Let's talk about PR/Media Relations

[BRISK]

**WARNING - THIS THREAD CONTAINS BUSINESS TOPICS**

OK, so I have a mainstream company that I launched about a year ago that's taking off nicely. Now I'm interested in getting it mentioned in various magazines articles, newspapers, TV, etc...

There are roughly a billion PR agencies out there, and naturally they all think they're the best. So how do I begin to decide on which PR agency would be the best for my business?

Also, how does billing usually work with PR agencies? Do they usually work on a project basis? Monthly retainer? What?

[slapass]

There are several websites where you can write your own and get it submitted to the newswires. Someone could pick it up if it is a good story. Much cheaper.

[BRISK]

Originally Posted by slapass

There are several websites where you can write your own and get it submitted to the newswires. Someone could pick it up if it is a good story. Much cheaper.

That's a bit hit and miss though. I'm looking to create a focused media campaign through an agency with a track record of getting real results.

[KRL]

The industry bible is Red Books. They are online now at http://www.redbooks.com and have every major agency with billings over $250K in their database.

Its an expensive site to subscribe to, (I bought the $1,600 annual subscrition which is nutz), but worth every penny if you nail some good agency deals out of it.

Be real careful Brisk. These PR and Ad agencies can take you for a ride. I had one last year that we almost signed for Men bought they wanted $8,000 a month to run the PR campaign which at first looked good in the initial presentation, but when we looked more into it, it was a lot of hype and there would have been more costs that weren't discussed after we signed them.

Most PR agencies work on a retainer based on the size of your campaign. Ad agencies make their money from either a 15% to 20% commission or the markup if they are buying spots wholesale from you.

[EscortBiz]

first try yourself most will rip you off

here is what always works

magazines need content

so say you are in the software business and you sell a anti virus software

create a article called "8 tips to avoid infecting your computer with a virus" then at the end write something like "Your company sells a great software to protect blah blha"

Then find magazine that would feature that and many will run it (free)

Good content they grab

PR companies are bullshit unless you go with the guys who charge 30K+ a month.

Now for TV / Radio here is how you get on:

You need to position yourself as a leader in a market, who makes you a leader? YOU!

Say there is a new virus out there and the media is talking about it called "DoomA" You send out a press release with the headline "Your name PC virus expert has a simple solution for dooma"

Then you write some stuff and at the end say "Your name" is avilable for interviews and can be contacted at.....

You have to understand how to apply it to whatever industry you are in, remember go after the small local TV networks first, once you get on a few local radio and tv showsthen on your next release you write.

"Your name industry virus expert has been featured on....ktv, cbs, etc etc. and is avilable to give interviews etc.

Now if you cant write a good press release hire someone just for that a writer and there are many great ones out there.

ICQ if you need a good one.

[Young]

Originally Posted by EscortBiz

first try yourself most will rip you off

here is what always works

magazines need content

so say you are in the software business and you sell a anti virus software

create a article called "8 tips to avoid infecting your computer with a virus" then at the end write something like "Your company sells a great software to protect blah blha"

Then find magazine that would feature that and many will run it (free)

Good content they grab

PR companies are bullshit unless you go with the guys who charge 30K+ a month.

Now for TV / Radio here is how you get on:

You need to position yourself as a leader in a market, who makes you a leader? YOU!

Say there is a new virus out there and the media is talking about it called "DoomA" You send out a press release with the headline "Your name PC virus expert has a simple solution for dooma"

Then you write some stuff and at the end say "Your name" is avilable for interviews and can be contacted at.....

You have to understand how to apply it to whatever industry you are in, remember go after the small local TV networks first, once you get on a few local radio and tv showsthen on your next release you write.

"Your name industry virus expert has been featured on....ktv, cbs, etc etc. and is avilable to give interviews etc.

Now if you cant write a good press release hire someone just for that a writer and there are many great ones out there.

ICQ if you need a good one.

Magazines and Television are too savy to fall for what you're suggesting....which basically just equates to undercover Spam.

