarily have to relate to a singular news event, but it does, in some way, have to relate to a larger and current news item, like, say, a holiday. 

For an example, the recent news involving Tiger Woods was a national story.  It caught the attention of the world, really.  It was the topic of conversation around watercoolers, in bars, everywhere people gathered.  This, my friends is a great example of a news peg.  Think of it as a peg you can hang your story on.  For instance, if you had a business or an organization that deals with domestic disputes, marriage counseling, conflict management, etc., this is a news peg you can pitch a story on.

News pegs can happen at any time, that’s why it’s so important to try and stay on top of the news of the day whenever possible.  If you run a small orthopedic clinic and the star of the local team goes down with a foot injury, you suddenly have a news peg you can pitch a story on.  But if you’re unaware of the injury, you might miss a great opportunity to earn some free coverage for your business.

And right now, we’re in one of the biggest news-peg seasons of the year; the holiday season.

Newsrooms are overwhelmed by holiday pitches every year, starting in mid-October all the way through into January.  And while newsrooms get weary of all the holiday pitches, they also understand that this time of year is unique in terms of newscoverage.  It’s the time of year they actually get to cover good-news stories and so they’re always on the lookout for new, fresh, happy holiday stories.  This means a couple of things to your organization. 

First, if you’re not pitching a holiday story during the holiday season, it had better resonate with the newsroom audience in a way that makes it irresistible to cover. 

Second, it means you’re in competition with just about every other organization to get the small amount of available time on local newschannels. 

Your Holiday Pitch

Think about your organization.  Think about what, if any, events your business does during the holidays.  How is your organization impacted by the holidays?  What do the holidays mean to your organization and its employees?  These are all important questions to ask when thinking of pitching your story during the holidays.

For most non-profits, holidays are a slam dunk.  You are already out in the public doing work with the downtrodden, the needy and the less fortunate, in general.  The problem with the holidays for non-profits is that the story you’re pitching is probably just like the story most other non-profits are pitching.  And, really, a news entity can only cover so many soup kitchens and gift giveaways. 

This means you have to find something different, something that sets you apart from everyone else.  Regardless of whether you’re a small business or a non-profit, you need to tell a story that a newsroom will find both intriguing and new.  Here’s a short list of the kinds of stories newsrooms cover every single year:

1.    Clothes drives
2.    Food drives (many newsrooms actually participate in many of these)
3.    Soup kitchens
4.    Parades
5.    Holiday decorating
6.    Gift drives
7.    New Years resolution stories
8.    Fun seasonal stories (i.e. ice skating rink opens, Xmas tree cutting, holiday shopping, etc.)
9.    Charity events
10.    The battle over municipal holiday religious displays

Starting about the time Halloween ends until the first week of January, these are stories you will find being reported on over and over regardless of what station you watch or listen to, or newspaper or magazine you read.

Take a look at that list.  Just because they are already being covered by newsrooms, it doesn’t mean you can’t pitch your own story relating to one of these news pegs.  Again, the problem is finding the particular angle that makes your holiday pitch unique.

While it’s impossible to give every story scenario for every small business and non profit here in this blog, I can give you some tips when it comes to finding a way to make your holiday story pitch different enough to perhaps garner interest from your local news entities.

1.    Kids and animals sell.  So does sex, but I’m guessing that most of you don’t want to go the “Go Daddy” route of attracting attention.  And, frankly, neither do the news stations.  Stories with children and animals are always fun and cute and will draw immediate attention from reporters, producers and editors.  One of the most memorable stories I remember covering when in television news was a local animal shelter throwing a holiday party for lost and abandoned animals.  It was both visual and fun.  Cats and dogs dressed up in holiday gear, presents given out on Christmas morning.  Not only did the shelter get some great coverage, but they managed to adopt out several of the animals featured in the story.  This same shelter became a regular on the news to discuss animal issues, including speaking out on the practice of giving pets as gifts. 

2.    It’s not a commercial.  If you’re pitching a charity event, remember that the story is the event and the recipients of the charity, your organization is just part of the story, not the story itself.  Newsrooms know that when organizations pitch a charity event story, the goal is to get coverage for the organization itself.  What they don’t want to do, though, is create a commercial for the small business or non-profit.  You have to be aware of this.  Don’t pitch it like a commercial for your organization.  Focus on the good-works portion of your story and offer characters that are recipients of the charity, not an officer of your non profit or business.  While the story will garner positive coverage for you, the focus has to be on the actions, not the company.  This is particularly true for small businesses as newsrooms are always wary of for profit companies pitching a charity story.

