Rembrandt’s PR and Copywriting Blog for Startup Success

John Jantsch, author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and well-known marketing speaker, took a few minutes to share his thoughts on small business PR with me.

Here are his comments:

In your book, “Duct Tape Marketing,” you mention that PR is a “primary plank of your overall lead generation foundation.” Why do you think PR is so important to small business owners?

The fact is that some prospects find an article about your firm in a magazine much more compelling than an ad in the same publication. The third-party endorsement is big. In addition, it really helps resell your existing customers.

How do marketing efforts work with publicity campaigns to build business sales?

A good publicity strategy takes two tactics. Find and develop stories that support the firm’s core marketing messages and support specific initiatives like a sales promotion that partners with a non-profit organization.

How can small business owners develop good stories for the media to help increase positive awareness and credibility?

Understand that journalists don’t care about your business. They care about what their readers care about. Pitch stories that can help their readers get more of what they want. Usually, short of true, earth-shattering news, stories exist not in what you do, but how you do it. Your college reimbursement policy might be an interesting story. Your new product launch may not.

How can new entrepreneurs become good story-sources for reporters?

Read, contribute and be a resource. You probably get more specific information about your industry than a reporter cares to read. Send good content, comment on stories and point out data. Think in terms of giving before you ever try to pitch the big story. Use RSS tools to get a quick view of everything that your targeted journalists are writing about.

What RSS and PR tools do you recommend small business owners use in their publicity efforts?

Google News using the RSS subscribe, Bloglines to subscribe to and read RSS feeds, MySyndicaat to mash together lots of feeds into one custom feed, and FeedBurnerto enhance and easily republish feeds on your web site.

What tips can you provide small business owners who are new to talking to reporters?

Think of them as a target market. They must come to know, like and trust you before you will make much headway. They are often underpaid and overworked. How can you make their job easier? Prove you are a resource - not a pain in the butt.

What marketing tools do you think work best with PR efforts to increase sales cost-effectively?

Make sure you are using all the online PR tools in conjunction with your more traditional outreach. Links back from PR distribution sites can add valuable Google juice.

What action steps can people take now to start their public relations efforts?

Build a media list that makes sense. Don’t forget to include outreach to organizations, associations and school alumni newsletters. These publications are desperate for content and starting small is often the best way to get some PR momentum

What other tips and inspiration can you offer small business owners regarding their marketing and PR activities?

Write a one-page press release at least once a month and send it to your media list AND your customer and key prospects. You’ll be surprised what these extra touches will do for you.

You can read more about John and his book at Duct Tape Marketing. And if you need publicity help, have questions or would like to provide feedback, please contact me at info@rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you! Thanks!

(original interview posted at my Nielsen Small Business Resource Center Blog)

Memorial Day is finally here, and it’s time to relax. As a small business owner like me, you probably work many hours and are always thinking of innovative ways to serve your customers and increase sales.

Do yourself a favor, and try not to think about work this weekend.

We all need a moment away from our hectic lives. Plus, many studies have shown that you will think more clearly and contribute more to your business by taking a break on a regular basis.

I know. For many of you, your business is your life. You enjoy it and spend most of your time thinking about it. 

If this sounds like you, here are a few simple steps to walk away from your business this long weekend:

• Turn off your computer and don’t get near it or your office!
• Plan some fun activities with family and friends.
• Try a new hobby that you just haven’t had time to start.
• Enjoy nature. And if the weather doesn’t cooperate, visit a museum or cultural event. You’ll get a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. 
• Visit a bookstore and find something interesting to read that is outside of the business, finance or management section.
• Just veg in front of the television. When was the last time you did absolutely nothing?

Personally, I will be in the ocean scuba diving. No phones, e-mail or negativity. Just my dive buddy and the sounds of shrimp talking!

Hopefully, you will enjoy your weekend and not think about work until Tuesday morning. Then, you will be refreshed and ready to go with a new zeal for life and a passion for making your dreams a reality!

Melanie

Recently, I spoke with Andy Sernovitz, marketing expert and author of “Word of Mouth Marketing - How Smart Companies Get People Talking.” He provided some great insights for small business owners:

Briefly, what is word-of-mouth marketing and why is it important to small business owners?

Word of mouth marketing is: 1) giving people a reason to talk about your stuff, and 2) making it easier for the conversation to take place. It’s about doing remarkable things and earning that great recommendation.

How does public relations fit into word-of-mouth marketing?

Great PR people are great word-of-mouth marketers. It’s a very similar process:

1) Find the right people to talk about you;
2) Build a relationship based on trust;
3) Give them something genuinely great to talk about. 

If you get 1, 2, and 3 right, other people tell your story for you. For PR, it’s reporters and a great pitch. For word-of-mouth, it’s consumers and a great experience.

In your opinion, how can new business owners use publicity to increase sales without spending a lot of money?

