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Raleigh R. Pinskey Blog
 

 

PR, Branding, Publicity, Marketing and
Speaking Tips and Speaker Tips to
Promote and Prosper: Part 1

You can be looking for Speaking Tips, Speaker Tips or Tips for Speakers. But before you dive into these categories, you must first discuss, you must first establish the Who, What, Where, When and Why, of speaking itself.

In today’s PR, Branding, Publicity and Marketing blog, I feel it’s important to dissect the “why” of speaking. Why do we want to speak? Why do we stand up in front of an audience, in person or over the airwaves, and speak?

Speaking is the act of being seen, heard, understood, recognized, loved.… We speak to convey a message, a concept. To elevate a mood, deepen a way of thinking. Create social interaction. To Teach. To Un-teach. To conduct thought patterns across space and electrical energy. To coerce. Ease stress or a tattered soul. Prove a point. Settle a score. To establish territory.

There is another “why” to consider…to speak to promote yourself, in thought, deed and wallet. To enhance you being regarded as an expert, an authority. A celebrity in your back yard. A prophet in your hometown.

And here is that “why” again. To ultimately Promote and Prosper.

This blog series will speak about the who – what – where - and when of How To Use PR, Branding, Publicity and Marketing to make you a celebrity, an obvious expert, a recognizable expert in the eyes of your audience.

In other words, Speaking Tips and Speaker Tips designed to help you..... Promote and Prosper!

Do what Raleigh Pinskey says:

“Go for it…Promote & Prosper!”®

Raleigh Pinskey
 


Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media Leads to Successful PR, Branding, Publicity, Marketing and Public Relations
Part 5

How do I learn how to please them and give them what they want?

When you are contacting the media do PR, branding, publicity, marketing and public relations, the best way I know for pleasing the media and understanding the media is to be media savvy. Watch the shows, follow their columns, study the make up of the features.

Know how they think and what they’re looking to present to their audience. When you go to pitch, not only will this knowledge will put you on equal footing in each and every phase of the dance you do when you write your releases, pitch letters, and do your follow up, but it will show how media savvy you are. They will be that much more open to hearing your PR pitch, your branding strategies, your marketing moments.

And most importantly, send them a thank you note for the on air interview, the story in print. Believe it or not, this gesture goes a long way in obtaining successful PR, and establishing you in their mind as a true Public Relations Person.

For print, I copy the article, circle a particularly interesting point they’ve made, and comment favorably and graciously. For radio and TV I send a note.

It’s not that they are expecting a thank you note, and it certainly isn’t mandatory, but I have been told by more than one member of the media, “it’s my job, and your thoughts are appreciated.”

Treat them as the human beings they are, and they will respond in kind.

My Branding Possibilities Newsletter at www.promoteyourself.com keeps you in the loop for events, news and views.

Do what Raleigh Pinskey says:

“Go for it…Promote & Prosper!”®

Raleigh Pinskey
 

Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media Leads to Successful PR, Branding, Publicity, Marketing and Public Relations
Part 4

Why the media says no to your pitch.

· Treating the media as second-class citizens

· Assuming they are there to do your PR bidding

· You don’t take into consideration that they are busy with all the branding and publicity pitches

· You don’t care if they are on the other line talking to another public relations person

· You take them off your mailing list when they are unemployed. Not media savvy

· You think you are their best friend and that they are yours

· You think that just because they wrote on your PR, marketing and branding ideas before that they will do it again

· You think that because you have to offer them public relations strategic relationships you are just the best thing next to sliced bread

Remember, successful PR begins and ends with you understanding the media, appreciating them, and pleasing them. Be respectful of the media. Give them what they need so they can give their audience what it wants. Be a good resource. It will come back to you some time, some day, some way.

The next blog post, #5 in this series of Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media is about “How do I learn how to please them and give them what they want?”

Do what Raleigh Pinskey says:

“Go for it…Promote & Prosper!”®

Raleigh Pinskey
 


Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media Leads to Successful PR, Branding, Publicity, Marketing and Public Relations
Part 3

What PR, marketing, and branding media savvy topics will make the media open their arms and say yes to giving you publicity coverage?

· Timely / Current events or tie-ins

· Crisis of any kind, animal vegetable or mineral

· Emotional subjects

· Controversial subjects

· Entertaining subjects

· Problem solving topics

· Subjects that fill a need

· Subjects that fill a void

· Subjects that educate

· Subjects that empower and enlighten

· Subjects that heal

· Something the audience doesn’t already know

What makes you media savvy? It’s by understanding the media and pleasing the media. This is accomplished by dealing in wants, not needs. How? By pitching a story that draws from the readers wants, not their needs, from their agenda not their needs.

And remember. The total overview to get your branding, marketing, PR, publicity and public relations needs met is to satisfy the needs of the advertising department and the publisher. Their needs, wants and desires include media savvy stories that will interest their audience, sell papers or TV advertising time, which brings in a readership and
an audience.

My next blog installment is #4 in this series of Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media. It will answer the question, “What makes the media say no to coverage?”

Branding, Public Relations, PR, Marketing and Publicity successes can be yours at www.promoteyourself.com

Do what Raleigh Pinskey says:

“Go for it…Promote & Prosper!”®

Raleigh Pinskey
 


 

Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media Leads to Successful PR, Branding, Publicity, Marketing and Public Relations
Part 2

Sharing media savvy secrets of the inner lives of the media to give you a leg up for Successful PR campaigns. The quote sums up for me this matter of understanding the media. (Not including the tabloids and shock broadcasting in this picture.)

