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Hiring a PR firm? Ask these questions first!

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Beautiful crocuses

Beautiful crocuses

Crocuses and snowdrops popping up in my garden signal spring’s arrival. I also know it’s spring because the phone is ringing — a LOT!  Now more than ever, organizations such as tech start-ups, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and corporations are reviewing their 2013 marketing and PR needs and deciding whether to hire a PR pro to help elevate their market position.

Here at Michelle Damico Communications, it’s Spring-Into-Action-Time, providing answers about how a company’s product, service or cause might benefit from my PR, messaging, and interview training services. So as a service to all future clients, here are things to ask before hiring a PR firm. (Note: There’s a special bonus for readers who make it to the end of this post!)

Six Questions to Ask Before Hiring a PR Firm

  1. How deep is your PR firm’s media relationships? How often do reporters CALL YOU seeking sources? Every good PR person will tell you they regularly connect with reporters via email, phone or tweet reporters. The strongest sign of a deep media relationship is when reporters call PR pros they trust, seeking experts  – I know because it happens to me weekly. 
  2. Tell me about your experience as former journalist? Many PR pros claim they used to work in journalism. But a closer look may reveal they wrote for their college newspaper and switched to business or marketing as their career. You can’t really understand the pressures professional journalists face without walking in their shoes and dealing with the stress of regular deadlines and surly editors. So check their LinkedIn profiles to learn what positions they held before landing their first PR position.
  3. Can you provide examples of how media placements led to more business or lead generation? Is their coverage relevant to clients’ target audiences? PR initiatives are typically targeted at two segments: consumers and business people.  A technology start up with a just-launched app for doctors will target media outlets quite different than a start-up serving consumers’ health and fitness needs.
  4. Does your PR firm have a solid web site, or a strong social media presence? This should be a no-brainer, but surprisingly it’s overlooked. A PR firm that participates in dynamic content creation will stay on top of digital media developments and appreciate the challenges of engaging with customers in the 24/7 digital communications world.
  5. Can one easily view the most recent headlines secured on behalf of clients? The stock and trade of any great PR firm is the news hits or coverage they’ve landed for their clients. Is the coverage recent? Is there a steady stream of client news placements demonstrating consistent outreach?
  6. Does your PR firm’s web site include a blog or dynamic posting feature? Any PR firm worth its weight is staying on top of digital PR trends and practicing them through their own digital properties. Actively blogging and sharing client case studies and insights about the current world demonstrates a PR professionals ability to stay on top of their industry.

If you took the time to read this entire post, here’s a nice little April 1st Thank you, with photos!DSC_0307DSC_0344IMG_1036IMG_1032DSC_0348IMG_1042IMG_0485

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Paying it forward matters in Media Relationships, too!

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I blog so others can learn about my successes and failures working with journalists. If you’re in public relations and marketing I hope you take my lessons and run with them, because that’s the intent.

I offer yet another media relations nugget — perfectly timed for this month of Being Thankful:

Never underestimate the value of paying it forward,

especially when working with media.

Create opportunities to help a reporter, and you will reap rewards. Want proof? It happened about a month ago.  I was pitching Andy Giersher, the veteran Chicago producer for the number one rated radio business show — Noon Business Hour on Newsradio 780. I called him about two hours before the start of his show, offering a client expert on mobile shopping and mobile rewards programs, in advance of the holiday shopping season.

“No thanks,” he said, “right now, I’m trying to round out today’s show.”

“What are you working on?” I asked. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for someone to comment on Newsweek.”

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Find Rewards by Mining Your LinkedIn Profile

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This post appeared originally on Carol Roth’s Business Unplugged Blog. 

If you noticed someone peeking through the front door of your business, would you ask “How can I help you?” You’d be silly not to make that personal connection; especially as businesspeople, we’re always looking for that next customer.

