Media Kits Build Media Relationships

Media Kits Build Media Relationships

There are several strategies for developing media kits, but experts agree a visually appealing media kit, with professional photos and well-written press releases are an important resource for creating buzz and getting the medias attention. A good media kit will pique an editor's curiosity and gain the company free publicity.

While the appearance of the media kit can peak a reporter's interest, the buzz a company is looking to create comes from the effort put behind the kit, from the development of the content and the follow-up discussions with reporters. The biggest mistake most companies make in creating media kits is making it look or read like a company or product advertisement. The goal of distributing a media kit is to help the media generate a story, but also to provide a valuable resource. If you can demonstrate a perspective beyond your company and can tie in the relevance of your company to the broader business environment, you'll become a valued resource. If you respect their deadlines and are helpful, not pushy, you will build relationships

So what should be included in a professional media kit? Just the facts. Simple and plain. Less is more, information-wise. You should include a company biography, a professional photograph of the key players and the product or performance of a service, a fact sheet and a recent news release geared toward the target audience should all be included. Avoid including sales information in a press kit. If the information is not presented professionally, your company's image may suffer.

Without functionality, your packet is likely to end up in the circular file (read: wastepaper basket) of a busy editor's office. Press releases are often the backbone of an appealing media kit. I have written over 10 articles in the past to help my readers learn how to craft a world-class press release. Please refer to them on my blog at http://reriani.blogspot.com or www.Reriani.com. A well-written news release serves as an outline of what the story is. If the release is written like a news story, and it actually has news in it, it is more likely to interest the reporter in doing a piece on it.. If you are not a good writer, hire one. We charge as little as US$49.95 to craft one press release for you and as low as US$35 if ordered in a package of 12 lasting for one year.

Including published clips about your company is a popular tactic. Don't change the date on news releases. A news release is a snapshot in time. If you are caught changing the date on news releases to make them appear 'fresher,' reporters will not trust that anything you tell them is current.

Professional artwork is also important and should always be included in a professional media kit. It should contain graphics in a variety of formats as well as black-and-white and color pictures for scanning, A well-prepared media kit will provide an editor with everything he or she needs to run a story on your company.

Use creative media kits to break through the clutter on a reporter's desk. Themed press kits can help personify a company. They need to capture the spirit and message of the product, company, organization or event. In public relations creativity for the sake of creativity is dangerous - that is what art is for. In the marketing communications field creativity needs to contribute to the bottom line.

Creating themes can be expensive, but you can utilize technology, to equalize the cost of a theme-based promotion. Contrarily, sometimes the best press kit is no press kit at all. If you are a small one or two person company, and resort to mailing out big, fat press kit,  the incorrect impression may be left and your press kit may appear like advertising.

Mass distribution of media kits can be expensive and ineffective. The best way to distribute media kits depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Select specific mailings to targeted media outlets. For the smaller outlets, you can just send them a press release Individualized mailings are more appropriate for the larger media outlets. Follow-ups are just as important as the initial mailings. Three days is usually the standard waiting time to send follow ups, unless breaking news is involved. Read my blog on "follow ups" to avoid some of the most common mistakes.

Tune-Up: Make sure when you are pitching a reporter you actually have news or a reason why your company should be profiled. When you build a relationship with a reporter they will cover you again - ultimately, that is how you create ongoing buzz that will help your business grow.. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Free, Easy & Effective Publicity Strategies.

Free, Easy & Effective Publicity Strategies.

As eyes look forward to the new business year, many small business owners and entrepreneurs are hoping that this upcoming year will be the one that catapults them into success. Businesses often overlook a key element when making their business plans and resolutions.
 
Dear subscribers,
We at Prudent International Inc value your success and encourages you to consider the following free or low-cost Public Relations strategies that you can implement with little or no outside help. If implemented correctly and consistently, these strategies can help revolutionize your businesses in the coming year. The results are proven for many and well documented.
 
 Write articles: Articles do not have to be long; they just need to be informative. Submitting online, as well as offline, provides a good chance to get your name in print at no cost. Our two news websites www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com have consistently attracted over 350,000 monthly hits and currently have over 30,000 syndicate RSS subscribers. You may want to consider exposing your news articles to this audience by opening a free account and submitting your media releases.
 
 Write a newsletter: A newsletter should contain content valuable to your target market, as well as promote your products and services.
 
 Write Press Releases: Reporters everywhere are looking for stories, and a press release gives them the information to write that story. Make sure it is newsworthy, not just an advertisement. You can always submit your press release free on our website.
 
 Use your business cards: Think of your business card as a mini billboard and start handing them out everywhere. Include them in all your correspondence and put them in places that they will be seen.
 
 Start Speaking: Speaking in front of an audience usually makes you an expert. People like to buy from experts. “Speaking is free, and it’s just like making a sales call to many people at one time.”
 
 You can find details on these strategies and more on my blog at reriani.blogspot.com  
 
 * All the staff at Prudent Press Agency thank you  for your past business and wish you a Blessed and Prosperous year. We all look forward to help you fulfill your publicity needs in the future. May the power of Public Relations work for you and bring you success in the coming year and beyond. Thanks for being such loyal readers of my blog.

Tune-Up: Because you have no control over what is printed or said in the media, you have to leave allot to trust. Sometimes that trust is broken, either accidentally or intentionally. You need to know how to deal with the situation. Damage limitation means keeping control of the impression given to consumers - its all about rescuing the brand's reputation.  Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Importance of Strategic Fore Thought in PR

Importance of Strategic Fore Thought in PR

Do you read stories in newspapers and trade magazines about your competitors? Perhaps you know your company is as successful as they are with just as many positive stories to tell, but none of the articles you have submitted have been published.

The first thing to understand is that journalists are not in the business of providing free publicity. Their role is to produce articles of interest to their readers, so you need to provide relevant information which they genuinely want to publish. Different journalists write in different ways for different audiences and it is essential to develop an understanding of their requirements before submitting any information to them. A newspaper distributed in one city, for example, is unlikely to be interested in your new office in another city -- but it may well be if you explain that you've had to recruit specialist staff from the city the newspaper is published in, to address local skills shortages.

Be Strategic
Efforts to secure publicity need to form part of a strategy which supports your broader commercial objectives. Hold a meeting with your management team -- perhaps with guidance from a PR consultant -- to explore the rationale behind the publicity drive. For example, you may have expansion plans which rely on being able to attract and retain high caliber staff. You therefore have two priorities: Firstly, to position yourself as a highly successful employer that looks after its staff, and secondly, to ensure that customers know who you are, what you do, and why you are the best.