3.    Remember your visuals.  The holidays are fantastic for news partly because of the visuals involved.  Pictures of extravagant holiday light displays, the colors, the smiling, happy faces of children, the grateful look of people going through a free food line, toys, trees, delicious eats, this time of year offers up some wonderfully powerful images.  When you’re pitching a story to a newsroom, it’s always important to highlight potential visuals, but it’s even more important when pitching a holiday story.  This is also an area where you can set yourself apart from your competition.  By offering up unique visuals, you give journalists a reason to cover your story instead of someone else who might be doing something very similar.

4.    Characters, Characters, Characters.  The holidays also offer a great opportunity to tell some fascinating human interest stories.  Is there someone your non-profit helps that is particularly fascinating?  Do you have an employee that does something really special during the holiday season?  Is there a fun tradition that your organization takes part in that plays up there fun side (for instance caroling, dressing up as Santa for the local schools, etc.).  Telling a good holiday story that focuses on a colorful or interesting individual tied directly to your organization is another way to set yourself apart from your competition.  When I was working at KOA radio, we had a guy who used to call our show every holiday season.  This guy called himself Mr. Christmas and dressed up in a mask and rented a semi-trailer and encouraged people to help him fill it up with toys that he would then donate to local charities.  Toy drives aren’t unique, but when they’re run by a guy who dresses up like a Christmas superhero, they become interesting for newsrooms. 

5.    Make it unique to your organization.  Everybody gives away food or coats or blankets at the holidays.  Well, nearly everyone it seems.  But what if your business or non-profit doesn’t have anything to do with coats or blankets or food?  What if your organization works with schools to raise funding?  Or perhaps your small business is a hair salon.  Instead of doing the same thing everyone else is doing, play to your strengths.  Offer free hairstyling for poor families for holiday parties, or gather donations of school supplies to give to needy students.  Whatever it is that your organization does it can be used in some way to set you apart from everyone else when it comes to pitching your holiday story.

Again, I’ll reiterate, that you don’t have to avoid the common stories that newsrooms already cover during the holidays.  You just have to pitch it in a way that makes your story different from what they’ve covered every year, year after year.  New Years resolution stories are a great way to catch the attention of folks who are usually pretty numbed by all the holiday stuff in early January.

The holidays are also a way to get interactive.  You don’t have to pitch a traditional newsroom to catch the eye of your audience or of journalists.  Competitions are always attention getters during the holiday season.  Challenge other businesses or non-profits in a charity drive of some sort, or challenge your constituents.  Get people on board to participate in your challenge and offer an enticing prize.  You’ll draw people into your organization that might not know much about you at first, but like the cause you’re working to help.  This can help grow your audience and base of potential customers and clients. 

And, of course, remember, just because the holiday season will be over in less than a month, it doesn’t mean that news pegs go away.  They are out there every day and the more you are caught up with the daily news, the more prepared you’ll be to pitch your organization when opportunity arises. 

Putting together your media kit

Happy Friday!

Thank you to those who have been responding to the blog, it’s always nice to get feedback.  Plus it’s a way to hear what YOU would like to know about.  There are so many things about PR, so many nuances, we could go on forever.  Which is exactly what I plan to do, actually, go on for as long as I can.

Anyway, I had planned to write an entry focused on when you should actually call a producer or editor.  It was really a tip of the hat to my friends who work the morning shifts at TV and radio stations who are constantly complaining about when they get pitch calls.  I promise to put that entry up next, so, you know, keep an eye out for that.  It’s chock full of knowledge and tips and even some calcium for your growing bones.

With that said, in the past week, I’ve had a handful of questions about something that I was going to put off for a little bit, but seeing as how this blog serves the masses, I now want to talk a bit about the dreaded, “Media Kit.”

What is it?

First, there are two types of media kits.  The first is a basic package to promote an event or specific news announcement.  The second type is a more thorough detailing of your organization; it’s history, the important officers, mission statement, it’s goals and basic facts about the cause or business that you are involved in.

