Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Where to locate a PR agency

By Carol Murray


Where do you find a PR agency? Simply looking online may not give you all the information you need, and as their business is PR, they are all going to have good websites that seem good. It costs quite a bit of money so you want to be looking in the right places for the right PR company.

You have to obviously find the one that is right for you, not just the one with the best website. This is where it is invaluable to have contacts in the field who can point you in the right direction and share experiences of the different PR companies they have worked with. Every business has different needs, so you can work out if what worked for them is going to be what does it for you.

If you really want to crack into the traditional media outlets, then it helps to speak to any journalists you know. Ask them who they tend to listen to and take seriously and they will likely give you several names of credible PR agencies who are well known in the media community.

Traditional media may be an area you are keen to break into. If this is the case then it is good to ask any journalists you know or come in contact with what their experience has been and what names stand out and who they feel seems to have the most credibility and gravity in the field.

Hollis PR is a great directory of PR agencies. If you do not have many contacts are just need to know who is out there, it can be a good place to start. Finally, keeping it local is often sensible and useful. Being able to meet face to face often and work in the same general are generally improves success and is good for the relationship.




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Sunday, January 29, 2012

How To Pitch Your PR Ideas To Journalists

By Michael Millar


Pitching Stories to journalists has to be the bit PR consultants worry about the most. Writers have a reputation for being mean, cantankerous sorts. But, ironically, it is usually the same PR individuals who make journalists act that way.

Being a journo I tend to be quite hectic. Press deadlines might be amongst the shortest of any trade in this world. The last thing I want is anyone bothering me with something I don't really want. Even worse, people bother you with a story which they don't seem to know themselves. Despite my own best efforts, I can't read minds.

The act of pitching is equivalent to bungee jumping, if you've completed the right prep work then it's all downhill from there and the chances are high you'll come out of it unscathed.

Just before you get your hands on the phone or send out your news release make certain you've ticked off the following:

* The key reason why this story is great for the target audience of the correspondents I'm communicating with. That's all writers worry about: how will this benefit their particular audience, even if it's merely something that can keep their mood up when they're stuck in a traffic jam or in an airport terminal waiting around for a jet;

* Have a clear top line pertaining to the story. What is the one important truth that you have to put in floodlights? **Remember** This isn't what will necessarily be the point that makes your product look the most awesome...it's got to be the thing which will interest the target audience the most . (Happily both these things are normally inseparable in a solid story about a company). This specific stage is about getting that interview scheduled in (or, indeed, done then and there). Once you've got past that hurdle you'll be able to say whatever you want;

* Understand your topic.You have to be in a position to answer more or less any sensible question pertaining to your story...It's your story all things considered;

* If you are seeking to arrange an interview with a journalist, be it TV, radio, online or print, make sure you are actually available to do it.

Simply speaking, getting the writer interested is vital. You'd need to truly, really do something horrendous, like swear at the journo or offend them in some way to turn them away from a story which they want. Once a journo likes a story, it is really - or should be - just like a doggy with a bone, because that's information that can be used and given to their readership, if you like, so they won't give up on the article.

Journalists' careers live and die through their connections and the info they have. Should you do this effectively you will be a helping hand, not an obstacle.

Timing is everything where Publicity is involved. This means you have to have a vague idea about when the right time for you to pitch is.

Whenever you're phoning up a daily newspaper, don't phone them at the end of the day when they're going to be on deadline. That will make journalists irritated, as previously mentioned. Phone them in the morning, contact them early afternoon, immediately after lunch. People will be a bit more calm.

If it's the local weekly, for instance, you can be fairly certain the paper went to press a day or two before it arrived on the high street). So make an attempt to call them towards the start of their week if possible. That's when they're staring in sadness at the empty pages and wondering exactly what on earth they're going to put in.

When it's an internet site or blog, you can probably pitch to them when you like.

In addition, have everything all set to go when you phone:

* Be aware of your most significant handful of points very clearly and practise presenting these to others to make sure of clarity;

* if somebody states on the telephone, right, we'd love to come down and film later today, or we'd like more details, you want that all set to go. You can't be stalling them whilst you put it all together;

* You could say to editors that your report is 'under embargo' till a time that suits you - usually midnight at the start of the day you have chosen (however, they have got nothing apart from a moral obligation to adhere to that).

* Timing is also key in relation to what other news Is going on. Look around and ask if the story is likely to be blown away by the flood of news already around.

Alternatively you can get somebody else to organise everything on your behalf.

Are you currently a member of a trade organisation or the like? Good associations tend to serve as lobby groups and are frequently seeking small businesses who could demonstrate a particular point. If you are a recruitment specialist and there's a news story about soaring joblessness, then inform them you could potentially speak about this 'from the coal face'.

Acquiring case studies such as this is usually quite challenging for journalists and they repeatedly visit industry bodies to ask for help. So if you're associated with one of those organisations then it pays to let that organisation know that you'd be able to say a couple of words about a particular issue.

Your pitch might not come off the first time, perhaps even the first couple of times - however incredible and time consuming it's been. Trying to second guess journos is impossible. I certainly can't do it. Many's the time I've pitched articles to an editor that I assumed were a dead certainty, simply to be told they weren't interested.

Hopefully, as someone who is part of a small business, you will be made from sterner stuff compared to the majority. Being knocked back is a common element of professional life. But please be sure to stick with it, because using the press to your advantage will make a massive difference to your business.

