More than 60% of reporters’ article content comes from PR firms according to a recent survey*.  That’s an enviable position of trust by any measurement. However, it should be remembered that these same journalists report that 38% of them open email primarily from “trusted sources.” This trust is gained by public relations professionals who customize pitches, know what the reporter writes about, and avoid “fluff.”  

Be fair and tell the truth. That’s a good New Year’s resolution. Beware the companies who can’t back up claims like “the leading provider”, “first”, “biggest”, “best”, or “only.” I recently saw an article by a PR professional claiming the position of “the leading” PR firm for a very small agency barely a year old with no accredited (APR) staff. Not so believable.  

*source: PRSA Tactics

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Web 2.0 media, social media, viral media, podcasting, blogging are all rapidly becoming familiar to savvy marketers and PR professionals. As part of a well thought out customized PR package these outlets coupled with effective SEO PR are vital to business success. Some time back Jack Herrington published an extensive list of ideas for becoming better podcasters. I’ve summarized what I feel are the best of the best suggestions for your perusal.  

Prepare, But Don’t Script  - Preparation is the key to a great podcast. Good podcasters prepare some level of notes for the show in advance to remind them of the topics they want to cover and specific information about each topic. Let’s face it, putting on a pair of headphones and listening to your own voice as you record a podcast is not something that comes naturally to most people. The more you can do to eliminate the uncertainty and stress, the better. I recommend against completely scripting your podcast. A personal podcast having a script that you follow completely will end up sounding stiff. The one exception is audio theatre, where a script is essential because it’s an on-air play that requires choreography between the players. 

Reduce Noise - The world is a lot noisier than we realize. The brain filters out a lot of the noise to allow you to concentrate on the more important sounds. Microphones have no such filter, and you will find that your recordings will have a very accurate rendering (and annoying) of the noise in your environment. Environmental noise is the most common form of noise in recordings. This noise usually comes from air conditioners, fans, fluorescent lighting, and refrigerators. Power off as much as you can. If that doesn’t do it, you can try recording in a closet with lots of clothes.  

Slow Down and Relax - Talking too quickly is a very common mistake. If your podcasting routine is to practice your podcast a couple of times before recording it for release, then you need to watch your pacing. As you get more comfortable with the content, you may find yourself speeding up your pace and you will need to keep an eye on that as you record. Give yourself enough time to slow down and to try enough times to get the podcast to where you want it. 

Detail, Detail, Detail - Audio is a uniquely intimate medium. You are talking directly to each person and they are experiencing your podcast on an individual level. Television is a passive medium; the images and sounds are presented to you as a package. You just sit back and watch. Audio, on the other hand, is an active medium. As you hear a story you create an image in your head of what the speaker is talking about. This is called the theatre of the mind. To draw the listener into the story requires detail. It’s a blue house. It smells like cinnamon bread from the scented candles. It’s an old house and the floorboards squeak. As you read this you are painting an image in your mind; the same types of images that your listeners paint as they hear your show. It’s the details that create an engaging show.

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At PilmerPR, we use many PR strategies and tools to help clients gain headway in the press.  As this year comes to an end, publications have made their 2008 Editorial Calendars available – which reminded me once again of this valuable tool.  Any well-organized PR campaign should set aside some time to research and follow-through on Editorial Calendar opportunities. 

Editorial Calendars describe the topics a publication plans to focus on in each issue throughout the year.  The calendar should include the overall theme of each issue, what topics the major articles will cover, and the deadline for being included.  At PilmerPR, once we identify a topic that suits one of our clients, we contact the publication to find out more.  If it still seems like a great fit, we talk to them about featuring our client. 

Based on Editorial Calendar research, Project Insight is being considered for a feature titled “Best Software for Entrepreneurs” in the April 2008 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine.  With a circulation of over 500,000, Entrepreneur Magazine is a top target – and their Editorial Calendar can be very useful for finding out about opportunities like this one.  Here are some other issues they have coming up: 

May: Hot 100: Fastest Growing New Entrepreneurial Businesses

June:  Entrepreneur Awards

July:  Special Innovation Issue

August: Socially Good Biz Roundup 

Every publication should have an editorial calendar, usually found in the “advertising” section of their website.  So take a look and land your top targets!