What you should know is this; while both types of media kit are used in different ways, the information compiled for both can be interchangeable.  In other words, once you put together your first media kit, you can continue to go back to the well of information you assembled over and over again.  They’ll both have similar pieces, with the biggest difference being what you leave out and what you add in, depending on why you’re sending the kit to newsrooms.

Confused?  Don’t be.  “Media Kit” is a term that often gives PR folks the chills, draws heavy sighs from interns and is a source of endless mockery in most newsrooms.  But “Media Kit” is a term that nearly every client knows and is therefore one of the first requests they make when approaching a PR firm.

You might have put together a “Media Kit” yourself for your small business or non-profit at one point.  I truly hoped it worked well for you, because, in all honesty, media kits are a bit of a dying breed, at least they are in the form they used to take.

Let’s look at what a traditional media kit would entail:

1.    Press Release
2.    History of the company
3.    Information on the important officers of the company
4.    Photos
5.    FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) sheet
6.    Quotes sheet (optional, depending on the reason for the kit)
7.    Food or trinkets (seriously, trinkets)

The kit could come in a neat little folder with the company logo emblazoned across the front, or it could come in a basket, surrounded by biscuits, or it could come in a bottle, or a boot, or, basically anything that paper can be attached to. 

I remember once the National Western Stock Show sent out their invites to the annual pre-party in cowboy boots.  It was cool.  The boots had buffalo jerky in it, some hay, a tiny cowbell, and, of course the press release and invite.

The jerky was gone in about thirty seconds, the cowbell was quickly confiscated by an assignment editor who proceeded to use it to annoy producers, the release and hay ended up in the trash post-haste.  The cowboy boot?  It stayed in the newsroom.  It actually became a bit of a prize, given to a newsroom employee for doing something particularly boneheaded. 

This is an unusual situation simply because the Stock Show is an annual event that knows it will get coverage and knows that with an open bar, nearly every journalist in town will attend their pre-party.  So the boot wasn’t necessary and they knew it, but it was fun and they knew that newsrooms across town would appreciate the effort.

But here’s something else they knew.  They understood that while the contents of the boot would quickly disappear, they were pretty certain that the boot itself would remain, and they were right.  Now, every time someone sees the boot, they are reminded, in some way, about the Stock Show.  It puts it in their mind.  It might even conjure up a few questions, send a reporter to their computer to look something up about the stock show.  That boot did its job and more.

Now I’m not saying that you should go out and send your press releases and media kits out in cowboy boots.  First of all, that’s expensive, and secondly, the boot was something unique to the stock show. 

There are a few guidelines you should keep in mind when considering the packaging for your media kit or release. 

1.    It should be unique AND unique to your organization -  If your company makes wool hats, then by goodness, package it in a wool hat, or something that will automatically make people think of your organization and what you do. 
2.    Don’t make it too big or too small – If you’ve ever been in a newsroom, you know how cluttered and messy they are.  Things get lost pretty easily.  If it’s something too small, it will get lost, if it’s something too big, it will end up either in the trash or someone will take it home with them.  Both results are bad for you.
3.    Make it fun or make it useful - The boot was fun.  No one was going to throw it away, but no one was going to wear it, either.  If you know only a few things about journalists, know this…journalists are lazy and they love, love, LOVE free stuff.  Especially if it’s stuff they can use.  Things like bowls with your logo on it, or a lamp, something that can actually stay in the newsroom and get used.  If you can’t go that route, think of something fun.  When I was at KUSA, we once got a media kit attached to one of those old time electric football games where you turn it on and all the players vibrate around the field.  Trust me, that game did, and probably still does, get used quite a bit.

What I’m saying is this.  Put some thought into how you package your kit.  A bag is nice, but it doesn’t have any staying power in a newsroom, and that’s what you’re looking for.

The Kit:

Now that you’ve figured out what you’re going to put your kit into, you have to decide what you’re going to put in it.  There are two ways you can go about this.  The first is a simple release, announcing an event or major news item.  The second is a full on media guide-type of kit that gives all kinds of useful information about your organization and what you do.  This kind of kit is a favorite of mine and can actually become a kind of reference book in a newsroom.

Regardless of which way you go, here are the absolute essentials you need to put into a media kit:

1.    Press release
2.    Short background sheet on your organization, a brief history, your latest accomplishments, mission statement and future goals.
3.    A list of important people within your organization
4.    Photos  and photo disc.
5.    ***Video (I’ll get to this in a second)
6.    Quote sheet
7.    FAQ sheet

Look familiar?  It should, it’s essentially the same list as above but with a few minor changes and one major difference.

