I recently donated time to a non-profit auction and gave an hour consulting to a start-up, whose main drive was philosophical.
While ideas are important, to succeed a business has to offer something people want.
As a journalist, people were always asking if I could get them in magazines or on TV.
After years of using items only if they were newsworthy, I decided to “sell out” and become a flak.
While it was an obvious choice on the one hand, I was as “snooty” as any other writer about my work.
Today, PR is changing again. Everything is online and electronic.
As a result, we followed the market.
As clients asked us to re-structure and oversee the intellectual creation and ongoing architecture of their websites, we found the people we needed to add to our roster.
Now, we do everything from the macro of branding, design and structure to the micro of font selection and coordination of information—using our experience of what works for the consumer.
The customer dictates the market.
If you want to succeed, you have to do what the market wants.
For more information, check out our website at www.dellrichards.com.
To contact us, please use our online form.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Publicity gets more online hits than pay per click
A recent survey of business owners showed that they were cutting costs as expected, but not for public relations.
Because it's even more important to get the word out in a difficult economy, it’s not surprising businesses are investing in publicity.
Public relations can cost upwards of $10,000 a month for a big campaign from a big firm, but you don’t have to pay that much.
A campaign that focuses on major media creates an online presence from the media itself.
Research shows that traffic to business websites spikes five-fold after a press release for much less money than advertising, even pay per click.
Why?
Because publicity creates multiple avenues of information flow from Google News and other websites to your website.
The point is to get as much bang for your buck as possible, especially now.
That means using publicity before anything else.
For more information, check out our website at http://www.dellrichards.com/.
To contact us, please use our online form.
Because it's even more important to get the word out in a difficult economy, it’s not surprising businesses are investing in publicity.
Public relations can cost upwards of $10,000 a month for a big campaign from a big firm, but you don’t have to pay that much.
A campaign that focuses on major media creates an online presence from the media itself.
Research shows that traffic to business websites spikes five-fold after a press release for much less money than advertising, even pay per click.
Why?
Because publicity creates multiple avenues of information flow from Google News and other websites to your website.
The point is to get as much bang for your buck as possible, especially now.
That means using publicity before anything else.
For more information, check out our website at http://www.dellrichards.com/.
To contact us, please use our online form.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
How to raise your search engine ranking
People often ask how to get more business from their website. I suggest raising their search engine ranking.
While you can pay for sponsorships and ad spots, people ignore those. In today’s world, people want the real deal.
You have to think like the Internet, a web. It’s an entity with spiraling arms and interlinking connections. It moves outward and upward through time. Imagine a badminton shuttlecock with your site at the top—where you want to keep it as it flies through the air.
Because the Internet is constantly changing and growing, you must change your website regularly to keep up.
Have your IT people update the copy and design elements regularly.
Change your site with an ongoing blog. Use your area of expertise and blog about it. Write about it every other month, at the least. When bots search for new info, they’ll pick it up and send the site up the chain.
Target something you do that isn’t as common on the Internet. Revamp your site using that.
Use common meta tags. Try different terms. Track the results to see what works best.
When clients and customers find you through the web, ask what words they used. Stick with ones that get you the highest ranking.
It’s time-consuming, but being at the top of the heap will get you business.
For more information, check out our website at www.dellrichards.com and use our contact page to email us.
While you can pay for sponsorships and ad spots, people ignore those. In today’s world, people want the real deal.
You have to think like the Internet, a web. It’s an entity with spiraling arms and interlinking connections. It moves outward and upward through time. Imagine a badminton shuttlecock with your site at the top—where you want to keep it as it flies through the air.
Because the Internet is constantly changing and growing, you must change your website regularly to keep up.
Have your IT people update the copy and design elements regularly.
Change your site with an ongoing blog. Use your area of expertise and blog about it. Write about it every other month, at the least. When bots search for new info, they’ll pick it up and send the site up the chain.
Target something you do that isn’t as common on the Internet. Revamp your site using that.
Use common meta tags. Try different terms. Track the results to see what works best.
