Archive for June, 2008
Here’s What You Need to Know When Thinking About Hiring a Public Relations Firm
In public relations on June 11, 2008 at 12:12 pmSo, you’re thinking about hiring a public relations firm, but you have no idea what they charge or how they work. Just like any other professional who provides a highly specialized service, costs and/or fees relate to the amount of time, energy and effort that goes into servicing the account. In public relations this equates to two key variables; a) the actual “creation” of the press release(s), and b) the “distribution,” in other words, where will the press release be going and what media will be receiving it?
Within the context of the above, below are some questions that you must be aware of and equally must be able to answer (as much for yourself) before any public relations company or professional can provide you a quote for providing services.
- Have you or your company either worked with a public relations firm or received any press?
- Are there any press releases that have ever been written about your company, its product/service?
- Do you have any prior press releases handy, and do any of the facts contained therein still apply to your company, its product or service?
- Does your company have a well defined product and/or service? Is this well known and/or understood by the consumer and/or the B2B environment you work in?
- Is the company new or old? Does it have a big or small client base? Does the company have achievements and/or success for what it does?
- Is the product or service you are introducing new or old?
- Is this a consumer product/service or is it a business-to-business product/service?
- Is there good information already written about whatever you are trying to promote, in the way of collateral materials, or do promotional materials need to be created?
- Do you want and/or should there be images/photos to accompany the release?
- Do you want and/or should there be any “video” that supports your news/story?
- Is there or are there clear “public relations” possibilities for this company/product or service or do story ideas, angles, pitches, etc. need to be invented/created in order for there to be a compelling/legitimate “news” story about it?
The aforementioned are just some of the basic, but essential and preliminarily critical questions that any public relations professional will want to know as these directly relate and equate to the amount of time, energy and creative effort that needs to go into producing a powerful and effective press release and any supporting public relations campaign built around it.
Does “Writing” a Press Release Mean I am Going to “Get Press?”
It is very important you know that the act of just simply writing a press release is one thing, but writing it with the appropriate content and intent, with the “right news angle and spin” is what truly allows a public relations professional to legitimately generate publicity. Just because someone writes a press release for you does not mean that you automatically “get press.” That’s just not how it works.
What is Your Desired or Intended Distribution?
The next issue related to price/cost is distribution. Here are the questions you need to answer and a public relations professional needs to know in order to be able to properly provide you with a quote and cost for providing service.
- What is the geographic reach you are trying to achieve with your publicity?
- Related to the above, is your reach local, regional or national?
- Is your media outreach efforts geared for or intended for print, radio or television media?
- Related to the above, is your outreach to one, two or all three of these media?
Length + Depth = Cost
Be aware that the length of the release affects cost. Professional press release “wire services” charge according to word count and distribution circuits. So, beyond just the cost of creating and writing the release the other factor that affects cost is the actual word count/length of the release combined with the depth and breadth of your intended/desired geographic reach.
For example, a press release of 400 words is a different cost than a press release of 800 words. A press release distributed just in your “local market” is naturally different than if it’s regional, or national.
By now you see how the questions above, and your answers to each of them, directly relate to time, energy, effort and cost/fees, as well as for the potential for achieving public relations success.
At the end of the day, regardless of how much money you spend, you will expect to see “your news” somewhere. Your answers to the above questions and how your public relations professional addresses these first and fundamental questions should give you some sense as to their level of professionalism and their potential ability to generate media attention and coverage for your company and/or its product or service.
The Bamboo Agency is a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm that has obtained tens of millions of dollars in print, radio and television coverage for its clients, locally, regionally and nationally. Jeff Mustard is the President of The Bamboo Agency and can be reached at 954-801-8263, or via email: jeff@thebambooagency.com; www.TheBambooAgency.com
Learn How to Use Public Relations and Get Valuable and Free Media Exposure for your Property
In public relations on June 6, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Posted in public relations with tags free public relations for real estate agents on June 6, 2008 by Jeff Mustard
As a real estate agent, you are expected to create a marketing plan for your seller. When seeking the listing, you present the seller with your strategies about what you’ll do to promote the home. When was the last time you included Public Relations as part of your marketing matrix? Probably not lately and that’s likely because you don’t understand the public relations process and how the media works. This column will change all that.
