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How do you define public relations?
We work in public relations, right? Well, try summing up what we do in a sentence or two! Now that’s a communication challenge.
You see a LOT of definitions about public relations, and not just a few barbed quotes.
Merriam Webster defines it like this:
The business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution
That’s pretty good. I kind of like this quote, too — it’s a little negative, but then it’s not too far off, honestly:
Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations. — George Orwell
Then PR Newswire posed the question on Twitter … and created a presentation of the results. Check it out:
How do YOU define public relations?
How to Look and Sound Great on Camera
Video content is one of the most powerful drivers of engagement and visibility for press release issuers and content marketers. Messages that include multimedia get favorable treatment from search engines and social networks; and the human eye naturally gravitates toward visuals. Producing video is part of many communication strategies. To develop the best content possible, it's important that the subjects of your video look (and sound) great on camera.
Related articles
- How to Create Video Content that Actually Works (contentmarketinginstitute.com)
- Mastering an Assertive Tone of Voice (persuasive.net)
Some cost-saving examples of PR and marketing tactics from our latest client project
Simple promotional wristbands can be real attention-getters at a convention
We have had such good results in our awareness campaign for the Bahrain Coordinating Committee in such a short time, that I just had to share these preliminary results with you, in case you would like to apply any of these approaches in your own marketing and public relations campaigns. Their awareness campaign has been mounted with very little investment of funds, just lots of creativity and effort. Hopefully, we will maintain the momentum we are building!
As you know, only a month ago, we launched the organization’s blog and website, using our favorite, affordable platform, WordPress.com. It’s basically an $18/year website. In only a month, the website and blog has received more than 2500 views. Even their brand new YouTube site is doing well, getting more than a hundred views for its videos less than 48 hours after the first videos were put online. The cost for that YouTube channel? Zero dollars.
One of our recommendations was that the organization exhibit at the ADC Convention, the largest gathering of Arab Americans in the United States. The Committee joined forces with Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain who created a wonderful display that received lots of attention. The organization created folders of information, and distributed 540 of them to convention attendees. Some of the media who dropped by the booth included BBC Arabic and Voice of America.
Our client making an impact at the ADC Convention
Giveaways are important at conventions, and we particularly wanted to increase awareness of the organization’s Twitter handle (@Connect_Bahrain), since that is such an important medium for communicating a movement like this. We designed and ordered rubber wristbands that had the organization’s Twitter handle and the slogan, “Freedom in Bahrain.” The exhibit volunteers gave out all 275 wrist bands (we gave out some to the press before the event), which cost the organization less than $150 including shipping, and 75 bags of M&Ms tagged with their new logo and Twitter handle, which cost about $40 to put together.
Well, it worked! Over that weekend, their Twitter followers shot up from 420 to 641! Their Facebook Page fans also increased 20%.
We’re very pleased to help this organization with their public relations efforts. We have put out seven press releases in the past six weeks, some on PR Newswire, and all on Free Press Release.com. The paid distribution with PR Newswire ($89 each), of course, gets very good results. We expected that. But what we did not expect is that we would receive so many additional views for our online news releases on Free Press Release.com ($1 per press release) — over 1,800 views thus far.
The feedback we are receiving from the client is that there is increased interest in the organization and its work, and that many conference attendees were curious and supportive. This is all gratifying to hear.
So, I wanted to share with you how these inexpensive approaches can pay off, and perhaps, they might work for your company or nonprofit organization! Please let us know in the comments if there are free or low-cost public relations and marketing tactics you have tried that worked well for you.
Press Release Pointers
Pity the poor publicist!
The publicist’s bread and butter used to be the press release. We wrote them, we mailed them, we faxed them, and for a while, we emailed them. Then we pitched the ink out of them. Now with shrinking news rooms, online media, and 24-7 news cycles, so much of how public relations professionals approach press releases has changed.
I’m going to be honest with you: I don’t write a lot of press releases these days. I can probably count on two hands all the ones I’ve written in the past six years. But I have a pro bono client who needs a whole lot of press releases so I had to bone up.
What I am finding is that press releases are still relevant and have an important place in most organizations’ public relations plans. What are some of the best ways to use a press release? Perhaps we should talk about how NOT to use them. Most publicists I have talked to concur that sending press releases without preamble to massive contact lists of reporters, then following up with pitch calls, is no longer the way to go. Reporters say they are inundated with email. Those messages just get lost. So, how can you leverage your next press release?
How To Use a Press Release to Get Results
- Publicists are sending highly targeted, time-sensitive media alerts and press releases to their carefully cultivated media contacts, but on a very selective basis. Then they are placing them online, with social sharing features.
- Remember to carefully research editorial calendars and reporter beats before approaching a reporter (with or without a press release) about a potential story.
- Send press releases to a reporter who in the course of conversation, requests more information, or specifically asks for a press release. In a sense, you are bringing the press release later into the dialogue, instead of beginning with it.
- There are always a few reporters who still swear by, and say they want to receive press releases, by email.
- Upload press releases to the website’s online news room, and repurpose them as blog posts and email newsletter articles.
- Press releases aren’t just for reporters! Send press releases to partner organizations, trade associations, chambers of commerce, legislative assistants, and think tanks (depending on topic, of course).
- Use press releases as background information when booking guests on podcasts, radio shows, and broadcast news programs.
- Be sure to include your organization’s social media links (Facebook Page, Twitter account, YouTube Channel, etc.) in the press release.
Press Release Resources
- Read 4 tips for writing effective press release headlines.
- Learn the science behind timing the distribution of your press release.
- Send the press release by news wire. You can now send press releases directly from your WordPress blog via PR Newswire for $89 per release.
- Check out PR Newswire’s Nonprofit Tool Kit, which includes press release templates and samples.
- Read this post by Jonathan Rick on how to make your press release more appealing to journalists.
- Learn some new tricks for adding visual appeal to your press releases to make them more shareable.
- On a tight budget? Try Free Press Release.com
Ideas for Press Release Topics
All content should be timely, relevant, interesting, useful, and informative. Think about the benefits of the information to the user, and frame the information in that context. Remember, photos and video help tell the story, and garner three times more reads than releases without visual media. Here are just a few ideas for your next press release.
- Any topic related to the news of the day that adds another angle to the story.
- A new and innovative product or service line.
- Compelling results of research: studies, surveys and polls.
- Helpful, timely (and seasonal, when appropriate) tips.
- Educational events and seminars.
- How to avoid scams and fraud associated with your industry.
- Work with interns, students, or community service.
What tips or press release topics would you add?
Related articles
- How to Write an Excellent Press Release (noobpreneur.com)
- Online Press Releases Dramatically Help Build Brand Awareness (epiphanysolutions.co.uk)
- Media Relations Gone Wrong: How Not to Pitch a Journalist (Video) (adamsherk.com)
- Burning Up in Press Release Hell (ereleases.com)