There are probably at least a half dozen people peeking through your business front door – your LinkedIn account – on a daily basis. Are you reaching out to them? Too shy? Don’t know what to say? Don’t want to give the impression that you’re spying on your visitors?

Today, I want to embolden you and arm you with the steps needed to make those valuable connections with potential customers, because I’ve learned this past summer that with the right approach, you CAN get meaningful business leads and valuable connections.

STEP 1. Start off with the front page of your LinkedIn profile. You’ll find a box that says “Your profile has been viewed (number) times in the past 14 days.” Check this page at least weekly and preferably daily. Most of the time, you will see the identities of your LinkedIn visitors. Members have the option to have their name displayed, have their title/industry displayed without their name, or remain anonymous. Many members choose not to hide their identity. With the paid membership, you can see all of the viewers of your profile, not just a select few.

I make this visit to my profile page a daily routine and it has been well worth the investment of my time.

Proof Point 1: This summer, I noticed a former client was on my page, someone I hadn’t spoken to in 10 years. I checked his recent job history, sent an email and started a conversation about what he’d been up to. I researched his new firm, checked recent news and sent him a message saying hello and congratulating him on his accomplishments. That led to a string of emails, lunch, and now, I am in conversations with his CEO for possible PR work. I landed a quality lead based on my relevant media relations work experience and didn’t have to make one annoying cold call! Pretty nice, huh? And SO easy.

STEP 2. If folks visiting your profile aren’t easily recognizable, check out their pages if you can and your connections to them. LinkedIn etiquette suggests that you request an introduction from a current member of your network. That works fine, but may take a while. However, I have found that new visitors to your profile don’t mind your direct outreach, as long as it’s not repeated and annoying. But DO be sure you do some homework before trying to connect. Also, remember to include the reason that you are reaching out and why they might want to connect with you. (See example below.)

Proof Point 2: A recent visitor to my LinkedIn page was the Director of Marketing from an MBA school at a major university. LinkedIn requires that you should have a business history with the person you’re messaging. In many cases, I haven’t done business with these people, but I have never been caught by a “LinkedIn cop” for violating the rule. And none of my InMail recipients has ever told me to stop messaging them. Hey, if I don’t get a response, I don’t bother them again. In nearly every instance, I have gotten a response. I’ve never heard of anyone being bounced from LinkedIn for the occasional InMail infraction against someone they don’t know. (If you know of someone who has been ejected, please do share!) So, when you see the LinkedIn prompt asking how you know this person, use your current firm as your reference and check we’ve done business together. If you are in a group with the person and don’t know them, you can use that option instead.

STEP 3. How to approach that visitor scoping out your profile? Here’s the gist of an InMessage I sent to that CMO of a major university:

“Hi NAME, I couldn’t help noticing that you visited my profile this week. Is there something that I can help you with or perhaps offer a recommendation for a candidate whose name we might have in common?”

I received a reply saying that he was looking for a communications person to elevate his school’s social media presence. He complimented my PR and social media credentials and indicated that he was looking for a more junior level candidate and so, I offered to aid in his search. I made a valuable connection and feel totally comfortable reaching out to him again, if needed, in the future.

What’s the lesson here? Do your LinkedIn homework every day and see who’s checking out your profile. Look for ways that you might help those people and do the research to ask intelligent, relevant questions. You just never know where that conversation will take you and your business.

Is this something that you have used successfully in your business? I would love to hear about your experiences or suggestions.

 Post happily written by Michelle Damico
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Do You Have a Treasure Trove of Customer Relationships?

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 This article originally appeared in the October 1, 2012 issue of the Daily Herald Business Ledger
When times are tough, knowing your customer can be your most treasured business asset. With belt-tightening the norm for businesses, that’s the message from CEOs, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs in the suburbs and Chicago who offered examples of how knowing their customers helped them survive and thrive.

