In my previous post, I covered these three “secrets” of highly effective PR pros.

• Successful PR pros understand how the media works.
• Successful PR pros do their homework.
• Successful PR pros develop good stories.

Here are four more.

Secret #4: Successful PR pros balance mainstream and “new” media.

These days, it is not mainstream or “new” media. It’s both.

Although mainstream media is shrinking, they still have prestige and credibility. People brag about being mentioned in The New York Times. I have yet to hear anyone brag about being mentioned in a tweet.

But make sure you incorporate online tools into your publicity program. That means:

• A good website with an online news room.
• SEO-optimized news releases.
• An active blog.
• Good profiles and activity on social networking sites like LinkedIn and (possibly) Facebook.
• And, if appropriate, posts on YouTube and Twitter.

Pay attention to both mainstream and new media. It’s essential these days.

Secret #5: Successful PR pros write well.

One of the most common complaints I hear from reporters is the poor quality of the written materials they receive. News releases, in particular, are often poorly written, with fluff, superlatives and jargon. Grammar, punctuation and spelling seem to be ignored.

I recommend that you let your drafts sit overnight and look at them the next day. Better yet, have someone else read them and see if they can identify the major messages. (If not, rewrite.) Read your drafts aloud and check their readability with Word’s Readability Statistics. It’s amazing what you’ll learn.

Write well. You will stand out in the crowd.

Secret #6: Successful PR pros treat the media professionally.

This may seem so obvious that it shouldn’t even be mentioned, but treat the media professionally.

That means:

• Respond if they contact you.
• Train your company spokesperson in media interview techniques. Without training, many people either clam up or talk too much, either of which makes for a poor interview.
• Be polite. Years ago someone was rude to the assistant of a prominent technology reporter. He went public, making it clear what he thought about such behavior. It’s fair to assume that the offending PR person never got coverage in that column. Be kind to everyone, regardless of their title or responsibility.
• And keep things in perspective. An editor told me he had received angry calls from PR people about the content of an article. I, too, had contacted him about an error in that article, but did so calmly and politely. I didn’t harm my relationship with him; my guess is that the others did.

Mom was right. Be nice.

Secret #7: Successful PR pros give publicity a fair try.

I find many people get discouraged and quit their publicity activities too easily. I’ve joked about starting the one-news-release club because I’ve seen so many companies send out one or two news releases, think that they’ve given public relations a “fair try” and stop.

It’s the old adage, 80 percent of success is just showing up. If you want publicity, you need to keep “showing up.”

And there you have it, seven secrets of highly effective publicity pros. I’m sure there are many more. I’d love to hear your ideas.

Kay Paumier helps B2B companies spread the word about their products and services, making them become better known, more credible and more profitable. Her public relations and communications services include publicity, media relations, writing, company and product launches, and presentations. Kay serves as WIC’s marketing and director. Her website is www.CommunicationsPlus.net.

By: Kay Paumier

Over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of public relations professionals. Some are incredibly successful in generating coverage for their organizations, clients and causes.

Others struggle.

Although many factors come into those differences, I think there are seven “secrets” that separate the successful publicity pros from the also-rans. I will cover the first three here, and the other four in my next post.

Secret #1: Successful PR pros understand how the media works.

It’s important to understand the media’s frame of reference. Here I am talking mainly about mainstream media although many comments apply to “new” media as well.

In general, reporters are dedicated people, working to develop the stories they think will interest their audience. (I’ll use the term “reporters” to cover all mainstream media personnel, including editors and producers.) They have lots of deadlines and usually work under a lot of pressure. Many multi-task, developing written and visual content for print, broadcast and online.

To accomplish all this, they have to focus. So they filter things out based on several factors, including:

• Their outlet: They’ll select different stories depending on whether they are a news outlet or feature magazine, for example.
• Their beat: Reporters generally cover specific areas, such as local news, healthcare or technology. If your information doesn’t fit their beat, the reporters will reject it.
• Other stories: They want to avoid “too much of one thing,” so they work to balance good news and bad, light stories and heavy news. They need balance.
• Other media: Sometimes they cover a story because other media are covering it.
  • Personal biases: Reporters will be attracted to various stories because of their personal interests.