Public Relations Can be the Most Powerful Tool in Your Marketing Arsenal
More than likely you have never written a press release, nor initiated a dialogue with a print journalist or a tv news reporter. But you can do all of these things. Without question public relations can be the most powerful tool in your entire marketing arsenal and best of all it’s free. So how do you go about getting a property you represent featured in the newspaper or spotlighted on television?
The Key Four Steps to Obtaining Free Publicity for your Property
It all starts with an angle, followed by a smartly and properly written press release, targeting the right media as a potential outlet for your story and then pitching them your story idea. That’s it. Your PR game plan consists of four key steps; Angle/Story idea, Press Release, Target Appropriate Media, and Pitching Skills.
The Media is “Looking for News” – Give them what they Want!
Next, understand this, the media are (constantly) on the lookout for new, interesting and exciting (news) stories. What this means to you is that the media is entirely approachable. All you need to do is learn how to present “your news” to them and with that knowledge you will literally have the golden key to unlocking the door to acquiring that prized, precious, valuable and free print or television news coverage for your latest listing, project or development.
Jeff Mustard is a Public Relations expert specializing in real estate. To learn more about how you can use Public Relations to capture free and valuable media exposure you can contact Jeff Mustard, President of www.TheBambooAgency.com a multiple-award winning advertising, marketing and public relations firm responsible for marketing more than $100 million in real estate projects. To contact Jeff: 954-801-8263 / email: jeff@thebambooagency.com
Is Your Company, or Department Feeling the Economic Pinch? Try Building a Strategic Alliance to Bolster Creativity, Morale and Profits
In strategic alliance on June 1, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Posted in strategic alliance with tags building a strategic alliance, strategic alliance on June 1, 2008 by Jeff Mustard
What is a strategic alliance?
A strategic alliance is when a company creates a relationship with another company whereby that “new” outside, or outsource company can provide non-competing, but complementary services to the original company’s customer/client base.
A company may want to consider building a strategic alliance relationship because it not only fosters a stronger relationship with the company’s client, by being able to provide “additional services” to satisfy and meet your client’s needs, but also as importantly, the ‘referral arrangement” is an income producing opportunity that contributes directly to your company’s bottom line without incurring any new or additional expenses for being able to develop this new income stream.
With your company now being able to provide new and additional services to your client(s) you are not only enhancing your existing customer/client relationship but you are demonstrating your competitive advantage by being able to provide additional services to your clients which contributes to the “everything under one umbrella” concept, thereby obtaining and retaining greater revenue possibilities with your client. The best part is creating the Strategic Alliance won’t cost you a penny!
How do I build a Strategic Alliance?
The easiest way it to identify the assorted types of services that your existing clients need and/or use and cross check that with the services that you presently provide. If there are services that your clients use/need/require and for which you provide a direct or related service but not exactly the type of service that would fit their “additional needs” then by bringing in an outside company to provide those services, under your company banner is simple.
You already have the relationship with the client, it is easy for you to make a recommendation about how you can “help them with their other needs.” A strategic reliance relationship can be seamless to your client. In other words, you still maintain a lead role in the relationship and even billing goes through your office/company.
An Award-Winning Agency
The Bamboo Agency is a multiple award-winning advertising, marketing and public relations firm. We also provide web design and the full complement of film and video production services – from script writing through to shooting and editing we can deliver a turn-key project from a thirty-second television commercial to a thirty-minute infomercial, and everything in between.
Think of The Bamboo Agency as your strategic alliance subcontractor or vendor. There are various ways we can work with you and/or your clients and have provide for you a quick list of mar-com service sectors where we can help you bring tremendous added-value talent and expertise in the execution of “your services” to your client.
A Win-Win Situation for Everyone
This makes for a win-win for you, and us. Building a strategic alliance could very well be the perfect business arrangement in today’s very challenging economy where you are looking for ways to secure your position with your clients while at the same time providing them all the services they need and creating income-generating opportunities for you and your firm/company.
We have prepared a series of blog posts to cater to your specific needs. We specialize in the following industries:
Advertising Agency
Web Design and/or Web Developer
Public Relations Company
Film and Video Production Company