First the small things.  You background sheet should not just be a history of the organization.  It should tell reporters what your organization is about, right now, not how it started.  This sheet needs to tell them in simple, quick terms what the organization does and, most importantly, HOW it does it.  Remember, the Who, what and where are all easily answered on the press release.  The how and why should be the focus of the rest of your media kit.

Don’t give long bios on the bio sheet.  A short synopsis of what they do, title and contact information will suffice.

The photos can be generic to your organization, or they can be specific to an event.  Check with your local newspaper to find out the best format for photos.  You only need a few printed photos, the rest you can put on a CD-ROM and let them pick through them if they choose.

The quote sheet should come from individuals you want to represent your company or event and can either be generic about the organization or, again, specific to an event.

The FAQ sheet sounds harder than it is.  Think about the kinds of questions you get from customers or volunteers or friends and family.  The questions can be generic to your organization or specific to an event.  No more than ten, tops.

Video may sound daunting as well, but trust me, you need it.  You can get a cheap video camera or borrow one or buy a flip camera and shoot some basic video of an event or the daily happenings of your organization.  This is an area that will require some basic technical knowledge and getting help here is probably necessary, however, for $50 to $100 bucks, you can get someone to help you out on this.  You’re not looking to put together a video story, you’re looking for what is called B-roll; video that can be used to illustrated your organization during an on air newscast.  I’ll spend a lot more time on this subject in the future, but if you have any questions, get back to me and I can discuss this with you in more detail.

Now you have a basic media kit.  You’re basically talking about five to six pages, tops.  For a more in-depth media kit, one that could end up being used as more of a reference book, you can take more time, provide more detail, but what is most important about this kind of kit is its versatility.  Don’t use this kind of kit to promote an event, use it to focus on your cause. 

In other words, if you work with a non-profit that focuses on aid to Africa, you can use this kind of kit to address the many issues that your organization faces.  A note here, do NOT use this kit to preach.  You want to give facts, facts that can be proven.  Provide the media with facts that they can use, and they’ll love you forever.  I don’t even like to call these kinds of kits media kits, I prefer to call them guidebooks or even factbooks (factbooks works better, really).  These kinds of kits take a lot more time, but they prove themselves worth it in the long run.

Online:

Here’s something else you have to consider, and that’s the use of the interent when getting your kit to journalists.  Everything that is listed above can be scanned in or created online.  It’s pretty easy to put all of that stuff into a PDF format and email it to various reporters and editors and producers.  At the same time, you can have all of that information on your website as well, including the video.  You can follow all of this up with your nice, pre-packaged kit that you handwalk into your local newsrooms.  There’s not an issue of overkill here.  Just because you email the kit to a number of journalists, doesn’t mean you can’t also give them a kit they can hold in their hands.  Plus, it’s a great way to meet local journalists and give them food, which, as you know, is always important.

Your online kit, the one on your website serves as a great way to get information out to your constituents, shareholders, clients or other members of the public who casually peruse your site.  Plus, bloggers love the online environment and will go back to your site if you give them a reason to bookmark you as a trusted resource.

You can spend hours and hours on a media kit, or you can put one together in just a few hours while watching the game on Sunday.  It really depends on how much information you feel you need to get out to journalists.  I recommend taking a day and putting your kit together.  It might seem like a lot of work up front, but once it’s done, it can always be tweaked to fit a particular event, plus, you’ll always have that information handy whenever someone asks for it, and hopefully, if you do your job right, you’ll get asked for it a lot.

It's the weather, stupid!

'Tis the season!  It's snowy in Colorado, not so much of a blizzard, but certainly cold and enough of the white stuff has fallen to make the daily commutes a nightmare of wipeouts and traffic jams.  What does the weather have to do with public relations, you might ask?  Well, as it turns out, a lot.

I've been asked so many times why the media has such a fascination with the weather I just started writing it down on a card and I keep a bunch of them with me to hand out whenever I'm at a party or any other social events.  Weather is important.  It matters to everyone.  It determines how you plan your drive to work, what you wear, it impacts your fun time as well.  And yet I continue to hear numerous complaints about the amount of time local news channels dedicate to weather coverage. 