“I am not in the business of providing a free ad or promotional service for anyone whether I know them or not. My job is to write a balanced, compelling story with news value for my readers. I am more interested in issues of impact than image, and if you give me that, then and only then can we strike a deal."

Question: Do the media like to form relationships with people who are pitching them?

Answer: What I have learned from my 28 years of successful PR, branding, marketing and public relations is that the media’s definition of a relationship is, that they are interested in you playing your part. This “part” is about understanding the media and pleasing the media. Doing it professionally, with dignity, and with competency. In short, media people are not interested in being your friend.

Question: What’s the rule of thumb for inviting the media out to a meal or a drink?

Answer: This policy rests solely on the personal preference of the individual
media person.

The sign above the desk of a media person I interviewed says: “Lunch Yes. Lunch with the media, NO.”

And on the other side of this is the very widely known fact of how you get the some media to an interview, a performance, a media junket or a media conference, is to paraphrase a famous movie, “If you feed them they will come.”

I have known media who prefer to do the interview over a meal because it takes them away from office and its interruptions. Conversely I have known media who shudder at any thought that involves having a face to face…with anyone.

And there are those that will always refuse your request to share the dining experience when you have an intent of getting an article or a decision in your favor on a controversial matter, or to attempt to change their already stated position. Doing this can severely inhibit the formation of an otherwise fruitful relationship.

So what’s the bottom line to understanding the media?

What you need to know is that the media are there to please their audience and their editorial bosses, not you. The ultimate concern of any media outlet is advertising dollars. Advertisers want to be where there are numbers / dollars – which translates to readership. Readership comes from great editorial.

Understanding the media, pleasing the media is giving them what their audience, editor, and advertisers want. If you do this you are the ultimate in being media savvy, and the decision makers will embrace you with open arms. Open arms means successful PR. Successful PR contributes to branding success, lots of publicity and marketing and ultimately makes you a star at relating to the public, or as we say, doing public relations.

My message to you as you try understanding the media, pleasing the media and appearing media savvy is, “You don’t know until you ask. And when you do ask…, Caveat Emptor… Buyer Beware.

Here’s to your many PR, Branding, Publicity, Public Relations, and Marketing successes. Sign up for my Branding Possibilities Newsletter, at http://www.promoteyourself.com filled with events, news and views to help show you the way.

My next thread, #3 in this series of Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media will answer the question, “What PR, marketing, and branding media savvy topics will make the media open their arms and say yes to giving you publicity coverage?”

Do what Raleigh Pinskey says:

“Go for it…Promote & Prosper!”®

Raleigh Pinskey
 


How Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media Leads to Successful PR, Branding, Publicity, Marketing and Public Relations
Part 1B

More Intro Tips to Pleasing the Media

My second Intro Tip on understanding the media and pleasing the media to obtain successful PR is to apply media savvy logic to this situation I described above. The more you know about someone, about their expectations, needs and requirements, the better your interaction will be. The more successful PR you will experience. The more exposure you’ll get for your branding, marketing and public relations efforts.

My advice, learn everything you can about the inner workings of the media mind. In other words, heed the saying, “when in Rome do as the Romans do.”

Knowing exactly what is the media’s job is critical for getting done what you need them to do. Understanding this will keep you out of the fire and off the list. The “I will never talk to them again” list.

I know a lot about this subject. I asked 100 media what they DIDN’T want, and what they wouldn’t stand for from a seemingly media savvy person who was pitching a story. The information It is available on 8 audio CDs titled Your Ph.D in PR, at www.promoteyourself.com While you’re there, sign up for my newsletter.

So, that’s how intricate the subject is on pleasing the media. How fascinating understanding the media is. The next several blog postings will address this information.

My next blog post installment, #2 in this series of Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media will discuss, “Sharing some media savvy secrets of the inner lives of the media to give you a leg up for Successful PR campaigns.”

Do what Raleigh Pinskey says:

“Go for it…Promote & Prosper!”®

Raleigh Pinskey

 


How Understanding the Media and Pleasing the Media Leads to Successful PR, Branding, Publicity, Marketing and Public Relations
Part 1A

Intro Tips to Understanding the Media

Occasionally a rumor surfaces around the notion that members of the media are not human. I am here to say, that in 28 years, I have very rarely experienced this. The reason I have managed to please the media and therefore experience successful PR, branding, publicity, marketing and public relations, is that I take the time for understanding the media. For pleasing the media by honoring their wants, needs, desires and emotions.

I find it amazing that even from media savvy people I am questioned often with “Why should we spend time understanding the media? Or learning about pleasing the media? ”

Often the media savvy person on the other side of the discussion usually feels that the media is there to please them. “After all, we are always being told that the media has lots of empty space and air time, and they need lots of copy to fill it. And, if we provide them with branding, marketing and publicity material they will report on it. And if this is so, then they should understand and please us.”

Tune in for more Intro Tips in my next thread.

This information is taken from “Your Ph.D. in PR” available http://tinyurl.com/3alonc

Do what Raleigh Pinskey says:

“Go for it…Promote & Prosper!”®

Raleigh Pinskey
 


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