One further, heartening thought. Most people - including journos - have a soft spot for individuals toiling away trying to build up their company. A journo is going to be impressed you've put the effort and hard work in to help yourself and will give you a much easier time than they would give a PR company.




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Saturday, January 28, 2012

How To Make Your Blog Sticky Using RSS Subscribers

By Michaela Tempelton


One of the coveted prizes for all blog owners is to have lots of readers who have become attached to everything you write. You can achieve that through a variety of strategies although high quality content is an important key. People can be greatly encouraged to go back to your blog with the skillful use of RSS feeds and of course subscribers to it. You can succeed without RSS, of course, but you can succeed to a much greater degree and faster by building your base of subscribers to your RSS. So we will give you a couple of strong methods that you can use to grow your list of RSS subscribers. A Blog Network is a good way to connect your business and promote your product.

This one's a no-brainer, but still you find a lot of blogs missing out on it. Never to with a small RSS image or icon because it is too easy for people to ignore it. Do not settle for anything less than making doubly sure that folks are aware that they need to get your RSS feed. You would have to really go far out there to make it too big, but it does have to fit in with your site. If you consider your icon to be the slightest too small, then you might as well get a bigger one, anyway. Another strategy here is to promote your RSS feed with blog commenting, and this is something that not everybody does. As you may know, blog commenting is very popular for off page SEO reasons which just means for backlinking purposes. Your approach here will not be the same as everybody else's because you want to do this to promote subscriptions to your RSS. Place your blogs' RSS feed URL in the area where your site URL would go. Some people prefer to subscribe to Feedburner so they get a URL that is more attractive looking. There is so much available with Blog Network that we had a tough time figuring out what to include, here.

This is all we ask of anyone, really, to view this with a receptive mind and go farther with it. When it all begins to gel for you, then you will be able to rise above to some degree thanks to added knowledge. We all want to have as much control as possible, even though we know we cannot control everything, but still - knowledge lets you be in a position to respond better to events.

It seems so many people have a sincere desire to do something, but they fall in the trap of just sitting there and wishing. Make a plan that you will take action, and then work from that plan every day until you see the results you want.

You really are doing the right thing by pursuing additional information, so do continue. Anybody can research something and read it, but it is how you assimilate that knowledge that makes a huge difference.

Don't make the mistake of going off topic, and when you're writing a post, it should be focused. That is just something you never want to do, and just think how you feel when you encounter it. It's okay to go into the specifics, but don't deviate from what you're writing. If you get in the flow and write about off topic stuff, the results can be negative which may cause your readers to get annoyed and leave. When people can easily read what you have to say, then that is a job well done for you and the content will work better. There are a number of reasons as to why your blog may fail to attract readers. It all is part of the blogging experience when it comes to optimizing your blogs' RSS feed. Anytime is a good time to do more for your blog and to work toward making it a better experience. So do not overlook these techniques that are proven to help you and your RSS readership.




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Ways To Make The Media Come To You

By Mace Usher


Plenty of day-to-day public relations requires creating your own story and then going about finding someone who is interested in it. However there's an alternative choice, that could be much simpler and produce significantly greater results: becoming an expert spokesman.

Rather than going to the trouble of trying to think up your own story, it's often much more straightforward to comment - or piggy back - on something else that is currently taking place. This is often a easy way to establish your profile and improve your firm.

Consider: who is a potential buyer more likely to turn to? Is it a person they've never heard of, or maybe the person who they've seen, heard or read in the news, who appears to be an expert in their market?

Basically, editors are always going to be wanting responses on things and the 24 / 7 news environment means there is a higher demand for this than ever before. It could also provide you with easier access to national media, if you want it.

National journalists are frequently tasked with covering stories of global significance and, as a result, often require reaction to significant events as much, if not more often, than they need to go delving for unique stories of their own.

In the first place you'll need to do the leg-work, but it's incredibly simple to find that all of a sudden writers are chasing after you for comment - a PR dream come true.

This is all about adding something towards the story. Your own viewpoint doesn't necessarily need to be contentious; you may simply be brilliant at describing the actual process of something, or the potential effects of an event.

Having the ability to come out with clever quotes that are on the ball and also encapsulate a solid sense of what's going on will be well used, notably by the national newspapers and by the broadcast media.

I can explain to you via personal experience that working in the media (radio & TV) is often rather nerve-racking when something happens and you must find someone fast to discuss it or explain it to the public. Sometimes you only have moments to achieve it and there's no time at all to try to find new contacts. You automatically go to those you already know you can depend on.

There's a good reason you see the same individuals on the telly again and again commenting on some industry or field: editors know they are interesting and dependable.

For you personally, the downside of trying to become the spokesman of choice is you have to be on the ball and you've got to act fast. You must wait in a state of ninja-like readiness, especially in the start when you've not established yourself.

Becoming a successful commentator is about being capable of getting your thoughts out promptly, to the correct individuals, and at the correct time.

Here are the main steps you must adhere to:

1) Decide what you are looking to speak about - this will commonly be dictated by the nature of your enterprise and expertise;

2) Work out where you'd like to be heard, viewed, or read. Don't be snobbish with this; you could be fortunate enough to explode directly into the nation's consciousness, but it normally takes time to develop your image. Your local paper, the appropriate industry newspaper, or your hometown radio or TV station are perfect places to start. BBC radio is usually the ideal pick of radio for you simply because these stations normally do more talking.

3) Find the contact information - if possible the e-mail & contact number - of a few important journos. (You can generally find their details in papers/magazines/online without too much trouble).