Let me say this; I agree that it sometimes can be overkill, but trust me, newsrooms have learned hard lessons over the years.  When local newschannel don't adequately cover the weather, they are universally derided and actually lose viewers.  Weather coverage is appointment viewing.  I know people who rarely watch the news, but will make a point to catch the weather forecast every day. 

Therefore it shouldn't be a surprise when newsrooms muster all their resources for weather coverage when it turns bad, or even dangerous.  It's the same in New York, Miami, Denver, Dallas, Topeka, Omaha...well, you get the point. 

Not too long ago, I was having drinks with some former colleagues and talking about, what else, the weather.  One of my friends, a current assignment editor, complained that his station had spent way too much time reporting on a storm that never came.  He's a transplant from L.A. and didn't understand the fascination with weather coverage we had out here in the Mountain Time Zone.  At that point, a grizzled, veteran photojournalist said something that made the rest of us nod in unanimous approval and recognition.  He said simply "Blizzard of '82."  It was a timely, and supremely relevant comment.

For those of you not in the know, I'll give you the cliff notes.  On Christmas eve, 1982 the Denver-metro area was blasted by a blizzard that blanketed the area with approximately five feet of snow, more in some areas.  I was 12 years old.  I remember it well.  Mostly I remember going outside and playing in snowdrifts much taller than me.  I remember thinking that I'd never seen so much snow in my life.  I also remember that the blizzard is generally regarded as the reason popular Denver Mayor Bill McNichols lost his re-election bid the following year.  It was a PR disaster for his administration.  The city wasn't prepared.  Streets remained unplowed, transportation and emergency services were severely handicapped for days after the blizzard.  Anything that could have gone wrong for Mayor McNichols did go wrong.  People died during the blizzard, not completely unusual in a blizzard of that magnitude, but McNichols drew the brunt of the blame. 

To be fair, however, no one, well, almost no one, imagined that the Christmas Eve storm would dump as much snow on the city as it did.  Denver gets snow, we all know this.  But any native will tell you that snow also melts very quickly in a state that gets over 300 days of sunshine  a year.  McNichols could have, and probably would have, been forgiven had he not made one serious PR blunder. 

During a news conference two days after the blizzard, McNichols came across as defensive and even heartless when responding to reporter questions.  When asked why the city wasn't prepared for the storm, or why Denver didn't have more snowplows, McNichols responded by saying that Denver didn't need more plows, calling the blizzard a "once in a generation" storm.  He continued by saying that buying more plows would be a waste of money for a city already financially strapped. 

As you might guess, his comments didn't go over well with the residents of Denver, most of whom were trapped inside their homes.  It's not so much that what McNichols said wasn't true.  The problem was really in his timing and in how he said it.  Days after a crippling blizzard isn't the time to discuss city finances.  It's the time to apologize and focus on fixing the situation.  Leave the discussion about extra plows or "once in a generation blizzards" for a later time, after the raw emotions have been soothed a bit.  To this day, I know individuals who seethe at the mere mention of McNichols name, precisely because of that single incident.

Another amazing thing happened in the aftermath of that blizzard, the emergence of weatherman as celebrity.  A man named Stormy Rottman (really, that was his on air name) was the only local weatherman who warned that the storm had the potential drop massive amounts of snow on the city.  While others cheerfully welcomed a white, but mild, Christmas, Rottman was preaching to what at the time must have felt like an empty wilderness.  As it turns out, the wilderness wasn't empty at all.  The masses took notice.  In a blink, Rottman became the most respected weatherman in town and his station, Channel 9 News, became a local news powerhouse.  Viewers remembered his accurate forecast and responded by making him, and his station, the most watched cast in town. 

One blizzard, 48 hours and several PR blunders later, the landscape of Denver had changed dramatically.  The storm ushered in a new era in Denver politics and made a newstation a force to be reckoned with.  Ask anyone in any newsroom across the country and they'll all say the same thing.  Weather coverage has the ability to make or break a traditional, local news agency.  Do it well and you'll keep your viewers, readers and listeners.  Do it poorly and you'll start losing them in droves.

So it should be no surprise that when the storms come, you can find every news station live on the scene, with reporters in the field and every A-block filled with traffic reports, weather forecasts and dramatic shots of wet, icy or snowy roads.  In an era when newsrooms are struggling to keep budgets under control by reducing resources, you can bet that they'll still throw everything they have at even the hint of a storm snarling up the daily lives of their audience.