Successful PR people understand this and factor it into their contacts with the media.

Secret #2: Successful PR pros do their homework.

Before contacting any reporter, make sure you really know your product or service, your company and your market.

For your product, know its features and benefits, target customer, pricing, availability and the like.

For your company, know where you “fit” in the market. Are you a leader? An upstart? Something in between?

For the market, know your competition and the market trends. You want to be seen as a resource, as someone who understands the bigger picture. If you can provide information or resources to the media, even when there’s nothing directly “in it” for you, you will earn their respect.

You also need to know the media outlet you’re approaching, and the individual reporter you’re contacting.

By media outlet, I mean your target publication, radio or TV program, blog or podcast. What types of stories does it cover? What audience is it trying to reach? How often does the publication come out or the program air? What is its tone? Rolling Stone has a very different “feel” than The Wall Street Journal.

Avoid pitching stories that do not fit the publication or program. Don’t be like the PR firm that regularly pitched cooking recipes to a technology publication (true story). That was a sure sign the “pros” didn’t know what they were doing.

You also need to know the person or people who cover your market. What history do they have with your company or industry? How do they like to be contacted?

Targeting the “right” media and the “right” person can make all the difference. It’s true: 80 percent of your publicity will come from 20 percent of the media. Determine who those people are and develop relationships with them.

Secret #3: Successful PR pros develop good stories.

Publicity is the art of ethical storytelling.

One of the trickiest parts of the media’s job is to come up with fresh, relevant story ideas. Most newspapers and magazines carry only a small amount of hard news. Broadcast uses even less. A good portion of the coverage is devoted to feature stories, ranging from overview stories (that talk about what’s happening in a given industry or area) to human interest stories.

So identify the conflict, the controversy. Show how the story fits into the bigger picture. Provide context; explain what impact your story will have on people, businesses or the community.

Tell the media a good, true story. They’ll be grateful.

In my next post, I’ll share four more “secrets” of highly effective PR pros.

Kay Paumier helps B2B companies spread the word about their products and services, making them become better known, more credible and more profitable. Her public relations and communications services include publicity, media relations, writing, company and product launches, and presentations. Kay serves as WIC’s marketing and director. Her website is www.CommunicationsPlus.net.

By: Kay Paumier

By: Jan Richards

I’m taking a stand… with a big, bold thumbs-down on boring ebooks and blah-blah gifts. 

You know the ones I’m talking about…

The ebook that you open, take one look at and sigh. You were so excited to download this free “amazing” thing and then when you got it, you felt let-down. Deflated!

Because this ebook turns out to be page after page of dull and droning text slapped into Microsoft Word and then made into a PDF.

Perhaps there’s an image or two sprinkled in, but it’s just not enough to make slogging through the content feel fun.

Maybe you manage to read a page or two, or half-heartedly skim through it.

Then you leave it cluttering up your desktop, thinking, “one day, I’ll be more into this…”

Until that fateful desktop-cleaning day, when you finally drag this poor unread ebook over to your trash.

Don’t let that poor, unread ebook be YOUR ebook.

You’ve invested your time, soul and brains into creating some hot (dare I say sexy, even) thought leadership.

Why not go those extra inches towards the truly great and create an eBook that’s worth reading?

That way, your audience will download your eBook and get wrapped up in it. They’ll devour every word that you so lovingly wrote. They’ll do the exercises you created.

And, then the very best thing of all will happen…

They’ll learn from you.

This moment of learning takes what has only been stories and social proof for them and transforms it into personal experience. They get to really benefit from your work and to get a glimpse into what you offer in a way that has a huge impact on their lives, businesses or even both all at once.

Personal experience will take your marketing beyond being just marketing into being valuable and valued by your subscribers and readers.

