Please visit my fresh blog at http://www.rembrandtwrites.com/blog for my latest entries. Thanks!
Happy Holidays!
December 16, 2008
This will be my last blog here in 2008 as I’ll be taking a much-needed break for the holidays. But be sure to check back in the New Year to see my brand new blog look, newsletter, book, website, and more to help you boost sales, awareness and credibility…fast!
And at this time, I’d like to send out a special note of appreciation to all of you. Thanks so much for reading my blog and providing all of your wonderful comments, questions and insights this past year. I’m thrilled to be able to provide you with information you can actually use to help your business grow.
I hope that you and your families have a very happy and healthy holiday and a prosperous New Year!
Melanie
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Holiday Cards-An Opportunity to Make Contact
December 11, 2008
As the holidays approach, you are probably swamped with year-end work activities and preparing for your own personal celebrations at home.
The last thing on your mind may be the thought of purchasing business holidays cards, writing messages and addresses, licking envelopes, and buying stamps. But you may be missing out on a great opportunity.
Not only are holiday cards a fantastic way to spread some cheer during tough times, but they offer a great way to get through to potential new clients, investors and sponsors, renew relationships with media members and thank valued customers.
After all, most people appreciate a personalized holiday card and will open this type mail.
Now, you may think it will take too much time and cost too much money to send out cards, but with today’s technology, it can be very easy and cost-effective.
Some services will even take care of printing and mailing for you! (Check out http://www.printingforless.com/holidaycards.html, www.kinkos.com and your local print shop for help.)
And if you are really short on funds, you can always send electronic greetings through Hallmark, Yahoo! and others.
If possible, try to set aside a few hours to create an address list and send out holiday cards in the next few weeks. It may be a lot easier than you think and well worth the effort.
Not only will you help build business relationships, but you’ll spread some holiday cheer…and we could all use some of that right now!
If you need help with your copywriting and PR efforts, please let me know. Thanks!
2 Comments | business, Marketing, Reaching Goals | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting X http://wordpress, small business public relations | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
What’s Your Work Ethic?
December 9, 2008
Over the weekend, I was walking along the beach early in the morning and noticed several people standing around with brooms. They were all wearing bright orange vests and seemed like they were fulfilling a community-service obligation.
As I passed the group, I heard the leader say, “Now, take your time. If they see you’re not doing anything, they’ll give you more work to do.”
Sure enough, a few minutes later, I noticed all of the volunteers spread out across the sidewalk…standing there looking at the ocean with brooms in hand. There must have been 25-30 people in the group!
Now, in my opinion, about five people could have swept the entire sidewalk in a matter of hours while the others did something more beneficial elsewhere.
I like to avoid negativity, but I felt this was a total waste of people power and it really got me thinking. With everything going on in the world, isn’t there a way these workers could have completed their community-service hours by directly helping others in need, recycling or taking part in some other volunteer activity that provided value?
In addition, what kind of work ethic does this support?
If you were given this situation, would you just stand there and look at the ocean, or would you try to do a good job with the task you were given?
Obviously, many people would take the lazy route and enjoy the ocean view. But is this the mentality that got them to this point in the first place?
Having a strong work ethic is essential in today’s economic environment. Now is not the time to do “only what is expected.” Instead, it’s important to go above and beyond.
The hard-working people who put in the extra effort now will be the ones who will be able to compete, weather these tough times and experience great success in the future…so with this in mind, are you going to settle with the status quo or make your dreams a reality with hard work and perseverance?
If you have copywriting and PR questions, please let me know. I’m here to help!
3 Comments | business, Reaching Goals | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting, http://wordpress.com/tag/PR/, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business help, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/ | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
A Simple Thank You Goes a Long Way
December 4, 2008
Now that we’ve all had some time to get back into work mode after the Thanksgiving holiday, I thought I’d provide a simple reminder…
As an entrepreneur, it’s important to regularly develop relationships with the media (on top of everything else you have to do). But it doesn’t need to be difficult.
In fact, the next time you see a quote or article in the media that includes information about your business, send a quick thank you to the reporter who wrote the story.
Media members are inundated with negative news, bad press releases and quick deadlines on a daily basis so they tend to appreciate a note of thanks and a few, nice comments about their hard work.
