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The how-to-do-it e-newsletter for PR and marketing
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Tales from the morgue - and elsewhere
When I first became a journalist on the Worthing Herald (more years ago than I care to remember), I spent a lot of time in the morgue. The morgue, in case you’re wondering, was what the reporters used to call the library of press cuttings. In those pre-internet days, it was a vital resource when you were researching a story.
The old press cutting morgue still exists on some papers, but when it comes to researching a story these days, the Web is invariably more important for most journalists. I mention all this because we at New Venture Publishing have recently conducted a detailed study of what companies are doing with online PR. We researched online PR activity in 107 companies and public sector organisations.
One issue I’ve found as a working journalist is that there are still lots of organisations that don’t have a dedicated press or media centre on their website. Even a significant number of those that do, don’t provide media contact details. Anyway, you’ll find a taster of some of our study’s findings in the next article in this issue.
Marc Beishon is an editor, writer and sub-editor who has some views on online PR. He points out that there are many ways to reach people these days – such as the Web, e-mail newsletters, podcasts and social media. Marc tells us what he’s looking for from PR people in the “Five minutes with” slot.
With the optimists saying that the recession is ending – but the pessimists warning that there’s more pain to come – building skills to take on new business should be a priority in most PR agencies. Trouble is, after more than a year of downturn, some firms are finding that funds are short. Which is why Clare Elsley’s experience is valuable. Clare is a director at Leeds-based Campuspr and she describes how they gained grants to part-finance £8,000 of training at the agency.
Whether you’re training this year or not – and whether you work in an agency or other organisation – let’s hope that 2010 is better than 2009. Good luck for the year ahead.
Peter Bartram
Editor
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Exclusive: Top 10 PR issues for websites
Peter Bartram explores issues that 107 organisations said were important for doing PR on their websites
Online public relations looks like becoming the hottest PR topic in 2010. But exactly what are users doing about it? There’s a lot a discussion but few hard facts. So New Venture Publishing – which publishes PR Success Monthly – decided to find out.
We’ve conducted a study of what 107 companies as well as organisations in the public and not-for-profit sectors are already doing with online PR – and what they plan to do in the future. The full eye-opening findings are being published in an e-book which accompanies the new Perfect Online PR Masterclass which takes place on 23rd February.
In all, we looked at no fewer than 51 different online PR issues. This is a taster – of 10 issues which the organisations said were important for their websites. We asked the organisations to rank a range of issues in order of importance. In reverse order, the top 10 are:
10. Running promotions to attract website visitors. There’s wide recognition that, with millions of websites, you need to work hard to generate traffic. And you need to give visitors a good reason to come to your website – and return in the future.
9. Selling products and services online. Websites aren’t just about information – they can generate real revenue. That applies whether you’re a company selling goods for a profit, or a charity appealing for donations online.
8. Including a blog by somebody in the organisation. But the problem is that too many blogs attract few regular readers. A good blogger is somebody with a passion for his or her subject and a willingness to express their views in imaginative and creative ways.
7. Containing links to third party websites. No man is an island (said the poet John Donne). No websites either. Especially those that want to attract visitors. And to build links you must be prepared to give as well as take. So it’s not surprising the more important issue is…
6. Attracting links from third party websites. This is one of the issues which is becoming more significant when it comes to improving search engine rankings.
5. Capturing user contact data through on-screen forms. But those who are most successful at doing this are those that have something useful to offer. Lots of people are prepared to provide their contact details if they know they’re getting something useful in return. (Such as those who register for PR Success Monthly at www.prsuccess.co.uk!)
4. Inviting user feedback for improvements. The cyberspace equivalent of the suggestions book. OK, you get some unhelpful comments from internet pranksters. (But you got those in the suggestions book.) Organisations that succeed best are those with an open mind to constructive criticism and ideas for improvement.
3. Using search engine optimisation. Perhaps one of the biggest weapons in the battle for building site traffic. But it’s becoming more and more complex and technical and there is lots of confusing and contradictory advice on the web. Many firms are using the growing army of SEO specialists.
2. Including a dedicated area for the press or media. Obvious, you’d have thought, if you want to develop online PR. But surprising how many organisations don’t have a press area. Or, if they do, fill it with uninspiring propaganda – instead of newsworthy releases and helpful briefings - and fail to provide media contact details.
1. Providing regular information updates. This was the most significant issue for the organisations in our study. If you’ve got a message, your website can get it to your audience without the help (or hindrance) of intermediaries, such as newspapers, magazines and broadcasters. But, then, you have to attract the visitors if they’re going to see the message.