Be unique. Being good isn’t good enough — We assume all businesses should be good. You need to do better … to have a story worth telling. If you’ve backed that into your brand, conversations will start, and the press and public will talk about you.

In your book, you mention that “online tools spark conversations that may begin on the Internet but don’t necessarily end there.” What are the top three ways you think entrepreneurs can use the Internet to effectively spread the word about their new products and services?

The two essential tools are a great blog and a great e-mail newsletter. These are the tools you need to tell your story, and they are the platforms that your fans use to repeat your story. A great blog is fun, fascinating, and a good read. A great newsletter is one “Aha!” idea each week. Get those right, and people will pass them on forever. (Blogs and e-mail are unique in the marketing arsenal — They are the only forms of marketing that consumers voluntarily read.)

What are some other tips you can offer small business owners who want to increase sales and awareness via word-of-mouth?

Today I was featured in the ‘How to Make Money Doing What You Love Carnival – Issue 4‘, hosted by Paul Piotrowski over at InspiredMoneyMaker.com.
 

Many new enterpreneurs often ask me why they need a PR Plan. It is essential for achieving and monitoring success. After all, how are you going to reach your publicity goals if you don’t know what they are?

In fact, famous educator Benjamin E. Mays stated that “the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.”

With this in mind, do you know what your PR goals are?

To get started, review your business plan and the activities necessary to grow sales. What key activities will make you truly successful?

Maybe you want to be rich, improve the environment, help those less fortunate, or just have more free time to yourself. Once you know what you want to accomplish, you’ll have a better understanding of how your publicity efforts fit into your overall business goals.

To help you focus, here are some questions to consider when preparing your publicity plan-of-action:

- When people hear the name of your company, what do they think about now?

- What can you do to help your audiences think about your company in a positive way?

- Why is your business unique?

- What benefits do you offer customers?

- What do you want media members to say about your business?

- What do you specifically hope to accomplish through your public relations efforts?

Now, review your responses. What do you need to do activate your publicity efforts right now? Get your PR Plan ready so you can take action, monitor results and make changes as necessary.

This will not only help you focus, but you’ll see more cost-effective results. After all, as inspirational speaker Tony Robbins says, “setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

For more information and to receive my newsletter full of valuable tips and information, please visit www.rembrandtwrites.com. Thanks!

In the past few weeks, several new entrepreneurs sent me press releases for review. And one major issue stood out. They all stressed features rather than benefits.

As a small business owner, it is easy to be so passionate about your new products and services that you get wrapped up in explaining all of the details, background and technology behind it. This is great for credibility purposes, but it is not necessarily newsworthy.

When writing your press releases, always think about your audience.

Why will they care what you have to say?

And instead of focusing on the specific features, talk about the benefits.

What will your audience get from using your products and services?

For example, a pencil has an eraser. It is bright yellow and provides a way to write with lead. These are features.

Some of the benefits of the pencil are that it allows you to erase mistakes quickly, save money over purchasing more expensive writing utensils, reduce stress knowing that if you lose the pencil it can be replaced fast, easily write underwater and upside down with it when you need to, etc.

This may be a very simple concept, but it is often forgotten in press-release writing and media relations. Therefore, the next time you read an interesting news item or write a press release, look for the benefits.

Make the extra effort to talk about a benefit for each product or service feature. Your press release will be much more interesting and newsworthy, and you’ll end up saving a lot of extra time and effort.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions or comments, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks! 

Are you ready to talk to the media and send out a press release? Hold on! 

Before you move forward, there are three key issues you need to be aware of that can ruin a big publicity win for your small business.

While you hear about all of the important activities you need to accomplish in your publicity efforts, here are three key things to avoid:

1. Never say “no comment.”

While this may be the easy response to an uncomfortable interview question, try to avoid saying it. These two simple words can have negative connotations and minimize your credibility.

Instead, try to maintain control of the situation as much as possible, and respond in a positive, upfront manner. 

Be honest and explain why you cannot give an answer. For example, you might say something like, “I can’t answer that question because it is not our policy to divulge private, client information.” This way, you’ll reaffirm your authority without exposing confidential data.

Stressful media requests can pop up when you least expect it so it is a good idea to review how you (and your team members) will deal with various situations in advance.

2. Do not give opinionated responses without fact.

Think of your responses in terms of sound bites. You want your statements to be truthful and build positive awareness of your small business. Remember, reporters may only use portions of your quotes in a story.

Therefore, you want to be sure to speak in complete sentences and project clear messages every time you open your mouth. For an example of what can happen if you are unprepared, check out this NPR radio interview at
http://www.npr.org/blogs/bryantpark/2007/10/when_good_interviews_go_bad.html.

If you do not know an answer to a question, try not to guess or rattle on with a long, opinionated answer. Instead, simply say something like, “I don’t have that data now, but if you’ll give me your contact information, I will get that information to you as soon as possible.” Then, when the interview ends, be sure to follow-up with the reporter as soon as possible.

