Jeff Louderback's Write Perceptions

In a sluggish economy, many companies spend their money on PR instead of advertising

When the economy is sluggish and businesses trim expenses, marketing-related activities are often the first to go. Instead of cutting marketing altogether, many companies are finding that working with an independent publicist, instead of an advertising agency or a large public relations firm, is beneficial.

"In challenging economic times, many businesses tend to reduce or eliminate advertising expenses and implement or increase PR dollars,” said Jeff Louderback, a former reporter and editor who is an independent publicist based in Orlando, Fla. His PR blog is www.jefflouderback.typepad.com and his web site is www.writeperceptions.net. “Public relations is a fraction of the cost of advertising, and when you hire an independent publicist, you pay lower rates because that publicist has a limited overhead.

“In addition, when you work with an independent publicist, you work directly with someone who has extensive professional experience,” said Louderback, who has 17 years of experience in journalism and PR. “Your account is not given to an account executive who is just a few years out of college.”

Public relations is not only less expensive than advertising, but also an effective public relations campaign that generates favorable exposure through newspapers, magazines, TV stations, radio stations and the Internet has a wider reach than word-of-mouth alone. In addition, the public lends more credibility to articles they read and stories they hear about your company than advertisements they read and see.

“With PR, a company can increase its public awareness and personalize its story at a cost-effective rate,” Louderback said. "It is important, especially in slower times, to spread your message to potential customers and let them know what you’re all about. Public relations makes this an affordable option.”

People often confuse PR with advertising, but the two are dramatically different. Advertising places ads while PR places news. Both are designed to elevate consumers' interest in a product or service. Both often use the same media – print, radio and television and the Internet. This is where the similarities end.

The ultimate goal of a public relations campaign is to get a company noticed, and to attract business. A flattering article in the local newspaper or regional magazine creates a celebrity status for the person or place profiled.

Some people believe that they can write a press release, send it to the media and watch the publicity from published and broadcast stories pour in. If that was the case, then publicists wouldn’t exist. Effective PR is an art that involves writing well-crafted press releases with story angles that interest the media, not self-serving marketing verbiage. There is nothing more irritating to reporters than receiving poorly written press releases with no newsworthy angles.

“The ultimate goal of a public relations campaign is to create and maintain a buzz about the client’s business, build the client’s credibility and save the client money over traditional advertising alone,” Louderback explained. “Like advertising, PR requires a time commitment because coverage doesn’t happen overnight, but in a tough economy when many businesses have a limited marketing budget, PR is an ideal choice.”

Local and regional media coverage is just as valuable as national exposure

There are many misconceptions about public relations. One of them is that media exposure is only beneficial if it appears in the Wall Street Journal or on CNN.

Landing a story in a national publication or a prominent television or radio show is certainly reason to cheer – and it will provide valuable publicity that an advertisement could never achieve – but an effective public relations campaign starts closer to home. There are a variety of accessible, well-targeted media opportunities eager for good story ideas.

Chains of small weekly and daily newspapers, major metropolitan newspapers, city magazines, state magazines, local and regional women’s newspapers, local and regional senior lifestyle magazines, local and regional family publications, and, when warranted, local TV and radio stations, are among the media outlets that are ideal targets for stories on your company.

A copy of the publication containing your article can be passed around, mailed and posted on your office wall. This is another way to "touch" customers; they typically like to be informed about special accomplishments and kept up-to-date on both you and your business.

If the newspaper or magazine is noteworthy in your area, you can cite "as seen in" on all printed advertising, e-mail signatures and web marketing. "As seen in Orlando Leisure Magazine", the "Boston Business Journal“ and even the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" can give you tremendous credibility and set you apart from your competition in a significant way.

One of the key objectives of a public relations campaign is to get yourself known as an expert in your field. What better way to accomplish this than to be quoted as a source or be profiled in a story in a newspaper or magazine in your region.