Learn more about online PR. The Perfect Online PR Masterclass in London on Tuesday 23rd February helps PR and marketing professionals to develop an effective PR strategy for their own or their clients’ organisations. For more details and online booking visit www.perfectonlinepr.co.uk.
Five minutes with... Marc Beishon
Marc Beishon is a very experienced all-rounder working as a freelance editor, writer, subeditor and publisher. He is co-editor of Winning Edge magazine and works for titles and corporates in the business, health, IT and telecoms sectors. 1. What I want from PR people is…
… to make themselves visible and available. Goodness knows how many hours I've wasted trying to track down internal PRs or external agencies when there are no details on a website. I also expect them to be courteous and open to dealing with “lesser titles” as much as the nationals, recognising also that nowadays there are many ways to market – web, e-mail newsletter, podcasts, social media, etc. Above all, a fast response is expected for a simple request such as e-mailing a picture.
2. The best way to get my attention is…
… the proven way – a decent e-mailed press release or proposal. I prefer e-mail to the telephone unless it's a huge issue. Because I don't always know what I'll be working on I'm happy to get a wide selection of subject matter and if it's not of immediate use I ferret away stuff in folders for future use.
3. But please don’t…
… badger me with follow-up calls unless you're pretty certain I've missed something useful or important.
4. When pitching a story to me…
… please don't send stuff that is far too basic or “granny sucking eggs”. I'm seeing a tendency to take the easy option and send out say opinion outlines that really cover the basic ground of 10 years ago. Try and present ideas that are of the present and take the “debate” on a notch or two.
5. If you’re sending a press release…
… I want the supporting materials – such as pictures – or links to them. I like press releases that also have a couple of angles to them – if it's a straightforward product release it's good to have some pointers to the wider issues the company is involved with as that may not be obvious.
6. The most successful PR people are…
… those who really know how to educate clients on the workings of the media and create multiple channels of communications/information with clients to slice and dice varying levels of story from the technical to the political.
Pitch perfect! The Perfect Pitch Masterclass in London on 14th April 2010 is an intensive half-day session which shows you how to pitch ideas to journalists successfully by e-mail or telephone. See full details and book online at www.perfectpitchmasterclass.co.uk.
Grants for PR training: tough but worth it
Clare Elsley, director at Leeds-based Campuspr, reveals how the firm accessed grants for £8,000 worth of staff training
Our company, Campuspr , has been in existence for 10 years now, and over the past couple of years has really matured and grown. Our growth has been organic so far, and at times quite stressful in terms of managing workload. So we recognised in early 2009 that the time had clearly come for some more strategic planning to help us continue to grow our business.
With this in mind the first logical step was Business Link to discuss potential training. We met an incredibly helpful advisor who made us aware of the assistance available.
An ERDF fund, called the Enhancement Fund, had been set up in Yorkshire to help small businesses like ours to finance the training necessary for growth. At the time we applied, it would reimburse 60 per cent of our training costs. This has subsequently been reduced, but there is still funding available albeit at around 40 per cent. At the time of our application, companies could request assistance with up to £20,000 worth of training for activities that would have a real business benefit.
After discussion with our advisor, and having an idea of the sorts of training we’d need, we were referred to a Business Link Skills Advisor. As company directors, we felt we needed some training in how to think more strategically about our business. Through one of our clients, we also knew of a consultant we felt was a good fit for our business and who could provide the training we needed.
At the same time, we saw that New Venture Publishing ran a Perfect Proposals and Presentations Course. Its content looked excellent and in line with what we believed we needed – training to make sure our proposals, and the way we approached working with new clients - were as professional as possible. After gaining costs from both our business consultant and New Venture Publishing, we had a discussion with a BL Skills Advisor who put together an application on our behalf to the Enhancement Fund.
We had to provide course outlines of both the training courses we wanted to undertake, a list of the personnel involved and company information on the forms we filled in. Our Skills Advisor did the rest. But this is where it gets a bit tricky – our application was put in front of a panel who agreed that we were eligible. Following this, we were invited to attend a seminar about the ERDF forms and evidence we had to collect to reclaim our money.
The seminar was well worth attending. To reclaim training expenses, we had to fill in a raft of forms for each course, both as a company and as individuals. Additionally, we had to provide evidence from our training providers, invoices and proof of payment. In light of the work involved – and the fact that the Fund has been reduced - we wish now that we’d thought more deeply about future training needs and had the cost of these agreed at the same time. Having said that, we’re now much more aware of the free, and relatively low cost, options available through Business Link directly.
The whole experience, despite being quite long and convoluted, was well worth it. The total cost of our training was in the region of £8000. We’ve had some great training which has immediately altered our business for the better – and without the Enhancement Fund we may not have been able to undertake it.