How to get a thumbs-up for your excellent eBook

1. Create your eBook to generously teach your readers something. Get them some results!

2. Follow this checklist to make sure your eBook’s up to par: http://www.brandstyledesign.com/?p=1143

3. Integrate activities, questions, photos, videos, slide shows and image libraries into your Interactive eBook to make it more engaging and interesting!

Want more? Come to my free call on 3/14:  http://www.brandstyledesign.com/ebook-class

By: Erin Ferree

Many people are entranced by the latest tool or gadget to help them be more organized and productive.  “I need to get a Smartphone,” or “This app will make my life so much easier.”  But oftentimes it’s not the tool that will help you get more done, but rather how you are spending your time when you are trying to get things done.  Getting things done efficiently requires FOCUS.  However, in today’s world of easily accessible distractions (e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, the web) and constant interruptions (from colleagues, phones, and all the bells and alerts set to remind you of what you need to do next), focus can be a challenge. What follows are six tips for helping you to achieve better focus.

Define Your Goals – If you don’t have a sense of the big picture of what you need to accomplish, you will have a VERY hard time prioritizing your time.  Be very specific in what you are trying to achieve whether it’s a life goal (“I want to retire by the time I’m 52,”) or a project related goal (“I want to increase my customer base by 25% by the end of the year.”)

Ensure Your Passion – You spend so much time doing things because you think you should or someone is telling you to.  When you’re passionate about your goals and direction, you are more likely to stay focused on the steps to get you there.

Use Time Blocking – Schedule time for focused activities.  Turn off all external interruptions, set a timer, and focus on the task at hand.  Time blocks can be anywhere from 40 to 90 minutes, and should be followed by restorative activities in order to keep you energized.

Be In The Moment - If your biggest interrupter is your own thoughts, use the “Be Here Now” technique.  When you notice your thoughts wandering, say to yourself, “Be here now.” and return to what you were working on.  If your mind wanders again, repeat the phrase, “Be here now,” and bring your attention back to what you are working on.  Keep doing this and eventually it will be habit.

Schedule “Worry Time” – Oftentimes negative thoughts will creep into your focus time (e.g. “I can’t do this,” or “How will I ever pay for college?” or “I hope Bill returned the call to customer x.”).  Don’t let these thoughts derail you!  Schedule “worry time” into your day instead.  It can be 5 minutes or whatever length you determine, but you need to schedule the time and commit to it.  When distracting thoughts enter your mind, remind yourself that those are for your “worry time” and move on.

Practice, Practice, Practice – Focus is like a muscle in your body, the more you use it, the stronger it will become.  It may take planning and discipline to improve your focus, but if you commit to the practice you will eventually become an expert.

I encourage you to continue to use some of the great productivity tools that are available to you, and there are some great ones out there.  However, you also may want to take a step back and stop chasing the latest gadget or tool that you think will save your sanity and make you more productive.  Work on your focus technique and relish in how much more you get done!

By: Lori Krolik

You’re throwing your event to do all sorts of very exciting things for your business, right?

You want to increase your credibility, raise your visibility, get some industry attention, grow your list, position yourself as an expert, create a memorable and fabulous experience for your clients, attract new clients, build buzz, and oh-so-very-much more.

Oh, and of course, we all know that you’re hosting this event for one big reason – to make your offer and profit from it!

Guess how you can make all of these very exciting things happen?

That’s right, through your event brand!

The key to getting the results and profitability you want from your event brand is to go about designing your brand strategically.

You can’t just create some pretty pictures for your event and expect that you’ll get the full benefit you could from a planned-out event brand.

These are the first 3 secret strategies that you need to plan before you design anything for your event:

1. What’s the feeling you want to create in your event?

From the first time your audience hears about your event, you want them to begin feeling a certain way about your event.

Maybe you want them to feel excited and like they’re at a party. Perhaps you want them to experience your expertise on a deeper level. Or you could be going into this event to create an aura of respect and credibility for you.