Know your Market
It's important to develop a realistic understanding of your target audiences: Who are the decision-makers? What size companies do they work for or run? Where are these companies based? How are they influenced? What publications do they read? You can only hope to make a meaningful impact on people if you know what makes them tick.

Focus on the Message
Once you've established what you want to create 'noise' about and you've prioritized your target audiences, it's worth considering how you want to be positioned. Seeing your company's name in print can be immensely satisfying but if the article does not communicate specific aspects of your service and expertise, it's unlikely to have the required effect. By consistently describing your company in the same way and communicating three or four unique selling points you are more likely to get your message across. 

Spread the Word
Press releases are a useful means of providing journalists with information and a good proportion of business articles begin their life in this way. However, journalists are bombarded with hundreds on a daily basis so it's essential that yours stands out. A powerful headline and first paragraph clearly identifying the news angle are fundamental. Avoid jargon at all costs and remember KISS: Keep It Short and Simple.

Remember that pro-activity, and perseverance, are essential to reap the fruits of a PR campaign

Tune-Up Press releases are by no means the only way. Pick up the telephone and discuss your story with the journalists you want to target. Don't lose heart if you get an indifferent response: think of the discussion as an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the type of commentary most likely to impress. . Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Media Circuits

Media Circuits

In the past couple of years, many of you have requested us to publish our extensive list of media contacts for your inspection. Today we provide you with many of the newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations as well as news websites we reach with your Media Message. Please note that the lists below do not include over 20,000 individual freelance journalist and reporters who also receive your message. We have categorized our Media list into four main groups. To view a combination of our general media outlets go to http://www.prudentPressAgency.com/medialist\GlobalGeneral.htm or http://www.SkyNewswire.com/medialist\GlobalGeneral.htm

Global Media Circuits
Going global with your news has never been easier. Our Global Circuits provide a single-step solution to reach news media and freelance journalist and reporters in key markets throughout the world. In total, we will reach over 50,000 global general media with your message. Going global with us always includes your PR crafting, write-up or editing and distribution. View our Global Media Outlets at:
http://www.prudentpressagency.com/medialist/GlobalCountry.htm or http://www.SkyNewswire.com/medialist/GlobalCountry.htm

USA Media Circuits by State
We have a well-developed relationship with most media in the USA and distribute news via other wire services and our own proprietary news network.
View our USA Media Coverage:
http://www.prudentpressagency.com/medialist/USList.htm  or http://www.SkyNewswire.com/medialist/USList.htm

Industry Media Circuits
Prudent Press Agency reaches media covering more than 70 industries. You can view these diverse categories on our website’s category section on the left frame. You can also find the number of media outlets in each category by clicking on specific categories. Our core service provides comprehensive news coverage across dozens of industries, from Advertising, Marketing & Merchandising, Agriculture, Engineering, Science and Technology, Women’s to Sports, Rural and Farm life, Music. View our Industry Media Outlets:
http://www.prudentpressagency.com/medialist/IndustryMedia.htm or http://www.SkyNewswire.com/medialist/IndustryMedia.htm   

Global News Wire Circuits
The use of the services of other news wire circuits enable you to surgically target your news to select audiences based on your geographic and industry market needs. Our current network is composed of some 30 national news agencies and web-based news services around the globe. We offer you an easy, one-stop solution with our global Newswire coverage. View our Global News Wire Outlets here:
http://www.prudentpressagency.com/medialist/GlobalWires.htm or http://www.SkyNewswire.com/medialist/GlobalWires.htm  

Tune-Up: Some journalists claim that they are working against a tight deadline to get an unrehearsed and off-the-cuff statement which can make good copy. They say that their deadline is tight when in fact it is not - its one of the journalist oldest tricks. Beware if any journalist gets in contact with you. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Make Your Website Name Sizzle

Make Your Website Name Sizzle

One of the biggest complaints concerning people wanting to register a domain name is that all the good name are all taken. It just is not true. Even in highly competitive industries such as ecommerce and web hosting, you can still think up original, appealing domain names for businesses by using naming tactics that few people use.

Focus on your intended results. What is the outcome or end result that people want to have from buying a certain product or service? How do they feel when they have finished the transaction? My PR company name which I founded in 1999 is called Prudent International Inc. My intended goal was to offer the most prudent services with an international reach. Our website name (PrudentPressAgency.com) may be long by most standards but you will be surprised that most people never forget it and can type it on their browser without going to their favorites or history folders. We named our other website SkyNewswire.com because I had come to believe that the sky was my only limit in anything. I have been having my doubts if the sky really is a limit.

Make a list of relevant keywords, say each out loud and play around with the sounds. Puns are much less likely than other kinds of names to have been registered because their component parts are not actual words. For instance, the name Sitesfaction.com, for a web design company, Easier2Find.com for a specialist search engine.

Think slang. Let your imagination and memory fly around for pleasing-to-the-ear expressions. The African Swahili language and other "less known languages" in the west have brought many words that have sipped into our daily vocabulary. I am thinking of a name like SafariTours.com for a travel agency, mpenzi.com for a dating agency.

Vary real words. "Google's name is a play on the word googol, which refers to the number 1 followed by one hundred zeroes," says the Press Center of the world's most successful search engine. "The word was coined by the nine-year-old nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner," it continues - providing another hint for creative naming: consult a kid.

Happy Naming!

Tune-Up: The more you hear something, it starts sounding just right and you start feeling like it has been there your whole life. Think of Google, Yahoo, Ebay etc. It was only through the power of repetition that these names have become second nature. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Frequently Asked Questions on our Services

Frequently Asked Questions on our Services

When was SkyNewswire.com founded? Prudent International Inc the parent company of SkyNewswire.com was incorporated in 1999 by Joseph Reriani then working as a freelance journalist for various media organizations. He was joined by Jackie Mugambi in 2003 a newly graduate broadcast student who started off on a volunteer basis and rose to direct www.SkyNewswire.com when it was started. Both websites have over 7,000 registered members and receive over 350,000 unique hits monthly generating over 1,000,000 page views. We define a page view as one person viewing one press release or classified advisement.
We originate numerous news announcements each year, with a dramatic impact on perception, credibility, capital and commercial markets around the globe in virtually every industry sector. Our news has appeared in the past on such media outlets as MSNBC, CNN, PR Report, The New York Times, PR Week and many other newspapers, magazines and websites.
Prudent International Inc is a privately held company registered in the USA and The Netherlands in the E.U.

