|
Tech Image is in the business of helping our clients gain their unfair share of media coverage. Check out this section to see some of our latest successes. |
|
|
Click Below to See Some Of the Top Placements
Don't Fear the L-Factor
Likeability's as important in national politics as it is in office.
by David Berkowitz
There seems to be an expectation that being a leader means being, well, mean. Tim Sanders, author of a new book called The L-Factor and an executive at Yahoo! says nothing is further from the truth. In this interview, he tells eMarketer's David Berkowitz that being likeable is one of the greatest business assets a leader can have.
[FULL STORY]
|
|
Reputation May Start at the Top
But Communicators are the Cornerstones
by Philip Anast
The Bible says "The truth shall make you free." Yet according to a panel discussion at the Publicity Club of Chicago, too many executives try to duck bad news by spinning or otherwise manipulating the truth. Tech Image's Philip Anast reports on the discussion and suggestions for helping execs rebuild the trust and be seen as effective thought leaders.
[FULL STORY]
|
|
Survey Results
Last month we asked how many readers are involved with blogging, the practice of keeping an online journal that's getting so much press recently. Apparently it's not very big with PR professionals. Only one reader said he or she keeps a blog, while the vast majority (66%) said they have no interest in it at all. Time will tell if it will grow in popularity.
|
|
|  |
|
|
To Separate Your Clients from the Pack:
Get Them to Write and Publish Articles
by Ken Lizotte
In good times and bad, the trick for PR professionals is always to find a way to help their firms stand out from the crowd. Though most action plans will include news releases, newsletters, e-letters and website dazzle, many smart publicists (and their clients) have latched onto an underutilized technique for winning more attention: writing and publishing articles.
Why adopt this strategy? For one thing, it's far less expensive than even a modest ad campaign, and clients often like that. For another, writing and publishing earns double benefits for the author/client by promoting products and services and at the same time educating target markets about the existence and expertise of the company. Publishing articles thus converts companies and their executives, sales reps, customer service reps and, well, the whole team into "thought leaders," i.e., proven "experts" in their particular field. This means the firm's core value can be articulated clearly, confidently, persuasively.
I know what you're thinking: How would I get the process started for my client, and even so, how could I get my client to actually sit down and write anything? The truth is many executives respond enthusiastically to this idea, leaping at the opportunity to see their name in "lights," or rather print. And though they will need some help with editing and shaping their drafts, in the end they usually do a pretty good job of getting the core message across in the article, so that you the PR expert can then get it out (and published!).
The way to begin, once your client is on board, is NOT to start writing an article. Instead, formulate a list of good article ideas and compile a target publications list, based on readerships that match your client's target market. Then pitch an idea or two to a few editors with the aim of obtaining a "go-ahead."
To accomplish this successfully, clarify in advance which business objectives your client has for each article. This ensures that the process is strategic and doesn't just get swept up in the heady mania of the chance for your client to become a mini-celebrity. One client of mine, for example, a manufacturer of data storage systems, wanted its insurance firm prospects to know how easy-to-use its recently-developed system could be. Its VP Sales then wrote an article called "Storage Must Be Flexible", which was published in a major insurance trade journal. The article was then used as a marketing tool in the firm's PR kit, at its website, and during sales prospecting and negotiations.
What's the best approach these days for getting an editor's attention? I find that emailing editors with a few short article blurbs, then calling a few days later (if I haven't heard) works really well. Most times I never have to make the call, the editor quickly responds with a go-ahead and a deadline and word count. Then my client and I are off and running!
If at all possible, I require my clients to do their actual first drafts. With an editor waiting, they usually hop right to it, and appreciate the opportunity to be so personally invested in the project as opposed to having everything done for them (as with ghostwriting). A few, however, freeze up and don't know where or how to begin, victims of what I call "writer's fright." When this happens, I simply advise that they think of their article as a memo or long e-mail. This typically thaws them out and within hours, voila! A first draft magically appears.
After a first article appears, your client may never look back. The feedback and even adulation an executive/author receives often causes them to view marketing and media in a whole new light. At that point, the thought leader approach starts taking precedence over less aggressive, more traditional methods. Before long, your client starts encountering prospective customers who light up when they hear his/her name, or the company's name. They say: "I've learned a lot from reading your articles. Please tell me more about your products/services…I'm all ears!" Your client's articles have effectively begun pre-selling to prospects the company would otherwise never even have known existed.
Ken Lizotte CMC is Chief Imaginative Officer of
emerson consulting group inc. (Concord MA), which transforms companies, executives, consultants and other experts into "thought leaders." He can be reached via e-mail or by phone at 978-371-0442.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
|
|
|