Of course, one PR opportunity often leads to another. For example, assignment editors and reporters at TV and radio stations read the local and regional newspapers and magazines, and sometimes get story ideas from published articles they read. In addition, editors and reporters at newspapers and magazines sometimes get ideas from stories they hear on the radio or see on TV.

The ultimate goal of a public relations campaign is to get your business noticed, and to increase your customer base. A flattering article in the local newspaper or regional magazine creates a celebrity status for the person or company profiled. This truly separates you from your competition.

Remember, local media outlets consistently run “Special Features,” “People and Places,” and “Events” articles. Community newspapers and other local media want to hear about grand openings, seasonal and feature stories, employee and customer recognition, event promotion, seminars and more. The story ideas are endless.

Follow these tips for effective media relations

Good Morning America? Wall Street Journal? Forbes? Oprah Magazine? Your local major metro newspaper? What's your dream hit?

While nothing inspires more fear to PR novices, it doesn't have to be complicated.

These tips can help land your ultimate story.

Have a Good Story

Whether writing a movie, a sitcom, an opera, a book or a news article, a good story must have certain elements such as a theme, a hero, and a beginning, middle and end, to make it compelling. Journalists recognize a strong story within seconds, so learn how to tell yours quickly and succinctly. That's good storytelling.

Know Your Audience

Don’t call the media blindly.

 

• Before you pitch any media outlet, study it. Read the publication. Watch the show.
• Who covers similar topics? Are there contributors to stories where you have interests such as food, technology or health? What format do they prefer?
• The answers will be very different depending on whether you are pitching The New York Times, Glamour or "Live with Regis and Kelly."

It's All About Relationships

Whose call are you more likely to take? A salesperson from a company you've never spoken to before or one who has taken the time to develop a relationship and truly understands your needs? It is no different with the media.

 

• Building relationships now means that reporters will take your call when you've got an important story to tell. Even if they can't help you on this particular one, they are likely to refer you to another reporter who can.
• As with any relationship, building trust is critical. Do what you say you will, within the time frame you give. You may not be able to provide all the information requested, but if you are upfront about what you can and can't do, reporters will appreciate it and remember.
• One reminder - everything is on the record, no matter how close you are.

Pitching is Fun

When you are just starting out, you can't believe this could ever be true. You imagine the worst: crabby journalists hanging up on you or worse, cursing you. Then you land your first big story, and suddenly you've got pitching fever. Here are some quick tips to make those calls easier: 

• Use this effective introduction: "We haven't spoken before." Forget the days of pretending to be a reporter's best friend. Journalists don't fall for it and they actually miss the first valuable minutes of your pitch trying to figure out who you are. Be upfront.
• Hone your pitch to a 15 second elevator speech.
• Always ask if a reporter is on deadline. If so, find out a good time to call back, and do.
• Know your story inside and out. This allows you to revise your pitch as you hear objections instead of folding instantly.
• Try different approaches. All journalists have personal preferences about how they like to be contacted so try a variety of techniques.  Often a brief, compelling paragraph sent via e-mail is an effective yet unobtrusive introduction.
• Follow up. Many potential leads are lost simply because people don't follow through on them. If a reporter tells you to call back another time, make sure you do. Also, just because a reporter doesn't answer your e-mail immediately, doesn't mean she isn't interested. It could just mean that she hasn't gotten to any of the 150 e-mails received that day.
• Persistence, persistence, persistence. There is a fine line between being persistent and annoying, but if you truly know your story and your audience, there is no shame in steadfastly making contact attempts until you get the reporter on the phone. (Just don't keep leaving messages.)

Good Writing Counts

Adopt a journalistic approach. Look carefully at how reputable publications such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal write a story.