With this in mind, it’s also a good idea to regularly thank customers, partners, employees, and other business associates.
It only takes a few minutes. And best of all, your quick “thank you” may result in better relationships with the people who can take your business to the next level…fast.
Try it and let me know what happens…
And with that note, THANK YOU for reading, and I’ll be writing more soon!
6 Comments | Marketing, Reaching Goals, Small Business PR | Tagged: Copywriting, free publicity, http://wordpress.com/tag/PR/, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, PR, public relations, sales, small business public relations | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 25, 2008Phew! We made it to Thanksgiving.
With the last few months of election activities and the economic roller coaster, I think we all deserve a break. And even with all of this turmoil, we are still around and have a lot to be thankful for.
With this in mind, I’d like to thank all of you for reading my blog. I hope I’ve given you some help with your PR and copywriting activities and provided some inspiration at the same time.
In the month’s ahead, I hope to continue to offer you some valuable information to boost sales, awareness and credibility.
But for now, I wish you a happy and health Thanksgiving full of fun, friends, family, rest, and relaxation!
1 Comment | Reaching Goals | Tagged: thanks, Thanksgiving | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
What Did Your Brain Just Say?
November 20, 2008
With the economy the way it is, there is a lot more competition for business. But before you jump at every new job opportunity that comes your way, take a moment to stop and think.
I don’t know about you, but every time I’ve gone into a new business relationship without paying attention to my inner voice, things usually don’t work out well.
There have been many instances where things just “don’t seem right,” and my instincts are giving me a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach. But I move on with a new client or business relationship because things are transpiring fast, and I need to make quick decisions.
When I do this, I always end up wasting time, money and effort. And even though it can be very difficult to take a moment before accepting a huge contract or working with a new client, I’ve found that it is essential.
Just by giving myself a few minutes of quiet time, or by sleeping on a decision, I know exactly what I need to do and things seem to move forward much better.
…So with this in mind, it can be well worth it to listen to your inner voice prior to making a decision. It has helped my business grow much faster, and it may help you too!
If this little tip helps you, please let me know. And if you have questions about your small business public relations or copywriting, I’d love to hear from you!
Leave a Comment » | Reaching Goals, Small Business PR | Tagged: business, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, making decision, saving time and money, Small Business PR, small business public relations | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Did you really ask that?
November 18, 2008
Have you ever been listening to an online seminar, speaker at an event or tele-seminar, and someone asks a really lame question?
For example, I was recently watching a presentation related to online marketing tips from one of the top experts in the industry. The host opened the floor for questions, and someone got up and asked, “What is a landing page?”
Now, this is a perfectly good question, but it was just not the right time to ask it. After all, the expert only had a few minutes to share his thoughts and answer questions.
And instead of simply finding the answer on Google on his own time, the audience member could have used this opportunity to his advantage and ask for some inside information .
For example, he could have said something like, “What trends do you see happening in landing pages and SEO strategies that have produced the biggest boost in sales in the shortest amount of time for your clients?
Not only would the response have provided useful information to everyone listening, but the caller would have appeared to be more professional.
I don’t like to get on my soap box, but business is competitive. You need to do the work and present yourself in the best light possible in order to succeed….so here are three tips to keep in mind the next time to go to a seminar or listen to a presentation online:
- Research the subject matter and the speaker in advance.
- Figure out what information you hope to get out of the presentation.
- Write down pertinent questions specifically for the speaker so you can get the data you need.
After all, if you spend the time, money and effort to participate in an event, you want to get the most out of it as possible. Not only will you help your business grow faster, but you may just help other participants get the information they need to be successful too!
1 Comment | Marketing, Reaching Goals, Small Business PR | Tagged: business, events, http://wordpress.com/tag/PR/, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/, increase sales, presentations, Small Business PR, small business public relations, speakers | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
The Secret to Getting Press
November 13, 2008
You sit down in your favorite chair ready to bite into your freshly prepared bagel and… Drat! There is a headline featuring your competition with a big photo of the CEO. The first thing you ask yourself is, “Why him and not me?”
Well, don’t get too upset. That CEO may be:
· A good friend of the reporter;
· Advertise in the publication;
· Spend a fortune on a big PR firm; or
· Know the one secret to publicity success.