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This past weekend I attended the UVEF Fall Social at Sundance. We very much enjoyed meeting movers and shakers launching innovative businesses. Our keynote speaker was Kevin Gallagher, noted speaker, philanthropist, auto dealer and creator of the new KeyPoint Life Success System.

Kevin’s remarks on the success keys of people, knowledge, and actions were insightful and motivating.  At one point Kevin shared a story about one of his mentors where he learned the embarrassing truth that most people including himself, though morale and good, treat some commitments lightly. He shared an example his mentor used to show just how easy it is for us to make, but not keep small commitments we make every day.  

For years I have strived to follow the words of Geothe (see below) to not only make big commitments, but to make and keep small ones. I believe that it is by making and keeping the small commitments, we build trust in others to believe we can keep the big commitments. Words to live by as we do our own Public Relations.  

The Power of Commitment 

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to drawback - always ineffectiveness, concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans - that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then, providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and materials assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Are you in earnest? Seek this very minute whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Only engage and the mind grows heated. Begin, and then the task will be completed.   Goethe

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BusinessWire recently passed on a note from Google – press release headlines should be kept under 22 words.

Many practices can help you gain headway on this leading search-engine, but there are no guarantees. So keep the headline brief to increase your Google juice.

Here are some recent release headlines for PilmerPR clients – all of them found Google success.

3DVO Launches 3D Modeling Service for Online Retailers

AdvancedMD Joins Physician Organization Market Providing Advanced Solution for Clinical and Financial Operations

Certiport to Enhance Digital Literacy & Scholastic Readiness of College Students

Seastone Chosen as Peanuts Licensee for Gift Card Packaging

PilmerPR always considers Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and we offer services to optimize your news. Here are some other great SEO tips, including using keywords, keeping your news fresh, and publishing press releases on your own website.

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Community, customer, partner, employee and investor goodwill can be positively influenced by sharing helpful information. To improve your public relations, try sharing  ideas like these after trying a few of them yourself.

In the Office

• Buy recycled paper and paper from well-managed sources
• Re-sealable envelops can be reused more than once
• Manage memos through the office using emails instead of paper
• Turn old printouts into scrap notebooks by either getting them cut and bound into smaller notepads or just by using a clipboard
• Place your paper waste, plastic, and metal cans in a recycling bin
• When printing use the double side option on your printer
• When cleaning use cloths instead of paper towels that will be thrown away
• Print only the pages you need
• Keep office equipment is in good repair to avoid wasting paper and energy
• Collect and reuse old envelops and file folders
• Install air dryers in restrooms to reduce paper waste

In the Car

• Keep your car in tune to increase gas mileage about 4%.
• keep tires properly inflated to increase gas mileage by up to 10%
• Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage about 10%
• Carpool to cut your fuel costs in half and reduce wear and tear on your car
• Use mass transit where available to save gas and reduce stress
• Use cruise control to save on gas by maintaining a constant speed
• Only warm up your car for a minute to save on gasoline
• Purchase a more fuel efficient or hybrid car

In the Home

• Upgrade the insulation in attics, crawlspaces, basements, and walls
• Plant trees and shrubs on the house’s west side to maximize shade
• Mulch grass clippings to reduce water use and need to fertilize
• Repair air leaks in doors and windows
• Install a programmable thermostat compatible with your heating and cooling system
• Lower you water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit
• Make sure to turn off the lights when you leave a room. This can reduce your bill about 15%.
• Install water saving shower heads
• Open the blinds to provide light and to avoid overheating the room
• Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs to reduce energy usage by 40% or more

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When I sat with Mozy CEO Josh Coates in Walt Mossberg’s office in Washington, DC back in May of 2006 I could tell something special was happening. Walt was talking about timing a Wall Street Journal review of Mozy with the launch of a new product. He was convinced that Mozy was something special. Well, when one of the top tech reporters in the world responds like that in a product briefing, the high tech PR professional’s heart starts pumping a little harder.  