What This Means To You!

How does this affect my small business or non profit organization, you ask?  Simply put, you are at the mercy of the weather gods.  I tell clients this one simple thing every time I talk about a pitch.  No matter how good a pitch is, no matter how good the story is, you will always take a back seat to major breaking news, including weather. 

When you're putting a pitch together, keep a few things in mind: 

1. Make sure there aren't any major pre-planned events taking place. Recently I worked with a client who wanted to do an event the week of Columbus Day celebrations in Denver.  In other cities, this may not have been an issue, but in Denver, Columbus Day parades eventually turn into made-for-tv protests and near riots.  I knew that there was a serious chance their event would be upstaged by any potential Columbus Day disruption, so we moved the date of their event.

Any major news event will take precedent over other good local stories.  Scan the news, know what's going on in your community and make sure there aren't other stories that might use of newsroom resources.  If a newsroom has to choose between a story that they KNOW will get them good visuals and grab the interest of their audience, or a story that might turn out to be better, newsrooms will almost always go with the story they know. 

2.  Watch the weather forecast.  
If there is a chance that a storm will pass through on the day you have your story or event planned, consider changing it up.  I had been doing crisis work for a major national grocery chain a few years ago and we knew that it would be a big story when the DEA finally made their announcement.  We were prepared, we had our talking points down, our collateral material was in place and all the internal support structure had been activated.  All we had to do was wait for the government's announcement.  It would be the single largest fine ever levied against a U.S. company by the DEA.  It was a juicy story, involving drugs, death and corruption in a family grocery store chain. 

The day came, the announcement was made, and we geared up for an onslaught of media requests and coverage.  As it turns out, at the same time the announcement was being made, reports were coming in from Louisiana that a hurricane was just hours from landfall in the U.S. Gulf Coast.  It was the first hurricane to hit the U.S. since Katrina and all news eyes were focused on the hurricane instead of us.  The story was reported, but only as a short reader lost somewhere in the middle of the newscasts.  We had only one follow up story and then it was over.  In this case the weather helped us, but it illustrates the power of weather and its effect on the news.

3.  Be prepared.  
If you pitch a story and it gets overshadowed by either another major breaking news story or a weather event, be patient.  A good story can always find quality news coverage if you are persistent.  It might mean finding another angle to pitch at a later date, or rescheduling your event.  Whatever you do, don't get angry or frustrated.  If a station has to cancel coverage they previously agreed to, work with them.  Don't insist that they follow through with their coverage.  If you do, one of two things will happen.  They'll either cancel the coverage completely, or they'll send out a photographer and bury your story somewhere in the middle of the newscast with as little time alottment as possible.

Either way, it's likely you'll burn bridges in that newsroom and you'll have a hard time dealing with them in the future.  If it's a good enough story, reporters will come back to you and you can work out future coverage.  You might even end up with better coverage than originally planned.

Timing is crucial to garnering quality news coverage for your organization.  Knowing when to pitch, when to make follow up phone calls and what other events might impact the coverage of your story will not only allow you to make better decisions when pitching a newsroom, but it will also earn you more respect from journalists and they will be more likely to work with you in the future.

Coming up, I'll talk more about pitch timing and follow up and how your timing can make friends or enemies for life. 

Tiger fails Image 101

Before I get to the meat of today's post, I wanted to give you guys a little something to spice up your hump day. I went back and forth about actually posting this link, but the more I thought about it, and the more I went back to read the postings, I realized that it really is a little glimpse into the world of journalists.

Don't get me wrong, not ALL journalists are grumpy, cynical, alcoholic, lazy pessimists; just most of them (and trust me, I also meet most of those requirements), just most of them. If you go to the site, you might be tempted to think that the postings aren't real, or made up or just plain mean. While I'll agree with you that some of the comments might seem tasteless, or gallows humor, it's the world I lived in for nearly two decades and I can tell you that not only did I hear these types of comments every day, I also made more than a few myself. What can I say.

Anyway, check out www.overheardinthenewsroom.com. It's a lot like Overheard in New York, only with a newsroom spin. I hope you enjoy.