[EscortBiz]

Originally Posted by Young

Magazines and Television are too savy to fall for what you're suggesting....which basically just equates to undercover Spam.

talk facts not what u think this works for us all the time in our mainstream business and has for a long time, what do you think the PR agencies do? payoff insiders?

get a clue

[KRL]

Here's a great example of free PR that I got on CNBC TV for BigTicketDomains.com recently.

http://www.bigticketdomains.com/advertising/cnbc.wmv

I can't begin to tell you how lucrative that one blurb was and all the new business connections I made off of it. If you are fortunate enough to get some TV time, its like cascading dominos, and the phone won't stop ringing.

[EscortBiz]

Originally Posted by KRL

Here's a great example of free PR that I got on CNBC TV for BigTicketDomains.com recently.

http://www.bigticketdomains.com/advertising/cnbc.wmv

I can't begin to tell you how lucrative that one blurb was and all the new business connections I made off of it. If you are fortunate enough to get some TV time, its like cascading dominos, and the phone won't stop ringing.

wow congrats real nice

[Young]

Originally Posted by EscortBiz

get a clue

Ya I'm sorry. I'm wrong.

All magazines are going to jump at the oppurtunity to print my biased article for free. And television stations just love giving away free informative segments and ads. I mean...why by up infomercial space when you can get it for free.

You need to get a clue.

[EscortBiz]

Originally Posted by Young

Ya I'm sorry. I'm wrong.

All magazines are going to jump at the oppurtunity to print my biased article for free. And television stations just love giving away free informative segments and ads. I mean...why by up infomercial space when you can get it for free.

You need to get a clue.

did I say ALL? you fuckin hump

its a big numbers game like everything else, you need to send out hundreds of press releases to get a call or 2

you are one of those ladies who know everything

[BRISK]

Originally Posted by KRL

Here's a great example of free PR that I got on CNBC TV for BigTicketDomains.com recently.

http://www.bigticketdomains.com/advertising/cnbc.wmv

I can't begin to tell you how lucrative that one blurb was and all the new business connections I made off of it. If you are fortunate enough to get some TV time, its like cascading dominos, and the phone won't stop ringing.

Did you get mentioned on CNBC because your pursued it? or was it a surprise to you that they just happened to mention that site?

[Young]

Originally Posted by EscortBiz

did I say ALL? you fuckin hump

its a big numbers game like everything else, you need to send out hundreds of press releases to get a call or 2

you are one of those ladies who know everything

1. Stop the name calling...it's pretty sad when you have to resort to that.
2. You never called it a numbers game...you referred to it as something "that always works"
3. Your ideas sound good on paper, and probaly would have worked 30 years ago.
4. I'm represented by NYMM and we have one of the biggest PR firms working for us, and do internal PR. So I know a little bit about how it works.
5. I'm not a lady....I'm a 6'2 hunk of a man.

Lets call a truce. If you send out a thousand...you might get a bite in some of the smaller distributed magazines.

[EscortBiz]

Originally Posted by Young

1. Stop the name calling...it's pretty sad when you have to resort to that.
2. You never called it a numbers game...you referred to it as something "that always works"
3. Your ideas sound good on paper, and probaly would have worked 30 years ago.
4. I'm represented by NYMM and we have one of the biggest PR firms working for us, and do internal PR. So I know a little bit about how it works.
5. I'm not a lady....I'm a 6'2 hunk of a man.

Lets call a truce. If you send out a thousand...you might get a bite in some of the smaller distributed magazines.

thats why my mainstream company is all over the fuckin place because it worked 30 years ago, I was expecting an answer about a 6'2 hulk and you work with huge pr firms blah blah you are about 25 that cant figure out blogs and is curious about gay porn lol

god man

[Young]

Originally Posted by EscortBiz

thats why my mainstream company is all over the fuckin place because it worked 30 years ago, I was expecting an answer about a 6'2 hulk and you work with huge pr firms blah blah you are about 25 that cant figure out blogs and is curious about gay porn lol

god man

O RLY?

You're the guy getting mad on the internet, searching for my past post history in order to find some ammo, dishing out information that would never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever work.

Hey but whatever makes you feel better.

