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For example, how do you let people in on what you are doing? You might start with a press release, says Levine, whose stable of blue-ribbon clients includes Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Bill O'Reilly, David Bowie, Demi Moore and Jon Stewart. Levine writes:
"A Wall Street Journal report that explained the paper's editorial philosophy and practices noted that 90 percent of its coverage originates with companies making their own announcements. Most of the time, those announcements begin with a press release."
In 25 information-packed pages, Levine gives you the nuts and bolts of creating and sending out a professional press release that will be picked up. Included are sample press releases along with details of how to create "The Perfect Press Kit" (print and video); stage press conferences, parties and magnet events; deal with newspapers, magazines and broadcasters; and make the most out of trade shows.
The Blurred Lines of PR and SEO/SEM
Recently, I attended a half-day seminar on search engine marketing and search engine optimization put on by Network Solutions. This was all about getting yourself and your company noticed on the Internet by getting listed on Google and Yahoo. It turns out, digital spiders crawl all over the Web and vacuum up new stuff to add to the exponentially expanding olio. If a new Web site shows up, the spiders will appear every three days looking for more. If they find nothing new, they come back every 10 days. If the site is static, they stop coming.
If you care about a Web presence, said the Network Solutions folks, one technique is to send at least one information-heavy news release of 250 words or more per month. One a week is better. Be sure to include keywords and hyperlinks. Follow the rules of SEO/SEM and in three to six months, you, too, will be a player. Think of it! The high-tech, complex business of taming search engines starts with the lowly press release.
On a personal note, let me say I wrote my first press release that was picked up by newspapers at age 15, when I was an apprentice at the Ivoryton Connecticut summer theater, and I have been writing them on and off for the past 60 years. Levine's book alerted me to several things, I am embarrassed to say, that I have been doing wrong.
"Guerilla PR 2.0" is loaded with war stories of great campaigns, short-burst "Tips & Traps," checklists and perhaps the two most important lines in the book:
There are two speeds in modern PR-fast and dead.
If you are faced with a crisis (e.g., the media are all over your tail for some alleged misconduct, impropriety, or misstatement), your first duty is to respond immediately. Do not delay in dealing with the problem.
In other words, the cover-up will get you into more trouble than the original misdeed.
Denny Hatch is a freelance direct marketing consultant and copywriter. Visit him at www.dennyhatch.com, or contact him via e-mail at dennyhatch@yahoo.com.
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