When clients and customers find you through the web, ask what words they used. Stick with ones that get you the highest ranking.
It’s time-consuming, but being at the top of the heap will get you business.
For more information, check out our website at www.dellrichards.com and use our contact page to email us.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Why "being real" is important
We have moved from a consumer economy where price and quality were the reasons people bought to a new expectation—authenticity.
Consumers today want the transaction to feel real. They want quality customer service from real-seeming people, even if the prices are rock bottom.
We have become this “discerning” because we are strapped for time and
want life to have meaning, even if all we do is work and consume goodies.
No matter what we do, we experience something. The question is:
Will the experience of interacting with your employees seem valuable?
So, how can you and your company that are, paradoxically, in the business of selling make it seem real?
You can start by being aware of what your client or customer experiences. Do people get genuine responses from you and your employees?
Assuming they do is a mistake. An example: I was pitching a story to an editor who told me he had just had to fire an employee. Instead of asking if he was okay or if that had been hard, I didn’t change tack; I kept going with my idea.
I was given the opportunity to talk to him as one human being to another and I blew it. I made a mistake, one I’ll always regret, but that I learned from and hope I will never do again.
If you monitor and moderate the experience from start to finish, the better off you will be. If your employees are happy and are genuinely interested in the clients and customers, your clients and customers will feel validated as human beings. They will appreciate, trust and be loyal to you as a result.
Every time we interact with someone, we are given a chance to connect with this person. That is what people are looking for today.
For more information, check out our website at www.dellrichards.com.
To contact us, please use our online form.
Consumers today want the transaction to feel real. They want quality customer service from real-seeming people, even if the prices are rock bottom.
We have become this “discerning” because we are strapped for time and
want life to have meaning, even if all we do is work and consume goodies.
No matter what we do, we experience something. The question is:
Will the experience of interacting with your employees seem valuable?
So, how can you and your company that are, paradoxically, in the business of selling make it seem real?
You can start by being aware of what your client or customer experiences. Do people get genuine responses from you and your employees?
Assuming they do is a mistake. An example: I was pitching a story to an editor who told me he had just had to fire an employee. Instead of asking if he was okay or if that had been hard, I didn’t change tack; I kept going with my idea.
I was given the opportunity to talk to him as one human being to another and I blew it. I made a mistake, one I’ll always regret, but that I learned from and hope I will never do again.
If you monitor and moderate the experience from start to finish, the better off you will be. If your employees are happy and are genuinely interested in the clients and customers, your clients and customers will feel validated as human beings. They will appreciate, trust and be loyal to you as a result.
Every time we interact with someone, we are given a chance to connect with this person. That is what people are looking for today.
For more information, check out our website at www.dellrichards.com.
To contact us, please use our online form.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Getting WOM (Word-of-Mouth)
Thanks to the Internet, we are sophisticated consumers. But, we trust the one-to-one encounters more. That’s why word-of-mouth is at the top of the marketing pyramid.
To take advantage of this, Sony Ericsson had 60 actors ask other tourists to take their photo with their new picture-taking cell phone. The shills didn’t even have to tout new technology. All they had to do was demo it and say how cool it was. Expensive, but effective, WOM.
Without hired guns, how can you create buzz?
Become an expert. Get a reporter on your story. They will use your clients as sources and spread the word to more people than you could ever reach on your own.
Write articles, opinion pieces, guest editorials, blogs. Get help and advice from your friends, family, colleagues and clients. It will help you and will make your relationships stronger.
Set up 360 links with your website testimonials and clients. If possible, make your website interactive. Add sections for people to share information.
Put blogs, articles, opinion pieces and guest editorials on your website. Send them to prospects and clients.
Google your name. Monitor blogs and other sites for it. Update information. Correct errors. Add your two cents. Ask your circle of influence to contribute. Joining the party will be worth your while.
For more information, check out our website at
http://www.dellrichards.com/. To contact us, use our online form.
