Home: Message List - Event: Leverage the local media to promote your biz

Event: Leverage the local media to promote your biz

SBOCTeam — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:54:19 GMT

Have you ever wanted to get your business featured in the newspaper? Or wanted to attract the TV crews to your business? Learn how you can leverage the media to get free publicity and attract more customers. Matt Ellis, of Ellis Strategies, Inc. is an expert in public relations and media. He will using the username PR_Boston to answer your public relations and media questions like:

What kinds of stories get covered in daily newspapers; in weekly newspapers; on TV or; on the radio?
How do I get my story to the right person?
Can I do it myself or do I need a PR firm?

Remember in order to ask a question, you must be a member, so sign up today if you haven't already; it's free and easy.

About Matt:
Matt Ellis is the founder and principal of Ellis Strategies, Inc., a strategic communications firm in Boston, MA. Matt is an award winning journalist with 20+ years of experience in television news and an acute understanding of how the media works.

Matt was the News Director for WBZ-TV in Boston from 2003-2005 and the Head Writer for Good Morning America from 2001-2003. Prior to that Matt was the News Director for WPRI-TV in Providence and the Executive Producer for local news at WCBS-TV in New York.

He has been honored with an Emmy Award from the New England Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, a George Foster Peabody Award from the University of Georgia and he has been recognized for excellence by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Associated Press.

Matt was kind enough to provide answers to some of the questions asked in advance. If you have a question for Matt, post it here. Please note, Matt will answer as many questions as possible but may not get to them all.

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

PR_Boston — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:05:35 GMT

Thank you for the opportunity to lead this discussion. I will keep an eye on future postings and try to answer questions from other members of the community as best I can.

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

SBOCTeam — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:03:27 GMT

Matt,

On behalf of the SBOC Team and the members of the Small Business Online Community, we wanted to say we truly appreciated your time today and your professional responses to user questions.

Community members, while our session with Matt has now concluded, please feel free to discuss today's session and the questions answered. Again, if you'd like more information about Matt and Ellis Strategies, Inc., visit:

http://www.ellisstrategies.com

Thanks again,
The SBOC Team

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

PR_Boston — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:00:42 GMT

Often times the media finds you when you don't want them. When such a situation arises it's best to already be prepared. That means having a "crisis communications" plan ready. Such plans should involve multiple members of an organization and address how you will handle media inquiries if something should happen.
There are usually ways to accentuate the positive and mitigate the negative but it's nearly impossible to do this without preparation.

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

SBOCTeam — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:56:01 GMT

Looks like we have time for two more questions. Here's one of them.

Media is not all about positive publicity, what happens if your business gets the media's attention but for something negative. How do you deal with that?

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

PR_Boston — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:53:26 GMT

The press release needs to contain:
Who
What
Where
When
Why
It's kind of like a news story i that way.
But, unlike a news story it doesn't have to contain two sides of a story. The goal of the press release is to get the media interested in talking to you and reporting on your business.

If there's no specific timliness to the story, I recommend issuing the press release during the middle of the week--early in the morning if you can. You can send it by email directly to a news organization or utilize distribution services like:
PR Newswire
BusinessWire
PR Leap
The Open Press (this one is free)

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

SBOCTeam — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:48:37 GMT

Community, we're approaching the end of the hour. Last chance to get those questions in.

Matt,

What is a press release and what does it contain? When do you issue out a press release and how do you do it?

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

PR_Boston — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:46:42 GMT

You should always expect a reporter to quote anything you say. Sometimes a reporter may say, "This is off the record," or "This is not for attribution." I always advise people to keep the entire conversation on the record so there is no confusion later on.

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

SBOCTeam — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:44:50 GMT

One great answer after the other!

Next we have:

Will a reporter quote everything you say?

Re: Live Now: Leverage the local media to feature your business

PR_Boston — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:42:03 GMT

Actually, radio advertising is more expensive than Yellow Pages. Radio is effective if you can sustain the message over a long period of time. Think about the Giant Glass guys in Boston who advertise on every Red Sox game. Who doesn't remember their phone number.
But, that takes a hefty budget.
Remember, too that advertising is paid placement and PR seeks free placements.