[edit] also i don't work for pr firms. i have pr firms that work for my agency. difference.

[EscortBiz]

Originally Posted by Young

O RLY?

You're the guy getting mad on the internet, searching for my past post history in order to find some ammo, dishing out information that would never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever work.

Hey but whatever makes you feel better.

lol im turning over the net to find info on you lol

again someone comes here for info i give him advice that works basically same shit that an agency would do but going to an agency that represents many unless they are huge they will put you on a back burner.

So im telling him stuff that works but no you have to start dishing out typical nah it worked 30 years ago lol, i guess noone gets free PR anymore

[Young]

Originally Posted by EscortBiz

lol im turning over the net to find info on you lol

again someone comes here for info i give him advice that works basically same shit that an agency would do but going to an agency that represents many unless they are huge they will put you on a back burner.

So im telling him stuff that works but no you have to start dishing out typical nah it worked 30 years ago lol, i guess noone gets free PR anymore

all i replied with is that the media is alot more savy then you're making them out to be. What you suggested pretty much equates to Spam. Might get away with it in smaller publications.

You took offense to criticism. Move along.

[BRISK]

Young, excuse me for interrupting your e-penis competition with escortbiz, but do you have any suggestions for how to find a good PR/Media Relations agency?

[Young]

Escort Biz does have a point...its tough dealing with big PR agencies.


5W Public Relations

just suggested by a friend i called

[BRISK]

So does anyone else have anything more to add about PR/Media Relations?

What about the difference between going with a big established agency vs. a small agency? I kind of like the idea about going with a smaller agency because they're more likely to be hungry for keeping my business by doing an exceptional job. What do you think?

[KRL]

Originally Posted by BRISK

So does anyone else have anything more to add about PR/Media Relations?

What about the difference between going with a big established agency vs. a small agency? I kind of like the idea about going with a smaller agency because they're more likely to be hungry for keeping my business by doing an exceptional job. What do you think?

It pretty much depends what your budget is. Some of these PR firms are looking for fees above $10K a month. The problem is they won't guarantee results.

The one I was considering for men.com wanted us to write a book about Men and she said they'd get the book on Oprah and other talk shows. They said they would even get a writer for us and line up a publsiher. But when I pressed them they wouldn't assure us in writing that all the publicity would happen and wanted a lot of money up front.

If you can afford it go with one of the Interpublic Companies.

http://www.interpublic.com/interact/family/ipg.php

like Deutsch.com. Donny Deutsch's team is considered one of the most innovative out there.

[BRISK]

I've always thought of PR agencies like political lobbyist firms, you pay more for the agencies with good connections. Maybe that's not the way it works, I dunno, but I assumed that some agencies have better connections than others. I would hope that hiring a $20k a month agency in Manhattan would produce better results than a $5k a month agency in Oregon, but is that true? Are you paying for a big name or better results?

[KRL]

Originally Posted by BRISK

I've always thought of PR agencies like political lobbyist firms, you pay more for the agencies with good connections. Maybe that's not the way it works, I dunno, but I assumed that some agencies have better connections than others. I would hope that hiring a $20k a month agency in Manhattan would produce better results than a $5k a month agency in Oregon, but is that true? Are you paying for a big name or better results?

The big name firms have the most media connections. Its all about their relationships with key media companies that will determine the success of your campaign, plus of course any other ideas they develop.

Honestly, a lot of this stuff you can pull off yourself in today's media environment. You just need a gimmick and then a little bit of luck to get the ball rolling.

[studiocritic]

Originally Posted by BRISK

I've always thought of PR agencies like political lobbyist firms, you pay more for the agencies with good connections. Maybe that's not the way it works, I dunno, but I assumed that some agencies have better connections than others. I would hope that hiring a $20k a month agency in Manhattan would produce better results than a $5k a month agency in Oregon, but is that true? Are you paying for a big name or better results?

Brisk, we run a mainstream marketing firm.. we have some alternative "guerilla" approaches to PR which often prove more effective for a smaller (<$30k/mo) budget. hit me up on ICQ sometime 254342256.