To take advantage of this, Sony Ericsson had 60 actors ask other tourists to take their photo with their new picture-taking cell phone. The shills didn’t even have to tout new technology. All they had to do was demo it and say how cool it was. Expensive, but effective, WOM.
Without hired guns, how can you create buzz?
Become an expert. Get a reporter on your story. They will use your clients as sources and spread the word to more people than you could ever reach on your own.
Write articles, opinion pieces, guest editorials, blogs. Get help and advice from your friends, family, colleagues and clients. It will help you and will make your relationships stronger.
Set up 360 links with your website testimonials and clients. If possible, make your website interactive. Add sections for people to share information.
Put blogs, articles, opinion pieces and guest editorials on your website. Send them to prospects and clients.
Google your name. Monitor blogs and other sites for it. Update information. Correct errors. Add your two cents. Ask your circle of influence to contribute. Joining the party will be worth your while.
For more information, check out our website at
http://www.dellrichards.com/. To contact us, use our online form.
Monday, March 10, 2008
What we expect from websites
Today, 73 percent of us get entertainment from the Internet.
We shop, bank, watch TV on the Internet.
The web has become such a part of our lives, 65 percent of us spend more time on our computer than with our spouse.
What does that mean if you have a website?
It means it better be good.
‘Cause the competition is stiff. Not just other business, health and shopping channels, but fun.
Websites can’t be static. They have to have flash and animation, slide shows, podcasts and music.
They need to be chock full of information: facts, statistics, and perceptive ideas that are useful to the reader and easy-to-read.
Websites also need to answer the most important question: “What’s In It For Me?”
If you want the reader to stay on the site, it needs to tell the person how useful your services are to them and why.
Bios, lists of services, info about the company is important. But it won’t connect with the audience in a meaningful way.
And, in today’s world, connection is what it’s all about.
For more information, check out our website at
www.dellrichards.com and use our online form.
We shop, bank, watch TV on the Internet.
The web has become such a part of our lives, 65 percent of us spend more time on our computer than with our spouse.
What does that mean if you have a website?
It means it better be good.
‘Cause the competition is stiff. Not just other business, health and shopping channels, but fun.
Websites can’t be static. They have to have flash and animation, slide shows, podcasts and music.
They need to be chock full of information: facts, statistics, and perceptive ideas that are useful to the reader and easy-to-read.
Websites also need to answer the most important question: “What’s In It For Me?”
If you want the reader to stay on the site, it needs to tell the person how useful your services are to them and why.
Bios, lists of services, info about the company is important. But it won’t connect with the audience in a meaningful way.
And, in today’s world, connection is what it’s all about.
For more information, check out our website at
www.dellrichards.com and use our online form.
Friday, December 14, 2007
How to measure PR
Measuring PR is simpler than people think.
Start by measuring the number of stories placed, the number of website hits generated, the number of leads and the actual number of sales.
In that respect, measuring a PR campaign like measuring anything else.
You can also track the number of people who tell you they saw the story. For every person who tells you, there will be 100 more who also saw it.
Over time, you can also count the number of people who know your name or your face when introduced. Strangers saying “I know you, don’t I?” will tell you your campaign is working.
Measuring online presence is another avenue. Hits to your website are great, but links from media websites raise your search-engine ranking more.
Whatever you do, make sure you have a system for following up leads. It takes 12 hits to move a contact to action. Create a system for moving prospects along, not just tracking calls.
When you email or give out reprints of articles, measure the change in response from the prospect. Articles have authority. When the media writes about you or your firm that gives you a credibility that few other materials will.
Remember: People also save articles for future reference. Clients have told usthey got business from articles two, three… five years later.
A PR campaign is for the long haul. Make sure your measurements take the long-term effect into account.
Start by measuring the number of stories placed, the number of website hits generated, the number of leads and the actual number of sales.
In that respect, measuring a PR campaign like measuring anything else.
You can also track the number of people who tell you they saw the story. For every person who tells you, there will be 100 more who also saw it.
Over time, you can also count the number of people who know your name or your face when introduced. Strangers saying “I know you, don’t I?” will tell you your campaign is working.
