Welcome to the September newsletter

This month:
Straight From the Horse’s Mouth: What Editors Want
Public Relations Goes Public: Getting to Your Audience Online
Send Us Your Story for a Chance to Win a Press Release
Free Subscription to Dynamic Business Magazine
_______________________________________

Straight From the Horse’s Mouth: What Editors Want

When you’re trying to get publicity, it can feel as if you’re working in the dark. You may send out press releases, article ideas, media alerts - and in return all you hear is the thud of your head hitting a brick wall!

But remember that editors and producers are people too. And one thing that people always appreciate is being asked for advice.

So don’t be afraid to call a publication or broadcast station, give them the gist of your message and ask for help. If they suggest some contact names, you can then go to those contacts and say you have been advised to contact them because you have a great story angle - giving you a head start in selling your idea.

For advice from two magazine editors, read these interviews published recently on our site:
An Editor Explains How Media Releases Get Attention
An Editor Explains How Businesses Can Get Publicity

_______________________________________

Public Relations Goes Public: Getting to Your Audience Online

In his latest book, The New Rules of Marketing & PR, David Meerman Scott explains how public relations is becoming what it was always meant to be: a way of relating to the public.

“The Internet has made public relations public again, after years of almost exclusive focus on media,” he writes. “Blogs, online news releases, and other forms of web content let organisations communicate directly with buyers.”

While the media remain an essential part of your marketing strategy, this is no longer the only way to get news out to your public.

Once your content is published online as an article, news release, interview, podcast or video, submit the link to bloggers who write about your niche area. If they like what they see, they’ll link back to it, spreading the word virally and helping your search rankings.

This blog post explains how this strategy works as a form of PR. Once it’s published, anyone can link to it, and a well-written piece could help to convert your visitors to buyers.

_______________________________________

Send Us Your Story for a Chance to Win a Press Release

Coming up with a message for your target audience that gets the attention of the media is the most important part of any publicity campaign. That’s why we spend a lot of time brainstorming with clients and helping them to ‘get newsworthy’.

Now here’s your opportunity to come up with a great story idea for your business and submit it to us for the chance to win a free press release.

Start by thinking about publicity as part of your service offering. This means placing the emphasis on the reader and the problems they want to solve, not on your business and what you are looking to gain from publicity.

So your message might be built around expert advice, or an alternative perspective on a current issue, or a solution to a common problem.

You could also try fleshing out one of the following:

“My service/product:

• answers a ‘want’ or ‘need’ among a particular group that isn’t yet
  being met …
• addresses an issue that hasn’t yet been tackled effectively …
• taps into a hot new trend …
• rides on a surprising statistic that is likely to grab attention.”

Perhaps you have formed a new partnership or affiliation with a complementary business that enables you to supply a unique service. Or you may have come across a new report that supports the need for your product/service.

Explain your message in an email to us before the end of September, and we will prepare a press release for the winning entry.
_______________________________________

Free Subscription to Dynamic Business Magazine

We’ve restructured our publicity services after listening carefully to our clients’ publicity needs.

We can apply our writing skills to produce a Press Release for you to distribute, or we can run a full Publicity Campaign from planning to media monitoring. For those who want to run a series of campaigns, we now offer a Publicity Assistant to take the load off your shoulders.

And if you’re not ready to run a campaign yet, we can hold a phone meeting with you to discuss your publicity strategy and produce a Publicity Plan for your business.

All our services are now provided on an easy monthly payment plan. Just sign up online or call us to discuss your requirements.

Clients who sign up for one or more of our services before the end of September will get a free one-year subscription to Dynamic Business - the magazine for small and medium businesses.

_______________________________________

To find out more about how online marketing and publicity can benefit your business, call Glenn or Jane on 1800 468 416 or email ps@publicityship.com.au

Best wishes

Jane Hammond Foster
PublicityShip
Phone: 1800 468 416
Web: Publicityship.com.au
Email: jane@publicityship.com.au

_______________________________________

About PublicityShip

PublicityShip helps small business get publicity and market online. Publicity can be more effective than advertising and give an excellent return on investment. PublicityShip helps you uncover the most newsworthy aspects of your business and get your message to the right media contacts. And PublicityShip online marketers help you attract and convert potential clients online.