Five PR Tips to Never Forget

Do you have a great idea for a story, but no clue how to get it in the news? Are you tired of pitching press releases the news media simply ignores?

After over a century of combined experience in the news media, Texas public relations firm Real News PR has a scoop for you: the media needs good stories. But most stories are pitched so poorly they are lost in the blizzard of faxes that blanket every newsroom.

Here are five steps to increase your chances of getting covered that even most Dallas public relation companies don't know:

1) Be Unusual

The old adage about "Man bites dog" still holds true. The news doesn't cover what's normal. It covers the abnormal. Often times, Texas public relations firms make the mistake of pitching stories which most people simply aren't interested in.

PR whiz Carolyn Alvey knew this when she was trying to raise money for a charity several years ago. Instead of holding a garage sale, she sent out a press release announcing a "Celebrity Garage Sale." Everything from Bob Hope's old golf clubs to Roger Staubach's long-neglected neckties was for sale. By making an ordinary garage sale extraordinary, the media was instantly sold on the story.

2) Be Visual

Reporters tell stories with pictures. If the pictures aren't there, chances are the reporters won't be either.

Even the most non-visual story can be made visual if you're creative. A dog biscuit business? Boring. A dog birthday party complete with doggie guests and party hats? Now you're barking up the right tree.

3) Choose the Right Reporter

Perhaps the most common mistake even some Dallas public relation companies make is trying to sell a good story to the wrong person. Most reporters have a specialty, like "crime" or "business."

So, seek out the reporter who will have the most to benefit from your story. Start studying the news. Before you call a TV station or try and pitch the paper, become familiar with a reporter's work.

4) Write like a Reporter

If we were going to send a press release to a reporter, we'd write the kind of headline that a newspaper would run. And we'd make the rest of the release so conversational that a TV anchor could read it right on the air.

Why is this so important? A major market newsroom gets thousands of press releases from Texas public relations firms every day. Often the decision on whether to cover your story is made in a matter of seconds. Many times that well-crafted sentence in the third paragraph of your press release is never read.

5) Wait for Slow News

The holidays are the slowest "news times" of the year. When government offices are closed, so are most of our sources. Take advantage of it.

There you go. Now you're armed with knowledge that even some well-paid Dallas public relation companies don't practice. If your idea is unique, visual, and pitched to the right person when the supply of news is running thin, you're in!

Five Tips for Pitching Your Story By Phone

Emails may be easy and convenient, but you if you want to use the latest Dallas PR marketing strategies, you can't beat the phone when it comes to selling a journalist on your story.

Here are some simple rules to make sure the call goes well:

1. Make Sure You're Pitching the Right Reporter
Read what the reporter has written in the past. With Google, there's no excuse for not doing your homework. In a matter of minutes, you can locate the right reporter on the Internet and start looking at stories the journalist has done in the past. One of the most important Dallas public relations marketing strategies is simply making sure that you connect the right story with the right reporter – it’s as simple as that.

2. Be Sure You're Calling at a Good Time
Often when I'm pitching a story to a journalist, my first question is: "Are you on deadline or do you have about 2-minutes to talk?" You want their complete attention. If you're calling at a bad time, reporters will have no trouble telling you. Simply ask when a good time to call them back might be.

3. Be Persistent without Becoming a Pest
There's a fine line between being persistent and becoming a stalker. You may have to leave two or three messages to get a journalist to call you back. Just reassure them that it won't be a waste of time to call you back and if you've done your homework on them, it won't be. All the Dallas PR marketing strategies in the world can’t help you if the reporter decides to stop returning your calls.

4. Don't Sound Like a Commercial
There's an old saying in the sales world--"Everyone likes to buy, but no one likes to be sold." This rules goes double for the media. If you mention the name of your company, product or service 5 times in the first 30 seconds, the reporter is either going to hang up or transfer your call to the advertising department.

5. Lather, Rinse, Repeat
If you get rejected, it's no big deal. You haven't asked the reporter for their hand in marriage, you only pitched them a story. It doesn't mean the reporter just down the hall won't do the story. Before you move on to another media outlet, ask the journalist if there's another reporter they might suggest.

Real News PR is one of the fastest going Dallas Public Relations Firm. This is a company that offers the latest Dallas Marketing Experts.

