PR Divas

Virtual PR Firm a Winner for Moms

When BlabberMouth PRwas founded, just three weeks after 9/11, it was the perfect telecommuting position. With most of the client, media and team communications conducted via phone or email, it was quite easy to work from Austin or Dallas with clients in California, Georgia, Florida, Alberta, Czech Republic and Malaysia. As the company grew, it tapped into a virtually untapped talent pool – stay-at-home moms.

Stay-at-home moms are extraordinary. They are the family CEO, the day care provider, accountant, chauffeur, counselor, chef, nurse, laundress, entertainer, personal stylist, and educator. Although the position has unbeatable rewards, many moms are redefining the stay-at-home experience by using today's technology to earn an income without ever setting foot in an office.

 

To fast-track moms interested in entering the public relations arena, BlabberMouth PR launched Penman PR Training Institute which provides three-day public relations training class by practicing PR professionals. The course comes with a hefty price tag, but public relations specialists frequently earn more than $75 per billable hour.

It’s Not Who You Say You Know

There is wide belief that the public relations rolodex is the key to good PR. In fact, it’s an old, sad story PR firm hacks tell to unsuspecting prospective clients. They know so-and-so, and what’s-his-face and dilly-bob so they can get you great coverage.

 

In reality, editors and reporters respond to relevant story ideas that are delivered under deadline and with substantiation. It’s not rocket science and it certainly doesn’t take a rolodex – particularly one that will never be used for the sake of the client.

Pitch or Press Release? How to get the story.

Although they are not the core of a public relations strategy, press releases are a mainstay of the PR industry, and one of the few viable methods of quickly communicating news to large segments of the media.

A press release is a factual pseudo-news story, written in third person that seeks to demonstrate to an editor or reporter the newsworthiness of a particular person, event, service or product. They are one of the few viable methods of quickly communicating news to large segments of the media.

The downside of a press release is, unless your company is a Fortune 500, the news being conveyed is typically most important to the companies issuing it. And when a reporter receives a release, they know it was not written for them. They know it was written for the media as a mass it hopes of someone finding the story worthy.

A PR pitch to the media is something completely different. A pitch is equivalent to a sales pitch to a potential customer. It is the act of defining a story, showing its value, and making it buyable by a journalist or editor.

By developing innovative ways to present your product, service, expertise, or company in an educational or interesting manner, you’ll find editors and reporters more receptive to your information. Reporters most often respond to pitches with a solid angle and details. Use statistics, analyst information, or research when available and offer yourself as a spokesperson. You’ll be surprised by the result.

See you in the news!

The Art of Positioning

Public relations is all about identity:  creating one, improving one, and sustaining one. The best way to establish a company’s identity is through repetition and consistency of its key messages. In order to have maximum success, a product or service must 'own' a place in the mind of the potential purchaser that defines it and differentiates it from its competition. This is the concept called 'positioning’.

Unfortunately, there is still little understanding of this simple concept and many PR campaigns fail because of it.

To avoid confusion, positioning concepts and messages should be simple and factual, regardless of how complex the technology or industry, and focused on the major differentiating strength of the company, product, or service.

Be ruthless about the information being conveyed. Anything that others claim, eliminate it. Anything that requires a complex analysis to prove, forget it. Anything that doesn't fit with your stated perceptions, avoid it.

Recession? What recession?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting how financial-market problems are threatening a new phase in the global credit crunch, pushing the U.S. economy toward recession.

The New York Times is issuing ongoing reports of business lenders cinching their designer belts, drying up credit flow and stifling economic growth.

This week, Forrester Research issued a report on technology industry's outlook for 2008 and indicating that it looks far worse than it did just two months ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are either in or headed toward recession.

Not great news for a company in any industry with focus on development and expansion in 2008. Fortunately, there's no reason to lose hope. If you can demonstrate that you are NOT participating in the economic downturn, your organization will have a unique opportunity to move into a new economy with a surge rather than a back slide.

Regardless of your business objectives, your perceived value to your revenue-generating audiences will determine how you’ll weather a recession, as well as how well you’ll fare during economic hey days. Recognition and appreciation of your core offering, your management strategies, and thought leadership may well be mitigating factors in how you weather good times and bad.

There is immense power in a well-executed, strategic public relations campaign for developing a widespread reputation and facilitating business retention and expansion – particularly when your competitors slow PR spending. It leaves a wide gap ready to be filled with influential messages geared toward your revenue-generating audiences.

Think of engaging in PR like planting a tree. The best time to plant one is today.

Whipping PR ‘til Social Media Sticks

PR folks with focus on media outreach have been at the frayed end of the whip lately for not jumping on the social media bandwagon. So the divas did some searching and researching. If we’re going to a whipping party, we’re going willingly and with knowledge. Just as we suspected, there’s plenty of hype surrounding social media (and PR’s role in it) – but mostly we found that social media is a simple matter of being open, honest and engaged online.