What happens to my press release when I post it on your networks? After being approved by our editorial team, your press release will be posted on our website front page. This makes it accessible to the over 350,000 unique monthly visitors who access our networks as well as over 30,000 RSS and XML feed subscribers also known as syndicated news feeds.

You will also most probably find your press release in other high traffic news outlets like Google News, Google Finance and Yahoo News minutes after appearing on our front page.

Your news release will also be searchable on most search engines within a day to a week compared to the average 6 month to a year it takes most new websites contents. For more on the benefits of submitting your news release FREE on our website go to: http://SkyNewswire.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=13  

For our paid services, you get all the free services benefits plus PR crafting, consultation and/or distribution services depending on your chosen package. We maintain a database of over 85,000 media contacts in over 70 categories and have partnered with many specialist wire services around the world to better target our media reach. We have the capability of placing your press release in front of journalist computers and other places they frequent depending on the nature of your news release.

Prudent Press Agency & SkyNewswire.com Web Sites
Both websites currently have a combined traffic of over 350,000 unique visitors monthly generating millions of page views. We describe a page view as one person viewing one press release. All press releases are posted on our site indefinitely and only removed from our site if the originator deletes it or it is found to compromise our editorial guidelines. Please see our Terms and Conditions.

Search Engine Submission
Each press release appearing on our websites is optimized for search engine indexing. This is one reason why your press release will appear on the major search engines within a day to a week and within minutes on news sites such as  Google News, Google Finance and Yahoo News among others.

Syndicated News Feed
XML/RSS news feeds are a popular way of distributing content on the internet. XML and RSS technology has made it possible for publishers and individuals to easily stay updated on the contents of particular website simply by placing a small code on their websites or email subscription. We are currently aware of over 30,000 XML and RSS subscribers to our websites though this number could be much much higher. XML/RSS news feeds increases exposure to your press release.

Media Distribution - Fax, Post, Telephone and Email
We currently maintain a database of over 85,000 media contacts in over 70 categories. Different media personalities choose to be contacted in different ways though the most popular mode still remains email. Traditional modes of press release distribution such as fax, and post are still widely used mostly by feature writers who are less constrained by time.

How do I upload a press release? Go to our website home page at www.SkyNewswire.com and register for a free account. Check your email after a few minutes for a verification link to activate the account. Please ensure that you enter your email correctly as this is where your verification link is sent to. Activate your account and you are ready to go. Login to your account and take advantage of our free press release services benefits.

How long does my press release remain online? Your press release remains online forever, that means that it never expires. Most users leave their release online even if it becomes old news. One advantage is that it will be available under search results and result in hits to your website. Leaving older releases online is an effective way of letting the media know where you have been as an organization. In certain circumstances you may want to remove a press release but that decision is entirely up to you.

What are the advantages of a paid release? In addition to all the features you get for a free press release, you receive highly targeted distribution to the media, press release and articles crafting as well as public relations consulting depending your chosen package. You can also create your own custom package (please contact us). You may also opt to employ the services of our experienced editors and journalists in crafting and polishing your press release. We currently have over 20 customized PR packages.

What other media services do you offer? We offer numerous media services including Edgar filing services for public traded companies, long term media communication and consultation services, various press release write-up and distribution packages. Working with numerous journalists and writers puts us at an added advantage of knowing what they are looking for in terms of sources, news angles and content and we are able to create that valuable bridge between you and them. We also offer professional website analysis in relation to public relations.

Do you ever reject press releases? Yes, we do under certain circumstances. Every press release must pass a review process by our editors. We never verify any of the news or proofread any of the free press releases. Correct grammar and spelling are the submitter's responsibility. Remember the importance of submitting well-conceived and well-written press releases.
A few of our general guidelines include - We will not post ads and will reject press releases that are not deemed newsworthy. Press releases that we perceive to be inflammatory or intended to cause harm to a third party will not be accepted. In addition, we will only post press releases which are in standard press release format. Please see our Terms and Conditions.

Do you accept press releases for adult content? No, we do not accept press releases for adult content.

Is Prudent International Inc a public traded company? No, Prudent International Inc the parent company of Prudent Press Agency and SkyNewswire.com is a privately held for-profit company.

Press release or News Release? For a number of reasons, including search engine optimization we use the terms press release, news release and media release interchangeably. They all mean the same thing.

Does distribution through your networks guarantee that the media will use my press release? No, no newswire service can guarantee that the media will use your news release. We do not control the media only try to get your news to them in the best way we can. For all free press release, the ultimate responsibility for success lies with you. Did you create a compelling story? Is it newsworthy? Will others find it newsworthy? See other parts of this website for our weekly "PR Tune-Up" newsletter which can help you greatly patch up your media relations".

Will my press release be used elsewhere on the Internet or in print? We cannot guarantee that your release will be picked up and used by other media outlets. The ultimate responsibility for success lies with you. Did you create a compelling story? Is it newsworthy? etc. Google News, Google Finance and Yahoo News pick up most of our stories minutes after publication.

Do you offer a clipping service? No, we do not offer a clipping service of our own but subscribe to those of other newswires. We can very easily and cheaply find out what the media is saying or has said about you for a nominal fee. Please see our services package here

How can I access my press release statistics? Every press release has an individual hit counter that displays the page impressions since publication. This information is available to the general public. It is to your advantage to direct as much traffic to your press releases as possible by placing links to it in as many websites as possible.

Why do you encourage publishers to create links to their press releases on their website? The main reason is to shorten the period search engines take to index your press release page and also to create a "search bundle" for your press release on the internet. The more links that point to your press release on the internet the higher placed and visible it will be be using relevant keyword searches.

How many employees does Prudent Press Agency and SkyNewswire.com have? Prudent International Inc currently has 7 employees working as editors, copy tasters and journalists. All have a background in journalism and media studies with a combined 80 years of experience. Joseph Reriani is the Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency while Lilian A. Matama is the Executive Editor of SkyNewswire.com responsible for crafting and enforcing editorial policies of the websites. They are also usually the first link between the newsroom and customers. Protus Nyamwea, Geodfree Otieno and Sami Khan are copy tasters and editors all holding diplomas and/or degrees in journalism and public relations. We also work with over 50 freelance journalists and writers located in 13 countries who supply us with various news and feature articles which we market to the media on their behalf.

