The folks at the big corporate PR and Ad Agencies are feeling the thaw, specifically when it comes to hiring. According to Advertising Age, the big agencies are getting ready to hire again! So if you're looking for a gig with some of the biggies, now might be the time to dust off that resume and get out there.
In the meantime, to keep your skill set fresh, why not do a little pro bono work for a nonprofit group? There are many arts and social service groups that would love to have you help them. Here in Sacramento, there is a group called the Arts + Business Council (check for a branch in your city) that specifically matches nonprofits with business folks.
Special thanks to Pat Frew on Linked In for his post about an article in the Wall Street Journal about updating job skills. Also kudos to Lisa Gunggoll for her response to Pat about the article in Ad Age! I couldn't write this post without you folks helping me out!
And to all of you a Happy St Patrick's Day! Remember it's not just about green beer, it's about those Black and Tans!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Must be Official
Once something hits the Harvard Business Review (HBR), does that make it official? If so, social media as a new platform for PR and Marketing is now official. Read the article HERE. Special thanks to Tony Gates from the Sacramento Chapter Social Media Club for alerting me to this.
However, like all marketing and PR efforts, I think much depends upon where you are and who you are promoting. Although maybe I will try it on my art page on Facebook !
Of course there are always tight ropes to balance on in the social world of cyberspace. Another article in the HBR, also spelled out why I'm leery of getting anywhere near Google's latest stab in the social media marketplace called Buzz.
However, like all marketing and PR efforts, I think much depends upon where you are and who you are promoting. Although maybe I will try it on my art page on Facebook !
Of course there are always tight ropes to balance on in the social world of cyberspace. Another article in the HBR, also spelled out why I'm leery of getting anywhere near Google's latest stab in the social media marketplace called Buzz.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Non profit Media
If you are still one of the dinosaurs (like me) that subscribes to a daily newspaper, it’s no news to you that papers have changed, especially over the last five years. Not only has the internet and social media been responsible for many of the changes, but there’s now something called Citizen Journalism – which to my mind is either a field day for PR folks like me or an excuse to get someone to write something and not to have to pay them. OK, maybe I’m cynical.
But now we have another twist to the picture thanks to Spot.us. It's a site where folks can go to offer up some money in exchange for trying to get someone to cover a certain story. Maybe you can call it Capitalistic Journalism?
Actually it might be a very good idea for folks who want to suggest stories that are important to them that the media is currently ignoring. For the community, the best part is that since they are non profit, you can deduct your donations to get a story funded.
Of course they are new and it looks as if only San Francisco and Los Angeles are covered by the site right now. Here's hoping that they begin to spread their coverage to at least California's capital! Actually what were they thinking about not including Sacramento?
But now we have another twist to the picture thanks to Spot.us. It's a site where folks can go to offer up some money in exchange for trying to get someone to cover a certain story. Maybe you can call it Capitalistic Journalism?
Actually it might be a very good idea for folks who want to suggest stories that are important to them that the media is currently ignoring. For the community, the best part is that since they are non profit, you can deduct your donations to get a story funded.
Of course they are new and it looks as if only San Francisco and Los Angeles are covered by the site right now. Here's hoping that they begin to spread their coverage to at least California's capital! Actually what were they thinking about not including Sacramento?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
New PR Tools?
I just found out about a new resource for PR folks and for reporters - HARO, which stands for Help A Reporter Out. It was created by Peter Shankman, who is not only a PR guy, but also a social media expert and a very respected dude who isn't bothered by having a photo taken of him with an elephant's trunk around his neck! Looks like he could be fun to sit down and chat with over cocktails. This free PR site originated as a FaceBook group. It's devilishly simple: reporters log on with queries on subjects they write about, then that info is put into an email which the folks that are members of HARO receive. If anyone can offer information, they go to the HARO site and make their pitch to the reporters.
Shankman will be the featured speaker for the Sacramento Public Relations Association or SPRA on February 25th at Sofia restaurant downtown. I just hope the quality of the food has improved there. Last time we went there a few years ago, it was dreadful. But can anyone screw up Chicken Parmesean? Details after the lunch, on both Shankman and the food quality.
The other breaking news is that Google is entering the social media field. Now I could re-write the report from Mashable.com, just like the old days of re-writing AP wire copy, but have too much on my plate presently, so read all about it HERE.
Now time for you to chime in my friends. Do you think that Google will surpass Facebook with this new Buzz?
Shankman will be the featured speaker for the Sacramento Public Relations Association or SPRA on February 25th at Sofia restaurant downtown. I just hope the quality of the food has improved there. Last time we went there a few years ago, it was dreadful. But can anyone screw up Chicken Parmesean? Details after the lunch, on both Shankman and the food quality.
The other breaking news is that Google is entering the social media field. Now I could re-write the report from Mashable.com, just like the old days of re-writing AP wire copy, but have too much on my plate presently, so read all about it HERE.
