No matter what how much you SEO your website at some point or other you may want to include some press release services into your branding campaign. It just makes sense. It makes even more sense when you consider that Google’s latest changes have made it so that SEO has less of an impact.

Getting a little press can only enhance your branding efforts and sending out a press release or two is a smart move.

So what should you look for in press release services?

1. First of all try to find someone who has some experience as a reporter

Ideally, you want a former reporter. Not all public relations professionals have reporting experience. That’s an important distinction because learning how to format a press release is a whole lot different than knowing why a press release gets noticed.

2. Make sure the person offering press release services knows the difference between an article and a press release

Again, there is a huge difference here. Most business owners and entrepreneurs want to see a fluffy piece that not only places their product or service in a postively glowing light they also want to sell all the features. That is an advertisement, my friend, or at the least, an article. When articles come across my desk more often than not I toss it aside and don’t give it another thought. I don’t have the time, to read a 1,000 word piece on how great your company is at doing what it does. And if I get a salesy-pitch vibe I bristle and stop reading immediately.

What a reporter wants is information. Plain and simple. If you need fluffy words in your press release then you need to go back to the drawing board and come up with a newsworthy angle.

3. Make sure the person providing press release services knows what constitutes newsworthiness

The fact that you exist is not news. The fact that your product helps people with a certain problem isn’t news. That doesn’t mean you don’t have something newsworthy to share however. You just need to know how to work it baby.

If you have a new employee, that’s news, but it’s news that would probably get attention in the business section. If you have a new product line–that’s newsworthy too but it would probably go over better with a niche media outlet. Knowing who to pitch a press release to is just as important as knowing what to pitch. The two go hand in hand to help give your press release a better shot at getting media attention.

4. Stay away from press release services that promise publicity

The fact of the matter is, no one can guarantee press coverage. I laugh when prospective clients say they want someone with media connections. It doesn’t make one ounce of difference. My journalist friends aren’t very good journalists if they would publish a press release for me just because I am their friend. Likewise, as a journalist I would never publish something that wasn’t newsworthy just because my friend gave me the press release.

What they should promise is to work their ass off to get your press release in front of the eyes of as many targeted reporters as possible. No random lists of hundreds of reporters, (because guess what, the religion reporter doesn’t want your quarterly earnings report) no guarantees of publicity, and no fluffy press releases. Just hard work, focused on the right publications and the right reporters.

Get serious about the press release services you want. Keep the fluff on your website and the facts in your press release.

Public relations is changing. This is a fact that is not lost on PR companies, bloggers or the press. It’s often lost on companies with news to release however. I get queries from a lot of clients still looking for a more traditional approach and who try to rebuff efforts to take a more contemporary approach, e.g, blog posts, social media, collaborative events, or guerilla marketing. They want a traditional press release–on paper and physically mailed in a media kit–thank you very much.

Then I read this post in Mashable by Jonathan Rick about rethinking the press release. While he admits the press release isn’t dead, he perhaps places too much emphasis on using social media to get the word out. It’s an interesting read because he’s right in so many ways about using social media as part of an effective PR campaign to brand a business and connect with customers–and even reporters. However, I think it diminishes the importance of the press release and as a journalist for nearly 20 years that makes me bristle.

The press release in its traditional, formal, unexciting form still has a place in any media campaign. Breaking news in a blog post or on Twitter is great if you are a large established brand with hundreds of thousands of followers. If you are a company trying to make your way, you aren’t going to be heard beyond the people who are already fans.

Just like the press release is not yet dead neither is traditional media–yet. The fact of the matter is unless you are already on a journo’s radar no one is going to be checking your blog for news on a regular basis. You still need to be proactive in trying to get coverage. The best way to do that is to reach out to reporters directly. With a press release that cuts the fluff and drives straight to the facts. And people do, in fact, still read/watch traditional media.

That said, a press release sent to traditional media should only be one part of your campaign. An important one, but not the only one. Breaking news on your blog first is a great way to connect with loyal customers by giving them “the inside scoop” and giving them the feeling that they are valued. Announcing your news online, to bloggers and via social media reaches bloggers and potential customers who like to get their news online.

The bottom line is, social media is a great way to connect in a more personable way with your customers. Press releases have one main intent and that is to break news. Use both methods for the most effective campaign. The argument about whether the press release is dead should stop. The real question should be “What is the best way to make the press release and social media work together to get the most from my public relations campaign?”

Depending what generation you were brought up in, you may have been taught that the best path in life is to secure a great job, keep your nose to the grindstone and stay there until you retire. If you were brought up in a middle class household maybe you were told to get into a government position like working with the county or the city. If you were upper middle class you were probably told to finish college, join a fraternity or sorority and draw on your networks to climb the corporate ladder. Either way, that advice may have been good back in the day but it’s worthless now.

Image: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

These are the days of the Apocalypse. OK not really but I like to think of the money making landscape as a dry and barren Mad Max style place where anything goes and all the old rules won’t stand up against the new revolutionaries. It’s an every man for himself place where ingenuity and opportunism are king.

You can think of it as a positive Wonka-land place where opportunity exists in every corner and money hangs off trees for those creative enough to find a way to reach it. Either way, this ain’t your grandma’s work place. So take that old square frame off this picture and start thinking free form. That means one thing—you’ve got to lose your job.

Why your job is holding you back

You’ll never get rich with your current job. You may think you are secure because you get a steady paycheck but we both know you really aren’t. That paycheck can stop coming at any time. Then where will you be? I’ll tell ya, you’ll be out hitting the pavement along with the rest of the corporate world looking for that company that wants to grow rather than downsize in this economy.

There’s no excuse for that anymore. These days if you stretch your mind you’ll find you can make money in a variety of ways. Right now people are making cash by changing brides names for them when they get married at (Imamrs.com) or by getting hired to be faux paparazzi and take pictures of average people paparazzi-style (methodizaz.com) or driving a catering truck that caters to dogs (fidotogo.net)

That’s out of the box thinking people.

The thing about being your own boss is that you can make money whenever you want. You can turn the faucet on and have lots of beautiful shiny dollars flow out or you can turn it off and catch your breath. If you really need an influx of cash you can let that faucet gush. The thing is you are in control. When was the last time you were able to pad your paycheck to pay for that little trip to theFiji?

In order to take control of your life you need to first get in the mindset that your job isn’t security, you are. Your job is actually an anchor holding you down and you alone can choose to set yourself free. Now is the time to make the decision to shift your thinking away from the “safety” of the anchor and get the courage to start believing in yourself. Are you ready?

Do you ever get sick of the question, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?” Or how about the alternate “What are your business goals for the new year?” Honestly I think that this topic should be on your mind throughout the year. I mean really, do you just revisit your business goals once a year?

Actually, I’m kinda lying here because I do revisit a “resolution”, if you want to call it that, at this time each year. I always remind myself to live without fear and I take stock in the year and determine whether or not I did so. But reminding myself to live withouth fear is something I do all yeear long. Every once in a while I think about it and reinforce that thought in my mind.

What is a life without fear?

It doesn’t mean bungee jumping or sky diving — unless that’s your thing. It means saying yes to things. Saying yes usually opens up new opportunities.

When I was dating, I had no shortage of suitors. I said yes to dates with anyone who asked me. I was an equal opportunity dater. My theory? If I said yes and went out with this mediocre guy, I might a.) discover I really like him or b) discover he has a brother/roommate/friend I really like. So I said yes (too a date mind you, nothing more. I wasn’t that kinda girl).

Eventually, I met my husband in an unusal way (Interesting story, remind me to tell you one day). I did some research before our date–like I always do–and discovered … Gasp! … he had a girlfriend he had been dating for two years. Most people would send furious calls to his pager followed by the 911# indicating it was urgent (this was before Facebook) and when he finally called give him a piece of their mind.

Me, on the other hand. I let the lava hot flame inside me subside to a spark-ready simmer and said “yes”. I went out with him to confront him about why he would ask me out when he had a long time girlfriend. I would do this, of course, after ordering my expensive meal. But what I found out was that he had broke up with the girl about a year before and my informant hadn’t really known that. If I hadn’t said yes, I would’ve ruined my future marriage and three children.

Great romantic story Shelly, but WTF does it have to do with me and my business?

In order to say yes you need to get over your fear. The same opportunities that arise from saying yes in your personal life arise when you say yes in business. But you won’t overcome that fear by reminding yourself once a year. You should look at your business goals in depth at least every quarter. I have shorter term business goals that I have written down and carry with me everywhere I go so that they are always top of mind.

With personal goals I do the same. Of course it’s easy for me because I only have the one. When opportunities arise and I’m tempting to say no I always ask myself if I’m saying no because that’s the best thing to do or if I’m saying no because I’m afraid. When I reflect back at last year, I see that the first half of the year I followed my plan accordingly. By the last quarter not so much.

This year if you are going make a resolution make it to live every resolution throughout the year.

“You need to change your website so that it appeals to everyone.” That’s what a friend once told me when I was asking for suggestions about what was good and bad about my business. My retort was “Why?” She just shook her head like I was some clueless child.

The thing she didn’t understand is that I don’t want to work with everyone. In fact, I don’t want to provide copywriting, web content writing or press release servcies to just anybody. I only want to work with the people who get me. Even if it means less money. And for some stupid reason all the worst clients are the ones with all the money ready to toss it at you like confetti at the end of American Idol. Still, I don’t care. You shouldn’t either.

Clients you don’t jive with are a pain in the ass

You are an entrepreneur, but if you were an employee looking for a job would you work for a company you didn’t like? Or a place you didn’t fit in? I mean given a choice, of course. No you wouldn’t, unless you absolutely had to work someplace sucky. However, every day entrepreneurs accept clients they would never work for in the corporate world. They accept these hard-to-work with clients because they think they have no other choice, because they need the money. That’s b.s. because there are a million kagillion potential clients on the internet. That’s a true number. I checked.

Instead you go for the low hanging fruit. These are sometimes clients you may not want. The problem with working with these clients is that they won’t understand your business philosophy. For instance a company who places high values on being kind to the environment and being nice to animals by not eating them is just going to be different than a tech company. What sometimes happens though is that tech company sees your spiffy site and thinks it’s trendy. The tech company wants trendy. They see your environmentally friendly stance and they think “Well hey, I care about the environment too. I like animals. This eco-friendly company sounds great.” Then they hire you.

Here’s where things get tricky. You like to take things easy. You believe in a work/life balance. You sit around in your bikini on your patio while working on copywriting projects for clients. OK that’s me, but you probably sit around in cordoroys and flip flops and work in a cafe completing projects because you are the enviro guy. The tech client on the other hand is married to his Blackberry. In fact, he actually sleeps with it. He’s always connected. In fact, at some point you’ll have insomnia and check your email at 3 a.m. and notice he has just sent you an email asking for progress on the project he gave you earlier that day and he’ll be upset that you aren’t up at 3 a.m. emailing him a response. Further, he won’t understand when you try to explain to him that you don’t work that way.

Of course, it could be the opposite. Maybe you are the tech guy and you are tempted to hire that laid back enviro. Yeah, it could get frustrating.

There will always be another client

You know how when you break up with someone all your friends tell you there will be someone else, only, you don’t believe it and you think “There will be no one else,” but in the end there always is? That’s how it is with clients.

To elminate getting into the situation in the first place make sure your company philosophy is accurately reflected in your site and product design.  Screw trying to attract everyone. It doesn’t mean more money. It means more headaches. If your philosophy shines through your brand the people you want to work with will magnetically attract to you.

Define the perfect client

Do this exercise. Imagine your perfect client. How are they dressed? What environment are they in? How do they run their day? Is it fast-paced and driven or is it laid back and slower paced? What problems does this client face on a regular day? What solutions do they want? What do they do in their spare time? Define this client in extreme detail and you will know your client. Anyone who isn’t that client shouldn’t be in your client roster. Move on and find another.

Get involved in like-minded causes

The clients you want to work with probably congregate someplace. Discover where. Tap into social sites online that cater to your interests and engage. You don’t have to promote your business but just be social. Create relationships in those circles and word will get around about your business.

Tell people what type of clients you want

Consider creating a work philosophy or mission statement and include it on every contract you send to clients. If you only check email twice a day be clear about that upfront. If you don’t work weekends make that known. In this age of constant connect people–and I mean clients–expect you to be available at their beck and call. Maybe you are OK with that or maybe you prefer that. Either way by making that clear up front you give a potential client (headache) a way to back out or at the very least they know where you stand on the working relationship.

The key to attracting clients you want is to get rid of the ones you don’t want. That will free you up to do an exceptional job for the clients you like and in turn attract more of them.

In this economy, no matter how well I am doing financially when I shop I shop for bargains. On everything. The exceptions being, cheese and chocolate–sometimes you just get what you pay for and cheese and chocolate are worth paying for. My kids on the other hand are seriously brand conscious. Although I never realized just how much until I took them to Las Vegas for the first time.

My boys were about 3 and 4 and by the time we got settled into our room on the very top floor of a tall hotel, it was already dark. So we held them up to look out the window at the busy street below (No not Michael Jackson style. We kept the window closed.) A string of car headlights could be seen on the strip below, flashing signs advertised the latest entertainment, and everything for miles and miles was a glittery, sparkling blur.

We held them up to look at all the excitement and my 4-year -old exclaimed “There’s ‘donolds!” Yup Internet, among the glitzy signs with half-naked ladies, the neon “Loosest slots” signs and the mega casino markers, there were the McDonald’s golden arches in all their Vegas-style flashy neon glory.

The iconic marker was a tiny blip among all the flashing going on. I never would’ve picked it out of all that. Then again, I’m not 4 years old.

Brand-names beat our generic unless you are a bargain shopper

I don’t want to go on about the McDonald’s story and how they became the mega behemoth burger barn they are but there is a lesson about branding here. Unless you are a bargain shopper brands will always win out over generic.  If passing through an unknown town with only two burger options–a McDonald’s offering a product you know and trust (don’t start about the meat or product sourcing, I’m trying to make a point here) and some unknown joint with a rickety storefront and a product that you’ve never tried before and seems somewhat questionable–you will go with the McDonald’s.

That is unless you are one of those thrifty moms who made homemade burgers with Wonder Bread like my mom did–and apparently Eddie Murphy’s mom too if you ever saw his show Raw.

The mystery burger joint may not be generic but McDonald’s has the brand recognition. Brand recognition will give you a boost over other brands whether they are generic or not.

And finally the point: You are generic

I digress as ususal. My point is you can win the branding game in two ways. Stand out among the generic brands by not being generic. Second, stand out among all of your competition by creating kick-ass brand recognition.

So many people start a business and want to appeal to everyone, so they make it generic. They have a squeaky clean website layout–probably a template–they use a “professional” tone, they use “professional” colors and they think this package makes them look successful and “professional.” Maybe, but it doesn’t set you apart. That’s what branding is all about.

When I was a kid and generic brands first started becoming available they were packaged in nondescript packaging with solid bold letters that explained what it was: BREAD. There was nothing fancy about it.  Sure people bought generic because it was cheap but Kraft or Kellogg brands just stood out.

If you’ve got a great, quality product, don’t be afraid to stand out from the pack. Forget someone else’s perception of “professional.” Create a brand that represents who you are and what your company is all about. If your service or product is quality that stand-out brand will gain recognition and grow.

I just finished reading a terrific post by a guy I totally love, Mars Dorian. I am so totally glad you are back Mars! Anyway, he wrote a post on showing your vulnerable side and how this can totally benefit your business.

