Monday 23 February 2015

Do you want to get your business into the news?

Do you want to get your business into the news? Don’t make the mistake of believing that the media release you just sent out will do the trick. The reality surrounding media releases is that news outlets get flooded with them every day and there is no guarantee yours will even be noticed.
Journalists commonly complain that they receive media releases that have no real news story in them at all. If you visit the media page of different businesses, you will see what some try to pass off as media releases. It often makes me shake my head. Many look like they were copied out of a sales brochure. Here’s a hint: the media will almost never care about what you are selling, and they won’t advertise for free, so don’t try to disguise an advertisement as a media release.
Don’t worry. There are things you can do to make your business and media releases more notable. I always suggest my clients try to do something newsworthy. Here are some creative ideas to get your business in the news.
  1. Tie something charitable to changes in your company. Unless you are a heavy hitter in the business world, the media would rather report that you are donating your used computers to underprivileged children than tell them that you are expanding your business. If it happens that the reason you are donating the computers is because you are in growth mode and need to revamp your entire network, then you could probably get both elements of the story covered in one shot. Be sure to make an event out of the donation and invite the media to attend (don’t be surprised if they don’t). Be prepared to take lots of pictures of your own to include with your follow up news release, in case they need to dump you in the last minute to cover a major news event like an explosion.
  2. If you are launching a new product that is particularly innovative, then host a media event and invite the media to try it out! Anything the media can experience for themselves is especially beneficial. If your innovative product doesn’t pack an immediate visual punch, then approach select beat reporters to try it for a period of time and ask them to write about the effect (nutritional supplements are an example of such a product).
  3. Create an event around your business. Leverage your relationships with other businesses to host an event that is related to your industry. If you are a retailer, think in terms of fashion shows or expos. What you are doing to create the event might make a good feature article. Once again, anything you can do to tie the event to a charity is a bonus. Your good work in the community you serve is always news.
  4. Do something outstanding. Businesses that do things nobody else does have good story potential. For example, we know about Toms because their business model revolves around their social values. We know about Apple because their products are highly innovative. If you are the only one doing something, that could be news, depending on how you position yourself.
Be sure to get help from a qualified PR professional. You will need media kits (digital and hard copy) a snappy news release and media connections to get the coverage you are hoping for.
Renée Cormier is a Public Relations and Communications Specialist, published author, sales and marketing strategist and all round great gal! Visitwww.reneecormier.com to contact.

Five Mistakes You Need To Avoid In Your Writing

One of my previous posts about English Grammar (Six Things People Say That Drive Me Nuts) sparked a lot of comments, so I thought it would be fun to follow up with another blog about grammar.
Although I am currently a Public Relations Professional, my first profession was teaching English to adult immigrants. I've always been a strong writer, but my teacher training in English as a Second Language along with the actual teaching of ESL, really boosted my grammatical foundation. They say the best way to learn something is to actually teach it. I found there is a lot of truth in that statement.
When I read people’s written content, I notice that certain errors commonly pop up. People are usually unaware of what they don’t know, so they unwittingly post things that just don’t read as well as they think. I have said it before, and I will say it again: poorly written content is confusing and therefore obscures your message. Here are a few things to watch out for:
Incomplete Thoughts: Although it seems pretty basic, a lot of people don’t seem to realize what constitutes a complete sentence in English.The basic form is Subject + Verb. Every sentence needs to have a subject (either implied or otherwise) and a verb in order to be considered a complete thought.
Then vs. Than: This one gets a lot of people going. Some people don’t seem to realize that “than” is used for comparison. Think of Simon and Garfunkle singing, “I'd rather be a hammer than a nail”. “Then” is used when sequencing action or marking time. “I was thinner, back then.” or “I bought groceries and then cooked dinner.”
Have vs. Of: The reason this is problematic for native speakers is because of the use of reductions in speech. The term “reductions” refers to the natural way native speakers of any language meld sounds together in every day speech. We say, “I would have” but it sounds like “I would of”. We naturally drop the “h” and get lazy with the “a”. Saying it that way is perfectly natural to North American English speakers and is quite acceptable. We don’t speak like robots, after all. Writing “of” instead of “have”, however, is completely incorrect. Don’t do it!
Misusing the Perfect Tense: I hear myself groaning even as I write this. The perfect tense uses “have” plus another verb. I recently read something that said “has came” instead of “has come”. The Simple Past uses “came” as in “He came home.” The form for the Present Perfect with “come” is as follows: Person + “have” in the present form plus “come”. Consider, “He has come home.” The Past Perfect of come is as follows: Person + have (past) + come. Consider, “He had come here before.”
Misusing Present Conditionals: I know you are probably wondering what they are. We use them all the time. Beyoncé sang, ‘If I Were a Boy”, and bravo for her, she got it right! Many people incorrectly use “was” when they use what is referred to as the Present Unreal Conditional. In this instance we are speaking in present time about something that isn’t real and does not reflect our current condition. The correct form is: If + person + were + object + comma + person + would. “If I were a carpenter, I would …” It is incorrect to say, “If I was a boy, I would…”
Grammar can be tedious, I know. Reading poorly written material is also tedious and detracts from the value of your message. FYI, I write content and proofread for people as well. Maybe you should call me.
If you want to learn more about grammar, Chompchomp.com is a great grammar website I found.
Renée Cormier is a Public Relations and Communications Specialist, published author, sales and marketing strategist and all round great gal! Visitwww.reneecormier.com to contact.

Monday 2 February 2015

Grab Your Content Marketing Lifeline!

Many entrepreneurs fail to understand the link between their own success and who they choose to help them meet their business objectives. There really aren’t many business people who can do everything well and manage all the work themselves. I believe it is important to gather people around you who have strengths you do not possess.
Consider the challenges of producing great content marketing. Some people churn that stuff out at warp speed, but the quality is weak. Not everyone realizes what they don’t know, however. Most of us went to school, and are literate, but few people can write exceptionally well or have a gift for being able to write with impact. Your content marketing needs to make a point clearly and concisely. No typos, or incomplete thoughts and no writing without actually making a definite point.
Ideally, your content should stem from a communications plan that reflects your communications objectives and key messages. If you aren’t clear on that, then you are simply throwing noodles up against the wall to see if they stick. Trust me when I tell you that most of those noodles won’t stick at all.
Professional communicators like me are the content marketer’s lifeline. We appear before you in many forms. Some have backgrounds in journalism and others, like me, have a sales and marketing background. Do yourself a favour and seek out a Public Relations / Communications Professional to help you with your marketing content. Doing it all yourself or paying amateurs to do it for you will hinder the growth of your business.
Here I am. I am throwing you a lifeline. Don't let yourself drown!
Renée Cormier is a Public Relations and Communications Specialist, published author, sales and marketing strategist and all round great gal! Visitwww.reneecormier.com to contact.