4) Listen/watch/read: wait for a story to turn up that is within your sector and could do with your professional input. If you know a specific thing is coming in advance - such as an announcement or event - then all the better. Let the journalists know in advance that you'll be ready, willing and able to assist;

5) Pounce! When you notice a story and you have a viewpoint jot it down in a couple of punchy paragraphs inside an email (essays aren't any good) and fire it out. Telephone the writer if you like, it's nonetheless good to have the email so you're able to keep your viewpoints crystal clear in your mind. Please remember to include all your details, along with who you are and what you do (yet again, no essays, only a couple of points that will make you look knowledgable). So, for example, if you are a tiny firm of estate agents in Derby, why not offer Radio Derby expert knowledge on the property market? Then they'll get you in, and as long as you're engaging and you don't try and push your company too much, and you give advice to Radio Derby's listeners then they may think: "Hey, that person is useful. I think we'll get them in again the next time mortgage rates rise," or whatever it is.

The main element to becoming a successful commentator is that you need to have something to say and also deliver that in a to the point and interesting way. You must be able to add to the story, even if it's simply to clarify something that the public don't understand. If you are a wallflower then becoming a commentator will not be for you.

But - and this is a big but - don't be opinionated if you can't support it. The more powerful the view you have, the more solid the ground you must be standing on in terms of logic or evidence. The media motorway is full of the wreckage of people who were simply loudmouth hawkers.

The final element that can take you from being a good commentator to a excellent commentator in the eyes of the press is being available at all hours of the day or night. These people are gold for busy journalists - in particular the harassed producers that live in the field of 24-hour broadcasting. I say once again, with only a little hint of bitterness, I ought to know.

The net, television and radio run continuously. A number of people will poo-poo offers of interviews in the early mornings or late evenings, all too often because they think it is not worth their time. It is worth your time.

I remember when I interviewed a guy on BBC Radio 5 at midnight about the brand new crime combating site he had constructed. He was sceptical about staying up to talk with me. This individual was less sceptical as soon as his online traffic spiked by about 1000%.




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Friday, January 27, 2012

What's PageRank?

By Flynn Lambert


PageRank is a web promoting tool that decides how visible your internet site is to the Google search website and online world. The higher your PageRank, the more probable your website will be found by others. PageRank provides the footing for a range of Google-based web tools, with a variety of factors coming into play.

PageRank was developed by Larry Page at Stanford University. That is the explanation for the term, PAGERank. Page went on to become a founder of Google, Incorporated. Google developed and trademarked the term PageRank. Even though Google has exclusive license rights on the patented process utilized in determining a PageRank, the patent is assigned to Stanford Varsity.

PageRank uses a link-based process that assigns a ranking of 1-10 to all websites submitted to Google. Web crawlers continually scour your webpages searching for keywords. After scouring the pages, the search website categorizes these terms and develops a list of websites that contain these phrases or words. Then, Google assigns your internet site a ranking from 1-10, with 1 being minimal usage of keywords and 10 being perfect. Ranking is based upon a bunch of factors including how well you use search engine optimization (SEO) tools. The higher your number ranking, the more detectable your website will be to online spectators compared with other web sites.

PageRank is dependent upon what is sometimes known as "link love". Links can be inward-bound and outgoing. The more others link to your internet site, online videos, net pages, articles and other online presence media, the higher your PageRank rating will be. The same applies for sites that you link to. Without going over the top on the linking, proper usage of linking will cause the search websites to take notice of your internet site's popularity. This is another factor that can increase your PageRank.

PageRank depends upon keywords and keyword phrases, which are the terms you type into the search site box when you want to find information regarding a certain case. Your usance of keywords will make or break your site visibility. Assigning the wrong keywords will bring up a catalogue of websites that have got nothing to do with what people are searching for. You are required to pick topical keywords when scheming your site, promoting your online presence and when doing offline web marketing. There are a number of keyword utilisation tools available to help support you to figure out how favored your elected term or phrase is. When you find out that acclaim, you can adjust your conclusion to raise your web site visibility. Making the better of your keywords plays a vital role in search engine optimization.

Using the proper amount of keywords or key phrases is a divisor of PageRank. Too many keywords on your web page, web site or overall web presence will send a red flag to the search engines. Rather than properly promoting your website, you will be penalized. The search websites may avoid it and remove your site from any search site listing. Using the proper amount of keywords makes reading your site easier and increases user friendliness. Visitors will need to come back to your internet site. This is crucial for search engine optimization. Understanding PageRank and how it can hurt or harm your web presence is the key to Net success and search engine optimization.




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Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Seriousness of Keyword Research and Planning

By Flynn Lambert


Keywords can bring a multitude of traffic to your site or turn the search websites away. The significance of keyword research and planning cannot be emphasised enough as being the basis of any successful search engine optimization campaign focusing on improving your internet site popularity. Learning what to do and not do will help.

Keyword research and planning plays an important role in improving your PageRank. Search site web crawlers, known as bots, continually scan web pages and be aware of keywords and phrases. These keywords are categorized into lists. When computer users search for these terms, a page of website listings appear. The websites ranked highest, with a 10, will appear near the head of the online list. Using keywords inefficiently will cause your site to receive a poor ranking and be listed toward the base of the list, with lower visibility potential. This is known as PageRank. Taking the time to analyze what keywords apply to your business will give you the tools needed to improve your PageRank and move your site up the ranks of the search sites. Improve your PageRank by employing your keywords throughout your web content, metatags and Web 2.0 selling tools.

