![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Acne Information |
|
![]() |
Foolproof Publicity for Marketing-Minded Financial Planners
They'd hate to admit it, but the media is pretty predictable. There are some stories that will run in newspapers until the saints go marching in. Some of the obvious ones: diet tips, anything having to do with kids or animals, political scandals, celebrity divorces...you could probably find a story about each one of these topics in every single edition of every daily newspaper in the country. Long ago, newspaper editors realized that these topics attract readers. And, if you got your story published, the same determination was made about your topic. Once a topic is anointed as "news-worthy" by the media, you can keep coming back to it again and again, as long as you have a reasonably new angle. Think of every PR success as the seed for the next placement. Re-read your article when it appears, and ask yourself, "What could I have elaborated on?" or "What's going to be happening next in that field?" For example, say your published story was about municipal bonds. Stay on the lookout for any municipal bond news that arises. Bond failures, new bond issues, appealing rates-all of these could be topics to bring back to a reporter. You may also consider a story about other tax-free return investment vehicles. Ned Steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele's MediaImpact, he is the author of 102 Publicity Tips To Grow a Business or Practice. To learn more visit http://www.MediaImpact.biz or call 212-243-8383.
MORE RESOURCES:
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
Turn Your Business' New Year Resolutions in PR Revolutions As eyes look forward to a new business year, many small business owners and entrepreneurs are hoping that this upcoming year will be the one that catapults them into success. But according to Shannon Cherry, APR, businesses often overlook a key element when making their business plans and resolutions. Publicity and Marketing Magic For Financial Planners: The Four Mores Publicity will take your financial planning practice, your business, and your life to the next level. It's going to bring you: more recognition more credibility more value to the marketplace more business It's obvious that getting more publicity - exposure in the media - will yield you more marketplace recognition. How Would You Ever Know? Your important outside audiences behave in ways that stop you from reaching your objectives.Because you haven't paid much attention to their care and feeding, is it likely you'll know they are placing a hammer lock on your business in time to limit the damage?With some luck, you might save the day, but why let matters fester until you have a bad situation like this on your hands?Especially when a proven sequence can help you alter the perceptions, and thus behaviors of your most important external audiences making the achievement of your business objectives much easier. Killing Them Softly The world has woken up to ethical issues in corporate governance & accounting practices. Corporate heads that were not guillotined were forced hang their heads in retrospective shame. TV Reporter Shares the Secrets to Getting Covered on the News Do you have a great idea for a story, but no clue how to get it in the news? Are you tired of pitching press releases the news media simply ignores?After twenty years of beating the street as a TV reporter, I have a scoop for you: the media needs good stories. But most stories are pitched so poorly, they are lost in the blizzard of faxes that blanket every newsroom. What I Do I believe this about public relations.People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. The Story The Media Really Wants If you're like most of my clients, you're probably interested in getting the media to cover the success of your business. These "business success stories" can be used for future marketing efforts -- including reprints of the story in your marketing materials or on your Web site, or framing the article and hanging it in your office. Just What Kind of PR Matters to You? Parties, videos, booklets and column plugs?Or public relations that does something positive and directly about those important outside audiences of yours whose behaviors most affect your operation?How happy are you -- as a business, non-profit or association manager -- when you see your PR folks futzing around with special events, brochures, press releases and TV talk show mentions?Especially at a time when you probably need to create the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives?What it comes down to is this: are you simply looking for publicity, or do you want public relations that really CAN change individual perception and lead to equally changed stakeholder behaviors that help you get your PR money's worth?If that sounds more like it, here's the roadmap for you: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished. Speaking to the Press If you get the hang of speaking to the press and you can establish a few good relationships, their contacts and outreach can be extremely beneficial to the marketing of your organization.If you've never spoken to the press before - it can be an intimidating task. PR: How Sweet It Is! The public relations goal and strategy make sense; the message is persuasive and compelling; the communications tactics are aggressive and well-targeted. YES!!For those of us in public relations, how sweet it is when members of an important target audience appear to understand why the rumor was wrong and what they believed about the organization is simply not true. PR: Am I Getting a Good Deal? You are getting a good deal when you accept the fact that the right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to the changed behaviors you need.Especially when you recognize that people really DO act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about your operations, and about you as a manager. Publicity: Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Take a Reporter to Lunch Sometimes a phone call isn't intimate or long enough to convey all the information you have for a reporter.Two examples would be: if you have a dozen or so story ideas, or if you'd like to explain an extremely complex financial concept or strategy to a reporter. The Most Important PR In America Just happens to be public relations activity that alters individual perceptions leading directly to changed behaviors. PR pulls that off by persuading a manager's key outside audiences with the greatest behavior impacts on the organization, to its way of thinking. The Key to Great PR The Key to Great PR is PerseveranceBy Paula Gardner of Do Your Own PRI regularly seem to come across businesses that have pinned their hopes on one press release. They tell me how they sent it out with excitement in the pits of their stomachs and then felt the hard cold flop of disappointment when they didn't get an army of journalists on the phone the very next day. Managers Need Basic PR True, because department, division or subsidiary managers for a business, non-profit or association really DO need a dynamic yet workable blueprint for reaching those key outside groups of people who have a big say about how successful those managers are going to be.Unfortunately, a primary emphasis on communications tactics does not take the place of a well thought-out public relations plan for persuading your most important external audiences to your way of thinking, then moving them to take actions that lead to your success. Time Your News Release For Maximum Publicity "Cindy, where's that story? I need it yesterday!""Coming right up, boss. I'll have it to you soon," Cindy shouted back. Writing A Press Release News releases (also called press releases) are an important part of a public relations campaign. They are also an important part of marketing your business. How to Get $1000 worth of Advertising for $60 ©2004 Jeffrey DobkinSixty dollars doesn't go a long way in buying advertising space. But if you spend it creatively, you can get over ten times that value in newspaper or magazine lineage. Media Relations: How to Get Your Letter to the Editor Published You may remember Forrest Gump's Vietnam pal - the one who grew up shrimp farming and was fond of listing the dishes he used to make. "Pepper shrimp," he started, gearing up for his lengthy monotone monologue. GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS You have a story to tell. Your company has developed a revolutionary new product, or an improved version of one that is known and respected in the marketplace. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |