Effective media placement is a full-time job. It takes skill, know-how, persistence, and contacts. The art of effective PR entails more than writing releases and putting together press kits. If you do it haphazardly or incorrectly, you’re better off not doing it at all. The last thing you want to do is alienate the press, which is usually what happens when well-meaning but inexperienced individuals try their hands at running their own media campaigns.

Media placement is a skill that needs to be learned and understood. None of us would suddenly decide to give open-heart surgery a try, or to overhaul a car transmission – well, at least most of us wouldn’t, but every day people decide that they can handle their own PR without any prior knowledge or training whatsoever. An effective media placement campaign is well strategized and thought out. It is a cumulative process that builds day by day and month by month.

If you are thinking of launching a media campaign for your business or career, you basically have four options: hire a media relations firm, hire someone in-house to do your media relations for you, hire a media relations consultant, or launch your own media relations campaign.

If you decide to handle your own media relations, you have a big learning curve ahead of you; you want to learn the hows and whys of putting together a successful campaign.

If you are looking to hire a company or consultant to do it for you, you still have homework. You need to learn the right questions to ask in order to hire the right firm. PR is not a one-size-fits all service. But the greatest mistake businesses owners make is thinking PR is a luxury, not a necessity. Those are the businesses owners who generally wonder why their competitors keep being featured in the media.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2006

One media placement does not an effective PR campaign make. It’s impossible to overemphasize that fact. For example, let’s say a magazine or newspaper ran a story on you or your business. You were confident that this article was going to be a big one, and you were prepared. You went so far as to add additional phone lines to handle the hundreds, maybe even thousands, of calls that you knew would be jamming your lines. So, the story came out and – nothing. Not a single call. As far as you know, not a living soul read it. You are crushed. “That’s it!” you yell, pounding your fist on the desk. “No more PR!” You’ve been spinning your wheels, wasting time and money, and for what? For nothing! You’ve had it. No more media. It doesn’t work and you are a prime example that it doesn’t work. You are the consummate illustration of a media failure story. Right?

Wrong. But, understandably you feel that way. Anyone would be disappointed if a media placement did not elicit a great response. But that article is not a campaign. It’s a stepping stone. You now have an article that is a great tool to help land you other media.

To be effective in any marketing program, you have to look at the big picture. Your short-term goals were not met by the particular article in question, but it affords you new, powerful ammunition to reach your long-term goals. It helps establish you as an expert in your field and separates you from your competition. It gives you yet another media tearsheet that you can use, another article that you can pull quotes from for your press releases and bios.

But if nobody saw it, what good can it do you? Plenty. It will help garner you more and bigger media interviews. Plus, you don’t know who saw it. You never know. In five days, three weeks, or six months, you may start receiving calls. I’ve seen this happen over and over again. An article in a small or regional publication can lead to coverage in a national publication, or in a TV segment.

Let’s say you never receive one call as a result of that article. It’s still valuable. You just need to work it. Become the story’s distributor – and I mean distributor in the most basic sense – circulate your story, spread the word, mention the story in your biography and fact sheet, use it when pitching other stories, let other media outlets know that you were featured in the article. Duplicate it and use it as a press sample. Use quotes from the story in your mailers, newsletters, ads, and marketing to help you cement your existing client base. If you have employees, distribute it through your company as a form of internal publicity. If used correctly, you can turn this article into a most powerful marketing tool.

Perhaps even more importantly, if you want to truly turbo-charge your inbound marketing efforts utilize that article to create and establish validation and credibility online. Your media coverage will separate you from your competition, allowing you to more effectively develop a social media presence that communicates with consumers on a different type of PR (personal relationship) level.

By utilizing that one article in your social media strategy you can begin to create a powerful two-pronged marketing approach which will result in more followers, more buzz, more customers and more business. Utilized correctly, that one article can be spun into PR gold.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Launching a PR campaign can be an exciting process.  In fact if it’s not an exciting process you’re approaching it the wrong way.  But don’t get lost in the process.  People can get so wrapped up in the launch and the campaign that they lose site of their primary goals and objectives.

You want to garner media in order to get you and your business exposure, but that’s not your ultimate objective; you want a goal and end game.  Getting media coverage is the avenue not the destination.  For a public relations campaign to be truly effective, the media exposure needs to lead you somewhere.  Which means before you launch you want to come up with a game plan; in essence you want a PR and business roadmap that will keep you on track towards your goal and objectives.

Media relations is a unique form of marketing.  Unlike advertising or direct marketing, with public relations you can’t pick and choose specific outlets and dates that your story or segment will run – that is the challenge of PR.  Yet, on the other hand, when a news story does run on you or your business, you are positioned in a unique and powerful way.  A feature in a magazine or newspaper or a segment on TV or radio positions you as an expert and positions your company or product or a news story.  That type of coverage offers you validation and credibility that no amount of advertising can buy.  With PR you reach your target market and build your brand via the media.

Still, as I mentioned before, the media coverage in and of itself is not the objective.  Well, for some people it is, but you don’t want to belong to that club.  Before you launch a campaign decide what your primary objectives are.  Do you want to establish your brand, sell more products, land more clients, establish yourself as an expert in your field?  All of those objectives are valid and important, but you need to know which objectives are of primary importance to you and your business.

Once you know your business objectives and goals, you can create a PR plan and approach tailor made to help you achieve those goals.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

You want to go into a PR campaign with anticipation and confidence that it’s going to succeed.  But you don’t want to mistake the campaign with your ultimate objective.  The first PR mistake people usually make is failing to understand that a media relations campaign is a means to an end, it is an avenue, not the destination. Sure, there are those people who want to be in the media simply to be in the media, but that’s not a club you want to join.  You want to have definite objectives, specific goals.

There are a number of reasons people launch media campaigns, the objective could be to sell more products, attract more clients, or establish yourself as one of the premiere experts in your field.  All of those objectives are valid and only you know what would best meet your business needs.  Once you define your objectives, you can then structure and define your campaign based on those needs.  You’ll know which stories and hooks will work the best and; you’ll understand which media outlets will most effectively reach your target market and tell your story.

Defining your business objectives needs to be your starting place.  Once you’ve done that, you’ll better understand what stories will work and which media outlets will be the most appropriate.  Once your goals are clearly defined, you can move forward with your campaign.  You’ll have a blueprint, a roadmap, you won’t simply be going after media coverage, you’ll be launching a campaign with a purpose.

The second public relations mistake that people generally make is thinking that garnering media is the beginning, middle and/ or end of a campaign. Landing coverage is the start, an incredibly important start, yet still, it’s simply the start.  Too many entrepreneurs and companies land media coverage and then simply sit back and wait for the flood gates to open.  That is not how effective PR works.  Once you land a magazine article or a TV segment, use that placement to help land other media coverage.  Use your media in your advertising, in your direct marketing and in all of your promotional efforts.  Use it online, post it on Facebook, Tweet it, Digg it, create a YouTube channel and spotlight it.  You can use social media to magnify and amplify your media coverage, no matter whether it’s a small local newspaper article or a segment on a national TV outlet.

But the trick is that you have to work it, you have to use your media.  It’s not enough that you landed a newspaper story or TV segment; you need to utilize and maximize it. PR is cumulative.  It’s an ongoing process.  The more you work it, the more it works.  So, work it.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2011

The end of the year is a good time to assess where you and your business are headed. It’s a time to take stock and to prepare for the upcoming year. The past two years have been challenging. We went through the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. We’re pulling out of it, but at a slower pace than we’d like. It’s been a confronting time for most business owners both large and small. But tough times can yield surprising results. They can force us to look at and reevaluate our business, our priorities and our lives. For example, are you headed in the direction you want? Are you in a business you love, or at the very least one you find fascinating? How are your current choices impacting your life and those of others? Are you taking time to feed all parts of your life? Is your business separate from the other parts of your life? Or is your business consuming every aspect of your life?

Okay, I realize this is a site about PR and marketing, but if you want your business to run successfully, you want your life to be on track. The end of the year is a perfect time to assess where you are both in your business and your life. Just as we take stock of our business and develop a business game plan, it’s important to see how that plan fits in with the rest of our lives. If it’s not a good fit, now is the perfect time to review it and see how we can make some shits and changes to not only have a more successful business, but also to have a fuller, happier life.

A complete life is something we tend to lose site of, particularly during tough economic times when our entire focus seems to be on how to generate more money. Sometimes a big part of the secret is to see what we can let go of; how we can streamline our business and simplify our lives. Finding where we can cut and save is often as important as learning how we can increase our cash flow. Finding ways to live our lives differently and more in tune with who we are and the life we want can bring a balance to our life we usually forget is possible.

Giving ourselves some time to think of how we can bring balance to our lives can also be a great business practice. The more balanced we are, the more effective we are. But it’s also possible to look at this from another perspective. You know how important having a harmonious, full life is to you, so what does your business, service or product offer your customers or clients?

For example, my company helps build and grow companies; we offer our clients the validation and credibility of being featured in the media, we establish them as experts in their field. We work with them to discover new ways to reach their target market via the media and online. We work with them to develop new target markets. We work with them to help their business and their brand, blossom.

How does your business help others live fuller more complete lives? The answer doesn’t need to be earth shattering or profound. It can be as simple as your business saves your customers time, or makes them feel better, or makes their lives more efficient, or saves them money, or makes them feel special, or makes them feel glamorous, or simplifies their lives, or entertains them, etc. The list goes on. What is it that you uniquely offer to your clients? The answer to this question can literally give you your most powerful marketing campaign and offer you a way to directly and powerfully connect with your clients and customers.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

A PR campaign is not just about marketing, it’s also about informing and educating. The media is how most of the public learns about medical breakthroughs and health-oriented stories. Whether it be CNN, the New York Times, Time magazine, the Wall Street Journal or the Today Show, it is via the media that people learn about the latest in cardiovascular or diabetes treatments, the newest medical tests, or the most recent health-oriented breakthroughs.

Today, savvy hospitals and physicians view public relations as an integral component of their business strategy. But many still have to come to terms with the process. It’s not enough to simply hire a public relations firm; it’s important to work with them, a change in attitude and outlook is required. For example, when it comes to communicating, doctors are used to presenting scientific data to their peers. They are trained to think in terms of studies and statistics, whereas the public and media both understand and respond more favorably to anecdotal stories.

When speaking to the media, physicians have to effectively communicate. They can’t talk solely using the jargon of their particular field, since this makes for a very insular form of communication. This not only applies to physicians and health professionals. All business professionals can benefit from learning to speak the public’s language and honing their ability to communicate, but those in the medical field can perhaps benefit the most.

An intelligent, effective media campaign educates and informs the media and the public. Used effectively, P.R. can usher in new concepts and perspectives, and shape the ideas of a community and a nation. To reach that end, physicians need to view themselves as educators. After all, we live in the information age and no profession, field or practice can avoid its effects. Professionals who understand the process and actively utilize the media to not only promote their practices but also to inform and educate are the ones who will succeed.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Most people first learn about a new medical breakthrough, treatment or modality via the media and when the public sees a physician being interviewed on TV or in a magazine or newspaper, tat physician gains immediate credibility. No ad can produce that effect, neither can a direct mail piece or even the most professionally build website. The media offers validation and credibility unlike any other form of communication.

People trust the media because they know the news is a vetted process. Either an editor or a producer has checked on the story. They are disinterested third parties whose job is to report news. Their reporting is therefore seen as credible.

Utilizing media relations as a way to market a new medical procedure, hospital, medical center is critical to the success of all health and medical practices. Public relations remains the sole way to communicate with the public, reach a target market and achieve the validation and credibility of being featured in the news. Medical Public Relations is also incredibly important because often the first time a patient hears about a new procedure or drug it’s from the media. Today, savvy hospitals and physicians view public relations as an integral component of their business strategy.

Considering the fact that information control and distribution will be the currency of the new millennium, learning to effectively manage one’s image and message now has to be viewed as basic Business 101.

But not only can an effective medical PR campaign reach the public and bring in patients, it can also save lives. Often the only way that a patient in need of a new treatment learns about it is on TV, or in the newspaper, that fact makes this particular type of marketing outreach particularly effective – and important.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

When placing stories in the media, you want to highlight your product or service, but you also have other equally important objectives. You want to educate, to enlighten and you want to entertain. I don’t think that I can emphasize those points strongly enough. Many think of public relations as fluff and hype and whereas all of that exists, the glitter and flash isn’t what makes for an effective campaign. What makes PR and media relations effective is that it tells a story, educates, entertains, enlightens and it gives the public information on a particular topic or field that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. Let’s look at a couple of examples.

A physician who was working on a new cancer drug was in the middle of clinical tests. The first series had been quite promising. He was looking for patients with a certain type of cancer who were interested in participating in the study. He received hundreds of calls after a local TV interview ran, from people wanting to find out more information. These people would have never been aware of the study and their opportunity to participate in it, if it had not been for the media coverage generated via a public relations campaign. That is a campaign that not only informs, but can actually save lives.

You’re not finding a new cure for cancer? Okay. How about a couple of examples that are not quite so serious?

A skin care expert who has created her own make-up line appeared on a TV segment teaching consumers how to buy cosmetics for less. The piece explained how to read and understand labels and how to shop for effective, quality, yet inexpensive products. She was presented as an expert and her cosmetic line was highlighted. She sold products and the public learned new information.

The President and CEO of an Internet company who specialized in business to business solutions, was interviewed in a national publication on the changing face of the Internet. He was able to establish himself as an expert in his field, discuss his company and the solutions it offered; but he also educated the public as to the newest online breakthroughs.

Although all of these media segments highlighted and focused on the client’s company, they also educated, entertained and enlightened. By watching the programs or reading the articles, the public learned new information. The pieces were informative and added to the quality of the viewers’ or readers’ lives.

And there lies the secret. A well constructed, effective PR campaign educates, instructs, entertains, and whets the public’s appetite to know more. On the marketing end, it also stimulates a target audience to take action, whether that be making an appointment, purchasing a product, or to visiting a store. The bottom line comes down to offering a good compelling story that also educates and informs. By presenting yourself as an expert, an educator both the media and the public will turn to you for information and advice. And, when they’re looking to purchase a product or service in your field, guess who they’ll turn to?

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

In life, change is the one constant; the problem is that most people hate change. They resist it and do everything they can to stay with the status quo. But for businesses to remain competitive they must grow, transform and adjust. The problem is knowing exactly what adjustments are the ones to make. Change for change’s sake can often be more disastrous than rigidly staying in place. When it comes to figuring out what changes you need to make, look to the marketplace; your target audience can be your best ally. The market’s needs will let you know what business opportunities are out there. Often when change happens in a marketplace, companies and business owners go into panic mode. It can be a daunting time for many businesses. Look at the music, publishing and DVD arenas. Seismic changes in those fields are causing businesses to falter and in many cases go under.

If you don’t get into a mindset of change, you could remain stagnant, or worse yet, go backward. It’s time to view your business with new eyes. This isn’t always easy. We get locked in our business process and it’s hard to pull away from that gravity field. But if change is happening around you, you’d better be ready to keep up.

For example, when blogs, social media outlets and online media sites began to become important communication outlets, many predicted that they would spell the end of traditional public relations. Not a happy thought for an owner of a PR firm, but as we began to embrace the changes and utilize the various different forms of communication, it soon became apparent that not only was the Internet not a threat to our PR efforts, it greatly enhanced them. Now, when we place a client in a magazine or newspaper article or on a TV or radio segment we can magnify and amplify that media coverage via blogging, social media and forums. Conversely we can first establish a client via the net on a website, blog, social media outlet or other online avenues and use the online buzz to generate interest from the traditional media.

Think of your business as an ever evolving process. Let your competition stay rooted in one place. Keeps your business growing; you’ll be surprised at the new outlets and opportunities you’ll find.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Unlike advertising, direct marketing, online marketing or other types of promotion, when it comes to traditional public relations, keep in mind that the media works on its own schedule. Short lead news-oriented media outlets such as newspapers, TV and radio plan much of their content around the news of the day, long lead publications that specialize in certain areas such as beauty, fitness or entertainment, are not as news-driven, but they too can change plans or direction at a moments notice.

That’s not always easy when you’re a business owner with your own busy schedule. Your time is valuable. You have a business to run, clients to take care of, or products to sell. It’s difficult to (and sometimes not possible) to drop whatever you’re doing to do an interview on the media’s time table. But that is often the reality of dealing with the press and if you play it smart, it can pay off for you big time. Although you will usually have time to plan and arrange your schedule to do an interview, that is not always going to be the case. There are going to be times that the media wants to do an interview and wants to do it immediately, or wants to schedule it at a time that is inconvenient, or (the most annoying of all) reschedules it at the last minute, forcing you to, once again, change your plans. First of all keep in mind, that producer or editor is not intentionally scheduling a time in order to make your life more difficult. He or she is juggling a number of stories and working on several deadlines. You wouldn’t believe the amount of times that an editor or producer has to switch from one story to another on a moment’s notice. A million things can come up, a fire, an international breaking story, a Presidential speech; any number of stories are going to preempt you. This is just the nature of the business. It happens all the time. Keep in mind by working with them; you are positioning yourself and your business as the news.

But to do so you need to work with the media. For example, don’t tell the producer of a national morning news show that they have to come to your office to shoot the segment and that you’re only available on Saturday between 1 and 3 p.m. That’s a guaranteed recipe for never getting on that show. Remember you meet your needs by meeting the media’s needs.

There may be times that you’re just not going to be able to accommodate their schedule. There are going to be some interviews that you’ll have to miss. But only miss an interview if it’s completely unavoidable – the plague, an alien invasion – you get the picture. You may be annoyed, and you may be angry, but if you can possibly arrange your schedule so that you can make the interview, do it.

Above all keep in mind that if an interview is changed, or if your segment is bumped, don’t take your anger or disappointment out on the interviewer or the producer. That might make you feel better while you’re ranting and raving, but once that’s done, all you’ve accomplished is burning a valuable bridge. Always keep your objective in mind. Your objective is to build your business, to create success through media exposure. Never forget that only media reaches your target market and offers you the credibility of being featured as a news story. No other form of marketing offers that type of validating exposure. Your objective is to do those interviews, and use that media exposure to gain more coverage, not to alienate the press. Media begets media. Every interview you do is helping to pave your way to greater success.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010