Keyword research and planning plays an important role in preparing your site. After you've performed the compulsory research to determine which keywords best draft your business, you should take some time to manage the design of your site. A well-planned and efficient website will use the right mix of keywords and phrases in a way that search websites love. Search engine optimization includes strategically placing keywords in your page titles and using metatags through your web page that contain your keywords or keyword phrases. Plan to have the right miscellanea of keywords and enlightening language all though your web content to appeal to watchers.

You may have the best and most applicable keywords in the world, but you need to utilise them properly. Remember not to use so many keywords that your web content or selling materials are tough to understand or read. Too many keywords can come across as spamming and the search engines may blacklist your internet site for this. This means you will receive a nominal, if any, PageRank rating. To best use search engine optimization as an element of your web promoting tools, your internet site must contain pertinent information presented in a user friendly demeanour. When this occurs, your internet site is simple and interesting to read. Search websites love this.

You need to plan on using your keywords throughout your marketing campaigns, both offline and online. When you know your keywords, have them printed on your business cards, letterhead, fax cover letters, brochures and flyers. Use these items daily while engaging in business. Plan on using your keywords in your press releases that you will submit to your local newspapers, radio stations and television shows. Post your press releases to a spread of online portals to improve your PageRank and viewership. Also plan on using your keywords during your videos, presentations, e-mail signatures and other Web 2.0 marketing tools. When writing educational articles, don't forget to include your keywords throughout the content. Posting these search engine-optimized articles to online directories is an alternative way to increase your internet site exposure.




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Ways to improve your Page Rank

By Flynn Lambert


PageRank operates via a link-based process, so having a spread of highly-ranked web sites link to yours is a method to improve your PageRank. Contact a considerable number of website managers that you have likenesses with,eg sharing a keenness for the same subject. Ask the site director, who is many times the owner, if you have authoriization to incorporate their website link on your website. Also, ask if they are going to put a link of your website on their site. This is often known as reciprocating linking, and the Google search engine loves this. Don't forget to continually test your links to make sure they are working properly. Having an invalid or inoperable link may cause Google to black list you from their search website listing.

Promoting your website and business offline can boost your PageRank. The more people know about you and your internet site, the likelier they're going to be to check it out. When attending networking meetings, make absolutely sure to discuss your business and web site address as a web marketing tool. Introduce yourself, your business and online presence when you volunteer or sponsor charity events. Many business owners and residents particularly like promoting and supporting local businesses. Get your name out there as much as practicable.

Put your website address on all of your offline business literature. Include your site address on your letterhead, fax cover letters, business card and any other marketing collateral you develop. The more literature you pass around, the more exposure your website gets to improve your PageRank.

In order to improve your PageRank, you must use efficient and pertinent keywords. Keywords are the query terms or phrases that Internet users type into the search engine box. Think of a list of words that apply to your business and put them down. You can go to any of the plentiful keyword optimization sites available on the net and do a search on each phrase of word. You will receive a rating as to what quantity of people have searched for your term lately. If some of your original keywords or keyphrases don't seem very popular, alter the term and do another search. This might increase the acclaim. Use that keyword or phrase in your web promoting tools to enhance your search engine optimization. If you don't have the wherewithal or know-how to try this process, check into hiring professionals who've developed this advanced talent.

Online videos offer a excellent way to improve your PageRank. They are such a popular Web 2.0 promoting tool that millions of users upload videos daily to sites such as YouTube. This is often a very beneficial selling ploy. Either have a professionally prepared video done, or have a buddy record you. Be indisputable to appear professional in both appearance and speech. Your goal is to alter your watchers into consumers. Remember to exploit your keywords throughout your video to carry out search engine optimization. Make a recording of a product demonstration or a presentation about the services you have got to offer. Upload this video to a selection of sites to enhance your exposure. Include your site address at the end of the video to give watchers a adventure to visit your site. The more exposure you get, the higher your PageRank will be.

Web 2.0 shares info worldwide at lightning speeds. We are living in a viral world, meaning as fast as events happen, the world knows in a few seconds. The essentials of Web 2.0 are social media sites. Social media sites permit comments, articles, podcasts and assorted forms of media to be posted by users. Many sites form a community that allows free interaction among members. Maintain a professional demeanor throughout all your social media communications. You would like to develop a rep for being an expert in your subject area. This instills trust in spectators.




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Is Digital PR right for you?

By Fidel Castle


If you are thinking of employing a PR agency, you may be wondering exactly what a PR agency does! To sum it up, a good PR agency works for you, a bad PR agency doesn't! There are several different ways though that PR agencies get their work done and find their success.

Some PR agencies specialize in digital PR which uses the internet mainly, social media, influential blogs, and SEO friendly articles to work their magic and communicate your brand and image to the public. Other PR agencies still use traditional means such as press releases, and contacts with journalists in traditional media outlets.

Digital PR sounds cutting edge, exciting, and fast. It may also be much less expensive. However it is not right for every business and every product. Even though every business needs to have a presence online, there are still many businesses that will benefit more from the traditional approaches and tactics.

Digital PR and Traditional PR are both aiming for the same goal. Their job is to get your name, product, message, band, and USP out there, and build and maintain a positive reputation for your company. They both have the potential for success and failure, so there are never any guarantees. If you are looking for traditional PR, then you want to find companies that have good media relations and contacts in those traditional outlets. If you feel a digital approach is what you need, then you will want a PR company that has plenty of experience and knows where all the hot spots are online to promote your product or business.

If you do decide to go digital, it is good to make sure your PR company is experienced in this. Digital PR still requires skill, etiquette, and protocol, in the same way that traditional PR does. It is not just about random posting and you certainly do not want to get a reputation for spamming! It is still very much about relationships. A relationship with a highly influential blogger is valuable in the same way a contact with a good journalist is in the traditional method.




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Five reasons to PR your business... and one reason not to

By Mace Usher


Largely people know that publicity may help their organisation. You've almost certainly heard the saying "there's no such thing as bad publicity", and (correctly) presumed that getting in the media is mostly good. But exactly how exactly can Public relations assist you and your business? In this article I'm about to take a look at various ways the media can benefit you.

There is however such a thing as bad publicity, so I'll also talk about the one occasion when it's best to keep a low profile

Reason 1: Public relations will raise the profile of your company

Perhaps the most obvious benefit to public relations work. Every time your firm gets coverage in the news, you become a touch better known in your city or trade, and a little more likely to win over new business. One mention in the local newspaper isn't about to allow you to retire to the Bahamas and play tennis on a daily basis, but it means somebody somewhere is going to be exposed to your business and the message you wish to get over.

Say by way of example you run a garage. In December you opt to have an open day to teach your public (for free) how to prepare their cars and trucks for the winter weather, so you phone up the local newspaper and they feature it during that week's issue. People see the article and think 'that's good of them, they sound like a responsible, professional business'.

Truth of the matter, you most likely aren't about to have the entire city queuing down the street on Monday morning eager for you to service their motor vehicles - PR works in a more subtle way than this.

Yes, a consumer might book their car in that day because they need an MOT and require a garage they are able to trust, but more likely they'll simply remember your company name. Then when your next PR stunt makes the paper, they may be in a position to book their van in. Or the time after that. Fantastic public relations isn't a one off event, it's a number of small steps that little by little help make your firm more appealing to future prospects.

Buyers head to brand names they know. To carry on the garage illustration, Kwik Fit isn't the cheapest place to get an MOT done. One could probably find a mechanic close to you that would do just as good a job at a lower price. But thousands of people flock to Kwik Fit each day because they're a organisation people can trust in an industry where customers are always concerned about getting scammed.

Increasing the profile of your organisation won't just be noticed by your clients either. Other enterprises in your market will notice your business is growing, which can lead to partnership and joint venture opportunities.

The benefits of a strong brand won't just have an external effect on your firm either. Positive newspaper coverage can help you attract and hold on to good staff. Everybody wants well known, respected organisations on their Resume. By getting coverage in the news, you'll be helping your human resources division out, and perhaps saving thousands in recruitment charges.

Reason 2: Public relations can help you save significant amounts in advertising charges

An ad in a national newspaper would be far too expensive for most small companies to even consider, yet with publicity you could get your brand in the paper for free. Plus when you're discussed in an article, your message comes across that much more authoritative than an ad.

Put it this way, imagine you saw a review in The Times telling you a film was the best piece of cinema since Citizen Kane, and an advert suggesting the same thing, what would have more of an effect?

Reason 3: The media rewards you individually

It's not just what you are promoting which will be boosted by getting coverage in the media, an elevated media profile may benefit you personally if you're the individual being interviewed or quoted.

As you become known in your niche, a variety of possibilities can open themselves up to you. You could potentially receive job offers from larger companies that have seen the job you've been doing in the field. You could be offered consultancy work, which is often very lucrative. You might even be offered public speaking opportunities, which give you another opportunity to improve your personal and business brands.

These possibilities all stem from the authority you gain by being seen as an expert in your industry - and notice I said being seen as an expert. You don't have to be the most knowledgable person in your industry to be regarded as an authority, you simply need to be the 'expert' individuals are most aware of. The media can make you more respected in your market than a rival or co-worker with years more experience.

One other benefit people don't often mention about public relations is that it can be a lot of fun. Creating a story and seeing it in the paper or on the Television can be extremely satisfying. Doing a live radio interview can be frightening, but thrilling at the same time.


Property expert Henry Pryor explains how PR has helped him personally



Reason 4: Public relations can limit the effect of bad press

You might know that there is some bad news coming down the road. Perhaps you're closing a service, or shutting a shop. Maybe you're being sued by a shopper whose family home was burnt down by the toaster you sold her. No matter what the story, decent use of public relations can lessen the effects of negative publicity.

Reason 5: You MUST control your image

Possibly the most significant reason to utilise the media is this: You NEED to be in charge of how the wider world sees you and your organisation.

In the event you don't take control of your image, someone else will. And you may not like what they are saying.

By embracing the press you are able to avoid people making assumptions about your business, and you personally. Keeping quiet means journalists will write what they like about your organisation, and it will be them, rather than you, that shapes public opinion of your organisation.

And last but not least, when not to PR your small business

There is a caveat to all of this. Only you know what skeletons lie in your closet. Prior to embarking on any PR programme, have a think about whether you wish to draw attention to your company. Is there anything you don't want the population to be aware of, that might be exposed by increased media attention?

Publicity work can reduce the impact of detrimental publicity, but in some instances you'd be better off staying away from the press altogether.

So as an alternative to "there's no such thing as bad publicity", I'll leave you with a quotation from the Irish wit Brendan Behan:

"There's no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary"




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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

On-page factors that may affect your Search Ranking

By Flynn Lambert


Speed matters. The rate at which your net page opens up in browsers can identify your search ranking. Web crawlers like to cruise across net pages effortlessly to pick up important keywords. The less complicated this process, the higher your ranking will be. Whenever web crawlers, known as automatic robots, come across anything discouraging like slow loading pages, it can negatively affect your search ranking. Slow-loading pages act like a demerit, placing you lower on the search website PageRank.

