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Get known using free publicity!
I took notes during Jeff Crilley's presentation to a local "Jeff Crilley PR Meetup Group" session. Jeff is a well-known TV reporter in Dallas/Fort Worth. He wrote a short book about free publicity that I highly recommend. I'll say this, Jeff gets you excited about PR and the many ways you can get known and add credibility using free publicity! This month, I included a neat story and some insights I gained from the session. I hope you get the feeling that you were right there with me!
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IN THIS ISSUE
Get some free publicity!
Smiles make the day!
Economic Outlook
$ Million Marketing Tips
Amazing Facts!
Get some free publicity!
Jeff Crilley, an Emmy award-winning TV reporter in Dallas, knows how to gain free publicity. In fact, he wrote a book on the topic, aptly named Free Publicity. Last year, Jeff presented his ideas to the Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter of the Institute of Management Consultants and I got a copy of his book. More recently, I took notes during one of Jeff's presentations to a local "Jeff Crilley PR Meetup Group" session. I'll say this, Jeff gets you excited about PR and the many ways you can get known and add credibility using free publicity!
One participant in the Meetup Group plays the harp, mainly at wedding receptions, and wants to get better known. Jeff asked her stand up and then he conducted a brief interview, as if she was on TV. He drew from her the fact that she has also played the harp in several hospitals in the newborn 'preemie' ward. Evidently, harp music quickly relaxes and soothes the tiny infants. She hadn't given this facet much thought before, but Jeff began to weave a compelling story around her hospital experience.
As about 100 of us listened, he related to the harpist how, working with a local hospital PR person, she might parlay her free sessions in the 'preemie' ward into a local Dallas news story. Of course, national networks tap local markets like Dallas/Fort Worth for potential stories every day, so Jeff felt quite sure that such a heartwarming story might be picked up and broadcast across the nation! The resulting story would be great publicity for both the harpist and the hospital.
"How much will it cost to suggest the idea to a hospital staff person?" Jeff asked the group.
"Zero!" the group responded loudly as they applauded the harpist and Jeff's quick-thinking plan.
Jeff Crilley practices what he preaches. He gets pages of editorial coverage for his book in the print media by offering free presentations to non-profit organizations and other groups. He teaches organizations and small business owners how to get free publicity on their own. "You can do it!" he tells people. "Do your homework, then pick up the telephone and talk to a writer for the publication in which you wish to be seen. Compliment the writer on a recent piece of work first, then tell your story. If you have an interesting story for their audience, you may be surprised by the contact's interest. Editorial stories create excellent credibility."
In his book, Jeff points out that roughly half of all news is government related. The media must fill time and space with something, so one of the best times to get your story told is when government offices are closed, like holidays and weekends and the days right before holidays. The week between Christmas and New Year is slowest and the media are looking for feel-good type stories. Wouldn't that be a great time for our harpist to hit the news?
Some days are known to be very stressful. Another of Jeff's ideas for our harpist was to set up her harp outside the main post office on the evening of April 15th. Stressed out people, rushing to mail their tax returns, would gain the benefit of her relaxing music. Our harpist would most likely be featured on the late news, live from the post office, by at least one news crew, sent to the post office to interview late filers!
Jeff cautions against relying on standard news releases. Today, the media are inundated with news releases via mail, facsimile, and e-mail. Jeff had the group stand up and blow soap bubbles into the air using small vials at each chair. Each bubble represented a news release. We quickly got the point. Then, he produced an automatic bubble machine and the room filled with bubbles! The machine represented today's automated news release operations that literally bury the media. Many releases are quickly discarded by harried reporters and writers. Direct communication with the right person in a news organization, presenting a compelling story for his or her audience, will get better results.
Jeff says that some PR professionals resent his free publicity campaign, because he helps regular people do their job. Jeff counters that he believes he is helping small business people get known while supporting the publicity approach to communication and encouraging PR people to become more accomplished and creative at what they do.
I suggest that you reconsider your own publicity effort, or the lack thereof. When I help to develop client marketing plans, publicity is one of my primary considerations. Publicity is free (or nearly so) and carries great credibility. Effective PR puts a smaller dent in the marketing budget and provides a lot of 'bang' for the buck. You may still need the help of a marketing and PR professional because gaining favorable publicity takes research, a compelling story (like the harpist), and some old fashioned moxie. The rewards, however, can be astounding!
If you want more practical hints and ideas about how to get free publicity, get a copy of Jeff Crilley's little book, Free Publicity. Order directly from Jeff at www.jeffcrilley.com. You can learn more about Jeff's presentation on my website. Jeff is listed in my Speaker's Directory.