Well, your designs are your big chance to start creating the feeling you want around your event.

There’s a reason that “look and feel” is another way of saying “design”.

It’s because your audience will feel a certain bundle of emotions the instant they look at your designs.

Decide how you want them to feel first. Then, design your materials to exude that feeling.

2. What’s the impression you want to make?

You’re going to be making a big splash with your event – with your newsletter subscribers, clients, attendees, your speakers, your competition, and of course, everybody in the universe who’s on Facebook.

And here’s the thing – you get to design the impression that you’re making.

If you want to make an ultra-professional impression, showing you’ve “got this all together”, you just have to put the pieces in place to make sure that your event brand looks, sounds and is very well-put-together. That things are consistent and every detail has been attended to.

If you want your event brand to make a more “real”, down-to-earth or authentic impression,  then you have more room for flexibility.  You can go with the flow a bit more.

The impression that you make, though, will filter directly into strategic secret #3, so choose wisely!

3. What’s the value of your offer?

Chances are, you’re making an offer to your attendees to continue working with you. In fact, your event’s probably designed around that offer.

You want your event brand to position that offer in a way that creates value and justifies the price – and even makes it a no-brainer.

The quality of your event brand has to be in alignment with the price and package you’re offering from the stage.

Let’s look at a branding scenario where that alignment’s not happening:

If you’re offering a high-end mastermind package, and your signup forms are cheapie black-and-white copies on flimsy paper held together with a bent-up staple.

Attendees make up their minds about what that offer is worth to them before they even flip to the pricing page – and then nearly fall out of their chairs when it’s a five-figure investment.

The packaging of the offer isn’t in alignment with the pricing.

The same can be said of every piece of your event branding strategy – from the sign-up website, to the posters or banners on-site, to the quality of your PowerPoint slides and even your handouts.

If your offer is high-end, then your event brand has to be high-end as well.

Taking the time to strategize on these event branding secrets will pay off!

By: Erin Ferree

A recent survey by Harris Interactive found that the number one resolution is to get organized.  If you are one of the many who said 2012 is your year to get organized…but still haven’t “gotten around to it”, why not start now?

The best way to begin organizing is to take that first step. To start you on your path, here are my top 3 favorite organizing tips from my co-authors in Get Organized Today:

1. “Before you start to organize, it is crucial that you identify the things you need to support your current life. Not the things you needed in the past or things you might need in the future.” ~Charlotte Steill, CPO
2. “Use it and love it or give it to someone who can. You have my permission to get rid of any gift you do not use or love.” ~Anne Blumer, CPO
3. “Keep a donation bag handy. Keep a paper bag in your closet and fill it in between organizing events. A bag out in the open keeps it on the top of your mind.” ~Gretchen Ditto

Don’t let your “get organized” resolution rollover to next years resolution list.  Make 2012 the year that you achieve your organizing goals!

Happy Organizing!

By: Melissa Stacey

The challenges of business are rich and varied.

By: Jan Richards

Now, that sounds just like exactly what you need to get your business fired up and moving along! But then reality creeps in…

There’s the pressure of creating a fresh, interesting and new idea. You can’t just reach into a magic hat and pull that perfect idea out. Sitting and waiting around for that genius to strike doesn’t seem action-oriented enough for you. You’re ready to get started on what’s next… but you need the idea to begin with, plus the insurance and assurance that it’s a good one.

Then there’s the danger of introducing fresh ideas into your brand. You’ve worked long and hard to build your brand and nurture your fans and clients. So, naturally, you’re worried that you’ll come up with an idea that’s fresh, exciting, new and different, pour your heart and soul into developing it, and do all the incredible work behind getting that idea out into the world… and after all of that, your clients and fans won’t like it.

That they might freak out. What if they don’t like the idea you worked so hard on? Wouldn’t it be terrible if clients who were going to hire you decide, based on your new idea, not to?