And if it’s the last point above, you’re in luck. Here is the secret:
Create a unique story angle for a specific reporter and contact that media member directly.
I’m not kidding.
There is so much hype about building buzz that is really comes down to this.
You just need to be willing to conduct the appropriate research and develop a unique and newsworthy story angle that a reporter will really care about.
And even if the reporter doesn’t like your pitch, at least you will start to establish yourself as a reputable source and create a working relationship with this media member for future stories.
Sure. Many business owners are lucky enough to get big media stories right away. But don’t let this get to you.
For true publicity success, you need to work hard, be creative and have some patience. And if you keep going, eventually you’ll be the one with the front-page feature!
If you have questions, or need help with your PR and online copywriting, please let me know! I’m here to help. Thanks!
Leave a Comment » | business, Marketing, PR, Reaching Goals, small business public relations | Tagged: entrepreneur, http://wordpress.com/tag/home-based business, http://wordpress.com/tag/media relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/PR/, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business help, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/, small business public relations | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Just when hope starts to fade…
November 11, 2008It’s 4:00 a.m., and I just turned on the computer and took my first sip of coffee.
With the stress of the economy, the election and an increase in the number of reporters losing their jobs, it has been an uphill battle to build buzz for my clients.
And just when frustration started to get the best of me, things turned around.
In the last few days, my hard work paid off. My clients were featured on Forbes, The Discovery Channel, Workwise, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and others.
It just goes to show you that you need to keep pluggin’ away, and even give extra effort, when things aren’t going the way you planned.
Sure. This can be easier said than done so here are a few sites to help you stay positive and get the inspiration you need to hang in there when times get tough…
Quotes from “Power of Positive Thinking’s” Norman Vincent Peale
Daily Motivational Quote Widget
Small Business Advice from the Experts at SCORE
Small Business Help from Experts and other Entrepreneurs
Funny YouTube Videos for a Quick Laugh
And if this doesn’t work, just think…the Thanksgiving holiday will be here soon. Then, you can take a few days to relax, rest and start fresh when you return to the office!
If you have questions, or need help with your PR and online copywriting, please let me know! I’m here to help. Thanks!
Leave a Comment » | business, Small Business PR, small business public relations | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting X http://wordpress, http://wordpress.com/tag/media relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/PR/, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, small business public relations | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
How to Pitch the Media
October 7, 2008
Via my previous entries and articles, I’ve provided a lot of information and websites for your small business press releases and publicity efforts.
But if you don’t know how to pitch a reporter once you get through, here are some quick tips to help you through the media process:
1. Know Your Targeted Media Members.
Before you even reach out to a reporter, you should know what that person writes about and what he or she will be interested in discussing.
Do your homework before contacting a specific reporter, and you’ll have a much better understanding of what you should say (and the topics you should avoid).
2. Have Talking Points Ready.
With point #1 in mind, write down all of the benefits your business has to offer. Know why a reporter will be interested in what you have to say and practice giving your unique story angle.
Then, when the time is right, you’ll be ready. (You may even want to have your talking points written on an index card by your phone.)
3. Be Newsworthy.
Try to think of a way that your business fits in with current news and industry events. Develop a story angle related to something newsworthy and current. Then, approach a reporter with your idea. You’ll get much farther with reporters if you can discuss current news and information related to their beats.
4. Be Unique.
Media members want fresh, interesting stories. Try to stand out from the crowd and offer your opinion about a current topic, a unique statistic or research result, or a story angle that no one else can offer.
By conducting some research and offering something different, you’ll get much farther with your publicity efforts.
Check back on Thursday for more pitching tips.
In the meantime, feel free to contact me below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com with your online copywriting, SEO and publicity questions. Thanks!
1 Comment | PR, Small Business PR | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/, SEO | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
How to Pitch the Media-Part 2
October 9, 2008
On Tuesday, I shared some quick tips on how to pitch media members. Here are some additional pointers:
5. Be Succinct.
Reporters are on deadline. Get to the point fast. Practice what you are going to say in advance. Then, speak clearly and succinctly.
Mention the most important benefits of your story angle first. Reporters will appreciate your sense of urgency and respect for their timelines.
6. Know Your Industry.
Become an expert in your field and know the most current news, events and activities within your industry.