Do you write and edit press releases? Yes, for a nominal fee, our editors can help craft a professional press release ensuring that such vital aspects as newsworthiness, grammar and timeliness are met in your press release. We will also offer advice on news angles and best times to distribute your release. An analysis of your website will also be conducted to ensure that journalists can easily find information about you. We have a team of talented news crafters editors that are able to help you write your press release.

I am a freelance journalist/writer how can you help me? If you are interested in joining our growing team of freelance journalists, reporters feature writers, specialist writers, photographers we would very much love to have you on board. Prudent International Inc specializes in marketing the work of freelancers to the media. We have over the years helped numerous first time journalists get published. Contact either Joseph Reriani at editorial@Prudent Press Agency.com or Jackie Mugambi at editorial@SkyNewswire.com  depending on the network you wish to work with. Please note that you can not register as a freelance journalist on both websites.  

What is Prudent Press Agency? It is a newswire service for the entire business sector. Our parent company Prudent International Inc, was incorporated in 1999 originally distributing news to continental North America before branching to the rest of the world in early 2002. We have access to a strong 85,000 newspapers, magazines, websites, radio and television editors and journalists worldwide in over 70 diverse categories, the outcome of over 2,000 hours of phone calls and sending faxes. A professionally written News Release can make the difference between a successful PR campaign and an utter failure. Our in-house editors and PR department will prepare your news release in the globally accepted PR format stressing the most news worthy features of your release. We pride ourselves in serving over 7,000 registered individuals and businesses who periodically use our services either to post their media releases for FREE or buying one of our well priced PR packages. Our website at http://www.SkyNewswire.com receives over 30,000 media related visits monthly.

Why do small entrepreneurs have a problem with some of the more traditional newswire services? It is a combination of brand and cost. The people who are most interested in small business news do not tend to be on the political and hard news desk, which is largely where the major newswires distribute their read.

Another reason is that small entrepreneurs cannot afford to spend US$700 for each press release they want to put out nationally. We do a variety of things to keep our costs as low as we can and use technologies that allow us to pass those savings on to our customers.

"We have and continue to negotiate strategic relationships with major wire services in individual countries to ensure that our services remain affordable and of the highest quality." - Joseph Reriani, founder and Executive Editor Prudent Press Agency

If a company wanted to try out your service, how would it go about doing so? (The company) would place an order directly for one of our services here. The link has all the basic information and links to detailed specific contents of our services.

What is PR packaging? PR Packaging involves purchasing a PR write-up and distribution packages in one. One way we drive costs down is by combining two or more services for individual releases. Over 90 percent of our clients renew their chosen packages.

How much does your press release distribution cost? The price for crafting and distributing a press release of 400 words or less is only US$ 149.95. You receive a comprehensive press release distribution to more than 50,000 general editors and over 20,000 specialist magazines and websites. To view some of the media outlets we will reach with your Press Release go to our media list

How soon does the press release go out? Your press release will be distributed between Monday 9hrs EST and Thursday 16hrs the following business day. This ensures that editors and journalists receive it in their email in-box or fax machines the next morning. We see stronger responses with press releases received in the morning and well before weekends.

How are your press releases sent? Our press releases are sent via email with the text formatted by us for line length and presentation. We also send out electronic faxes to media outlets that choose this mode. The text of the press release is sent within the body of the fax/email message as many organizations will not accept attachments because of virus and bandwidth concerns. If you have an image, we upload them to our website and provide a link to them on our website. The subject of the email message sent to editors will include your press release title or an abbreviated version of it.
Your press release is also personally issued through Reuters, Associated Press, Inter Press Service, Media General News Service Inc and others. We also post it on our website under your chosen categories.

How do I post my Press Release FREE on your site? To post your Press Release on our website, first open an account them login to your account after registering and verifying your email.
Go to the "Submit your Article" link and post your article. Our editors will review it to see if it meets our requirements before posting it on the website. Every day hundreds of journalists and media editors visit our website in search of new articles and fill-ups.

What makes your press release services different from your competitors? - We never charge a membership fee. Unlike other press release services, we have no hidden or extra charges. Our low prices stay low and remain among the lowest in the industry but the quality of our PR services remain highest.
- We don't spam journalists. Our sources have opted to receive our press releases and media communications. We also maintain a responsible remove list for those who do not wish to be contacted by us. Beware of press release services which bombard journalists with unwelcome emails: you'll run the risk of weakening your impact and alienating the very audience you want to impress.
- We contact interested journalists directly. We reach more than 75 percent of our sources by name, and send press releases to their personal email addresses. Most press release services simply use a generic "editor@newspaper.com" format.
- Our low price includes quality press release write-up and distribution. We dare you to find a cheaper service offering a combination of the two at the quality and guarantee offered by us.
- We don't just send your press release. We send you proof of distribution! We also watch the media for new angles to pursue in future. As a client, you'll receive a customized report with links to your press release between five and ten websites where it appears.

Under what circumstances does SkyNewswire.com reject Press Releases? Every press release we post on our website or to the media must pass a review process. SkyNewswire.com does not verify any of the news nor proofread any press release that was not prepared by us. Correct grammar and spelling are the submitter's responsibility. Please remember the importance of submitting well-conceived and well-written press releases.
We review all releases for general content to make sure that the story falls within our guidelines which are as follows: - We will not post advertisements and will reject press releases that are not deemed newsworthy. Press releases that we perceive to be inflammatory or intended to cause harm to a third party will not be accepted. We will also reject all releases that are written in all capital letters which is perceived as screaming. In addition, we will only post press releases which are in standard press release format.

Why are some of your articles free? All Press Release articles on our website are free to editors, journalists and our website visitors to read. SkyNewswire.com was originally founded as a newswire organization. Many professional journalists and reporters around the world routinely sell their articles to the media through us.

Is SkyNewswire.com a not-for-profit company? No. SkyNewswire.com is a privately held for-profit company. It is a fully owned subsidiary of Prudent International Inc USA & EU. We manage to keep our prices low because we rely on volume sales, advertisement placement for clients and other media related services. Please note that our low prices never affect our ability to deliver our high quality services.