 

“In the environmental engineering business, it’s relationship-driven; we don’t have long-term contracts, but we do have long-term clients,” said Bob Platt, CEO of Elmhurst-based Mostardi Platt, an environmental testing and consulting firm. Commercial and industrial businesses rely on Mostardi Platt to stay abreast of clean-air and water regulations or to design systems to comply with or audit compliance of environmental protections.

Platt says his business is primarily project-based, and as a result, his project managers have developed strong customer relationships over the years.

“Our mantra is if you think you haven’t talked to a client recently, than give them a call. We know they’re busy and don’t want to seem like we’re bugging them. Typically, we help them stay on top of regulatory changes facing their industries and that’s how we earn their trust and confidence,” said Platt.

Most clients lack deep knowledge of environmental regulations, and that’s where the trust plays a big role. “We’re like the surgeon treating the patient who lacks the training to find their own cure. Our customers trust that we’ll come up with the best possible compliance options without undue cost. That trust is the result of relationship building over time,” said Platt.

Building trust over time is a concept that applies to the not-for-profit world as well. In fact, “trust” is part of the name of the 40-year old Trust for Public Land, which relies on donors to achieve its mission of conserving land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places. The Trust for Public Land played an instrumental role in helping earn federal authorization of the area’s first National Wildlife Refuge, The Hackmatack, stretching from northeastern Illinois into Wisconsin and within a 100-mile drive for Chicago- and Milwaukee-area residents.

Beth White, Director of The Trust for Public Land Chicago region office says securing federal conservation protections for Hackmatack involved six years of relationship building with community and conservation groups such as Friends of Hackmatack, Open Lands and Sierra Club, as well as elected officials, governments and donors.

“Donors give to The Trust for Public Land because they have an affinity for what we do and because we get high marks for accountability and for being among the most efficient charities in the U.S. Our donors often have personal interest and expertise related to our projects and become key partners, often for decades,” said White.

For more than two decades, Ambrosia Euro-American Patisserie in Barrington has served customers’ culinary tastes and curiosities in Lake, Kane and McHenry Counties and beyond. Deborah and Richard Rivera, 23-year owners of Ambrosia say regulars who visit weekly comprise 40 to 50 percent of their daily customer count.

“We know nearly half of our customers by name, so over the years they’ve become our de facto advisory board,” says Debby Rivera. “More than ever, we are listening to what they want – superior bakery items and beverages made with natural, high quality ingredients, served in a comfortable and welcoming café setting.”

Rivera says the recession has changed customers’ family and work lives. “Many have lost or left their jobs and work out of their homes, where they feel more isolated. They come here for a croissant and conversation.”

So when local acoustic, jazz and classical musicians pitched the idea of live performances at Ambrosia, the Riveras redesigned their café floor plan for concerts, presented at least twice each month.

“Our marketing approach has been tailored to what our customers need,” says Rivera. “They are much more stressed out and we try to be in tune to what they’re looking for. I think that’s a critical component that’s kept us going during the recession,” she added.

Deep relationships are what drive solopreneurs as well. Ask Catherine Morgan, transition and entrepreneur coach at Point A to Point B Transitions, Inc. She says 80 percent of leads come from client referrals.

“Building strong relationships is the best possible thing I can do for my business,” said Morgan. “I don’t think people actively search for my services. More likely, a colleague or friend will recognize that help is needed and make a referral suggestion. So it’s just as important to maintain relationships with past clients and have a good keep-in-touch strategy.”

Morgan says another benefit of great client relationships is getting testimonials on her web site and social network pages. “Business decisions are based on social proof – so if someone is evaluating my service, I want them to find great client success stories to help close the deal. Google and LinkedIn are the new background checks,” she added.

Michelle Damico provides media relations and communications services through Michelle Damico Communications and can be reached through http://www.michelledamico.com.