Keyword placement is a factor in your search ranking. Knowing where to put pertinent keywords and phrases throughout your web pages plays a vital part in your internet success. Develop page titles with between three to five keywords to improve your search engine optimization. Spread out some meta-tags through your page content to have the search sites stand up and take notice. Place keywords all though your Web 2.0 articles that you post as online web content. Well-placed keywords result in a higher search engine ranking. On the opposite side, too many keywords or key-phrases will end in your website getting a low ranking. Known as keyword stuffing, if the search engine's web crawler comes across too many keywords or keyword phrases, your website sends up red flags. When that happens, your website might be blacklisted from all search websites.

The freshness of your web content is an element that plays a part in your search ranking. Search sites like to see original material that isn't duplicated or copied from other internet sites. Adding original content to your web pages gives the web crawlers something new to pick up and rank, thereby increasing your PageRank. Set up a schedule to remember posting to your website regularly.

Using important keywords will be an on-page factor that has an effect on your search ranking. You are required to settle what keywords and key-phrases best describe your business and website. Use these words throughout your web pages, in both offline and on-line Web 2.0 selling tools and in everyday contact with others.

User friendliness is a divisor that affects your search ranking. The more enlightening and easily read your site is, the more well-liked it is going to be with search websites and watchers alike. No one ever likes to read something that does not sound right or sends you on a chase, including search websites. Have your site be agreeable to the eyes, with relevant content. Disconcerting text causes letdowns and can turn watchers and search sites off. Present data in a well informed and professional way while utilizing the proper number of keywords so as to increase your search ranking.

Having workable and realistic links on your webpages will help increase your search site ranking. Ranking is decided by a process based totally on inward-bound and outgoing links. The more incoming and outgoing links you have on your web pages to other sites, the better. Search sites love linking, since it suggests your web popularity. Don't forget to visit all links on your internet site on a regular basis. You need to pinpoint the links are working properly. When search websites visit your internet site and find nonworking or invalid links, it adversely affects your search site ranking.




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Structuring your internet site for max SEO benefit

By Flynn Lambert


SEO, search engine optimization, plays an indispensable role in how visible your website is to the online world. Structuring your website for max SEO benefit needs time, planning and organization. Knowing what you want and are intending to do prior to making your website live is essential for your success. Do some online research by visiting the sites of the competition. Do you like their website format and will it work for you? You can pick up key pointers this way.

Structuring your website for maximum SEO benefits means you must properly use your keywords. You need to know what your keywords or keyphrases are to successfully promote your business and web site. Keywords describe your business in a concise, easy-to-remember phrases or terms. These are the words that Internet searchers type into the search website box when seeking additional info about a specific subject area. Put simply, keywords are question words. There are a range of online keyword function tools you can use to help decide on what works the best for your website.

Have a section for reports about your business. This permits you to post your keyword-optimized press releases as events happen. Not only will web crawlers pick this information up, thru keywords, but spectators will stay knowledgeable on what has happened with your business.

Get involved with Web 2.0 tools. Web 2.0 means data is shared as quickly as events come. With so many social media sites available, bother to join as many relevant ones as possible. The more social media sites you sign up with, the more well-liked you will be with the search engines and web crawlers. Structure your site to maximize your SEO benefits by including a social media link at the end of all of your Web 2.0 articles. This gives your watchers a adventure to share data with their chums, business colleagues and the Web world.

Remember to build astir your side bars when structuring your website for max SEO benefits. Side bars are the areas on either the right or left of the primary center bit of your webpage. Utilize your side bars by including a link section. Since SEO renown is decided by a link-based algorithm, you have to merge some incoming and outgoing links in your side bars. The more links you have, the higher your Google PageRank will be. Remember to take a look at your links weekly to be absolutely sure they are operating well. Inoperable links will send red flags to the search website web crawlers.

When structuring your website, contact a spread of site managers that run sites with subjects close to yours. Ask authorization to include a link to their website on your sidebar. Reciprocating links work just also. That involves listing their site link on your internet site while they include a link to your website on their site. Search websites love seeing links of net pages. Once a visitor is on your site, they can click on the link to get a little more information about certain subject areas.

Structure your site so your page titles contain between three and five keywords. Page titles are the intial that web crawlers pick up when constantly scrolling through web pages. Pick out the most appropriate keywords to draw attention to your site. You can also place meta-tags all though your web content to boost your SEO.




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Writing Syndication Basics

By Flynn Lambert


Article syndication is the process of producing content that always has relevant data that can be posted with appropriate links on a corporation's website. Article syndication has become important today due to the popularization and functionality of the web. With the web, everything mandatory is merely a click away making it an efficient and fast way of gathering data. Because of these qualities, many individuals are using the internet as their primary source of data. Anyone who wants to provide important data online can do so through article syndication. Still, the info should be topical with a good search site placement to be easily and simply viewed and read by targeted traffic.

Since the internet has many users, many businesses decide to have an online presence through the making of their own internet sites where they can popularize their brands to reach a large audience of possible customers. Without article syndication, though, online users may not be able to have knowledge of the company and its products and services. Companies so need to have engaging, original articles that are relevant to focused web users.