Train to gain! You can book online for the next open Perfect Proposals & Presentations Masterclass in London on Wednesday 3rd March, or for an in-house course in your own offices, at: www.perfectproposals.co.uk.
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Contents
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Diary dates:
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PR training events for 2010 Book now for PR training in 2010 Perfect Press Release Masterclass, London. Wednesday 27th January 2010.
A journalist’s eye view on how to write releases that make it into print
"Just to let you know I am very grateful for your Perfect Press Release Masterclass. When I sent off my last press release, on the lack of ethics in the restaurant business, The Guardian picked it up and seem to have copied and pasted it. Apart from a couple of sentences, it really was my press release that they had made into an article. You bet I was well surprised as they didn't even contact us for more detailed information." - Hanna Backman, writer/researcher, Ethical Consumer
Perfect Public Relations Masterclass, London. Wednesday 17th February.
Key skills for winning press, broadcast and online PR coverage that deliver more business value
"I wanted to e-mail and say thank you very much to you [Peter Bartram] and Lizz [Clarke, the course presenters] for the inspirational course last Friday. It was really helpful and positive, I appreciated the ‘can do’ approach, and the books will no doubt be of great use in the months to come." - Bryony Hitchcock, marketing co-ordinator, Evolving Systems Ltd Perfect Online PR Masterclass, London, Tuesday 23rd February.
How to use new media to get your organisation’s PR message in front of the people who matter
This course introduces you to the basic principles of online PR and provides the information you need in order to develop an online PR strategy for your own organisation or your clients. The course is based on exclusive research into how 107 companies and public sector organisations are using online PR and the benefits they gain from it. Perfect Proposals & Presentations Masterclass, London. Wednesday 3rd March 2010.
How PR and marketing consultancies can improve pitches to win more business.
"I thought Jo [Lynn, the course presenter] was brilliant and, as a fellow woman working in PR, albeit a relative newcomer in comparison, extremely inspiring." - Lyndsey Hunt, Word Association
Writing for Publication Masterclass, London. Thursday 18th March 2010.
How to write news stories and feature articles that editors want to publish
“My colleague and I both found that the Writing for Publication Masterclass was an efficient solution to our writing needs. We received a very comprehensive list of ideas with which to improve the articles we write and copy edit for our internal magazine and on our intranet site. We were able to measure our understanding along the way with some quick tests, but no time was wasted and we accumulated knowledge and technique apace. Three hours after arriving we felt empowered and enthusiastic about writing for publication: this was money well spent!” - Bryony Ulyett, Internal Communications Executive, Corporate Communications, Halcrow Group
Perfect Pitch Masterclass , London. Wednesday 14th April 2010.
How to devise article and interview pitches that journalists really want to hear
“Overall, very solid course, with lots of real-life examples from editors. Very well structured Workbook, which will be valuable for my colleagues. Thank you.” Nick Vellacott, director, Highlight PR
"I really enjoyed the course - it felt like a breath of fresh air." - Ruth Palmer, Indigo Pink Communications.
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Just click on the title of each link and it will take you to the appropriate website. Be proud
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Worth knowing:
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Books for 2010
You can read a sample chapter from each of these books and buy online by clicking on the name of the book.
How to Write the Perfect Press Release , New Venture Publishing, £12.95.
“This is a book for people who want to get their company, their organisation, their leading personalities or their message into the media more often – and do it in a way that generates coverage which helps them achieve their objectives.”
How to Make Your Case in the Media , New Venture Publishing, £14.95.
“This is a book for people who find they suddenly have to face the media. It’s also a book for people who’ve already had a brush with the media, perhaps weren’t happy with the outcome – and want to perform better next time around.”
How to Write Well at Work , New Venture Publishing, £12.95.
“This is a book for people who want to improve their skills at workplace writing. Good, fluent writing designed to communicate meaning succinctly and effectively is a powerful business skill in its own right.”
How to Build a Winning Bid Team , New Venture Publishing, £12.95.
“We live in a binary world. You are either a winner or a loser. More than that, you win big or you lose big. You scoop the pool or you are left with nothing…”
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Contact details
We hope you find this newsletter of interest. If you have any queries or would like to make a suggestion about future content, please contact New Venture Publishing using the contact details below.
New Venture Publishing Ltd, 29 Tivoli Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 5BG, UK.
Tel: +44 1273 565505. E-mail: info@newventurepublishing.co.uk
© New Venture Publishing Ltd 2010. All rights reserved.
New Venture Publishing Ltd is registered in England & Wales, number 5606789
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