Post happily written by Michelle Damico

 

 

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Top 10 Reasons Why Your PR Efforts Fail

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Does it seem like your PR efforts are wasting time and money? Do you repeatedly try and fail to get reporters’ attention? During my many years helping business, government and non-profit clients secure positive news coverage, I’ve felt the adreniline rush that comes with magnificent news coverage, and the agony and embarrassment that follows a media interview gone awry (scroll down to the graph that starts “Then another tollway spokesperson”). With those memories I present the Top Ten Reasons Why Your PR Efforts are Getting You Nowhere:

  1. You emphasized tactics over strategy so your PR campaign lacks clear business goals and objectives.
  2. You’re targeting the wrong media because you haven’t identified your key audiences.
  3. You’ve re-purposed an old media list and didn’t delete the reporters who lost their jobs when their papers folded.
  4. Your final press release required three complete rewrites because you didn’t create a content outline for your boss’s/client’s review.
  5. You e-blasted the release to reporters and editors and it was dumped in junk mailboxes, never to be viewed.
  6. You wrote a one-size-fits-all pitch letter that left reporters with two choices — trash your news now or trash your news later.
  7. You fumbled through a media interview because you didn’t bother thinking through the possible questions and answers beforehand.
  8. You wouldn’t practice for your on-camera interview and your family still jokes about how your eyes bugged whenever you talked.
  9. Your customers don’t know about your news coverage because you didn’t bother merchandising it or sharing it on social networks.
  10. Your messages are so confusing that even your mother can’t describe what you do.
Leave a comment if you have additional entries to my top 10 reasons for PR failure.
 Post happily written by Michelle Damico

 

 

 

 

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Hiring a PR Firm? Seven Tips You Need Right Now

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Forward thinking businesses are planning their 2013 budgets and that’s often when discussions occur about hiring a Media Relations firm to help boost customer awareness, generate exposure, increase sales and move the entire organization to a bigger playing field.

If your business wants to enlist some PR help you may be wondering, “Exactly what am I getting into?” Let’s dive in to that and more in these Seven Tips to Hiring a Media Relations / PR Firm.

1. What’s the difference between PR and Media Relations?  Media Relations is an important tool of a strategic Public Relations campaign. PR is the comprehensive mix of strategy and tactics that is driven by a strategic communications plan and should lead to positive news stories.. PR and Media Relations professionals help you develop your plan, create the messages that position your expertise, provide third-party credibility and help you spread word-of-mouth, the most credible form of advertising. Our activities include — but aren’t limited to:

  • Developing communications plans, including goals, objectives.
  • Identifying your key audiences and the media they’re likely to follow.
  • Crafting a memorable and compelling message.
  • Learning how to insert that message into your media interviews.
  • Writing a variety of content (web copy, press releases, e-Newsletters, digital content calendar, FAQs, etc.) to spread your message.
  • Building relationships with reporters, editors and bloggers to begin the process of landing interviews that lead to news coverage for your business.

2. Sounds like I’ve got a lot of work to do even before I get to the ‘media interview’ stage? Like anything in business, a good plan and a solid foundation improve your chances of success. Depending on your availability, this foundation-building period may take a week, two weeks or a month, but will payoff dividends once you land interview opportunities. The most successful PR initiatives occur when you have a partnership with a PR pro who helps guide you through the early stages of the PR initiative. 

3. How do you find reporters who want to do interviews about my business?  After identifying the outlets and types of media coverage that will help grow your business, your media relations pro will conduct research on what reporters who cover your industry are writing about and will look for those most likely to be interested in your news and/or expertise. An experienced media relations professional has developed those connections and knows how to nurture strong relationships that lead to positive news stories.

4. What are the key considerations in selecting the right PR / Media relations? Go to the PR consultant‘s web site and social media profile pages and learn a bit about them. They’ll most likely have a web page exclusively devoted to news coverage they’ve earned for their clients. Read the stories and ask questions about the steps taken to get reporters’ attention and to deliver a positive news story for the client.  Read a PR firm’s web content to identify whether their approach and style jells with your own, since you’ll want to partner with people you enjoy working with.