Companies have to retrieve that content is essential and the popularization of their products depends on the type of content they create and submit to different search websites. Since several search websites can fail to accept some articles, though they are relevant, it is extremely important for companies to do article linking. Here is where the company links its site with other favored sites so that their articles can be detectable. Because of strong competition online, further promoting is required to improve the visibility of the document.

Article syndication provides a marketing opportunity for popularizing not only the article, but one's website as well. The only duty for this is that the article must be original; otherwise, it'll be confounded by search websites. Any detection of plagiarism makes the manuscript subject to refusal. Another requirement is that the article must be informative.

To guarantee bigger sales through increased carefully targeted traffic to the website, certain modifications and rules have to be followed during content production. This is where useful and applicable keywords are included in the draft. These keywords have to depict what highly targeted traffic will be looking for. These keywords need to be included in the draft a particular number of times to make it easy for search engines to choose them up each time a related web search is done. Care has to be taken to ensure that the words are well-placed, as the inappropriate use of keywords will lead on to the rejection of the piece. Corporations who have to popularize their products and services can use article syndication with an applicable number of keywords in the article to guarantee proper search website placement of their articles.

A syndication feed is mandatory when submitting an article to different article directories. This permits website owners to incorporate your article in their websites. A company can contract with a professional to create content-rich article about their company as well as guarantee proper online placement with the goal of advertising the company and its products and services to the web audience.




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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A PR agency for every business

By Alexi Dobwen


What are ways you can judge if a PR company is right for your product or business? Often you don't know until you actually go through the process and expense of hiring a PR agency if it is all going to go well and pay off. What different PR agencies do and how they work depends so much on the budgets they have to work with and the sorts of products and businesses they specialize in. Getting the right fit is essential.

Obviously there are different PR agencies for different business types. The PR agency may advertise itself as diverse, but it's a good idea to have a look at exactly what sort of experience they have and in what areas they are most experienced and where they have had the most success.

Many PR agencies specialize in traditional media relationships, while other PR agencies use more social media. Some PR agencies do wonders with a small budget while others are brilliant but only if they have the cash to play with.

The PR agency with the impressive client list may not be for you, simply because you are likely to end up on the bottom of their priorities while they are off working for those impressive clients! Maybe a new PR agency who are willing to put the work in may be the right fit. It is also a personality thing. It is important that you feel you and your business 'click' with the PR agency and are on the same wavelength. Their field may be PR and yours may be business, but it's good to have some common ground with where you are coming from and how you approach things.

If your product is new and edgy, you may not fit with an older traditional PR agency, and in the same way, if your product is more along the lines of something familiar and traditional, then the older model may be just what you need.




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Monday, January 23, 2012

Content Marketing Strategy For Your Small Business

By Benito Santiago


There are various points to consider when marketing your business and company. Most businesses realize that they need to stand before the people that are looking for what they have to provide. However, some companies still fail to realize the value of brand awareness. If you are not constructing a brand for your business, then you'll have a very difficult experience expanding.

One of the most effective ways to build brand awareness is by online pr. Since people spend a lot of their day online, whether at a computer or on their cell phone, it is far easier to contact them. By getting a pr marketing firm, you won't just be capable of getting in front of the people that need whatever you have, you will definitely get a message across.

Traditional advertising and marketing are issues that all businesses must do and they're aware of that. However, you should be paying equally as much attention to your public relations. Should you want your brand to survive, you will need to be capable to connect with your customers.

The simplest way to connect with your customers and get your message across is through online pr. This requires making the proper connections and relationships with influences in the social media space, bloggers, journalists, and strategists of Online marketing. With their reach, you'll be able to make your brand known to the exact audience that needs to be aware of it.

The only way you can truly expand your business is to build a brand. The main reason this is actually the case is simply because a brand is all about being likable and recognizable. If your customers like you and recognize you, they are going to recommend you to their friends, and this viral effect will solidify your brand, helping you to expand.

If you are just providing an item or service and not building a brand, you won't be in a position to realize this same viral effect. Fortunately, online pr marketing makes this method less complicated. You can hire Internet pr firms to utilize their relationships and make sure your message gets across.

Creating a brand is not only important for allowing you to expand your business, it is also important for securing the future of your business. If people recognize your product or service and like the message that comes along with it, they will always keep you afloat and thriving. If, alternatively, you do not have any brand, then you're just a generic business.

People like businesses that believe that comfortable with and that they recognize. With the use of online pr marketing strategies, you possibly can make these connections with people. They are going to begin to trust, like, and recognize your organization and will continue to look to you for their needs. Then again, if your competitors make this happen, they will begin to have confidence in them and you'll miss the opportunity.




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Friday, January 20, 2012

How To Avoid Profit Killing Information Overload

By Tanisha Bumbrey


Ask any online business owner who is making at least a little, and you will hear about information overload and the problems it presents. Well, join the club because it affects us all. The majority of the Internet marketers today are drowned in information which is making it difficult for them to take the right action at the right time. If you have never taken concrete steps about information, then you simply must take a serious look at it otherwise it will only present you with problems. The following article gives you three easy to use tips that will help you immensely in overcoming information overload.

We know this is not the first time you have heard the term, information overload. It seems like each day finds more offers flooding into our inbox, and it all looks potentially interesting and useful. We do not always have to read everything because it will not always be relevant to us, and those emails can go in the trash - so thin out the inbox before you start reading anything. The next step is making sure all those who are sending you information are trusted. You can have a noticeable impact on the overload situation just by using these two strategies.