I’ve never been one to show fake successful stats or to show only my successes but lately, I’ve sure had a butt-load of successes. So when I read the post by Mars about how bloggers shouldn’t just show their pitch-perfect successful selves I bristled a little. I’ve worked super hard at building my little empire and I’m damned proud of it. Recently I was intereviewed in a story that ran in U.S. News & Report and one of my business tips also appeared on Dr. Shannon Reece’s website. So I bragged about that on social media. I’ve also recently bragged about how my business has tripled its revenue this year.

And though I still think I’m not over the top or misleading about my image or my success and even though I’m about to roll out a program that will make my every move transparent next year, that Mars Dorian post got to me a bit. So I thought I’d go ahead and admit to some of my flubs.

There is another reason I do this though. Have you ever been in line in the supermarket and seen those hideous shots of celebrities without makeup or the close ups of their fat-cellulite thighs? I never read those magazines but I LOVE THOSE PICTURES! I love them because even if it’s my favorite celebrity, seeing those flaws shows me that they aren’t super human and that I in fact can look like that if I magically gain the discipline to never eat a cookie again in my life and work out six hours a day.  So I thought maybe people would be interested in my flaws too. Maybe, it would make my successes seem attainable to others. So here are a few doozies I’ve made in the last few years:

1. I once allowed someone to try to negotiate a deal with me on my rates for a project. Not only did I accept a lower rate but then they scope jacked me and it turned into a bigger project. Eventually I realized I was effectively being paid about $4.50 an hour. I had to dump the project without pay for what I had already completed.

2. I have missed opportunities to publicize my own news–even though my business is specializing in press releases and other types of business exposure.

3. From time to time I have allowed business to get in the way of personal experiences even though I fully believe in a life/work balance.

So there you have it. Some of my embarrassing mistakes. I’m sure there are others but I’ve no doubt buried them deep in my mind. The point is to go forward with your own business knowing that everyone is vulnerable, everyone makes mistakes and everyone who is successful, continues the pursuit of success despite those setbacks. In fact, those mistakes are the building blocks upon which you build your business. They create a solid foundation because usually when you make those mistakes, you learn from them and never make them again.

Maybe telling all is not for you. Maybe showing your vulnerability in business is not something you believe in. That’s OK. But at the very least, don’t be afraid to learn from those mistakes.

Shelly Cone is a journalist, public relations professional,
and press release writer. She is also the owner of Beach Betty Public
Relations, a California lifestyle design company offering press release
services, media relations and collaborative marketing events to help you
design your life by growing your business.

By Shelly Cone

Do you remember those days when you were just a kid coming home from school full of stories to tell and your mom would offer you a freshly-made cookie, sit down and ask about your day?

Yeah, I don’t know what I’m talking about, I didn’t have that mom either. But I do remember anxiously trying to wrestle her attention away from Phil Donahue’s talk show to tell her all about the nuances of my day. I’m talking EVERY SINGLE DETAIL. I would tell her what we had for lunch, I’d tell her about how Lisa stole my turn at the tetherball court just because I turned around to talk to that boy she likes. I’d talk about the joke Mr. Mitchell told and how it was so funny that Michael laughed until he turned blue and had to be taken to the nurse’s office, and geez that teacher is so great he really deserves a raise. I told my mom all the news I had to share. Now that I have kids, I realize I wasn’t the only chatty child.

Kids love to share their news with you. So it makes me think that naturally we all like to share our stories. That’s wonderful if you are an entrepreneur. However, the funny thing is, most entrepreneurs start a business and then clam up. They tell everybody about their plans to start a business, then when it’s off the ground it’s like it’s some big secret. So if it’s natural to share news and tell your stories why don’t businesses do it more often?

Because a lot of business owners assume they have no news. (That didn’t stop me when I was a kid. I thought EVERYTHING about my day was news.) Really what most businesses need is someone to help them discover what they need to share and how to do it. And believe me, you’ve got more news to share then you think.

Start with press release services

A simple press release will help you share your news. And a press release writer can help you discover what news you should be sharing. Sure you can probably write a press release yourself, but be honest, is that what you really do best? A press release writer knows what information will tickle a reporter’s fancy and what format online press release distribution sites require. Sure you’ve got skills but a press release writer has mad skills in the area of press release services.

