Specialty Books Boost Ad Agency PR

One of the best ways to enhance ad agency PR, and also help with new business initiatives, is for an agency principal or specialist to write a book. After being involved in writing or editing several books for clients—as well as helping market them—I’ve come to the conclusion that writing a book may be the easiest part.

Why? Because self-publishing has made it possible for just about anyone to be an author, and as a result there’s been an explosion of new books in recent years. To stand out, you need a specific audience to target and a plan to reach it.

Here are 10 tips for the person charged with generating publicity for a new agency book:

1. Quality endorsements are important to a book’s success, so get started on approaching influencers well in advance of the book’s actual publication.

2. Conduct a brief media training session to prepare the author for interviews and to answer questions he/she likely will get, and then develop several key messages (talking points) to use in interviews.

3. Create separate social media sites specifically for the book, and link to them from your agency’s website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, Twitter, etc.

4. Develop a customized list of media outlets and blogs you’d like to approach for publicity.

5. Hold a launch event to get the book off to a positive start, create momentum for it and generate some industry buzz.

6. Utilize a paid news service like PRWeb, PR Newswire or Business Wire to get the word out to a large audience of journalists and bloggers, especially targeting those who would be interested in the book’s topic. PRWeb is a personal favorite because it’s very cost effective, yet I’ve gotten great Internet coverage through Google and Yahoo news, trade publications, blogs and various news sites. It provides instant credibility when a journalist does a search on the book and/or author, and page after page of hits surface.

7. Use your agency newsletter, YouTube and other channels to announce the book internally and to clients. And, of course, you’ll want to integrate the book into your new business strategy.

8. After the first wave of launch publicity, write and distribute customized news media pitch letters to each outlet on your list, based on their particular audience and area of coverage.

9. Take the same approach with influential bloggers who reach your target audience and offer to do guest posts on their sites.

10. Identify author speaking opportunities where he/she would have the chance to sell the book. And be sure to take full advantage of places where the author already has connections, such as professional associations and networks.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to advertising agencies and businesses.

photo credit: Raymond Larose via photopin cc

Know Which Words to Use and Avoid for Ad Agency PR Success

Mark Twain once remarked that “the difference between the right word and the almost right world is the difference between lightening and the lighting bug.”

No where is that more true than in the world of journalism, which has its own particular style of language usage.

Recently I came across an article titled “20 words and phrases that will doom your pitch.” I sure didn’t want that to happen, so I read through the list to identify these “cursed words,” as the article described them.

You can read the list of words the article warns will sabotage your pitches and news release here. If you get as far as the comments section at the end, you’ll see additional words submitted by readers as candidates to add to the banned list.

“The reporters not only ignore these, they hold them up as points of mockery,” said.
Michael Smart, principal for MichaelSMARTPR. He and New York Times technology columnist David Pogue drew up the list of words and phrases that they say undermine a writer’s creditability.

The real problem with these 20 words is that they are more suitable for advertising copy than a news release or pitch letter.

Why is this a big deal?

Because there’s a big difference between the words and phrases used in advertising and journalism. Ad agencies that don’t understand this difference will have a hard time being successful with their publicity efforts or even being taken seriously.

Reporters are very sensitive to attempts to disguise advertising as news or use promotional language to hype a product, service, cause or company. They can sniff these out from a considerable distance, and it’s the quickly way to have your content tossed in the trash or deleted.

To be considered credible by the news media, you have to write your pitch as objectively as possible, emphasizing its news, trend or human interest aspect. Or, if you want to be considered as a source, focus on your expertise to comment on a particular topic and provide insights.

Being familiar with The Associated Press Stylebook will help you use appropriate journalism language and avoid faux pas. Think of it as a pocket language guide you’d want to take with when traveling to another country so that you can converse with locals.

The best way to maximize your chance of landing news media coverage is to write and think like a reporter – and, of course, have a good story to tell.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to advertising agencies and businesses.

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How to Maximize Ad Agency PR Success for New Business

You’ve just gotten a great media hit for your agency – now, how can maximize this important third-party validation for new business exposure?

For starters, make sure your clients, employees and other stakeholders get a copy of the article, broadcast interview or Internet story, and invite them to share it with others who may be interested. A handwritten cover note to clients is a nice added touch.

The coverage should also be displayed on your website, and you’ll want to write a post about it on your agency blog with a link to the story.

And, of course, you’ll want to utilize your social media channels to help get the word out by linking to the story.

If you have an agency newsletter, consider reprinting the article in the newsletter (after obtaining the publication’s permission to do so) or at least make mention of it by including highlights of the story. If it’s a radio or TV interview, include a few key quotes as excerpts.

Next, you can further expand your reach by doing a news release about the coverage, especially if it’s in a prominent national news media outlet. Paid online news release distribution services come in very handy in times like this.

And if you’re fortunate enough to get a national hit, be sure to alert your local news media as that may generate another round of publicity, or possibly be included in a future story about your agency.

Framed copies of newspaper and magazine articles are impressive when people are touring your agency, especially if you have a number of them to display along the walls or in a conference room.

 And, of course, you’ll want to include media hits as part of your new business pitch to answer the question “Why you should hire us?”

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to advertising agencies and businesses.

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Eight Tips for Ad Agency PR Spokespersons

In my previous post, I discussed the traits of highly effective spokespersons. If you have that role at your ad agency, here are a few thoughts from someone who’s been in your shoes:

1. Make sure you have the full support and backing of agency management before saying a word publicly about a particular issue.

2. Always go into an interview or news conference fully prepared. Know the subject matter inside out, and have people practice asking you questions and critiquing your responses.

3. Have a few key points you want to make, and find ways to work them into the conversation.

4. If you don’t know something, say so and offer to get back to the reporter with the answer as soon as possible.

5. Never try to bluff your way through—more likely than not, bluffing will come back to bite you.

6. Never deny the obvious. Sounds like common senses, doesn’t it? But it’s amazing how many people and organizations do that in hopes that things will change just because they deny there’s a problem. Trust me, that won’t work.

7. Record the interview or news conference. That way, if you’re grossly misquoted, you’ll have a way to prove what you actually said.

8. If the situation you’re dealing with could have significant ramifications for your agency and/or a client, get professional outside help. Individual consultants and firms that have experience dealing with news media day in and day out can provide valuable objectivity and expertise, and they’ll help keep you focused, on track and maintaining proper perspective.

And remember, you’re going to make mistakes—just try to make sure they aren’t big ones. IF you misspeak, don’t hesitate to correct yourself immediately or as quickly after the interview as possible.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to advertising agencies and businesses.

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14 Traits of Highly Effective Ad Agency PR Spokespersons

Having served as spokesman for a large international organization as well as for a variety of agency clients, I can attest that it is a challenging job, especially when dealing with hostile reporters who are trying to trip you up or make you look bad.

Being a spokesperson can be a high pressure chore, especially when you’re in the middle of a controversy or crisis. As the face and voice of the agency (or one of your clients), what you say can positively or negatively affect relationships with stakeholders, clients, competitors and other important audiences.

There weren’t any “Spokesperson 101” elective courses when I was in college, and I’d be surprised if there are many today. Absent a specific course on the subject, the best preparation is good media training, but even with such training I’ve found that the art of being an effective spokesperson is best learned through experience.

An important part of any ad agency PR initiative is finding a person well suited for the role of representing your agency to the world. Depending on your agency’s size and delegation of responsibilities, the role of spokesperson likely will go to one of the principals or to the highest-level PR person. (In some cases that person may be both.)

But more important than the person’s specific role in the agency is to possess certain traits. Obviously the person who serves as spokesperson must be knowledgeable about the agency, industry and specific topic at hand, but it takes more than that to be successful. Some things can be learned through experience, but there’s also a certain personality type that thrives in this job.

Here’s my list of 14 “must have” traits for an effective ad agency spokesperson:

1. High integrity; you can trust what this person says
2. Excellent communicator who is clear, concise and articulate
3. Able to reframe an issue in a positive way without sounding contrived
4. Well prepared
5. Likable personality
6. Confident but not cocky
7. Cool under pressure
8. Able to think on his or her feet
9. Not easily rattled
10. Doesn’t get defensive
11. Able to laugh at himself or herself
12. Learns from his or her mistakes
13. Takes criticism well and uses it to improve
14. X factor

The last one, which I’ve called the “X factor,” is something I can’t define—I just know it when I see it. If you think about good spokespeople you’ve observed over the years, you’ll see this X factor in them. Former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow had it. He possessed a sunny disposition and always struck me as someone who was born for that role. The not-so-good ones lack it. You can probably think of some of those folks on your own.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to advertising agencies and businesses.

photo credit: George Bludger via photopin cc

13 Ways to Build Ad Agency PR in 2013

If you’re looking to build your ad agency’s reputation this year, here are 13 PR tips for 2013. If your agency is already doing all these things, you’re doing well PR-wise—just keep up the good work this year and make sure you maintain a consistent effort.

If you’re doing some but not all of these things, consider adding the ones you’ve not yet tried and see how, over time, they enhance your visibility and boost your new business efforts.

If your agency is not doing any of these—wow, it’s high time you started taking PR more seriously because you’re likely losing business to competitors who are engaged in these activities.

1. Fine tune your agency’s messages so that you can convey your expertise clearly and concisely.
2. Shorten your pitch. In this age where sound bites, e-mail subject lines and Twitter characters dominate, it’s vital to “do more with less” by making your pitch a quick read that immediately gets to the point.
3. Regularly update your media list. People come and go, and failing to keep up to speed on who is covering your industry can be costly. Resources like Bulldog Reporter and Bacon’s Media Directories not only provide the latest listings of reporters’ contact information and the industries they cover, but they also have valuable insights on each reporter’s preferred method of contact, their deadlines and pet peeves, etc.
4. Get to know at least one reporter who covers your niche each quarter. That’s just four people this year, which is very manageable but could have a huge payoff. Not sure where to start? Try following the reporter you’re targeting on Twitter, Facebook and/or his or her blog. Not only will you learn a lot about this reporter’s interests, but you’ll also discover opportunities to comment and interact.
5. Get to know at least one blogger who covers your niche each quarter. Read that person’s blog regularly, comment when you have something worthwhile to add to the conversation, and when the time is right ask for an opportunity to submit a guest post.
6. Utilize a new channel, such as LinkedIn Answers, to help others seeking information and to position yourself as an expert.
7. Subscribe to receive daily e-mail updates from Help A Reporter Out (HARO),  BloggerLinkUp and RadioGuestList, and review them each day. These are free resources that bring interview opportunities to you.
8. Keep an eye out for opportunities to comment about what’s already in the news, such as trends or breaking news. Google Alerts can help you keep on top of news related to your niche, but you must act quickly because the media will soon be on to the next story.
9. When you see a story about a topic that you could have provided some great insights and commentary, rather than bemoaning the fact that you weren’t included in it, get in touch with the writer, tell him or her how much you liked the story, and then add an insight or two based on your experience. Close your note by offering to be a source for future stories related to the topic and thank the reporter for considering you down the road.
10. Use one or more paid online news release distribution services like PRWeb to expand your reach and generate buzz. A steady stream of news through these services will draw the attention of reporters and bloggers covering your industry, and also make it easier for prospects to find you.
11. Create an e-newsletter to comment on trends in the industry, and as you meet reporters and bloggers, ask if they’d like to be added to your mailing list. This keeps you front and center, and may trigger story ideas from those who read it. If nothing else, you’ll stay on their radar as a source when they do stories in your area of expertise.
12. Tell your agency’s story visually whenever possible. Photo sharing, infographics and visual story telling are growing at an incredible rate. This year it’s estimated that more than 90% of Internet traffic will be video based, and more than 800 million unique users visit YouTube each month. Pinterest is now one of the most popular social networks. Your prospects are there—are you?
13. Keep your blog current and its content top-notch. (You do have a blog, don’t you? If not, this is the year to start one.) Great content is one of the most important ways you can build a following among your target audience and consistently communicate your knowledge and expertise.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to advertising agencies and businesses.

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Trust Is the Core Issue in Instagram PR Controversy

This week’s Instagram flap once again shows how quickly a crisis can escalate when a company is perceived to have crossed a social mores line.

After reports circulated around news sites and the Internet that Instagram (which is owned by Facebook) essentially considered your photos its photos—and therefore could use or even sell them without your permission—scores of indignant users reportedly dropped the service.

Here’s what got people so riled in the new privacy policy update:

“[y]ou agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata), and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you.”

That wording seemed to indicate that Instagram had the right to sell photos to third parties at will, and then pocket the money.

The reaction was swift and angry. Instagram quickly went into crisis mode and issued a clarification. Turns out it was all a big misunderstanding due to poor communication and Instagram does not plan to sell your photos after all. Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom said the company is working on revised language to make it more clear what will happen with users’ photos.

According to a Chicago Tribune story, Mr. Systrom also stated, “language that indicated your photos could be used in advertisements will be removed from the terms completely.”

Instagram was smart to jump on this quickly, issue a clarification and also say it is listening to feedback, will fix mistakes and clear up the confusion. So, gold star for taking this seriously and saying the right things in a timely manner.

But I have to wonder about a couple of things that still bother me.

First, how could language like “you agree that a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos…” get out in the first place? There should have been red flags everywhere. Wasn’t there at least one person in authority at Instagram who saw that wording and thought, “Gee, I wonder if this might create a bit of controversy?”

Maybe there was someone who raised the issue, but senior management chose to ignore it. We may never know.

Which leads me to my second point: Instagram surely must know that most people don’t take the time to read all the details of policy updates. And that make me wonder if what was really happening here was that management was trying to slip this through and got caught.

Whether or not the wording was intentional, trust has been broken with many thousands of Instagramers, and it will take more than a policy clarification to restore it.

The best way to avoid problems like this is to identify and handle them before they ever get out of the barn.

Don Beehler provides public relations consulting services to small- and medium-sized advertising agencies and businesses.