• What is the lead? What type of quotes do they use?
• Study different types of stories -- features, executive changes, news articles. For the most part, you'll see the inverted pyramid style where the most important information is in the lead and the rest of the story flows from there.
• Despite recent e-word mania, it's time to eliminate jargon and buzz words. Say what you want, but say it simply and plainly. Another sign of weak writing is the use of clichés.
• Finally, ever feel like you just can't write that press release? This blockage often indicates you don't have enough information. Do outside research. Interview a customer. Get another perspective. Then you're sure to end up with a solid product that would appeal to any journalist.

Clients Love Hits

Despite all the counseling, strategy, partnerships, writing and more, clients want media coverage. Until the industry creates better measurement systems, a full page Business Week story becomes a tangible "product" that your clients can hold in their hands.

If You Get Results, You'll Go Far

There are two measures of how high you rank on the value chain: knowledge and relationships. Success with media relations is a sure way to show that you are at the top.

 

Eleven questions about press releases

How do I make journalists pay attention to my press release? Every company asks this question. Most find the answer in tight, informative copy. An unhappy few attempt to find the answer in colored paper or gimmicks.

When looking for the answer to journalistic attention, ask yourself a few questions.

Before Writing the Release

Is this newsworthy?

• This is the first and major question. The information has to interest the press and the rest of your targeted audience or else your efforts will be wasted.
• Different items will appeal to different segments of the press and public, so choose the media outlet carefully and make sure the release matches their needs.
• Are you sending a segment-specific story to general consumer media? Find a special angle for your story. Does it have local appeal? Is there a unique aspect? Can you combine two items (e.g. a product announcement with a human interest story) to expand its appeal?
• Using an angle may mean you have to write multiple specialized releases instead of one generic piece, but if you get more coverage, isn't it worth it?

What is the purpose of the release?

• This question above sounds obvious, but at times people issue releases without a clear goal in mind. Knowing your objective gives your writing focus and helps in the selection of distribution channels.
• Setting goals also aids in tracking and measuring the overall effectiveness of your strategies. Below is a mixture of short- and long-term goals.

• Increase or maintain awareness
• Establish credibility or authority; build image
• Get interviews on television, radio, Internet
• Become an expert source
• Promote sales
• Drive traffic to a special event or Web site
• Change buyer/industry behavior
• Expand market share

Writing and Editing the Release

News or Feature?

• The news style follows the conventional newspaper approach, summarizing the story's who, what, why, when, where (and often how) in the first paragraph.
• A feature story press release resembles a magazine article and is written in a more entertaining manner. The feature often sets the tone and background before introducing the main topic.

Is the formatting and style appropriate?

There are several ways to format a release, and as long as you follow a few general rules, you should be fine.

• Margins of at least an inch should be on all sides.
• Copy should be double-spaced (though one of my clients uses 1.5 line spacing successfully).
• Include release date or "For Immediate Release."
• Put contact information at the beginning or the end of the release.
• If there is more than one page put "more" at the bottom to point to the following page.
• Add a boilerplate "About the organization/product/individual" section at the end of the story.
• End the release with "30" or "###."

Does it answer the relevant questions?

• Some PR specialists advocate that releases be written as a complete article, citing the tendency of editors to use stories verbatim. Others state that the release should only outline the story since reputable publications will contact the company.
• An ideal approach is to include enough information to allow a busy editor to use it without calling, and write the story in pyramid news style so less essential information is toward the end.

Is it concise?

• News writers and editors take about five seconds to decide whether or not to use your release.
• Go long on facts and short on adjectives. Use short paragraphs for easy scanning. Also use subheads on long or complex copy so readers can grasp your meaning at a glance.
• If your release is three pages or more, consider transferring some of the information to an accompanying fact sheet.

Is there adequate attribution?

• Anything that can be considered subjective, such as opinions, should be credited to an executive in a quote.

Does it need a sample/photo?

• Including visual aids gives your release greater impact.
• A growing number of media outlets prefer high-resolution images to accompany the e-mailed press release
• The photo caption should also explain the who, where, when, why and what of the picture.

After Writing the Release

Has it been reviewed and approved?