Share your news with reporters. Soon, they will come to you for the latest industry updates.
7. Offer Expert Advice.
Without pitching your own products and services, introduce yourself as an expert to a targeted media member. Comment on a current news item, provide a special report and offer your help with a future article.
Reporters will appreciate the fact that you are willing to provide assistance and may add you to their list of resources.
8. Follow-up Accordingly.
Media members are busy people, and you will probably need to make an effort to stay in touch with them.
If you are waiting for a pending story or a call back and haven’t heard anything for a few days, feel free to contact the media member directly.
Don’t be a pest but conduct the appropriate follow-up when necessary. This is essential to obtaining schedule media clips and maintaining media relationships.
Hopefully, these tips will help you pitch your story to media members and get results. By “thinking like a reporter” and offering beneficial information in a timely fashion, you’ll definitely increase your chances of obtaining good media coverage.
If you’d like help with your pitching efforts and online copywriting, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help! Thanks!
1 Comment | PR, Small Business PR | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting, http://wordpress.com/tag/media relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/PR/, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, SEO | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Financial Help for Small Business Owners
October 14, 2008
If you are worried about the current economic turmoil and want some help with your small business financial worries, check out these sites:
About.com
http://stress.about.com/od/financialstress/Financial_Concerns_Managing_Your_MoneyAND_Your_Stress.htm
DebtSteps.com
http://www.debtsteps.com/financial-stress.html
Fortune Small Business
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2008/10/01/toc.html
http://www.managementhelp.org/finance/fp_fnce/fp_fnce.htm
http://www.sba.gov/services/financialassistance/index.html
SCORE
http://www.score.org/index.html
StartupNation
www.startupnation.com
http://www.suzeorman.com/igsbase/igstemplate.cfm?SRC=MD012&SRCN=index&GnavID=84&SnavID=20
Yahoo! Small Business
http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-mainCat-m-2-finance-i
http://finance.yahoo.com/how-to-guide/career-work/12825
The more informed you are, the better off your business will be now and in
the long run. Plus, you can save yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and
hassle.
If you need help boosting sales for your small business via publicity and
online copywriting efforts, please let me know below or at
www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help!
6 Comments | business, Marketing, Small Business PR | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting, http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting X http://wordpress, http://wordpress.com/tag/PR/, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business help, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/ | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
3 Quick Ways to Build Buzz and Sales
October 21, 2008
If the economic crunch is starting to hurt your business, it’s time to act
fast to increase sales. Here are three cost-effective publicity activities you
can do now to help build buzz:
1. Team Up With a Bigger Organization.
Find a business or charity with a big name that compliments your products and services. Create a special discount, holiday package or event. Then, invite the press.
Find a business or charity with a big name that compliments your products and services. Create a special discount, holiday package or event. Then, invite the press.
You’ll be able to split the costs, time and effort while sharing media resources and customer databases.
2. Contact Media Members Directly.
In addition to sending out a press release to build buzz, pick up the phone too! Contact a targeted reporter, introduce yourself and provide your unique and newsworthy story.
You can also offer yourself as an expert resource for a future story. The point is to start a media relationship and make contact. You may just end up with a feature story from one simple call!
3. Update Your Website.
Is your site current? If not, add valuable information for potential
customers. Make it easy to do business with you. Also, add some keywords to your site so that search engines can find you.
After all, if you don’t look like you are “home,” potential customers will visit
other sites to obtain information and assistance. Don’t miss out on potential business! Try to keep your site updated and provide contact information so people can reach you.
Just by taking a few minutes to make an extra effort, you can increase sales for your business. Even if you have zero funds, try to be creative and think about your customers and media members. What do they want right now, and how can you fulfill their needs?
For more help and free PR information, please provide your comments below or feel free to contact me at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you!
Leave a Comment » | business, Marketing, Reaching Goals, Small Business PR | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business help, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/, increase sales, small business finance | Permalink
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Small Business Public Relations-What to pitch right now
October 16, 2008
If you are a small business owner ready to pitch your story to the press, hold on.
Right now, media members are concentrating on two major issues:
1. The economy
2. The election
If your pitch doesn’t have anything to do with these two items, it’s time to develop a new story idea.
Think about how your products and services fit into economic news and/or the election.