3. Avoid saying “off the record.”

Keep in mind that anything you say to a reporter can appear in the press. Even if you have a solid relationship with a media member you trust, it is always a good idea to be aware of what you say at all times.

In fact, try to avoid stating anything you don’t want publicized. There is always the temptation to print the latest “gossip” and “inside news tip.”

With this in mind, I always advise clients to stick to their publicity training and key messaging when speaking to any media members, any time and anywhere.

These are just a few, key tips to help you with your publicity efforts and speaking to media members. For more information, suggestions and comments, feel free to contact me at info@rembrandtwrites.com or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com. Talk to you soon and have a great day!

Melanie

By creating a media kit for your new business, you will increase your chances of getting some good publicity. Plus, you’ll have pertinent information ready for new clients, partners and investors.

With this in mind, here are a few tips to help you create your new media kit.

What is a media kit?

A media kit is simply a collection of pertinent information about your business. It enables reporters and potential customers to get the organizational data they need fast. And as a small business owner, you’ll want to print some high-quality versions for important events and media mailings. But don’t print too many as you will need to update the kit frequently with new information.

In addition, it is necessary to provide an online version of your media kit so that reporters can easily access the information at any time to meet tight deadlines. And with this electronic version, you can update the data at any time and save time and money in printing and shipping fees.

What is in it?

When people read your media kit, they should be able to understand the benefits you provide, why you are in business and who is running your organization. The information needs to be user-friendly and cover the key points you want reporters, potential investors and new customers to know.

With this in mind, here is a brief synopsis of what most media kits include:

Business Facts

What does your company do and why are you unique?

Products and Services

List all of the products and services you have to offer. But instead of emphasizing the features, focus on the benefits.

Background

Who is running your business and when was the business founded? If your business is new, you can include brief background information and bios of your key staff members in a “Business Facts” or “FAQ” section. If possible, include downloadable photos for reporters to use.

News

Include a news section that lists your press releases, media clippings, quotes from satisfied customers, event participation, speaking engagements, articles, and other newsworthy activities. But note that it is essential to keep this section updated so you appear current and newsworthy.

These are just a few key tips to get started on your media kit. For additional help, review competitor media-kits and look at the online newsrooms for successful companies you admire. Also feel free to contact me directly at info@rembrandtwrites.com or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com.

As you can tell, this whole process is going to take some effort. And if you’re still wondering if you should spend the time to create a media kit, think about this. What happens if your competitor has a user-friendly, online media kit, and you don’t? Do you think a reporter will write about your business or theirs?

Thanks for reading, and feel free to send me your questions, comments and suggestions. I’d love to hear from you!

When it comes to press releases, many new entrepreneurs don’t know where to begin. Well, it doesn’t need to be difficult. Keep in mind that a press release is simply a document you send to media members to announce some kind of news or event. It should be truthful, user-friendly and newsworthy.

To get a good idea of how an effective press release looks and sounds, review those written by competing companies and successful organizations. Now, writing a good press release that creates results takes time and skill so you may want to hire an experienced freelancer to help you.

Also note that most of your publicity is going to come from picking up the phone and pitching your story ideas directly to the media. But if you want to write a press release now, here are a few simple tips to help you get started:

·       Review official press releases.

Look at the press releases at PR Newswire, www.prnewswire.com and BusinessWire, www.businesswire.com. You’ll find releases written in the official, Associated Press Style Guide format. You can use this press-release structure as a guideline.

·       Start with a headline.

Write a brief statement in the present tense that communicates your news. Avoid clichés and get to the point. Readers should understand what you are trying to say immediately and want to learn more. And when possible, include a sub-headline that provides additional, valuable information.

·       Keep important data at the top.

If you want people to actually read your press release, be sure to include all of your key points in the first paragraph (with your web address). Plus, many sites only collect and reprint the first sentence of a press releases so it’s very important to include the “why will anyone care about this” information first.

·       Add a boiler plate.

At the very end of your press release, include a brief paragraph about your business (the boiler plate). This content gives readers the information they need to know about your organization. Always include your website, phone and e-mail address so that readers know how to reach you quickly and easily.

·       Focus on benefits, not features.

Throughout your press release, write content that your target audience will find interesting. How will people benefit from this news? What’s in it for them?

And insert quotes that have meaning. Please avoid blatant statements like “We are excited about this partnership.” Of course you are excited about the news, but why will the reader care? Offer valuable statistics and information in all of your quotes whenever possible.

·       Review your work.

When you finish your release, take the time to check it for spelling and grammatical mistakes, factual errors, tone, and newsworthiness. Have others proof it as well. Trust me. This is time well spent. Once the release is plastered all over the Internet, you cannot make necessary changes.

Obviously, these are just a few key points on writing a press release, and I’ll provide more tips in future blog entries. In the meantime, feel free to send me your ideas, comments and suggestions at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!