Can I post my release via snail mail? Our editorial team can turn around a news story and run an editorial news flash banner on our site or post out your message to the media typically within about 30 minutes. We can only do that if the news story comes in an electronic format (email, electronic fax or web page).
Sorry to say, the press releases which still come into our office daily on paper, by snail mail are just thrown straight into the bin. They usually arrive too late anyway, so they fail on two counts.

How much does it cost to have your agency prepare my Press Release without distribution to the media? We are asked this question many times. A one time PR crafting costs only US$ 49.95. Among the reasons given for wanting a Press Release write-up without distribution are:
1. Acquiring quality material for organizational and company in-house magazines and journals
2. Acquiring quality material for advertisement brochures, leaflets and pamphlets
3. Acquiring quality material for Press Release/ Media sections of websites
4. Testing the agencies ability to produce quality PR write-ups at lower prices.

What are the most important aspects of a Press Release? If you plan on preparing and distributing your own Press Release ensure that:
1. The first lines of your press releases includes: "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" (or FOR RELEASE May 18, 2001) and "For more information, contact:" followed by your contact information.
2. Craft a compelling headline. The headline makes your release stand out. Keep it short, active, and descriptive. If you don't know how, read a number of compelling headlines till you get some idea.
3. Hook reader with the first paragraph. A first paragraph shall summarize the five W's: who, what, where, when and why. In fact, most readers will give up if you haven't "hooked" them in the first few lines.
4. Put the most important information at the beginning. This is a tried and true rule of journalism. Never hide golden points to the end.
5. Don't sell but answer questions! Making over-inflated statements is helpless to your business. Write a release that answers questions about your business, rather than piling flowery adjectives without saying why.
6. Avoid saying something is "unique" or "the best". Instead, show how people will benefit - i.e. save time, save money, make their life easier, etc.
7. A 'non- biased' source is very helpful.
8. Provide all possible contact information including mail address, telephone, fax, e-mail and web site (especially for online business).
9. Proofread & Proofread! Do remember to proofread your press release for typographical errors before you send them out.
10. End your press release with "###" (without the quotation marks) after your last lines of text. This symbol lets the editors know they have successfully received the entire release.

Does Prudent Press Agency accept press releases for adult content? NO. Prudent Press Agency does not accept explicit adult content pieces and reserves the right to refuse all press releases containing or promoting adult content.

Do I need two accounts for both SkyNewswire.com and SkyNewswire.com? Yes, you need two separate accounts for both websites. Each website has a separate and independent editorial team responsible for creating their own editorial policies. SkyNewswire.com headed by Jackie Mugambi (Executive Editor) accepts fewer free press releases. The website mostly targets public traded and fortune 500 companies as its clientele compared to Prudent Press Agency which will accept most well crafted and angled press releases irrespective of source.

Can you give us some examples of how you manage to keep your prices so low? We are currently seven strong and do not have the expense that the major corporate newswires have of releasing market-moving financial information simultaneously on three continents. We also negotiate bulk orders with many of the E.U countries newswire services and we pass these savings to our clients.

Tune-Up An important aspect of newsworthiness is universal appeal. That is, a story that has an impact on 'everyone.' Consider the outpouring of sympathy from around the world when Pope John Paul II passed away. Those that went to St. Peter's Square and tuned in on television were not all members of the Catholic faith. There was universal mourning for a man that had managed to reach out to people of many faiths during his pontificate. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

 

Make Public Relations Work for You

Make Public Relations Work for You

The public is the most important aspect of any business. The public is the one who buys from you, and the public is the one who gives you free advertisement. This is why it is important for your business to have a good image in the public. This is accomplished through the correct use of public relations strategies.

The tool that you can use for your business to accomplish the above is called public relations or PR. This is one of the most effective yet overlooked tools in the business world. It is a fact that businesses that make use of public relations as a marketing tool are far more successful in terms of gaining the public's trust. May I interrupt myself and point out that their is a strong correlation between spirituality and pro-active PR as compared to reactive PR as in damage control.

Making your business more public friendly can mean gaining the confidence and trust of the people. Public relations are a cheap and a more effective way to do it. So, before you set out and get an expensive TV advertisement, try to think of your options first. Think of public relations.

Setting out on a public relations campaign for your business may seem hard, but it's relatively simple.

The first thing you have to do is get into the public's mind. As a consumer, you definitely would want something for free. No matter what it is, you will want it because it's free. Try and give out free samples of your product or services. If you create colognes and perfumes, give out small bottle samples. If you are promoting a food product, try and let someone take free samples of your new food product. Sign up your employees for a monthly or bi-annual community project.

If you are the "selfish type", this may seem like the most stupid business advice you have heard in a long time. We are currently living in a world where charity and humanitarian causes are at the front line of most business. Whether their intention is right or wrong is irrelevant. It is always better to give from a prudent business perspective. Let your heart catch up with your deeds later but start with the deeds and mindset of the winners.

By doing this you will create a connection with the public... making one with your God may require more than just the physical actions I am always told. Since you gave them something for free, chances are some of the people that tried your product will like your product, you can be sure that they would want to have one again. They will now look for it and buy it in the future. Giving charity also give a human element to your business and not business-as-usual.

Never underestimate the power of suggestion. This is essentially a very powerful public relations tool. Since giving away free samples of your new product allows the public to try it, you will also be generating free advertising. People who liked your product will surely tell their friends and family about it and therefore, will create a chain of customers.

Another great public relations tool is promoting events for the public to join in. You can create contests and other promos to help you promote your product in public. By doing this, you will be creating a great marketing tool to give the public the reason to buy your product. A recent very successful public campaign was done by the cosmetic company Dove in which they got these elderly women to uncover and start feeling good on their skins. It generated allot of publicity on all stages of the campaign even appearing in the much converted Oprah Winfrey Show. 

You can also relate your product to health benefits. For example, if you manufacture shoes, you can try and entice the public to buy a good pair of shoes from your company by sharing some fun facts on walking and the health benefits they can get by doing this activity. You can also add something on why people should by your product. Whether it is comfortable, or durable, it is up to you to advertise your product.

Always remember that public relations are about making your company look good in the eyes of the public. You have to gain the public's trust and confidence in order to sell your products effectively.

By creating some kind of bond with the public and your company, you can expect to see positive results in all areas.