Pitch your press release to reporters

If you are pitching reporters yourself make sure you distribute your press release to the right places. Start local. No, getting your press release published in your hometown newspaper isn’t the same as getting a feature in Entreprenuer magazine, but it’s still publicity and you’ve got to start somewhere. If nothing else it gives you a clip to add to your portfolio.

After including your local media work outward. Hit up the next largest media outlets in your metro area. Then go broader than that. Then hit up the major leagues. Don’t be afraid to pitch your press release to the major magazines in your niche.

Then tell EVERYONE else about your news

Seriously, tell everyone. At the barbershop or salon, at the grocery store check out line or at the sandwich shop waiting for your tuna on rye you have the opportunity to tell people about your business. You never know who may be interested in your business. I know of which I speak.

Once upon a time I left journalism and public relations to spend seven years in real estate. I kicked ass. One of the reasons was my website. The other reason however, was I took a common prospecting technique and gave it a little twist. Instead of door knocking and telling residents about my real estate services I decided to go to businesses where I had a build-in audience. Then I told them about my services whether they liked it or not. Everyday I came back with about five leads from either someone at the business, a friend of someone at the business or a patron of the business that overheard my pitch.

So it really does make sense to tell everyone about your business.  And if you still can’t bring yourself to tell everyone, consider enlisting the help of your children.

Shelly Cone is a journalist, public relations professional, and press release writer. She is also the owner of Beach Betty Public Relations, a California lifestyle design company offering press release services, media relations and collaborative marketing events to help you design your life by growing your business.

By Shelly Cone

I get lots of inquiries on a daily basis from potential clients looking for press release services. Of those I close a few deals but some decide to go elsewhere for various reasons. Sometimes it’s because of price, other times it’s because they aren’t sure what they want. But the reason that gets me the most is they want “another writitng style.”

I think this is funny because, though I have a very particular voice, my press releases generally follow the proper format and don’t have all the snark and snarl that my blog posts and other writing has. Then I finally figured out what they mean when they say they don’t like my writing style.

My press releases are pretty straightforward. However, some people want a whiz bang press release. Something that is splashy and sexy and jumps out at you and makes people want to read it. Those people are confused. I mean who are you trying to target? That’s the first question you’ve got to ask.

Let me back up a bit. There are two types of content and most people get them mixed up. There is the press release, which is targeted at reporters and announces something newsworthy. Reporters read the news you are giving them in this press release and they decide whether or not they are interested enough to do a story or investigate further into your news.

The other piece of writing is an article. Whether you write it, a publicist writes it, a blogger writes it or a reporter writes it, you are writing for readers or customers. An article should grab attention and should have a splashy and fun headline.

However, the two are not the same. Most of the time businesses hire me as a press release writer to write a press release announcing their news in the hopes that news reporters will get wind of the news and give them some publicity. However, when they see the press release they are disappointed that it isn’t splashy and shiny.

The reason you can’t do that with press releases is because of the intended audience. In the case of a press release the intended audience is reporters. They want easy access to the facts. They don’t want fluff. If they have to wade through fluff and splash trust me, they won’t. They will toss it aside or pass it on to the advertising department. That’s not to say your press release shouldn’t be intriguing or interesting, because it should be but it just shouldn’t be too over the top.

The other reason that a press release should be written in a toned down style is because many online press release submission sites will reject press releases that appear too promotional.

Whether you are writing your own press release or hiring a press release writer don’t worry too much about exciting writing. The main thing you should look for is that the press release writer has gotten the appropriate news in the press release, it’s an interesting read and it’s in the proper format. Keep it simple and you’ll do fine when it comes to grabbing a reporter’s attention.

Shelly Cone is a journalist, public relations professional, and press release writer. She is also the owner of Beach Betty Public Relations, a California lifestyle design company offering press release services, media relations and collaborative marketing events to help you design your life by growing your business.