Want a better Publicity? Pick the Low Hanging Fruit

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Sounds simple enough, right? But what does it mean? When I retired from TV news last summer to start a company as a Dallas public relations consultant, I promised myself to always grab the easy stuff for my clients first---in other words, the stuff the media is already giving you.

Feeding Frenzies
When reporters are going crazy about one topic, you can't beat 'em...so you might as well join them. For instance, this is the anniversary week of the government's raid on the polygamist sect in West Texas. Oprah got an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour and is dedicating a whole hour to the topic on Monday. It begins a week of anniversary pieces that you'll see on the news.

Our Dallas public relations agency represents a couple of attorneys who dropped what they were doing one year ago and headed to San Angelo to represent children they didn't know---and they didn't make a dime. They were among 400 attorneys who did the same. It may be the largest pro bono effort in history. We're getting our clients out in front of the media this week to reflect on the lessons learned.

Problems that Need Solving

When a reporter does a story about a problem that needs fixing, an experienced Dallas public relations agency will be the solution.Right now there are lots of news stories about the flooding in the Upper Midwest...but as a public relations expert, I'm also starting to see local stories of volunteer groups packing up and headed to help. When the media points out a problem, it's almost obligated to cover the story when you call up and announce that you're coming to the rescue.

Holiday Stories

Tying into a holiday is easy. Yesterday the Dallas Junior Chamber of Commerce held an Easter egg hunt for visually impaired children and received widespread coverage.

Real News Public Relations is a company that offers the latest Dallas Marketing Experts.With a focus on results, Real News Internet Public Relations Dallas is one of its most important services.

The images of children searching for eggs that make a "beeping" noise was too irresistible for the media to pass up. The DJCC's story on Saturday is just the first of a wave of Easter stories that you'll see over the next couple of weeks-- a clever Dallas public relations agency will also capitalize on the holiday feeding frenzy.

Expert Advice
The next time you find yourself talking back to the TV set when the news is discussing something that you have expertise in, reach out to the media and suggest a follow-up.


As a Dallas public relations consultant, I am a PR expert. What makes you an expert? If you do it for a living, you're an expert. If you're a Realtor, you're a real estate expert. If you're a lawyer, you're a legal expert.

Trust me, this low hanging fruit is all around you. The next time you find a story that's ripe, have the courage to call a journalist and harvest some free publicity.

Want a better marketing : Dont be vanilla

There's nothing wrong with vanilla ice cream. It's classic and there's nothing like a good scoop of old fashioned vanilla on some peach cobbler.

However, we’re using it here as a metaphor. In an age where news stations receive literally thousands of press releases and requests for coverage every day, if you want to utilize the latest Dallas media relations strategies, that's one flavor you just can't be -- plain vanilla.

While Googling around, we ran across some ice cream shops that have gotten some tasty news coverage by being different -- even without our Dallas media training!

Keep in mind that whether or not people actually buy the ice cream is completely irrelevant. As we teach in our Dallas media relations strategies, the fact that an unusual product or service is offered is oftentimes enough to bring the cameras.

An ice cream place called Dominion's scored a nice article in the Baltimore Sun because of the wacky vegetable flavors they serve up including spinach, carrot, tomato, sweet potato and jalapeno.

A Los Angeles ice cream shop owner made it into Better Homes and Gardens with his Sweet Corn flavored ice cream.

The Udder Delight Ice Cream House in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware has gained international media attention with its -- get this -- bacon flavored ice cream.

And the fine folks with the Lions Club of Scappoose, Oregon always manage to win national headlines with the Sauerkraut ice cream they dish out during the town's annual Sauerkraut Festival.

                  
Our point is simply this: all they did to get publicity was to change the recipe. Frankly, we’re not sure they sell very much Sweet Corn ice cream in LA or Sauerkraut ice cream in Oregon. That's not the point. For some, it would take some serious Dallas media training to develop these results. They're getting some cool coverage for themselves and are probably doing a booming business selling more traditional flavors to the crowds that are drawn in by their excellent PR savvy.

So what are you waiting for? All you have to do is take your plain old vanilla PR plan and sprinkle on a little bacon. Utilize these Dallas media relations strategies, and the media will eat it up.