Or, worse yet, that your chatty, happy and engaged clients and fans clam up, withdraw and become uninterested and disengaged. Clearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, and a sure sign that you’re on the wrong track.

Why are new ideas so tricky?

Introducing new ideas takes a special mix of ingenuity, bravery and finesse.

Here’s how they work together:

The ingenuity to generate an idea – OK, this is more like “a bunch of new ideas”… so you can have the freedom to create a bucket full of many less-fantastic ideas on the way to one fresh, new, interesting idea. And then you need the foresight, common sense and client-understanding to sort out the good from the not-so-good ideas.

The bravery to launch that idea and incorporate it into your brand and marketing. After all, your brand is precious and you’ve worked hard to build it. Launching a new thing can be both exciting and scary – exciting because you’re proud of your new idea and can see the possibility in it, and scary because you’re not quite sure how your clients and contacts will react to it. You can cut down on the scariness by selecting a few of your clients and unveiling the idea early, to see how they feel about it and what questions they have. That way, you can fine-tune your idea with their input, to make it make the most sense and impact possible.

The finesse to introduce the idea to your clients in a way that doesn’t freak them out. This is the part that takes the most discipline. You have to roll out your idea in a way that brings your clients along with you and your excitement over it – instead of making them slam on the brakes. That means keeping them comfortable before, during and after your launch – and letting them know whether this is a whole new direction or if you’re still offering the things they’ve gotten used to.

When you bring ingenuity, bravery and finesse along on your quest for new ideas, you’ll find yourself creating the kind of innovative, interesting and engaging ideas that keep your clients coming back for more.

By: Erin Ferree

Time after time, there are rulings from the IRS stating someone lost their deduction due to bad record keeping.

Karen Hough had to pay $100,849 in taxes because she “estimated” the business expenses.  She relied on her testimony to prove the deductions, while the IRS required documentation.  She did not have cancelled checks or receipts.  The IRS could see she spent money, but because she could not prove the items purchased, the deductions were denied.  There were no excuses.

I had someone ask me why they should keep their receipts when they charge all their business expenses on a credit card.  The reason why you keep a legible receipt is that if you are in an audit, the IRS will NOT accept the line on a credit card statement saying you purchased items from Staples.  They need the original receipt or a readable copy.  If you don’t have the receipt, the auditor can say that you purchased school supplies for your kids and not believe you purchased office supplies for your business.  The deduction would be denied.  Do you save all your receipts?  Do you copy the thermal receipts because they will fade after 2-3 years?

To keep your recordkeeping life as simple as possible, have one business checking account.  Run everything through this account.  This way you can track income and expenses in one place.  I pay $1 a month to have my business checks mailed back to me so I don’t have to print copies of checks online.  I know most banks go back months or even a few years, but if you are audited, it can be 3 years later and who wants to print each check online?  Plus, I work with many banks and some don’t go back 3 years.  I have had clients have to pay large bank fees to get copies of checks.  No fun!

The IRS requires that you keep a log of your business miles.  This includes starting and ending odometer, date, business miles driven and business purpose.  Your calendar and your receipts will help indicate where you drove.  Don’t forget to count your deposit runs to the bank!

You need to train yourself (and your staff) NOT to use cash.  Cash is so hard to track.  If you lose the receipt, you probably won’t remember what you purchased…thus missing a deduction you were allowed to take.

For meals and entertainment expenses, you are required to document who, where, when, why and how much.  You have to indicate WHO you were with and why you entertained this person.

So how long do you need to keep your receipts?  You can amend a tax return (or be audited) 3 years back.  However, if you underestimated your income, the IRS can go back 6 years.  If you did not file or filed a fraudulent return, the IRS can go back many years as they want.  Also, if you purchase assets and they are depreciated over a period of years (5, 7, 15 years), you need the original receipt for that period of time.

Bottom line is that you need to PROVE everything you purchase for your business.  Do you have written documentation that if you were audited there would be no change in the taxes due?  I hope so!

By: Renee Daggett