5. Once my business gets media coverage, then what? Excellent question because that’s where so many businesses fall short. They work hard to get reporters to write about them and do little to take advantage of their placements. Making news in print, on TV, or on the online portals or blogs is third-party validation about the value you bring to your customers. Having earned credibility from a respected, independent source, now is the time to showcase your valuable news to your customers and prospects through the News section of your Web site, in e-Newsletters, social media profile pages and marketing collateral. Frame your news story and mount it on the waiting room wall. Set up your outgoing voicemail message to direct callers to the link where they’ll find your coverage online.

6. How much time and money will a PR initiative cost? It depends on what you’re trying to achieve over a given period of time. The professional you choose will provide you with a variety of PR options to help you meet your objectives and stay within your budget.

7. Is it better to work under a retainer-based agreement, or one that’s project-based? Building any kind of relationship takes time and consistency, and that holds true for media relationships as well. An ongoing monthly retainer-based plan allows your Media Relations consultant to develop and strengthen relationships by maintaining a continual dialogue with the reporters and editors who need reliable experts for their stories. A retainer-based PR program supports that  dialogue process with media who follow you.  It also enables you to sustain the momentum that helps you create a steady stream of news, giving your customers confidence in you and your business while providing them with the value that keeps them coming back.

If you’re thinking about hiring a Media Relations consultant and have additional questions, I’d be happy to help. Just leave a comment or shoot an email to michelle@michelledamico.com and provide me with your phone number so we can talk. 

Post happily written by Michelle Damico

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Don’t Be LinkedIn-Lazy — Use it for Business Intelligence

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By regularly nurturing your LinkedIn network, you can get valuable business intelligence that can open doors. It happened to me and I want to tell you how.

LinkedIn MerlinWizard

LinkedIn MerlinWizard (Photo credit: Adriano Gasparri)

If you’re like most of my friends, you treat LinkedIn as an online resume-storage box. You probably devote most of your social media time sharing information with friends on Facebook or Twitter, and rarely visit or update your LinkedIn profile, seek recommendations, join groups, list accomplishments or even add a profile photo.

If you’ve been LinkedIn-Lazy, it’s time to change your ways. It’s the first place recruiters do their hunting; it’s a place where it’s totally cool to strut your stuff, and your achievements get showcased in a nicely organized way.

What’s most important to me? On LinkedIn, you can easily gather business intelligence by learning about nearly everyone who is sizing you up on a daily basis.

That little bit of information — above all else — is LinkedIn’s most valuable benefit to my business.

I treat LinkedIn as my little treasure hunt in reverse. The treasures aren’t hidden. They are in full view EVERY DAY. Every single day I find valuable gold nuggets for my business — the names and companies of those who’ve visited my profile page.

It’s my free business intelligence about who may be looking for a PR or social media consultant. It also tells me who’s trolling for possible partnerships or internships. With a little chutzpah, you can connect with those people and see what unfolds.

Here’s a nugget that recently dropped in my LinkedIn lap. I noticed a few days ago that a marketing exec from a major university visited my page. So I took the initiative to send this message:

Dear PERSON, I couldn’t help but notice your recent visit to my LinkedIn profile. Please let me know how I might help you or whether any potential job candidates have listed me as a reference. Enjoy your summer!

The next day I received this response:

Thanks for the note. I am looking for a XXXX to take XXXX to the next level. Ideally I am looking for INDUSTRY X, Y AND Z who can help to further raise our profile and engage prospects. (TEXT ALTERED BY ME)

By simply checking up on my LinkedIn profile visitors, I now have a continuing conversation with someone I might never have met. A door opened for me and I didn’t even push. I’ll let you know if it leads to business.

Having a solid, 100% complete LinkedIn profile is a must for any professional, whether or not he/she is looking for work. And it’s equally important to make daily trips to LinkedIn to see who’s scoping you out.

