101 Successful PR campaign tips

101 Successful PR Campaign Tips by Mary White

The power of public relations and publicity is beyond question.  Good publicity can propel your business to a higher level while bad publicity can destroy it.  Why is public relations (PR) so powerful and how can we get positive publicity for our business?

Mary White, co-founder of Mobile Technical Institue in Mobile, Alabama, explains why PR is more powerful than advertising alone.  "All PR is advertising," she writes in her book, 101 Successful PR Campaign  Tips, "but not all advertising is PR."  Why?  Advertising originates from a source too close to home, ourselves.  PR, however, originates from an outside source, such as a newspaper article, a television report, radio interview or BLOG spot.  These types of sources are viewed by the public as much more credible.  Why?  It is one thing to "toot our own horn" with advertising as opposed to someone else doing it for us as a news byte.  We all believe that our businesses can benefit others and that we have something to offer.  The public, however, will view the positive things others say in a much more trustworthy light and thus making the difference in how our business and our reputation is viewed.  For example, what would happen to our credibility and our business if we appeared in a positive light on the Oprah Winfrey Show or had an article written about us in O Magazine?  It would be much greater than any effort we could do on our own.  The same is true  with the attention we receive from our local newspapers, TV news, radio interviews and internet articles.  Local celebrities, as most of them are considered, can give us that same credibilty at our local level.  So, how do we get it?

Mary White offers several suggestions in her book; 101 to be exact.  Among these, she suggests offering a press release about a new product, service, award or other accomplishment or potential news worthy event about us or our business.  She stresses, however, 3 important aspects. 

1. It should be written in the proper format, that is, in a journalistic style.  Do not write it in a manner that is personal but as if someone else had written it.  It should offer just the facts. 
2. Make sure the press release reaches the right person.  Mary suggests that it should not be sent to "the editor".  Contact should be made to confirm the correct editor and, if possible, talk to him or her.  She also suggests free online press release websites, such as www.free-press-release.com. 
3. Timing is important.  Submitting a press release at a time when overall news and media attention are directed elewhere, such as occurred during the Presidential inauguration or Hurricane Katrina, is a bad idea and a sure way to get overlooked.  Can you imagine sending a press release on the same day as the September 11 attacks?  While it certainly was not a predictable event, it highlights the importance of timing. 

There are a number of excellent suggestions by Mary White in her book, 101 Successful PR Campaign  Tips, that will help any business, and she has proven that they work by applying them to her own business.  She is co-founder of Mobile Technical Institute and MTI Business Solutions (www.mobiletechwebsite.com), a full-service training and consulting firm. She oversees MTI's corporate training and continuing education division and also provides consulting services to a variety of human resources and public relations clients. As a trainer, Mary specializes in soft skill employee development classes, and has extensive experience facilitating training in areas related to human resources, communication, customer service, management, leadership, and public relations. She also teaches PHR and SPHR certification preparation courses and is a frequent speaker at conferences and association meetings.                                                                                       

Mary’s professional background includes extensive experience in training, human resources management, writing, marketing, and public relations. She holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in Communication, and is actively involved in several professional and civic organizations, including the Mobile and Baldwin County Societies for Human Resource Management and the Junior League of Mobile, AL.

You can purchase Mary White's book for $9.99 by clicking here.    It is a valuable investment if you value your business.