to social media or not to social media, that is the question…

There is some talk in PR circles these days about using a Social Media press release as opposed to a traditional  press release format… some say, it’s time has come and it’s important and others held a webinar about the matter…  I did not attend but here’s one opinion (I tend to agree)…  if I did use a social media format, I would put some space in between the bullet points (in the example below)… and add some graphics/photos…  possibly more links, too… 

Wearing my reporter/editor hat, I prefer a story that is newsworthy with some photos, quotes, facts, figures and a reliable, credible, available  and professional person to interview…  if it looks like a crackpot, walks like a crackpot, smells like a crackpot, I am not going to take info seriously…  most press releases that I receive are boring, filled with jargon, do not address me by name, nor are targeted to my interests, all of which are listed in Cision… Catch my attention with an outstanding headline, clear language and a quick timely news (as opposed to sales speak) peek into your world.  These pitches stand out and are much appreciated. 

Here is ONE outstanding pitch that I received out of hundreds… and I saved it as an example…

Looking for a timely story?

Interview BusinessWeek.com’s Ethics Guy, Dr. Bruce Weinstein.

Dr. Weinstein’s bi-weekly column, “Ask the Ethics Guy,” has covered the following topics recently:

The Ethics of Outsourcing Customer Service

Ethics at the Movies: Business & Life Lessons from ’07-‘08 Holiday Films

The Ethics of Apologies

iPhone Ethics: Plugged In, Turned On, and Tuned Out<

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (you may be surprised by the five-step process)

O.J. Ethics: The Ethics of Publishing and Reading an Immoral Book

Spoiler Ethics

Lie, Cheat & Steal Your Way to Success

The Airline Passenger’s Bill of Duties

You may have seen or heard him on:

The Today Show
Good Morning America
Anderson Cooper 360
MSNBC
CNBC

In January 2009, Roaring Brook Press will publish his next book, which will focus on ethical issues for teens.

TheEthicsGuy.com

To arrange an interview, please write to Bruce @ TheEthicsGuy.com

http://blogs.bnet.com/pr/?p=175

…”What IS effective is well-written press materials that give the media and other audiences media-ready information including facts and figures, examples, analogies, and human stories, in simple, easy-to-understand language. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short and provide access to background information and graphics via the web. If you do these things, it doesn’t matter which ‘template’ you use.” 

 

 

hot off the press… Pet and Travel Media Contacts directory…

my Travel Media Contacts Directory… straight from my rolodex and Pet Media Directory 

 

for more info, you can visit 

 

http://celiasue.hecht.googlepages.com/mediadirectories 

 

 

The travel media contact list (250+ names) includes: 

 

• Top 100 Newspapers, Travel Editors 

• TV Show Producers 

• Print Magazines 

• Travel Blogs and Writers 

• Online Magazines 

• Tips for Promotion and Pitching Magazine Editors 

 

O magazine, Everyday with Rachael Ray, Lucky, More, Redbook, Woman’s Day, Real Simple, Bridal magazines such as Bride, Modern Bride, Contemporary Bride, Travel magazines such as Town & Country Travel, Top 100 Travel Editors including NY Times, LA Times, Kansas City Star, Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, SF Chronicle, USA Today, plus travel columnists, TV show producers, online magazines, bloggers and more… 

 

If you want to promote your travel or pet business and obtain media coverage, these are the folks you want to connect with… 

 

 

hot off the press…

Just completed 88 Writing on a Dime Tips on How to Obtain Free Publicity to Promote your Business… wanna copy ?  Send me an email…  

you also might want to visit me at : 

http://celiasue.hecht.googlepages.com/mediaplacementcampaigns

30 reasons to write a press release

http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/publicrelations/gettingpress/article46476.html

30 reasons to write a press release

If you’re not sure about what you should cover in a press release, consider these ideas to see if any apply to your business:

1. Starting a new business

2. Introducing a new product

3. Celebrating an anniversary

Give the Media A Bone: How to Write Press Releases workshop

http://celiasue.wordpress.com/2008/02/09/give-the-media-a-bone-learn-insider-tips-on-how-to-write-press-releases-that-get-published/

Pup-Lick Relations Tips from my wonder dog…

a word from my Pup-Lick Relations assistant and Chief Social Butterfly …http://celiasue.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/pup-lick-relations-tips/   

social butterfly buzz….

Just thought I’d share with you that I’ve signed up for a whole bunch of Social network media sites… and you can, too… 

Visit my website at:

http://celiasue.hecht.googlepages.com/home

which has links to Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, the Whole 9 and others where people network with one another… another tool/resource for media savvy business folks and/or a place to make new friends online… 

You can also visit this page which has the links that make the whole world sing…

http://celiasue.hecht.googlepages.com/socialbutterflymedia…creatingbuzz

wonder why PR flaks get a bad name/rap? read on…

I am listed in Cision (used to be Bacon’s Media Directory) as a freelance journalist, so every day I get pitched from publicists. Mostly, 99.9999% of the time, I get vague, not targeted to me pitches, sometimes without addressing me by name, and certainly not anywhere in the ballpark of the topics that I like to write about.  Coal is NOT alternative energy, I told one flak. 

Today, I was in a good mood and decided I would do a favor for no reason other than I was in a good mood. There was a pitch about an entrepreneur (a woman CEO) and I sent the pitch off to Entrepreneur magazine, a high level contact that I have, who I know is looking to interview entrepreneurs.  The pitch was vague and she wrote back and said so what does this woman do? I had no answer since I am NOT the publicist for the woman, I was just doing the PR company a freebie. I wrote to the publicist and asked her what the woman does.

And the answer I got back is beyond pathetic. This publicist, and I use the word loosely here, asked me to go to the website of this person and find out. BEEP, wrong answer.At that point, I wrote back and said I am NOT doing YOUR job for you. YOU are supposed to supply ME with the info. If she doesn’t know what her client even does how in the world could she possibly be representing said client?  

I am inclined now to contact this client and tell her about this incident because she should know that she has an incompetent, lazy, flak working for her (and I bet they are paying big bucks, too)… It is incredible to me that she would have the audacity to expect the media to do her job. But then this is why the public relations business has a bad reputation. It’s people like that who work for big PR firms who don’t have a clue what they’re doing and what their job is.  Who trains them?  She could be working on several accounts for low pay, but that is still not an excuse. 

I could not imagine telling a busy, hardworking journalist on a deadline and one who was trying to do them a favor by racking up a BIG national publication for nothing. I would not get paid a red cent for passing along the info. Go figure. Some people cannot see an opportunity when it falls on their head.    

Our Greatest Fear…

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

 

 

it is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

 

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful 

beyond measure.

 

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

 

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,

talented and fabulous?

 

Actually, who are you not to be?

 

You are a child of God.

 

Your playing small does not serve the world.

 

There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking 

so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

 

We were born to make manifest the glory of

God that is within us.

 

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.

 

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people

permission to do the same.

 

As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.

 

 

 - Return to Love by Marianne Williamson, Harper Collins, 1992. 

stop telling everyone you wanna be on Oprah…

 

 

 

A Few Creative Men on Youtube with Jack Nicholson

 

You Can’t Handle The Media…

 

You Can’t Handle being on Oprah…

 

You Can’t Handle The View…

 

You Can’t Handle the LA/NY Times…

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYEf8XZKlUU 

 

 

http://celiasue.hecht.googlepages.com/articles

 

 

Be Careful What You Wish For, You Just Might Get It 

published on Massage Business University website 

 

…It is scary to be visible and stand out in a crowd. We are taught to fit in and be safe. We are afraid of the paparazzi and the media. Those scary, hard-boiled journalists with their pointed questions and glaring cameras. We are intimidated and feel exposed. What if all of our deep, dark, dirty little secrets are revealed? What if all of our skeletons and dirty laundry are revealed to the world?  How about all of those jealous of our success, will they rush out of the woodwork like boogie men? Will we be able to handle being number one?  Who wants to sit in the front row or be teacher’s pet? Friends, we all have issues. It is normal to be afraid of the limelight and to stand out. Some people let these issues stand in their way and others don’t… 

 

http://celiasue.hecht.googlepages.com/writingservices

 

http://celiasue.wordpress.com/

 

http://writeblogs.wordpress.com/