Measuring online presence is another avenue. Hits to your website are great, but links from media websites raise your search-engine ranking more.
Whatever you do, make sure you have a system for following up leads. It takes 12 hits to move a contact to action. Create a system for moving prospects along, not just tracking calls.
When you email or give out reprints of articles, measure the change in response from the prospect. Articles have authority. When the media writes about you or your firm that gives you a credibility that few other materials will.
Remember: People also save articles for future reference. Clients have told usthey got business from articles two, three… five years later.
A PR campaign is for the long haul. Make sure your measurements take the long-term effect into account.
If you become a media source, you can count of PR for years and years to come.
For more information, check out our website at
www.dellrichards.com and use our online form.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Why PR is so valuable
Because most businesses don’t know about it, PR is one of the least used marketing tools today.
The ones that do put it at the top of their budget.
Recent research for the American Advertising Federation showed that PR was ranked third, right behind product development and strategic planning by 1,800 corporate executives surveyed.
That’s why the Ag Dept. sponsors wine writers’ visiting U.S. wineries.
They know that a $40,000 junket for a reporter and entourage can result in $160,000 worth of coverage in GQ Japan.
Think about it: A small ad (6” or so) in the Wall Street Journal can cost $15,000 or more.
Which nobody takes seriously because they know it was paid for.
If it were a six-inch—or longer—article in the WSJ, how much more would that be worth?
Many times more.
Don’t think it can’t be done.
A study by the Columbia School of Journalism showed that 45 percent of the editorial material of the WSJ is placed by PR people.
With public relations, you don’t pay for the space.
You pay for the person who gets the articles into the media.
That’s why PR is so valuable: No one knows you paid for it.
For more information, check out our website at
www.dellrichards.com and use our online form.
The ones that do put it at the top of their budget.
Recent research for the American Advertising Federation showed that PR was ranked third, right behind product development and strategic planning by 1,800 corporate executives surveyed.
That’s why the Ag Dept. sponsors wine writers’ visiting U.S. wineries.
They know that a $40,000 junket for a reporter and entourage can result in $160,000 worth of coverage in GQ Japan.
Think about it: A small ad (6” or so) in the Wall Street Journal can cost $15,000 or more.
Which nobody takes seriously because they know it was paid for.
If it were a six-inch—or longer—article in the WSJ, how much more would that be worth?
Many times more.
Don’t think it can’t be done.
A study by the Columbia School of Journalism showed that 45 percent of the editorial material of the WSJ is placed by PR people.
With public relations, you don’t pay for the space.
You pay for the person who gets the articles into the media.
That’s why PR is so valuable: No one knows you paid for it.
For more information, check out our website at
www.dellrichards.com and use our online form.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Why stories don't get covered
PR people generate 50 percent of the “news”. Even in the Wall Street Journal, 45 percent of the articles are generated by PR firms, according to the Columbia Review of Journalism.
Nonetheless, 95 percent of all press releases get thrown away. Only 5 percent see themselves in print or broadcast.
Why not? Lots of reasons. They are:
Boring:
a. They don’t give us a reason to care.
b. They don’t affect very many people.
c. They don’t sound like there’s going to be any interesting “visuals” for TV.
Full of jargon and bureaucrateez. It’s written in language that is unintelligible to the uninitiated. If a six-year-old can’t understand it, the media doesn’t have time for it.
Too complicated. You’ve got to hone it to one major point. Maybe one minor one, if the major one isn't too complicated.
Have no facts.
a. Show the importance of the subject with exact details.
b. Use attention-grabbing stats to back it up.
Have no anecdotal leads or sources. Have two types of people:
a. Anecdotal lead: Someone who has suffered because of the problem or succeeded because of the solution.
b. Reliable sources: Someone from a non-profit, a university, a government body or a business who can speak to—and verify—the facts.
Full of errors or omissions. If the editor or reporter has to pick up the phone to answer basic questions, it goes into the To Do pile—and gets forgotten.