Much to the chagrin of those dubbing themselves “the new breed of PR firms with focus on news online”, we’re sticking with what works for editors and reporters. Honestly, as soon as a credible editor or reporter tell us that they'd wished we’d just posted our client’s information online rather than having us develop the story for them based on their profile and demographic, set up an interview with an industry expert and supplied them with the bar charts, graphics and photos relevant to today’s story (not yesterday’s) - then we’ll change our direction.

WAIT! If I post this on Digg.....hmmmm...

Happy Holidays from BlabberMouth PR

With a little help from JibJab, BlabberMouth PR wishes you a seriously fun holiday season.

To view our holiday greeting, turn up your speakers and click here.

No matter how brilliant…

Regardless of how grand the reputation, how successful the processes or how brilliant the strategists, there are those individuals that cannot get over a name.

Not long ago, a prospective client said he loved the company and all it represents, but he just couldn’t get past the BlabberMouth name. It was the first negative comment we had heard in six years. Curious by nature, the PR Divas conducted a survey of executives to determine whether the opinion of one was the opinion of many. Interestingly enough, 45% of the 5,000 respondents were either not crazy about the name or just flat out hated it.

Who knew!

They’re probably the same people that Google their internet queries, participate in Yahoo! groups, shop at the Gap and Banana Republic, sip on a Zima before dinner, feed their kids Pop Rocks, play a Fender guitar and conduct their copying business at Kinkos. 

For those that love the name, we embrace you.

For the rest, we created a pseudonym. CameronWeeks Public Relations. Of course, it’s more than just a name. It’s a subsidiary company designed to appease those that just can’t get over a quirky name – no matter how brilliant.

For more on this topic, you might be interested in this blog post by PRNewser, this one from Brand Flakes for Breakfast, or these company names that work fine until read as a URL.

Social Me-Me Media

I can't say why, but I’m always surprised by the hype around the newest buzz words. Remember when every employee worked for a company who had a ‘solution’? Or better yet, an ‘integrated solution’? What happened to ‘next generation’ – and - ‘the paradigm shift’?

Online trusted networks and social media are becoming equally as hyped. As PR consultants, we’re asked regularly to create social media campaigns. Unfortunately, many companies are feeling pressured to come up with a social media strategy in an arena that's still new, undocumented and undefined. Many of the people interested in these campaigns have no clue what to expect from them.

Don’t get me wrong -- I love the concept of social media. It’s so grass roots. I remember utilizing social media tools (forums, message boards, etc.) when tech start-ups were prevalent and marketing dollars were non-existent. Of course, the tools are much more sophisticated now, but the idea is the same. Go online, find the common thread and connect. It’s online interaction with meaning.

With today’s push and shove to get on the social media bandwagon, the meaning is quickly becoming convoluted and there’s a serious breakdown in trust.

Think about it. How many LinkedIn invitations do you receive from people you do not know? Come on – how many?  OK – better question:  how many LinkedIn invitations do you receive from people you don’t know, but accept them anyway? I’m not picking on LinkedIn. I use it – enjoy it – work it. But, people, come on! Where is the trust?

Now there are rules and techniques surrounding the buzz. Try on Social Media Optimization. Does that mean anything to you? I remember joining a forum on higher education in the early 1990s and the post somehow made it very high in search engine rankings for years. Rather than trying desperately to increase linkability, encourage tagging or what ever other me-me rewards on the corporate agenda, why not concentrate on contribution?

What does mediocre look like?

To us, mediocre looks like playing it safe. It’s doing the same ol’ same ol’ over and over again and expecting the same or increased results.

Like Johnny Rotten quipped to Sid Vicious in his Cockney accent, “This is borin’, borin’, borin’!”

Mediocrity doesn’t fly when creating a new product, nor does it achieve results in the PR arena. Yet when it comes to tooting one’s own horn, there are companies out there doing some really great things, but are barely bobbing above the fray. They’re either making no noise at all or creating a sound so meek, no one can hear it.

Fortunately, PR is not rocket science. It does, however, take dedication and strategy. It also takes imagination and verve. It’s amazing what PR can do, given the right circumstances and drive.

PR can:

• Build an image

• Reinforce and further an organization’s reputation

• Raise awareness

• Educate

• Increase understanding

• Change behavior

• Build credibility

• Influence opinion leaders

• Motivate your audience to action

There is nothing mediocre about that!

The dynamic part of PR is looking at all the vehicles at ones disposal and strategically putting them into play to create the biggest impact.

Some of the more frequently used PR tools are:

• Press releases, media alerts, and press conferences for timely or breaking news

• Special events

• By-lined articles

• Speeches

• Pitches

• Photos, B-roll videotape, other visuals

• e-Newsletters

• Web site content

• Blogs, forums, etc.

As important as these tools may be, they’re nothing without proper utilization. Think power saw! It’s really important to consider the audiences and know what makes news. In other words, think like the people being targeted and position your not mediocre product in a new, unique, unusual or controversial way. Seek to educate.

Regardless of the objectives, strategies, or tactics - do not be mediocre!