Can you provide some kind of specific benefit, discount or tip to help people save money or deal with the current economy?
Do you have expertise in an area related to one of the issues on the upcoming ballot (local reform, saving the environment, etc.)?
Check out these news sites to help discover some new story ideas:
www.usatoday.com
http://news.yahoo.com/i/1203
http://money.cnn.com/news/economy/
http://www.ap.org/elections2008/index.html
If you don’t have a story related to these hot news items, you may want to hold off on pitching media members your personal, business story. Instead, it may be wiser to focus on your marketing efforts for a few days and practice your pitch for a later date.
After all, why waste time on a story media members just don’t want to hear right now? You’ll avoid frustration and feel much better if you think about the reporters’ needs first.
Got small business public relations questions? Just let me know. I’m here to help!
1 Comment | business, Marketing | Tagged: economy, http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting, http://wordpress.com/tag/media relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/ | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Are You Available?
October 23, 2008
I’ve mentioned this information before, but I think it’s important. If you’re not receiving media calls and you’ve spent the appropriate time researching various venues, preparing your media kit, updating your online newsroom, and pitching reporters accordingly, there may be one key factor you’ve overlooked – Availability.
Their deadlines and you.
Many media members work on very tight deadlines and need information immediately. If you are not available to answer questions, set interviews with company leaders or provide needed information, you will not get the media coverage you’ve worked so hard to obtain.
They may not leave a message.
And please don’t think reporters will just leave a message. If your phone keeps ringing or voicemail picks up, most reporters on a tight deadline will immediately move on to another source.
As a small business owner, I know it can be very difficult to be available at all times. With this in mind, be sure to check your phone and e-mails frequently. Or, have an assistant handle media requests and let you know as soon as a reporter or producer calls. This kind of call should be a priority as it can mean thousands of dollars in free publicity now and in the future.
By taking a few simple steps to provide reporters with the information they need, when they need it, you will have more media-placement opportunities.
More importantly, you will set your reputation as a professional who returns call quickly, provides valuable information and is available to give reporters the data they need during tight deadlines.
This is just a little reminder to help you get more media coverage. If you’d like more information, or have small business public relations questions, feel free to comment below or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com to get my monthly newsletter full of valuable PR and writing tips. Thanks!
2 Comments | business, PR, Small Business PR | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting, http://wordpress.com/tag/media relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/PR/, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/, http://wordpress.com/tag/writing | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Anxious? Try to stop and think first for best results.
October 28, 2008
At about 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning, I was scuba diving in a fairly shallow kelp bed. Brightly colored fish swam all around me and I took relaxing breaths out of my regulator.
The only thing I had to worry about was getting my equipment wrapped around a long string of kelp…or so I thought.
Just as I swam through some underwater foliage, a dark shadow loomed ahead. My dive buddy pointed in front of us.
I looked down, and there was a 4-5 foot leopard shark gliding along the ocean floor looking for breakfast (great…as long as that’s something other than me!).
Then, it noticed us, and our eyes met. What a strange feeling to share eye contact with a shark!
My heart starting beating faster, but I remained calm and waited to see what would happen next. Before I knew it, the shark was startled by us and darted away!
I knew that the shark wasn’t going to attack us, but it was exciting. And it made me think how this situation relates to the current economy and public relations.
Whether you are anxiously awaiting a call from a media member, or you are worried about what to do with your money in today’s economic turmoil, it’s usually best to take a moment and think before acting.
Not only will you make better, more informed decisions, but just a little extra time can drastically change circumstances so that you know exactly what actions to take, if any.
Just look at my shark encounter. I didn’t do anything, and the situation remedied itself as the shark swam away.
Now, I’m not saying you should be lazy in your public relations activities or in watching your budget. But when things start to go crazy and your blood pressure goes up, take a moment to relax and think.
Try to avoid bugging a reporter with repetitive calls or taking all of your money out of the bank as soon as you hear the latest financial news on television.
Instead, take a moment to calm down. Look at your situation. Get appropriate information. Then, figure out what you need to do.
Many times, it’s just a matter of waiting.
Maybe the reporter will call you in a few days?
Maybe a friend or financial advisor will give you a great tax tip?