Tune-Up: Anyone who is good at managing an enterprise should be good at reputation repair. The gap between operational management and reputation management is very little. Part of a PR campaign is being prepared: you can't prevent disasters, but you should be prepared to mitigate the impact.. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Commons Misconceptions About Public Relations

Commons Misconceptions About Public Relations

If you have completed your marketing plans for this year, then it is time to look at the implementation of those plans.

The full extend of how Public Relations (PR) can work for your company can be easily brushed aside at the planning stage because of the many myths that surround PR as a marketing arsenal.

Here are some common myths about the role of PR that you should re-consider.

Myth: PR is less certain than advertising. With advertising, we know what we get from the start.

Wrong. If you are viewing PR as solely media-related, that is partially true. With advertising you have guaranteed placement, you know how much it will cost and you know how many will see your message. But certainty of outputs doesn’t mean that your audience will absorb the message. If you were to use PR and it were to generate editorial coverage there is plenty of research to show it will be more believable than your advertising and have probably many times the impact with consumers. It will also come at much lower costs. Surely, these days it is more important to think about how many different ways you can reach your consumer. So can you afford not to look at whether PR might be able to create media publicity for you? 

Myth: The opportunities to use PR in marketing are limited.

Wrong. PR is now used across the board. Internationally PR budgets for many companies have increased over the last years. Your competition is most probably using it. PR has evolved to be a key marketing tool in the B2B sector. It is now routine to include a PR agency along with your advertising agency – either as a permanent part of the marketing team for ongoing brand support or for special launches and new product and services introductions.

 Myth: PR should be bought in when we have decided our launch strategy for 2005.

Wrong. PR is often The Launch Strategy. In fact, the most potent use of PR is before the advertising so that any news value is exploited prior to advertising. That is also the time to work with the influencers and opinion formers namely the media. There are plenty of examples showing the power of PR in launching products - including Microsoft Windows 2000 to Coca Cola’s new vanilla flavour. 

Myth: PR is impossible to measure

Wrong. The measurement of PR results has been an issue for many companies over the years. PR is not like advertising and should not be measured in terms of the dollar value of the space/time gained. For most companies today, PR is far more strategic in its planning and its execution. PR therefore should be measured strategically against business or communication goals. If you’re only measuring PR for coverage, then maybe you need to think about ‘how’ and ‘why’ you are using it in the first place.

Each day, www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com transmits news releases directly into working newsroom computers and desktops of major media organizations. Click here to view a few of the general and specialist media we are able to reach with your release.

www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com also feeds the news to major news retrieval database services, online publications, developers of web sites and intranets.

From the media standpoint, Prudent Press Agency provides a unique, valuable channel filled with news from the organizations that shape today's news. News from www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com covers cutting-edge developments in science, medicine, the arts and humanities, law, public policy, higher education, social issues, environmental advocacy, and other important topics of public concern.

By accessing www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com, the media can broaden, expand and balance the voices, views and perspectives that its publications present to readers, viewers and users on a daily basis.

Tune-Up PR Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Be Promotional. If you can't get enough objective distance from your company to write a press release that's not filled with hype and puffery, hire someone to write it for you.. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Choosing the Right Picture for the Media

Choosing the Right Picture for the Media

If you are not sending pictures out with your press releases, you are missing a vital part of your PR campaign. As any editor will tell you, a release with a photo has a much higher chance of being used and could elevate your story from a few column centimeters on an inside page to a more prominent position and possibly the front page.

Here are a few tips that could help:

As an absolute minimum, ensure you have headshots of all people mentioned in your press releases and spokespeople representing your organization, before you are asked for them by a journalist. Avoid white background studio shots.

Your main spokespeople, CEO, directors, VPs, etc should have a small selection of images taken which picture them in a natural working setting representing your specific business, both with your company logo and without. Make sure you get landscape and portrait orientated shots.

If you are 'telling a story' in your press release, make sure the photo also tells the (same) story. Ensure it has enough impact to immediately grab the attention of firstly the editor and secondly the reader.

Supplying a feature picture instead of a simple headshot is the biggest single thing you can do to bring your story to the top of the pile. Sometimes the most mundane story can be published as the lead story on the page thanks to a superb photo. (This is known as a picture led story).

Have some generic shots taken that represent your business and industry sector. Both internal and exterior shots should be produced showing your business at work. Sometimes having these generic shots available when a picture editor is looking for a photo to go with an existing story can result in your organization being asked to comment. (Make sure you are told what the basis of the story is before making the pictures available).

Make sure all your photos meet the media photo specs so you they can easily be sent by email and will not overload the mailbox of the journalist you are sending them to. (This wouldn't help your cause!)

Tune-Up: Journalists go to company sites and visit the press area with different expectations for different reasons and wanting vastly different things. You have to aim to satisfy them all. Do not surrender control of the site to the IT department simply because you are in a rush to get media delivery online. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

A Headhunter's View to Hiring a Pr Agency

A Headhunter's View to Hiring a Pr Agency

Since so much has been written about how to go about finding a PR agency, I thought it timely to examine the process from my perspective - a consultant who is also a PR headhunter. Every year Prudent International Inc outsources PR tasks to other agencies for tasks that we are unable to fulfill due to a variety of reasons including distance, specialty promotions, celebrity appearances, local interviews special events etc. Throughout the world there are thousands of PR firms of all sizes who claim to specialize in dozens of different specialty categories. Nailing the right agency requires you to have some minimum knowledge of what you are looking for.

Where do you start? What do you look for? How much should you pay? What characteristics of the PR firm differentiates it from others - and are those differences important to your company? What size firm should you hire? What about account conflicts? Is the firm's location important? Who's going to work on your business? What about performance and results? What should you reasonably expect and how do you measure success?

These are only some of the questions that will undoubtedly arise in your quest to hire a firm.

From my experience, all of these questions should be asked and answered before signing on with a PR firm. However, the real issues that become important should be evaluated within the context of your company's needs and goals. Chances are the answers will fall somewhere in the proverbial gray area.

Should you decide to identify a PR firm on your own, there are many reference materials available which can help you quantify the players. However, without the tools and the inside knowledge of how PR firms work and which will work best for your company, the task can be very difficult and misleading.

Many solo searchers rely on references from colleagues, industry sources and the like to help them target a group of likely PR firms. The tough part however, is evaluating the relationship between members of your company and the PR firm. Additionally, not every PR agency is listed and quantified in every directory. New ones are popping up all the time and others are merging, being acquired or just fading away. When working with a limited knowledge-base, evaluation can become problematic.