You can have a noticeable impact on the overload situation just by using these two strategies. Everyone involved on the net knows all too well how dynamic it can be, and that necessitates staying on top of the game through information. If you are trying to learn it all, then just stop because you never will. If you are unaware about a particular method or technique then it's okay, you can learn it as time goes by. So just do not feel that you need to spend all your spare time being immersed and trying to learn it all.

Take some time to investigate the different kinds of time management solutions that will help you stay aware of how you use time. It is hard to beat solid feedback, and when you can clearly see how you are spending time and on what, then you will know for sure. Then you can quickly move on to establishing proper goals as they help you to define how you use your time. Goals give you purpose and a clear path, and that directly relates to acquiring the right kind of information. The combination of the above will make you even more powerful in terms of efficiency and greater focus. Effectively dealing with information overload is in the best interest of any business or person for reasons that are very clear.

By being effective you know what is the right thing to do and by being efficient you will do what needs to be done. These are the important issues facing you and any other online business, but now you are a little bit smarter for having read this article.




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Friday, January 13, 2012

Online PR Has Changed How Press Releases Get To The Public

By Jill Wilson


The internet has modified the way that the public relations world operates. It used to be that if you had been an organization and you wished to obtain your customers, customers, or even the media you'd spend all day creating an ideal press release and put it out there through the proper routes to be announced to the world. While that worked for many years, that way of doing things is, for lack of a much better phrase, dead and gone.

Today, press announcements aren't the only way to reach individuals as a company. In fact, press releases are used more as an official voice then whatever else. Right now online public relations deals just as much with one on one interaction with it's customers through such programs and Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail lists as it does with any kind of printed materials.

Why has the pr world changed so drastically? Because it had to. The previous model of releasing information slowly and systematically worked when individuals got their news and information on a delayed time frame. It used to be that the press release was gospel for your company and that it was the only way that clients and vendors could get information. With that, pr could work on a slower stage thinking out each and every declaration that they put out there for weeks before saying it.

Now that individuals get information seconds after it takes place, public relations doesn't have time to think issues out for hours or even minutes. The idea behind online PR is that you want to get customers and customers a constant stream of knowledge in your company. It doesn't have to be important or life altering information, but information none the less. The way that the public reacts today if you're not releasing info on your company on a constant basis then you're covering something, which is always reason to be concerned.

The idea of on the web pr is not just the most popular design available, it is the only model out there. Even businesses that have been around for many years and were used to the old ways of performing pr have changed over. Now you can get a continuous information stream from Wal Mart and Bank of America, companies that thrived in the old method of doing business. The reason for this is basic: if you don't adapt then you will fail.

In a way, online pr continues to be able to help more companies that it has hurt. It's similar to there's more of a level playing field out there. By using quick fire press releases and social networking like Twitter and Facebook, more compact businesses have been able to get their message out there to clients just as easily as the bigger companies have. It has helped with brand development of both old or new companies, and big or small businesses.

Although it may seem like an easy to think to do, there is actually a lot of thought and analysis that goes into online pr. While you can do it yourself, in theory at least, those who succeed do so simply because they have a company that are experts in online Public relations behind them. It's not necessary to be a Fortune 500 company to possess a Public relations firm anymore because there are hundreds of them out there that are designed to help smaller companies.




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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Valuable On Page Link Structure and Planning

By Bradley Charles


You should focus on creating a good internal linking structure which can be uses for better SEO as well as to offer readers an easy way to navigate your site, and this needs to be done before you start working on linking from external sources. Thus, how should one go about improving the links within their blog and improving the value their site offers? We'll discover in this article. High PR Backlinks are a key component when it comes to driving traffic to your site.

The amount of data and information regarding High PR Backlinks can be a bit intimidating if you have not read so much about it, yet. By all means, do not stop with what you are learning here today; that would be a shame.

We have always found that the more we learn about something, there are opportunities that become apparent that we did not know about. When it all begins to gel for you, then you will be able to rise above to some degree thanks to added knowledge. It is natural for us humans to want to have some degree of command over the events and situations in our lives. Link to Related Posts: In simple terms, when you link to related posts on your blog, you'll be able to help your readers discover content they might be interested in and provide an effective way to navigate through your blog. You shouldn't overlook this because, in all likelihood, if someone has found something they liked reading on your blog they will want to read more in the same vein. It's a great way to establish more internal links within your blog. You can either use a plugin to create the links or it can be done by hand, below your blog posts. Irrespective of how you intend to do it, by creating links to relevant articles you will greatly increase the number of page views your blog gets and you will also give the search engines something to do.

Include Links in Footer: Taking into consideration the type of theme you're using for your blog, your footer may turn out to be space that is wasted when it can be utilized for the better. A footer makes life easier for your readers because they will certainly look for relevant links there instead of having to scroll all the way to the top. So, why not take advantage of this chance and include links in your footers that can be used to send readers to important parts of your blog? You need to think differently and work on making the internal linking structure of your blog better because it is critical.

Craft a Series: One excellent way to improve your internal linking structure is by writing a series of articles. You will naturally link the different parts of the series to each other to make navigation easier. Specially creating a series for this isn't necessary because all you need to do is take a longer article and split it up into more articles which means that you have a series you can offer your readership.

Last but not the least; try adding internal links to the first few paragraphs of your blog post as it can help you increase the click through rates from RSS readers. Your ultimate objective should be to have an organized blog that contents great content and simple navigation. All the links you have on your blog should provide your users with a means to reach more interesting and valuable articles.




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