Now time for you to chime in my friends. Do you think that Google will surpass Facebook with this new Buzz?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
How to Write a Bad News Release
When I was in J School - journalism that is - we were taught a very formulaic way to write. You are supposed to get the who, what, where, when and why all into the first paragraph. Then each descending paragraph can expand upon each of the five Ws. The reason being that editors cut from the bottom of stories to make sure that everything fits in the newspaper. Of course radio writing is a different animal, but what's the sense of even talking about it now since the FCC has gutted the news business.
When I left the world of radio and print news to become a PR consultant, I decided that news releases would follow the same format. In some of the small towns I sent the releases to, they ran them as is. I wanted to make it easy for someone to just plug it in.
In radio, I saw some of the worst news releases, some of which even included photos! Yeah, like we were going to describe the photos on the air. What were they thinking? Or perhaps it was they weren't thinking in the first place.
There really should be a news release hall of shame and now there is something of that ilk on the internet. Paddy Johnson of the wonderful art blog Art Fag City, has risen to the challenge on the Hyperallergic blog ! Go on over there and vote for your take on the worst. They are both pretty dreadful, full of silly art speak and other hyperbolic language.
When I left the world of radio and print news to become a PR consultant, I decided that news releases would follow the same format. In some of the small towns I sent the releases to, they ran them as is. I wanted to make it easy for someone to just plug it in.
In radio, I saw some of the worst news releases, some of which even included photos! Yeah, like we were going to describe the photos on the air. What were they thinking? Or perhaps it was they weren't thinking in the first place.
There really should be a news release hall of shame and now there is something of that ilk on the internet. Paddy Johnson of the wonderful art blog Art Fag City, has risen to the challenge on the Hyperallergic blog ! Go on over there and vote for your take on the worst. They are both pretty dreadful, full of silly art speak and other hyperbolic language.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Why PR is a Crap Shoot
I'm working with a new client these days who didn't get the information to me in time to meet a certain print deadline. Sigh, I wish everyone would understand that we all have to hustle to meet deadlines. Having worked in media, I can tell you that if I didn't get the information by 5 minutes before the newscast, it just wasn't getting in that broadcast. Same is true of print media. Luckily the internet is far more forgiving and once it's out there, it's there maybe forever, who knows.
Generally sending out a news release is always a crap shoot, sometimes there's room for your story, but many times other events, like the devastation of Haiti, will push your worthy story to the back burner. Except on the internet! This client is hosting a reading of a screenplay that he will produce down the road. He wanted to get the word out to the community and not only have other writers/actors/industry types comments, but comments from regular folks.
I wrote the release and then posted it on as many internet outlets as I could find, thinking that even though we couldn't post it on the TV channels community calendars (they need the info at least 8 weeks in advance- rather like Public Service Announcements), I could post at other sites where folks would see it.
Probably three hours after I sent it out, I get an email from the client saying that he's already received several phone calls from people, some of whom might be interested in helping to fund the project! I was astounded honestly for him to get that immediate response. Generally PR, unless it's event related and time sensitive, takes a much longer time to have an impact.
And speaking of Haiti, please donate what you can. I have a dear friend who works with a group called Map International, so they get the PR plug of the hour here on PR Insights.
Generally sending out a news release is always a crap shoot, sometimes there's room for your story, but many times other events, like the devastation of Haiti, will push your worthy story to the back burner. Except on the internet! This client is hosting a reading of a screenplay that he will produce down the road. He wanted to get the word out to the community and not only have other writers/actors/industry types comments, but comments from regular folks.
I wrote the release and then posted it on as many internet outlets as I could find, thinking that even though we couldn't post it on the TV channels community calendars (they need the info at least 8 weeks in advance- rather like Public Service Announcements), I could post at other sites where folks would see it.
Probably three hours after I sent it out, I get an email from the client saying that he's already received several phone calls from people, some of whom might be interested in helping to fund the project! I was astounded honestly for him to get that immediate response. Generally PR, unless it's event related and time sensitive, takes a much longer time to have an impact.
And speaking of Haiti, please donate what you can. I have a dear friend who works with a group called Map International, so they get the PR plug of the hour here on PR Insights.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Do you Hear Birds?
If you do, it might be that everyone around you is Twittering! OK I know that was a very bad joke, but if I can't torture my small but growing audience with bad humor, who can I torture? I admit that I'm still a new user of Twitter and am in the process of discovering how to use it for PR for clients and myself (must mention that I'm also a digital artist and photographer in addition to being a writer and PR consultant).
Matter of fact it was a Twitter message that led me to making this post. Thanks @DawnSandomeno, who I found after gawking around at my friend Margaret's Nanny Goats in Panties Twits. It shows the genius of the site as a way to spark conversation and providing resources for many of us.
Dawn listed the url to this article in the New York Times by David Carr. I'm down with most of what he talks about except for surfing the web less often. Maybe in time, I will be able to do that too.
Matter of fact it was a Twitter message that led me to making this post. Thanks @DawnSandomeno, who I found after gawking around at my friend Margaret's Nanny Goats in Panties Twits. It shows the genius of the site as a way to spark conversation and providing resources for many of us.
Dawn listed the url to this article in the New York Times by David Carr. I'm down with most of what he talks about except for surfing the web less often. Maybe in time, I will be able to do that too.
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