Image 101


Tiger Woods is in trouble. I'm not talking about his issues with his family, or even potential issues with law enforcement. No, I'm talking about his ongoing image disaster. This article by David Wharton and Jim Peltz of the Los Angeles Times (courtesy of the Business Mirror site) does an excellent job in pinpointing what Mr. Woods has done wrong in this fiasco, which is, basically, everything.

Tiger is without a doubt one of the most popular and well known athletes in the world. And he has had a few image issues in the past, most notably his infamous demeanor when not performing well and his penchant for littering courses with obscenities, tossing them around like two-putts. But up to now, his unrivaled success has helped him smooth over any ruffled feathers those issues might have caused.

But now he's facing a much bigger image problem with the reported accident outside his Florida home. Even though Woods is a generally universally-loved sports figure, not even he can overcome this current problem without some smart public relations handling.

As Wharton and Peltz note in the article, "So far, he has responded with brief statements on his web site, saying the accident was 'my fault' and 'obviously embarrassing,' adding: 'This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way.' His comments have raised more questions than they have answered, and he has repeatedly turned away police seeking a follow-up interview."

Ken Sunshine, President of Sunshine, Sachs & Associates in New York deftly points out later in the article why this is a problem. "It looks like you're covering up something, and it just adds to this feeding frenzy that's developed in the last 72 hours."

On one hand, this is a classic case of proper crisis communications, which his team has failed miserably at. We'll get to crisis communications here soon, but in the meantime, here's what you need to know about handling any crisis situation. Admit, apologize, Fix. While Tiger has apologized, kind of, in a release sent out Tuesday, people still don't know what he's apologizing for. This leads to all kinds of speculation and wild rumor-mongering.

In Tigers' case, this is where his success really hurts him. On the tail of super-celebrity faux-pas by Kobe Bryant, Brittney Spears and others too numerous to mention, the public will always let their imagination run wild, thinking the worst of a person they see as more of a character than a real person.

In the aforementioned article, Wharton and Peltz correctly point out that Bryant managed to eventually put his ugly incident behind him and begin restoring his image by allowing people to see him as a person, not just a basketball superstar. Up to this point, Tiger has been relatively private about his personal life, leaving most people with the image of Tiger as golf hero, not Tiger as human being with all the flaws that go with being just a person.

Even with all his dominance and commercial appeal, Tiger has always remained a bit distant to the average person. He's good, he knows it, and he'll tell you how good he is whether you ask him or not. This kind of hubris works if you're the best golfer of all time. Not so much when you're the best golfer of all time embroiled in a domestic and legal scandal. Think about it, in the context of everyday life and other celebrities, what happened, reportedly running his SUV into a hydrant and a tree outside his home, isn't really that bad. There was no alcohol involved according to police. So why all the attention?

Because there are still too many questions left unanswered and that leaves the door wide open for journalists and everyday folks to focus on. Combine that with this legendary ego, temper and obscure private life, and you have a potentially explosive PR disaster.

Compare Tiger to another famous sports figure who may have actually improved his image even while in the throes of utter failure. Charlie Weiss, formerly known as the head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish blew into North Bend sporting the kind of cocky confidence usually reserved for coaches named Osborne, Switzer, Meyer or Carroll. He boasted, taunted and made promises he ultimately couldn't keep.

A disclaimer here before I move on. I hate Notre Dame, nearly as much as I hate Nebraska (I'm a CU guy, what can I say?). I also despise the Patriots. So it was natural I would enjoy watching Weiss fall flat on his face during his tenure at ND. But, as was recently noted in Sports Illustrated, something funny happened to Weiss while he was doing all that losing. He actually became more likeable, much to my dismay.

How did he manage to turn his image around, even while losing nearly half his games? He opened up. He became less of a blowhard charicature, and more of a human. He admitted his mistakes, he apologized for them and he offered a blueprint for fixing the problems, a classic PR crisis communications strategy.

When he was fired, we didn't see the massive ego that promised to "change the face of college football." Instead we saw a humble, hurting man that seemed genuinely heartbroken he couldn't succeed at the one job he'd coveted his entire life. Hey we can all relate to that. We've all been humbled and we've all had our heart broken.

Tiger would do well to take a look at how Weiss changed his image, or, even better, take a look at Kobe Bryant and learn something about letting people see him as a person, not just a sports icon. If he doesn't, sadly, this current situation could haunt him for a lot longer than just a week or a month, it could become a distraction for a long time to come.