• Two and even three sets of eyes are better than one.
• Ideally the number of reviewers should not be too long (in order to maintain timeliness), and a process that indicates who has already reviewed the copy (such as dated initials) should be established.
• If you're a small business owner, it is a good idea to have someone else proofread your copy. Since they're not as close to it, they might catch errors that you missed.

Where and how should I distribute it?

• Media outlets have a high turnover rate so an updated media contact list is essential.
• You can send your release to a distribution service such as PR Web Direct or a directory like Cision, which offers an online database of print and broadcast media outlets and their staff members.
• In addition to conventional media outlets, don't forget to send information to Internet newsgroups, electronic newsletters and Web-based mailing lists that accept this type of news.
• Set up a newsroom on your own Web site so reporters can access your entire library of releases.

To whom do I make follow up calls?

• With the proliferation of media outlets, it is impossible to contact each one about your release.
• Make an A-list of outlets that you think would be highly interested in your story and could give you optimum exposure.

Recognizing the value of PR

There was a time when a good reputation - spread by word of mouth – and advertising alone were enough to create and maintain a successful business. Those times; however, are long gone. More than it ever has been, positive public awareness is vital to a company’s success – and this positive public awareness is today best achieved through a public relations campaign, versus traditional advertising by itself.

An effective public relations campaign that generates favorable exposure through newspapers, magazines, TV stations, radio stations and the Internet has a wider reach than word-of-mouth alone. And the public lends more credibility to articles they read and stories they hear about your company than advertisements they read and see.

A carefully crafted public relations campaign will raise both media and consumer awareness of your business. Simply put, the “buzz” about your business begins and remains through the media. By cultivating positive relationships with the media and creating publicity via the media, business owners enhance their chances for continued prosperity.

So what exactly is public relations, and why is it the best route for you to create positive awareness? People often confuse PR with advertising, but the two are dramatically different.

Simply put, advertising places ads while PR places news. Both are designed to elevate consumers' interest in product or service. Both often use the same media – print, radio and television and the Internet. This is where the similarities end.

PR Builds Credibility

Public relations helps form a favorable public opinion through the “implied endorsement” of non-biased industry authorities (namely print and broadcast media members). Consider, which holds more weight - an advertisement about a new hotel or a positive article written in editorial style about the hottest new hotel in town?

The late entertainer Will Rogers once said, “All I know is just what I read in the papers.” PR generates news coverage, and news coverage builds credibility. People believe what they read in newspapers and magazines, what they hear on the radio and what they see on television. It’s more difficult to get someone to believe your claims through advertising alone.

PR Allows Personalization of Your Story

By generating multiple story angles designed to reach different media outlets – such as business journals, trade publications, daily and weekly newspapers, city and regional magazines, regional entertainment publications, and major national magazines – you enhance the number of published and broadcast stories about your business. And each of these stories educates the public of what your company is all about.

PR Is Cost-Effective

Compare the cost of a direct mail campaign or a display ad in a publication with the cost of writing and distributing a press release. There is no comparison. The cost of hiring a publicist to produce press releases and get them placed in media outlets is a fraction of what you pay for advertisements. In addition, the articles the press release generates may be viewed by a larger audience since consumers tend to pay more attention to stories than advertisements.

It would be difficult to find an executive who would prefer seeing his company’s ads on TV instead of a news feature in Forbes or Fortune. The article builds credibility, positions the company as an industry leader and generates awareness without the costly inefficiencies of traditional advertising.

PR’s Life Span Is Long

A well-placed story can reap benefits for an extended period. The fundamental PR strategy is to place a story in one publication and move it up the ladder to another magazine or newspaper, or transfer it to another medium such as radio or television.

Consumers often clip articles they read about a company they would like to visit or a destination they would like to see. Also, a copy of the publication containing your article can be passed around, mailed or generally distributed to customers and other contacts. This is another way to "touch" customers and prospects; they typically like to be informed about special accomplishments and kept up-to-date on both you and your company.