The key to any successful PR agency search lies in the depth of the research expended. The greater amount of time spent researching the agency, its people, culture, working style, etc., the better chance you have of bringing home a winner. Also, it's easy to be distracted by fancy promotion and lose sight of the agency's key elements.

Sometimes the identification of a winning PR firm can be a slam-dunk. More often than not, it can be a very tricky process. If your company produces a highly specialized or technical product, chances are there will only be a few PR firms that will fill the bill. Whether it's engineering, biotechnology or baby toys, your choices will be limited. Add to that the numerous other specifications that you will invariably want to see in your new PR firm.

It's much easier if your product or service touches on issues such as abortion, guns or smoking. Options will be limited if your PR budget is unusually small or restricted, or if when your PR program is narrowly focused on, say, major mentions in key business publications, or, interviews for your CEO with major network media.

It's probably a good idea to go alone or with some minimum support from us when the budget is small, the PR program is limited and targeted to a highly technical audience or, when the agency's geographic location(s) is restricted. Of course, if management's view of PR is archaic or unrealistic, then the chance of a successful agency union is rather slim under any circumstances.

In my PR agency identification experience, the two most difficult parts of evaluating an agency are costs, (both actual and projected), and team identification and evaluation. Each tend to resemble a moving target that's hard to keep in your sights for too long.

As a general rule, PR agencies don't advertise their fees for services they perform. They tend to promote their expertise and experience in the business of PR and then charge you based on the size of your budget. By knowing that beforehand, they can tailor their services to your specific needs and stay within your budget.

As any other business, PR agencies must stay profitable. Just like management consultants or lawyers, PR people parcel out their expertise in the form of hourly charges. Whether you're paying a "flat monthly retainer" or hourly for services rendered, the agency will calculate the time spent working on your behalf in increments of hours to remain within profitable guidelines. Agency client management employees usually have an "hourly rate" that is levied against the time they spend on behalf of their client. That rate is usually a function of the employee's title. Obviously, the higher the title, the higher the rate.

Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, not so fast. There are many variables that impact this rather neat little picture. Variables such as employee promotions, employee title inflation, freelance consultants, the changing nature of your account, fee increases, out-of-pocket expenses, economic inflation or recession, conflicting accounts that pay higher fees, result measurement, client vs. agency expectations, irreconcilable differences and much more. We try to factor all these as best as we can. We charge a flat fee in head hunting expenses. We will interview you and a minimum of 5 other PR firms depending on where you are located. We have worked with tens of PR firms in the past and at times we are ready to recommend them. Please visit our services page at: http://prudentpressagency.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=36 for more information.

Tune-Up: "Buying PR services is a commercial activity like any other and its up to the buyer to be aware. Be clear about your motives, agree on a time scale, fully brief the executives on your goals and most of all about yourself, listen to their advice, agree on measurable objectives, have regular reviews at least quarterly." Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.

Is paying more necessarily better in a PR Campaign?

Is paying more necessarily better in a PR campaign?

When to engage a PR campaign. To help you better understand the issue, lets begin with the basics. Ask yourself these three questions: How will I benefit by promoting my firm, products or services to the general public? Can I clearly define my target buying audience? Am I looking to increase sales, promote a brand identity, generate good will, or generate personal publicity? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, read on.

More people are rejecting traditional sales messages, presenting the ad industry with big challenges. An article appearing in the respectable 'The Economist' magazine of June 24, 2004 had the following to say about recent trends in the traditional advertising industry.

"The advertising industry is passing through one of the most disorienting periods in its history. This is due to a combination of long-term changes, such as the growing diversity of media, and the arrival of new technologies, notably the internet. Consumers have become better informed than ever before, with the result that some of the traditional methods of advertising and marketing simply no longer work."

Bombarded: The article continues to point out that people are tiring of ads in all their forms. A recent study by Yankelovich Partners, an American marketing-services consultancy, says that consumer resistance to the growing intrusiveness of marketing and advertising has been pushed to an all-time high. Its study found 65% of people now feel “constantly bombarded” by ad messages and that 59% feel that ads have very little relevance to them. Almost 70% said they would be interested in products or services that would help them avoid marketing pitches.

It has been calculated that the average American is subjected to some 3,000 advertising messages every day. If you add in everything from the badges on cars to slogans on sweatshirts, the ads in newspapers, on taxis, in subways and even playing on TVs in lifts, then some people could be exposed to more than that number just getting to the office. No wonder many consumers seem to be developing the knack of tuning-out adverts.

So what is the way forward? Public Relations reader, public relations.
Public Relations (PR) includes activities intended to promote understanding of your company or product and to promote goodwill towards you, your company and its products. Through PR activities you may assess and influence public opinion by delivering messages without incurring direct media costs. Advertising and PR are sometimes thought to be different names for the same thing. While they are both methods of promoting your business, there are many differences. Advertising is subjective hard-sell, Public Relation (PR) is objective soft-sell. You pay for advertising, you earn PR.

Due to their lack of information or knowledge on public relations, many businesses typically over-estimate or over-budget the cost of a prospective public relations/publicity campaign. What you get for your money and how effective the campaign will be is the real question? But getting the most publicity/PR exposure doesn't mean you have to get the most expensive PR agency or specialist.

A good rule of thumb is to align yourself with a PR business that best reflects your business size. Most times their rates will be in line with your prospective PR budget. If you are a small business owner with two employees, you need not hire a high-dollar PR agency with dozens of employees. Find a PR business whose capabilities closely resemble your business.

Case in point -- there are large partner PR agencies with fancy buildings that Prudent International Inc works with. Frankly, we are not even competition to each other - in fact we have even referred clients to each other. Why? They typically work with large corporations and implement campaigns of around $5,000 per month. www.PrudentPressAgency.com or www.SkyNewswire.com which strives at being the "Media Megaphone for the Little Guy" works with smaller businesses/individuals -- a PR/publicity campaign with our company would be about 25000 for an entire year - not just a month. Mechanically, the large partner PR agencies and us do the same thing when it comes to PR campaigns: professional media release composition; extensive media market research; articulate personalized distribution to the media; months of media relations (article placements/interview scheduling/media request fulfillment, clipping/tracking of media placements, etc.).

