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A
New Year... A new name for our newsletter
 As
the new year kicks off, we are excited to announce a new name for our
monthly newsletter: The Pioneer
Strategist. This new name reflects our core belief
that a carefully crafted strategy is a necessary precursor to an
effective Public Relations program.
-
Frank Williams, President
In
This Issue
1.
First Small Business PR seminar a sellout; two additional dates
announced
2.
PR Principle: Newsworthiness
3.
Leadership Corner
4.
Guest Column: Where Is My Cash Flow?
5.
Are you missing opportunities?
6.
Small Business PR Packages make Public Relations affordable
7. How
to subscribe to this newsletter
Click
here to read previous editions of our newsletter
"Act
or be acted upon."
- Stephen
Covey -
The
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
First
Small Business PR Seminar sells out; two upcoming dates announced
"Practical
PR Strategies for Small Businesses"
Pioneer
Strategies' January 12 seminar, entitled "Practical PR Strategies
for Small Businesses," was a sellout. As a result, we
have scheduled two additional seminars on February 16 and March 16.
All seminars are conducted by Pioneer President Frank Williams.
What
will you gain from attending our seminar?
-
Learn how your small business can benefit from an effective Public
Relations effort;
-
Develop an understanding of the principles you must follow in order to
implement an effective Public Relations campaign; and
-
Learn practical, cost-effective Public Relations tactics and strategies
you can put to work to promote your small business.
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“This
seminar was very worthwhile.
The
information was extremely useful;
it
made me rethink the ways in which
I
promote my business and enhanced
my
understanding of the value of effective PR.”
-
Whitney Hill, Marketing Director
Carolina
Web Consultants
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Reserve
your seat! Our
seminars are interactive, therefore seating is limited. Click
here to register today.
PR
Principle: Newsworthiness
The
January
2004 edition of our newsletter provided an overview of the Principles
of Effective Public Relations. These principles are the
fundamentals; they are as important to your Public Relations effort as
dribbling, passing, free throw shooting and defense are to a good
basketball team. In this issue, we will discuss the principle of
newsworthiness.
Newsworthiness:
Why would the media want to cover your story?
Media
outlets are subjected to a deluge of press releases every day.
Someone on the inside -- typically a news editor or assignment editor --
sorts through this mountain of alleged news and determines which stories
will receive coverage and which will not.
As
you develop your Public Relations strategy, you are faced with the
challenge of making your potential story stand out from the crowd.
Why
would the media want to cover your story? Simply put, they will
not -- unless it is newsworthy. If your potential story has no
news value, it is unlikely to receive coverage.
Is
your potential story interesting? If not, it is unlikely to catch
the eye of the person who decides whether or not it makes news.
Is
it timely? If your story is "old news," it's not likely
to be covered. However, if your story can be classified as
"breaking news," or if it can be connected to other current
news, it is more likely to be covered.
Case
Study
Several
years ago the Raleigh Jaycees sponsored a seminar designed to educate
attendees on the mechanics of the Electoral College. If this event
had been held in 1998 it would received little attention. If the
event had taken place in 2002 the results would have been similar.
As it turns out, the Jaycees' Electoral College seminar was a resounding
success, and the event received significant local news coverage.
What
made the event a success? Why were the Jaycees able to obtain news
coverage for this seminar? The answer lies in the timing:
the event took place after the 2000 presidential election, but before
the Supreme Court ruling that ultimately ended the ongoing dispute over
the outcome of the election. The Electoral College was in the
news, thus making the seminar a newsworthy event.
Because
of the dispute over the outcome of the election, the Jaycees' Electoral
College seminar was timely. The event was interesting; therefore
it had news value. An identical event held at a different time
would've had virtually no news value and would likely not have been
covered.
As
you develop your Public Relations strategy, you should be on the lookout
for opportunities to "make news." If your company or one
of your employees achieves something newsworthy, develop a press release
or hold a press conference. Present your potential story to the
media in a way that makes it interesting and gets their attention.
While you won't obtain coverage every time out, the more newsworthy your
release or event, the better your chances.
-
Frank Williams
---
Seminar:
Practical PR Strategies for Small Businesses
Attend
this interactive seminar and begin the process of developing a strategic
plan to build a name for your small business. Our January 12 Small
Business PR seminar was a sell-out. Click
here to reserve your seat in one of our upcoming seminars (February
16 or March 16).
Leadership
Corner
"The
leader's job is to create a vision."
-
Robert Swiggett, Chairman, Kollmorgen Corporation
"Leadership
is action, not position."
-
Donald H. McGannon
"Leadership
is Influence."
-
John C. Maxwell
Guest
Column: Where Is My Cash Flow?
 By
Lea Strickland, CMA CFM CBM
President - F.O.C.U.S. Resources
What
do I do about customers who consistently pay late? Why does it seem that
the money flows out faster than it flows in?
These
are significant questions for every business.
Click
here for the full article
About
Lea Strickland
Lea Strickland is the president of F.O.C.U.S. Resources and has over 17
years experience in developing financial models, budgets and forecast
tools for companies large and small. She has developed complex
forecasting models for companies that include Ford Motor Company and
several early stage technology companies. One of the largest modeling
projects resulted in a budget and forecast model of 26 manufacturing
facilities totaling over $13.2 billion with a forecast accuracy of 99.9
percent. Click here
for more information on F.O.C.U.S. Resources.
Are
you missing opportunities?
The
press release is the public relations tool used to communicate
your organization's accomplishments and activities to the media.
The purpose of a press release is to generate positive news coverage for
your organization -- coverage which builds your name and enhances your
credibility far more than a paid advertisement or company brochure.
Below
are a few newsworthy opportunities for your company to distribute a
press release:
-
Hiring a new employee;
-
Opening a new location;
-
Completing a major project;
-
Signing a new client;
-
Your company or a key employee wins an award;
-
A company representative gives a speech or teaches a class;
-
Hosting a seminar or other special event;
-
Launching a new product line; or
-
An employee receives a promotion.
Are
you missing out? If your company has done any of these
things and has not sent out a press release, you've missed
opportunities!
Small
Business PR Packages make
Public
Relations affordable
Stop
missing opportunities! Pioneer's Small
Business PR Packages provide companies like yours with an affordable
way to distribute press releases to appropriate media outlets in your
community.
Get
started today -- contact us by responding to this e-mail,
call 919-833-4345, or click
here and fill out our online form.
How
to subscribe to this newsletter
If
you are receiving a forwarded copy of this newsletter and would like to
subscribe, click
here.
This
newsletter and all content and information contained herein are the
property of Pioneer Strategies, Inc. and may not be reproduced in any
form without the express written consent of the publisher.
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