Not easily digested. There are huge blocks of boring text. No who, what, where, why, when. No bullets, no bold headlines or headings, no color.
Have no visuals. TV stations look for moving pictures. Fast facts and sound bites are necessary for content, but it’s a visual medium. They need action—something or someone moving--the faster, the better. If you must have talking heads, get a large, visually interesting backdrop.
For more information, check out our website at www.dellrichards.com. To contact us, use our online form.
Nonetheless, 95 percent of all press releases get thrown away. Only 5 percent see themselves in print or broadcast.
Why not? Lots of reasons. They are:
Boring:
a. They don’t give us a reason to care.
b. They don’t affect very many people.
c. They don’t sound like there’s going to be any interesting “visuals” for TV.
Full of jargon and bureaucrateez. It’s written in language that is unintelligible to the uninitiated. If a six-year-old can’t understand it, the media doesn’t have time for it.
Too complicated. You’ve got to hone it to one major point. Maybe one minor one, if the major one isn't too complicated.
Have no facts.
a. Show the importance of the subject with exact details.
b. Use attention-grabbing stats to back it up.
Have no anecdotal leads or sources. Have two types of people:
a. Anecdotal lead: Someone who has suffered because of the problem or succeeded because of the solution.
b. Reliable sources: Someone from a non-profit, a university, a government body or a business who can speak to—and verify—the facts.
Full of errors or omissions. If the editor or reporter has to pick up the phone to answer basic questions, it goes into the To Do pile—and gets forgotten.
Not easily digested. There are huge blocks of boring text. No who, what, where, why, when. No bullets, no bold headlines or headings, no color.
Have no visuals. TV stations look for moving pictures. Fast facts and sound bites are necessary for content, but it’s a visual medium. They need action—something or someone moving--the faster, the better. If you must have talking heads, get a large, visually interesting backdrop.
For more information, check out our website at www.dellrichards.com. To contact us, use our online form.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
How do journalists decide what stories to run?
When deciding what stories to run, editors, reporters and producers often use seven news values to decide. They are:
Impact: If a lot of people are affected, it’s newsworthy. A national post office strike will have more impact (and more news value) than a local swimming pool closing.
Timeliness: Recent events rate higher than earlier events. Yesterday’s news is “fish wrap.” Journalists want “scoops.” They want to be first to report the news.
Prominence: Celebrities, politicians, people in the public eye have higher news value than the man-in-the-street. We care that a celebrity has AIDS or a drinking problem, while the average Joe would not generate any ink.
Proximity: Stories about events and situations near home are more newsworthy than events that take place far away. Journalists instinctively weigh disasters by the number of deaths versus the distance. The closer the disaster, the more relevant it is.
Bizarreness: Dog-bites-man is not news because it happens ever day. Man-bites-dog is.
Conflict: Conflict of any sort is newsworthy.
Currency: Just like celebrities and fashions, issues come and go. People get tired of hearing the same thing day after day. If an issue got a lot of press last year, it's old and might not get any this year.
For more information, check out our website at
www.dellrichards.com and use our online form.
Impact: If a lot of people are affected, it’s newsworthy. A national post office strike will have more impact (and more news value) than a local swimming pool closing.
Timeliness: Recent events rate higher than earlier events. Yesterday’s news is “fish wrap.” Journalists want “scoops.” They want to be first to report the news.
Prominence: Celebrities, politicians, people in the public eye have higher news value than the man-in-the-street. We care that a celebrity has AIDS or a drinking problem, while the average Joe would not generate any ink.
Proximity: Stories about events and situations near home are more newsworthy than events that take place far away. Journalists instinctively weigh disasters by the number of deaths versus the distance. The closer the disaster, the more relevant it is.
Bizarreness: Dog-bites-man is not news because it happens ever day. Man-bites-dog is.
Conflict: Conflict of any sort is newsworthy.
Currency: Just like celebrities and fashions, issues come and go. People get tired of hearing the same thing day after day. If an issue got a lot of press last year, it's old and might not get any this year.
For more information, check out our website at
www.dellrichards.com and use our online form.
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