Signing up with the big firms doesn't mean you'll necessarily get an experienced associate working on your campaign. So are you getting what you are paying for? Engaging us for your PR campaign does ensure that the ink comes from only the most experienced PR specialist fingers. The following are typical billing fees for our large partner PR agencies:

Interns/Junior Executives - bill at $75 / hour (Very little, if any professional experience) . Account Executives - bill at $100 - $125 / hour (1-3 years of professional experience). Senior Account Executives - bill at $125 - $200 / hour (Multiple years of professional experience. Agency decision makers.)

Compare those prices to many small PR shops or individual PR specialists. Many have started their own PR businesses after years of experience in the industry and typically cost much less to professionally launch and maintain your PR campaign. Many times, you can get a seasoned PR veteran who will work directly with you and your staff for cheaper than the "Intern/Junior" executive rate of the big shots.

However, one word of advice -- when choosing a smaller firm or individual to do your PR, make sure they have the same tools that the bigger agencies do: updated media lists/contacts; personalized media distribution infrastructure capabilities; as well as the intangibles of expert communication/media relations skills and professional pitching prowess. If they are cheaper, but don't have all the tools to help you in the best manner possible, you are probably better off spending a little extra money to make sure your campaign is launched and maintained correctly.

The major benefits of hiring a professional PR firm to launch your campaigns include.

Proper Campaign Implementation - Improperly composed or poorly pitched campaigns are the major downfall of many PR efforts. Poorly written, over-commercialized media releases; uncalculated, misdirected mass e-mailing of the release pitch; etc. Your first impression to the media is a lasting one - make sure it's a good one. Prudent International Inc engages the very best in preparing your public relations message.

Media Contacts - Most PR agencies have established multiple media contacts over several years that can lead to much better and more numerous media placements for your campaign. Let their foot in the door benefit you. We maintains a media list of over 85,000 personalized  journalist and editorial contacts worldwide in over 70 diverse categories. You can view our media at www.PrudentPressAgency.com/medialist/index.htm or www.SkyNewswire.com/medialist/index.htm

Efficiency and Effectiveness - PR specialists/agencies generate publicity full time, 8-12 hours per day and know the ins and outs, shortcuts and secrets to getting the job done better and quicker. Sure you could hang your own drywall or do your own plumbing, but do you have the tools, the time and the expertise to make it cost effective? We has invested heavily in an infrastructure that ensures your PR campaign is delivered effectively to the relevant people and in the right mode.

One caveat when it comes to choosing a professional PR agency or individual to work with - Signing up for a higher priced campaign doesn't necessarily mean you will get better results than a cheaper campaign. And the reverse is true as well. Over the past year or so, many "low-cost PR/publicity services" have begun to pop up all over the Internet. Ones that promise to write and launch a press release for as low as $19. They are low in cost - because frankly many are low in quality. Bigger is not necessarily better, and cheap does not always mean a good bargain.

If you have the time, tools and talent to launch and maintain your own campaign, you should definitely do so. If not - there are a number of public relations/publicity firms, specialists and services out there. Research to find the one whose services and fees match your business plan. Once business owners, entrepreneurs, and inventors learn more about their options when it comes to launching a PR campaign -- many find that they can't afford NOT to have one.

That statement pre-supposes that the media release is written well - containing all the right elements and newspegs to catch the media eye - and that it is pitched and maintained in the correct media market, which is often the downfall of many amateur PR campaigns. By all means, a press release is an integral part of a PR campaign. But a press release alone does not complete a PR campaign. A successful PR/publicity campaign for your business product, website or whatever should include many, if not all of the following, an interesting, quality, newsworthy product that the media (and its audience) will find merit in.

A concise, articulate media release or story pitch - not a glorified ad - detailing the benefits of your product/business/website and what effect it will have for it's users. A supply of media "supportive" - product photos (digital & hard copy), possible review samples, etc. An extensively researched media list detailing all applicable media outlets whose editorial profiles match your product/business profile. Here's an important detail -- the targets of your pitch should be "name-specific" not just "title-specific" media contacts. By that I mean the media market research you compile should give you particulars like Sally Jones-Cooking Editor not just Tribune Newsroom or Managing Editor

A solid, trustworthy media contact vehicle that gets your release/media kit directly into the hands of the appropriate reporter/editor/producer and allows them to respond easily to your pitch. (As always, beware of press release distribution services that often times indiscriminately spew your release to hundreds of untargeted media outlets with little or no results.) Research to find out the preferred method of receipt of your media targets - don't just assume an email will suffice. Whether it's by snail mail, email, fax or phone calls, the media can't run your story if they don't hear about it. For one reason or another, some media may decide not to include your product/business in a placement -- but don't let them say they weren't made aware of it;

Meticulous media relations to immediately fulfill media requests (photos/interviews/product samples) and extensive media contact follow-ups over several months to generate as many placements as possible. Many times, media outlets can't immediately respond to an initial pitch due to tight editorial deadlines and the time it takes to wade through a multitude of similar media pitches. I have found, without question, that the media interest continues to increase as you re-introduce the pitch and gently "rattle the media cage" over the course of the next several weeks/months;

Some sort of media tracking capabilities -- whether it's your own media follow-ups, Internet research, or a professional broadcast/print clipping service. Having "hard copies" of the placements generated by your PR campaign can be invaluable in the further marketing of your business/product. Media placements are a unique validation of the market acceptance for your business/product and can help you convince new customers of that fact.

Tune-Up: Think of launching a PR/publicity campaign like flying a kite. The press release (which aptly details your product/business) is the kite. But if your kite doesn't have the proper amount of string, a good tail, a strong wind and the expert manipulation of the kite flier - it has very little chance of getting off the ground. But if all theses elements are in place - a PR/publicity campaign can send your business soaring like a kite on a breezy Spring afternoon.. Joseph Reriani - PR Consultant

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This article is part of Joseph Reriani's "PR Tune-up Blog" newsletter posted to over 6,000 subscribers weekly. The newsletter was first published in 2002. For more articles and PR tune-up tips, please visit www.PrudentPressAgency.com and www.SkyNewswire.com. Joseph Reriani is a PR expert and Fellow with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations-  United Kingdom. He is the President/CEO of Prudent International Inc and Executive Editor of Prudent Press Agency. He is also an Assistant Editor of SkyNewswire.com directed by Jackie Mugambi . He is a trained journalist and specializes in helping businesses, organizations, and individuals improve their public image by effectively employing the power of public relations. Mr Reriani can be reached at jreriani @ PrudentPressAgency.com. You may freely copy and re-publish this article without altering any part in the body.