If the newspaper or magazine is noteworthy in your area, you can cite "as seen in" on all printed advertising, e-mail signatures and point-of-purchase marketing. "As seen in “Atlanta Magazine" or even “The Orlando Sentinel” can give you tremendous credibility and set you apart from your competition in a significant way.

Of course, one PR opportunity often leads to another. For example, assignment editors and reporters at TV and radio stations read the local and regional newspapers and magazines, and sometimes get story ideas from published articles they read. In addition, editors and reporters at newspapers and magazines sometimes get ideas from stories they hear on the radio or see on TV.

The ultimate goal of a public relations campaign is to get you noticed, and to attract business to your location. A flattering article in the local newspaper or regional magazine creates a celebrity status for the person or place profiled. This truly separates you from your competition.

Don’t Serve As Your Own Public Relations Firm

Some people think they can write a press release, send it to the media and watch the publicity from published and broadcast stories pour in. If that was the case, then publicists wouldn’t exist. Effective PR is an art that involves writing well-crafted press releases with story angles that interest the media, not self-serving marketing verbiage. There is nothing more irritating to reporters than receiving poorly written press releases with no newsworthy angles.

This is why you should hire a publicist to design and implement your PR campaign. It allows you to focus on your core business. When choosing a publicist to coordinate your campaign, it is vital to hire someone who is experienced, does not require long-term contracts and has staff members who have worked as journalists since they will think like reporters and editors.

It’s also extremely important to make sure the publicist you’re considering has a genuine interest in your business, background and future potential. If they can’t get excited about what you do, it will be harder for them to get the media excited enough to write about you.

Exposure In Local Publications Is Valuable, Too

A major misconception of restaurant public relations is that media exposure is only beneficial if it appears in the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times. Landing a story in a national publication or a prominent television or radio show is certainly reason to cheer – and it will provide valuable publicity that an advertisement could never achieve – but an effective public relations campaign starts closer to home. There are a variety of accessible, well-targeted media opportunities eager for good story ideas.

Chains of small weekly and daily newspapers, major metropolitan newspapers, city magazines, state magazines, local and regional lifestyle magazines, local and regional family publications and local and regional men’s, women’s, senior living and entertainment newspapers are among the media outlets that are ideal targets for stories on your restaurant.

Remember, the goal of a public relations campaign is to create and maintain a buzz about your business, build your credibility, position you in the marketplace and save you money over traditional advertising alone. There are lots of media outlets within your reach if you have a well-crafted plan, and the right publicist to execute it.

The importance of an effective press release

You only have one chance to make a good first impression. This adage is especially true in the case of writing and distributing a press release to the media. Sloppy, inaccurate and pointless releases are the first to hit the bottom of a reporter’s trash can. To make sure yours isn’t one of them, consider these suggestions:

Accuracy counts

It is better to not send a press release at all than distribute one that is plagued with typos and inaccuracies. Make sure you thoroughly proofread the copy and provide the necessary contact information.

Write about a newsworthy story

This is the most crucial element of a press release. If the story you are pitching is not newsworthy – if it is not a subject the media is interested in pursuing – then the press release is a waste of time.

Think like an editor

If you have the ability to get inside an editor’s head and learn what he is thinking about, then you will have success in getting stories published. If you learn what editors want – what they are looking for in a story – then you will see your restaurant’s name in print often.

Relevance is crucial

Tie yourself in with a news event and make yourself part of a trend. Editors and reporters are always searching for interesting companies to include in trend stories and current events articles.

Be persistent

It does no good to send out a press release and then wait for results to occur. That practice is lazy and ineffective. If you believe in your story, and you believe that it's right for a particular media outlet, you need to have thick skin to see it in print. Send a pitch letter before you send a press release. Follow up with an e-mail and a phone call reinforcing your willingness to answer questions and provide more information. If one editor says no, try somebody else. If they all say no, come back at them with a different story angle.