That experience comes to mind as I note EMC’s acquisition of Mozy for $76M announced this past week. Funny thing, this is the second client PilmerPR has helped launch that has been acquired by EMC. The first was Avamar, which went for $165M in 2006. We worked hard for two years helping Avamar gain traction with editors, analysts and ultimately investors. 

We take these successful investor harvest events as a compliment regarding PilmerPR’s expertise in launching emerging small businesses  that want to be taken seriously as category leaders.

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Lest we get too serious with that last entry, let’s get some PR counsel for the CEO from Dogbert…

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Several years ago Coca Cola made a “Classic” big branding boo boo when they dropped their original recipe in favor of New Coke, promising a superior Coke experience. They misread the market and the subsequent public relations and customer backlash cost them serious market share to Pepsi. They brought back the original Coke, but not the market share. Apple’s recent iPhone price reduction backlash has been compared to this blunder.  

There are very few vendors that have engendered brand loyalty on my part. My gas station is one. Why? Chevron gives free car washes when customers use their Chevron card to fill up on Wednesday. Although Chevron gas is not the cheapest, the price difference is overcome by the perceived value of that convenient car wash once every week or two. Now, I’ll admit that knowing my car may end up happy like those cute little talking cars on the Chevron TV commercials may at least convince me there is no better gasoline. However, if the car washes go away, I will be looking around for a better deal.  

KSL has held me similarly spellbound for many years. In the business of PR, I have to scan a lot of news outlets. However, the KSL format has met my needs for “quick read” local and national news that saves time and gets to the point. In the past I knew that at the top of the hour, every hour during the business day, I could tune in and get 5 minutes of national headline news followed by local headlines.  

KSL could have had me as a loyal customer for the next decade or two, but nnnnnoooooo…someone there decided the national news wasn’t that important, or some licensing agreement became undesirable, or someone had some heartburn with the network. The result is the national news is not on the hour, every hour any more. You have to tune in on their schedule, not your own, if you want ABC national news. This in counter to the New Media movement of the customer driving the timetable for getting the info they want, when they want it. KSL has not responded to my inquiry on this change. Another boo boo given they now have invited online feedback. 

This means I have found myself using the “seek” button on my car radio at the top of the hour searching for options. Here’s hoping KSL will go back to the KSL “Classic” recipe. When you mess with a popular recipe, the public relations ripple effect may be negative. What do you think?

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The PilmerPR team has spent a lot of time learning about social media, which is now an essential new tool for all of us as business and PR professionals.  As we all know, Internet use is off the charts, and taking advantage of this medium is now a basic part of reaching target markets. 

Some new data came out recently from the Online Publishers Association, revealing that Internet users are spending 47 percent of their time online reading content, and another 33 percent for communication.  Social media blends both of these activities – offering both original content in the form of blogs or online news sites and a communication vehicle through sites such as MySpace and Facebook. 

Companies are hearing over and over again that social media are integral to a comprehensive marketing and PR campaign.  But while reading this Computerworld story we have to remember to be careful when we use social media sites for marketing or public relations – because not every endeavor will be met enthusiastically by social media users. 

Computerworld reported on the backlash Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has received for creating a “Roommate Style Match” group on Facebook.  Wal-Mart likely created the group to utilize the enormous popularity of Facebook to reach their target customers. 

Unfortunately, some users don’t appreciate being targeted with corporate advertising or public relations when they visit their favorite social media site.  One post on Wal-Mart’s Facebook group said, “Facebook should take the number of negative comments on this page as a note that we don’t support this company for its use of a space for social networking. This space is for people talking to other people. Facebook, get your priorities straight.” 

PR professionals agree, as demonstrated in this PRWeek story.  Social media is a force to be reckoned with, and it should be included in every good campaign.  Just don’t forget to do your research, and truly join the online conversation, instead of trying to force it.

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