It also helps to take the initiative (or maybe, audacity) and let LinkedIn visitors know that you’re looking at them while they’re looking at you. As long as you can do it in a welcoming, helpful, non-creepy sort of way, you have nothing to lose and some valuable business intel to gain.

Happy Reverse-Treasure Hunting! 

Post happily written by Michelle Damico

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The Press Release is NOT Dead!

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Long Live the Press Release!

It’s a major weapon in your organization’s PR and media relations arsenal and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. They are effective (especially when search-optimized for Google and Yahoo!) in helping customers find your business, and for arming reporters with information about your product or service. I have proof, and it comes courtesy of my PR and marketing clients.

Here’s a press release that prompted executives from consumer warehouse retailers to call my client. Imagine having high-value prospective customers CALL YOU? It happened to Green Delete, which helps firms safely and responsibly delete data from electronic devices. If I hadn’t written and distributed this press release to the journalists who cover recycling, data protection and asset management, these giant companies would never have learned about Green Delete and its expertise in on-site digital asset disposal.

Or check out the release I wrote for Lloyd Bachrach, an amazing, inspiring motivational speaker who also runs Premier Showcase, an annual entertainment event to help school administrators and volunteers see the talent before they book their school assemblies. This press release provided valuable, time-saving information that helps time-crunched reporters quickly get the information they need to not only decide on covering my client, but to write a factually correct story. Reporters are so stressed with multiple deadlines and demands, and a well-written press release helps them better do their jobs.  In fact, see the TV and print coverage that I secured for Lloyd who continually reminds me how those news reports helped grow his business and boost credibility among his business partners.

I have scores of other client news stories that appeared in major market media and started with a press release. Just go to my News section here and take a look. Or contact me to learn about why a compelling, helpful, well-written press release should be a key launching pad for your business’s PR efforts.

 

Phone calls DO matter for PR success

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Telephone

Image by plenty.r. via Flickr

Texting, posting, tweeting, liking, commenting, following, emailing. Key verbs for interacting with reporters? Yes, but what about CALLING? I still believe in the power of the phone call to get reporters’ attention. They generally discourage it and I respect that, but I rarely get a complaint when I do phone them. I also am respectful of their time and deadlines when I call.

A call, even if it’s a voicemail, can point them to your email amid the hundreds they get all day. It can entice them to check out your business or client web site, and it’s part of your brand awareness to a key audience.

In fact, today, I credit my calls in helping earn major placements for my client in:

And since the Tribune covered my client’s story, the Tribune-owned WGN-TV aired photos  during the evening news!

Without making my calls these stories may not have happened.  An email alone would have probably gotten lost in the deep dark inbox hole at the those outlets.
I always follow some important rules when phoning reporters:

  1. Ask first if they’re on deadline and say you’ll call them back if they are
  2. Know what they write about and be knowledgeable about why your pitch is news
  3. Believe in your client. It’s easier to cold call a reporter when your gut says you’ve got great news to spread.

What’s been your experiences phoning the media? Leave a comment or let me know if I can help.

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DIY PR? Sure, you can!

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Yes, you can be your own PR agent.

If you’re like many entrepreneurs launching a small business, a budget for PR is often last on the priority list. That’s unfortunate, because we’re all news providers these days, hungry for great news content for our own Facebook page, YouTube Channel, Twitter feed and other social media platforms. Having your story told through word-of-mouth marketing or in traditional media such as newspapers, radio, and TV is one of the most effective ways to attract new customers and build your business.

 

While it does require effort and learning, it’s possible to wear another hat and become your own PR rep. Like anything, you need to keep at it, even if you don’t see instant results.

I recently was interviewed about DIY PR for business people by Catherine Morgan, Transition and Entrepreneur Coach from Point A to Point B Transitions. Please take a listen and let me know if I can help you get started. Email me: michelle at michelledamico dot com!

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