The point is, it can be difficult to remain calm in today’s world. But if you try to relax a little, things will be a lot easier to deal with and you’ll probably see much better results.
I hope this helps, and if you need assistance with your small business public relations and copywriting needs, please let me know! Thanks!
1 Comment | Small Business PR, PR, Copywriting, business, small business public relations | Tagged: http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/copywriting X http://wordpress, small business finance | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Times are Tough But Don’t Get Scared. Get Help.
October 30, 2008With Halloween here along with economic uncertainty, things can get pretty scary. But instead of letting things get to you, find some support and help online.
In addition to my free articles and small business public relations information at http://www.startupnation.com/steps/77/steps-successful-public-relations.htm, http://www.startupnation.com/blogs/index.php/author/mrembrandt/ and http://pinkmagazine.com/blog/melanie_rembrandt.html, check out these sites for more ways to boost sales and stablize your financial situation:
www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com
In addition to some great PR tips, Nancy Juetten offers Public-Tea™-TO-GO! gift bundles to raise money for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
http://www.score.org/index.html
Here, entrepreneurs get free and confidential business advice.
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/budgeting.htm
Read free budget tips and information.
http://www.suzeorman.com/
Suze Orman offers practical advice to help you with your toughest financial questions.
These are just a few suggestions. Do you have sites to share to help others with their PR and financial needs right now? Please let me know below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. Thanks and have a Happy Halloween!
3 Comments | business, PR | Tagged: entrepreneur, financial help, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business help, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/ | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Vote and Move On
November 4, 2008
Did you vote? I’m sure you will hear this a lot today, but it is an important election. And it will be interesting to see the media frenzy announcing all of the results.
Whatever happens, reporters will spend some time discussing the issues, and then it will be (somewhat) back to “business as usual.”
Are you ready?
Here are the key areas media members will be focusing on for the rest of the year:
- The Economy
- The Holidays
- The New Year (that’s right…start preparing your pitches now)
If you can figure out a unique story angle for these key areas that focus on the benefits of your products and services, you’ll have a much better time getting “press” over the next few months.
Do you have some interesting pitch-ideas you’d like to share or have questions about your PR efforts? Please feel free to contact me below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’m here to help! Thanks!
Leave a Comment » | business, Marketing, PR, Reaching Goals | Tagged: business, election results, http://wordpress.com/tag/home-based business, http://wordpress.com/tag/media relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/public relations, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business help, http://wordpress.com/tag/small business/, small business public relations | Permalink
Posted by rembrandtwrites
Are Reporters Reading Your E-Mails?
November 6, 2008
It’s 8:30 a.m. and you’ve spent the morning crafting the perfect e-mail to announce your brand new clothing line for dogs. You click “send” and wait for a response from the business editor at The New York Times.
Now, it’s noon and still no response from the editor. You call and get voice mail so you leave a message. Days go by and still no response.
Does this sound familiar?
These days, most reporters are swamped with deadlines and just trying to keep their jobs. They don’t have time to contact anyone who pitches irrelevant topics.
…But what’s that? You say you researched the reporter and thought he or she would really be interested in your new dog collar?
Well, maybe it’s not your pitch, maybe it’s your e-mail.
You may very well have a great story to tell. But if you don’t send a user-friendly e-mail, you’ll get nowhere fast.
When crafting an e-mail that is going to reporters, try to keep these tips in mind:
- Keep it short and sweet.
Get to the point fast and avoid “fluff.” Stick to the facts.
- Focus on the benefits.
Why is the reporter going to care about what you have to say?
- Include links.
Try to add links to important data relevant to your pitch. That way, reporters can easily get additional information fast.
- Run Spell Check.
Be sure to check for grammatical and spelling errors before sending out your e-mail. You want to present yourself as a professional who took some time to create the e-mail.
-Where’s your contact information?
If reporters want to learn more, can they find your contact information easily? You may want to include your cell phone number so they don’t have any problems reaching you.
It takes some skill to pitch reporters and give them a unique story packed with excitement and benefits. And once you spend the appropriate time crafting your pitch, don’t forget to proof your e-mail too.
After all, if it’s too long, boring and packed with errors, your message will go straight to the wastebasket. And who wants to waste time and effort like that?
If you have questions about your PR and copywriting efforts, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you!
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