Hire an expert

To increase your chances for an effective public relations campaign, hire an expert who has been there and knows how to communicate with the media. Write Perceptions, for example, is led by Jeff Louderback, a former reporter and editor at newspapers and magazines and an award-winning freelance writer and publicist. It is beneficial to work with a publicist who worked as a reporter and/or editor before venturing into the public relations field since that person knows how to speak the language of the media and craft story angles that result in coverage.

Distance is not an issue when working with a publicist

From Write Perceptions office in suburban Orlando, founder and president Jeff Louderback arranges an interview for a magazine reporter in New York City with a online retail client in Colorado. On the same day, Louderback coordinates interviews for clients in Orlando, Portland (Ore.) and Chicago.

Write Perceptions is a boutique public relations firm that specializes in writing and media relations. The company is led by Louderback, a former reporter and editor for newspapers and magazines who served as a public relations director for a county economic development agency and director of media relations for a restaurant marketing business before launching Write Perceptions.

Before the Internet age, it was difficult for a Florida-based firm to implement public relations campaigns for clients in another part of the United States, or in another country. Today, though, distance is not an issue thanks to online tools such as media databases and e-mail. When an account begins, Louderback visits the client in person to conduct initial interviews, experience the company first-hand and interview the key contacts. Then, in the following weeks and months, the writing and media relations tasks are performed from Write Perceptions’ headquarters in suburban Orlando.

The key to effective public relations is not about location. Instead, it’s about having the right ideas and tools. With these essential elements, a public relations firm can effectively perform its job – even if it is located in Florida and the client is located in Hawaii.

Comprehensive Media Database

Write Perceptions subscribes to Cision, which is one of the largest media databases in North America. Cision provides public relations professionals with details, editorial calendars, e-mails and phone numbers among other information for every print, broadcast and online print and broadcast media member in the United States, Mexico and Canada. This vital tool allows publicists to pitch stories and communicate with the media from wherever they are located. Newspapers, magazines, radio stations, television stations, and online publications are among the outlets. The database also includes a detailed listing of freelance writers and syndicates.

An Arsenal of Media Contacts

The 40-year-old Louderback is a dynamic and creative writer and publicist with 16-plus years of professional experience in journalism and public relations. He has a vast network of media lists and established contacts with reporters and editors at local, regional and national newspapers, and consumer and trade publications. His clients have been published in outlets like InTouch Weekly, American Way, Southern Living, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Miami Herald, Ocean Drive, Fortune Small Business, Inc., Entrepreneur, The Fine Living Network, The Daily Buzz, Celebrated Living, Smart Money, Money, Forbes, Real Simple, Family Circle and Florida International Magazine among other print and broadcast outlets.

For a business, local and regional coverage is especially important. Write Perceptions recognizes this and has strong relationships with major metropolitan newspapers, solid regional lifestyle magazines and city magazines, and local and regional business, senior living, women’s, men’s and entertainment publications.

Before implementing a public relations campaign for a client in a certain city, Louderback conducts extensive research about the media market and the publications and broadcast outlets the firm believes are most ideal to target.

Story Ideas That Attract Media Attention

Reporters, editors and producers do not care about the location of the publicists who are pitching story ideas. They are interested in the story angle itself, though. Jeff understands how to create story ideas that interest the media. Many members of its public relations staff have worked as reporters and editors. A key element to executing a successful public relations campaign is providing the media with stories that it wants to write about or broadcast.

A public relations campaign does not involve writing one press release and then sending it to media outlets around the country. Securing consistent coverage in the media requires a variety of story angles and several press releases that are specifically targeted to certain newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets. For example, a business journal would likely not be interested in a press release about a real estate developer’s interesting hobbies. It would more likely be captivated by an entrepreneur profile idea on how he built his company. This further illustrates why, in public relations, distance is not an issue, but the right ideas and tools are.