Smiles
make the day! When a speaker says, "Well, to make a long story short" - it's too
late! You want a speaker to have a train of thought...and a
terminal point. If you are a public speaker, beware of podium
pollution! Economic
Outlook Economic forecasters who have enviable track records
continue to forecast real U.S. Gross Domestic Product to grow between
3.5%-4.0% in the second half of 2006. Housing activity, though down somewhat, is still at a
level 7.4% higher than during the 2001-2003 period. Resources that may have been
spent on housing will shift into other sectors of the economy. For example,
commercial construction is up 12.7% and hotel/motel construction is up
51%! In June, unit sales of motor vehicles increased by 2.1%.
Our manufacturing sector has never produced more product!
Orders for durable goods were up 9.6% at an annual rate in the first five months
of 2006. Lower tax rates have also greatly increased actual
government tax revenues collected. Lower capital gains tax rates have
released pent up investment profits and concurrent tax collections. Tax
rebates and lower personal tax brackets left consumers with more to spend and
helped to pull the economy out of recession. The recovery is now 55 months old
and showing few real signs of age. Productivity remains high and interest rates are
accommodative to neutral even after the most recent Fed increases. These factors
should keep our economy growing for at least another year. Even though consumers
(70% of the economy) have slowed down their spending a bit, the huge consumer
segment should show significant year over year growth. The real dangers to our economy still are tax hikes,
trade protectionism, and silly election-year government spending binges by
short-sighted pork barrel politicians. The economy will remain healthy as long
as tax rates remain low and the economy stays free of over
regulation.
$ Million Marketing Tips
Public
speakers...
After
you've eaten the chicken, the after-dinner speaker starts serving up
baloney.
Some of the driest speeches are made by people
who are all wet.
Some after-dinner speakers talk in other people's
sleep.
One speaker said, "As I understand it, my job is to speak to you.
Your job is to listen. I hope we finish together!"
The speaker ought to
be the first person to know when he's finished.
A great speaker is one
who says exactly what you wanted him to say!
One after-dinner speaker
told the audience, "We have one thing in common. You don't know what I'm going
to say, and neither do I."
To be a good speaker in public, be a good
thinker in private.
Amazing Facts!
Marketing Facets - The Market-focused Guide to Company Analysis
Marketing Facets - The Market-focused Guide to Company Analysis. Marketing Facets is a practical resource for those involved in determining the current health of a company and gauging its future prospects. I designed my 103-page guidebook to be a supplement to other evaluation procedures and information normally gathered during a thorough due diligence or business valuation process. The workbook takes a holistic approach, assembling facts and management assumptions in key areas to help analysts form and support conclusions.
Marketing Facets is a valuable resource to private investment fund managers, individual investors, venture capital specialists, investment banks, and valuation specialists. Marketing Facets can also serve as a guide for C-level executives who wish to perform their own company analysis as part of normal business planning, or in advance of efforts to refinance, acquire or divest.
Marketing Facets is available in electronic form via the Internet, on CD/ROM, or in print with a ring binder.> Electronic in MS Word .doc or Adobe .pdf format via the Internet @ $79.95
> CD/ROM format @ $85.95 including U.S. shipping and handling
> Ring binder version and CD/ROM combo @ $99.95 including U.S. shipping and handling
Telephone: 972.931.7993 Fax 972.931.0542 rpmorgan@morganmarketingsolutions.com.
P.S.
Ninety-five percent of our engagements originate as a referral from helpful people like you! If you know someone who:I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss the situation with you.
Our ideal client
is a business owner or CEO between 30 and 60+ years old. Usually with a financial, engineering, or production background. Who is often impatient, and interested in improving company performance. Comes alive when you ask, "How's business?" He, or she, is practical but also enjoys the finer things in life. So, you may see my ideal client driving a Lexus or SUV to Neiman Marcus...and to Sam's Club. Who do you know that fits this description?A client speaks: "Thank you for all of the hard work you did for my company. The concepts, experience, and insights that you brought to our public warehouse organization literally turned the company around. Now that we have a presence in the marketplace, and a proven method for getting the message out to our prospects, I can see that our growth will be limited only by our own desires." Jeff Edwards, Edwards Warehouse Company, Dallas, Texas
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©2006 Morgan Marketing Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. Other distribution permitted with proper attribution.
Richard P. Morgan CMC
Morgan Marketing Solutions,
Inc.
Two Galleria Tower, Suite 10008
13455 Noel Road, Dallas, TX
75240-6620
Telephone 972.931.7993 fax 972.931.0542
email
www.morganmarketingsolutions.com
Author, Marketing Facets
- The Market-focused Guide to Company Analysis
"We help leaders become better marketers using a holistic business approach!"
CMC (Certified Management Consultant) is a mark awarded by the Institute of Management Consultants USA, and represents evidence of the highest standards of consulting and adherence to the ethical canons of the profession. Less than 1% of all consultants have achieved this level of performance and dedication. For more information go to: www.imcusa.org