 Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele  |
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| Article Title :: Publicity - The Right Media Person to Call for Free Publicity |
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| You won't accomplish much if you call the gas company to ask about your cable bill. Make sure that when you call about your story that the reporter you are contacting is the right person.Don’t call a business reporter who covers the pharmaceutical industry with ten tips on getting kids to take their medicine. Find the writer who handles parenting or consumer medical stories for that.There is one exception to the previous tip: if you personally know a reporter, or you have a mutual friend, it’s fine to call that person even if you know they aren't the right reporter. Just don’t expect them to do your story. Ask instead, “Which of your colleagues might be interested in (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: Free Radio Publicity for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners |
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| Radio is a powerful publicity tool. Most stations offer news and talk programming. Those shows are put together not necessarily by the voice you hear on air, but by people called producers.Getting to know producers, and giving them reasons to showcase you on air, is a very doable for most people in most towns. How? The same way you'd contact a print reporter, which I discuss in my other articles for financial planners.Getting on the radio is possible in huge markets like New York and L.A. too, but it’s not for the weak or the timid.Radio stations love to team with community resources – like you – on promotional activities. Call your station’s promotion departm (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: For Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Small Publications Can Have Great Publicity Impact |
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| Just because a publication is small doesn't mean that getting your name in it won't have great impact.Trade on the reputation of the tradesSome of the trade publications have very loyal audiences who are much more likely to trust someone they see there than someone on the local news or in The Wall Street Journal. Now I'm not talking about the trade publication for your profession – the only people you’ll reach are your competitors. Get yourself in the publications your prospects and clients read!Don’t forget the Sewer Cleaner Association’s newsletterIt's a great to get yourself in the newsletters of the associations your prospects in that (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: Publicity - Use This System to Track Publicity Progress |
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| Tracking your correspondence with reporters, via phone or email, is important for two reasons. First of all, promises to follow-up can slip between the cracks of daily business and cost you a change at free publicity. Second, you don't ever want to contact a reporter twice about the same story. You will immediately destroy your credibility.In my years as a public relations professional, I've developed a good system that financial planners can use to track contacts with the media.It's simple. Just two logs that you can keep in a paper notepad, or in a spreadsheet program on your computer.Keep one log to track reporters that you have contacted. It should have these thre (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: Publicity: When Calling a Reporter, Keep it Short |
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| When you are planning to call a reporter for the first time, it can help to imagine that you are a phone solicitor (albeit one with terrific, useful ideas).When phone solicitors call you, you don't want to hear a long explanation of their product. You just want to know the basics so you can make a quick decision and get back to work.That's why, in a first call or contact with a reporter, keep it short and sweet. Have one or two story ideas – no more – ready to convey.Don’t try what I call the "shotgun approach" — firing away with seven or eight ideas in the hope that one will hit the mark. Would you want a phone solicitor trying to sell you that many products (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: Publicity: Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Take a Reporter to Lunch |
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| Sometimes a phone call isn't intimate or long enough to convey all the information you have for a reporter.Two examples would be: if you have a dozen or so story ideas, or if you'd like to explain an extremely complex financial concept or strategy to a reporter.If this is the case, you should consider offering to meet the reporter over coffee or for a quick lunch, for a "backgrounder" on your topic.It's a relatively common event in the media world. Many reporters jump at the chance to pick a knowledgeable expert’s brain. You may be able to get information from them about what types of stories they are interested in, and what other reporters at their outlet might wan (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: Publicity: Five Tips for Calling a Reporter |
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| Always ask, “Is now a good time?”Deadlines in journalism are unrelenting and unforgiving. Using these as your first words after “hello” shows the reporter you’re sympathetic to her needs. It also ensures your pitch gets heard when the reporter is devoting proper attention.Your goal: attractIn your first contact with a reporter, don’t come off like a talking encyclopedia. Your job now is to attract and interest them – not to deliver the whole story yet. Keep it short and enticing.Offer that reporter a nugget of information they needThe best way to get a reporter’s attention: put yourself in her shoes and ask yourself, (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: Publicity: Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Never Say These Words to a Reporter |
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| Everyone has something that drives them up a wall. You may be surprised at what aggravates reporters.They deal with horrors like jargon-filled press releases, poorly-written news advisories, and gimmicky pens and mousepads, but reporters consistently and overwhelmingly name one habit of publicity-seekers as their number one peeve.What is it? It's when someone calls after a press release has been sent and asks "Did you get my press release?"This is the single worst way to follow up after sending something.When you make this no-no call, the reporter thinks: "If I wanted to call you, I would" or "Doesn't this person think I know how to open mail?" What's worse, th (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: Financial Planning Publicity: When Talking to the Media, Don't Fake What You Don't Know |
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| Relationships are based on trust—not just romantic relationships, or doctor/patient relationships, but practically any relationship, even the one with your auto mechanic.That's why the absolute worst thing a financial planner can do in their relationship with a reporter—especially a new relationship—is to give them false information.Remember, they think of you as a subject matter expert. Someone they can turn to again and again for concise, intelligent and accurate explanations for financial planning matters that they don't understand. If you mislead them, even if it's unintentional, you lose all credibility--and all chances for publicity.It is an especially egr (read full article) |
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| Category :: PR Articles |
Author :: Ned Steele |
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| Article Title :: Publicity: The Right Way for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners to Follow Up with a Reporter |
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| Let's say you've called a reporter with some ideas for stories about financial planning, and they seemed interested. Congratulations! First, pat yourself on the back. It takes intelligence and gumption to come up with ideas that reporters like.Next, consider how you are going to follow up. Reporters are usually working on several stories at once, and unless they are coming to meet you today, there's still a considerable chance that it will fall through the cracks. You need to try, without being annoying, to keep that story at the front of their mind.If your call went great and the reporter’s interested – tell her you’ll send something by fax or email to summarize what (read full article) |
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