Is Old Media still relevant in today’s social media world in terms of getting publicity that helps you make sales?

You bet.

While it is great to get mentioned on blogs and social media sites, Old Media or Mainstream Media is still the place to be to get results.
Here are 5 reasons to include Old Media in your publicity and marketing campaigns:

1.     Credibility. If the New York Times likes your product or service, you get instant credibility. I could name 100 other mainstream publications that you’d love to get into so your product, book or service gets the ringing endorsement of a trusted source.
2.     Visibility. Newspapers, TV and radio still reach millions of people every day. While we all like to get some of our news online, you can’t ignore the impact of traditional media sites and their incredible reach into mainstream America.
3.     Reprintability. Let’s face it. Nothing stands out in marketing kit or sales kit like a reprint from a newspaper or magazine. It demands to be great and it smacks of credibility. I’m seeing more and more websites feature logos of old media companies that have written about those authors and small businesses. That should tell you something: people are influenced and impressed by Old Media.
4.     Links to your site. Nearly all content from nearly all Old Media is printed on the web. Oftentimes, those articles have links to your websites, or are otherwise indexed by Google and other search engines. So if someone is searching for your type of business, they very well may learn about your from a reference in the Old Media on their web site. That’s a great introduction. In fact, I had one client who was named one of the top 20 entrepreneurs of the year by Entrepreneur magazine. When you search her name, the first listing is the link to Entrepreneur, not her own website. Can you imagine how much confidence and credibility she just received? Anyone searching for her can see that she has the implied endorsement of a top magazine! That’s a great way to start a conversation.
5.     Ego. Would you rather say that someone Tweeted about you or that the Boston Globe printed a review of your book and included a picture of the cover? I rest my case.

None of this discussion even hints that new media is not worthwhile. It truly is. However, the torch has not been passed from one generation of news hounds to the next – at least not yet. Good publicity practices should include Old Media as well as New Media so you and your clients get the most publicity possible.

One tactic that I’ve found to be indispensible in getting my clients links from media sites is to distribute press releases. Many top media sites will print press releases word-for-word so you control the message. The benefits of doing this include getting links to your site, creating screen shots of your press release on famous sites to build your credibility and the visibility of reaching the audiences of those publications.

For a free report on how to get your message printed in top tier media websites, go to
http://www.prleadsplus.com/toptiermedia/
The Los Angeles Times called Dan Janal “an Internet marketing expert” who helps professionals build their businesses with publicity and Internet marketing tactics. To learn more about Dan’s coaching and consulting services, go to www.PRLEADSPLUS.com.

This month, we had a large number of alumni clients re-start their PR LEADS subscriptions. While we’ve always gotten new clients during this recession, and we  always had a few alumni resume, this month clearly showed a great trend.

Why? Many reasons, internal and external, with lessons that will help you grow your businesses:

1. This newsletter. I started this a few weeks ago after no having any consistent communication with my clients. Why did I stop writing the newsletter several years ago? Maybe I got lazy. Maybe I got complacent. Both are not good attributes. Perhaps just putting my name in front of people reminded people that they should get back on board. Maybe you should do some kind of communication with your clients.
2. The economy is improving. Stock market is up. Consumer confidence is up. GM is repaying loans faster than anyone thought possible. Home buying is up. Sure there are rough spots out there and the new economy has changed some business models, but things are definitely looking up.
3. Market consistently. There’s always a new gimmick and people grab at it. But 100 years of research has shown that doing the right things consistently always works if you keep on doing them, day after day, month after month. So do your PR, write articles, do webinars, teleseminars and speeches; and stay in touch with your  clients, prospects and alums, and get referrals. It all works.
4. Competition. Sure, we’ve all had competitors enter our space in the past two years. Looks like people have tried the rest and are coming back to the best. Remember that quality always wins in the end. Continue to offer great service to your clients and they’ll stick with you.
5. Marketing. I’ve started writing more articles, appearing on more teleseminars, webinars and Internet radio shows as well as offering helpful advice on Linked In, Facebook and Twitter. The result is that many people who sign up for PR LEADS put “web” or “Google” or “Internet” as the referral source. Online marketing actually works. Try it.
6. Listening to great advice from Alan Weiss, Mark LeBlanc and Christian Mickelsen. When you pay for great coaching, you are investing in yourself.
7. Law of Attraction. ‘Nuff said.

I’m sure the answer lies in all these factors and probably a few more that I’m too blind to see. So hang in there. Good times are coming!

Many consultants and entrepreneurs spend hours asking “How can I improve my search engine optimization” with Google and other search engines. Then they spend countless hours optimizing their pages with keywords and content in the hopes that Google will notice their site and rank it higher than competitors.

Did you know that press releases can help you improve your SEO rankings?

It’s true, but most small businesses fail to realize that press releases can help improve a  web site’s ranking on major search engines.

Three Ways to Improve Your Web Site’s SEO with Press Releases

Use keyword analysis find out what people are looking for when they search and write a press release about that term. For example, they might look for “how do I hire a consultant?” You could write a press release that announces you have a white paper or special report on the five steps to make sure you hire the right consultant.
Put keywords in the subject line. Search engines look for relevant info that their searchers are looking for. Think of the terms and words your prospects would use to find your site and put those words in the headline. Since headlines have a very limited amount of space, you might focus on the keyword that describes your market, like “chiropractors” or “financial planners.” Or you could focus on the benefit that your service offers like “make more money,” “reduce stress,” or “have a healthier body.” If you can combine the target audience with the main benefit, you’d be in great shape! For example “New study shows how financial planners can reduce stress.”
When using keywords in headlines or in the press release, be careful to make sure that proper grammar and logic are applied. If you use a keyword too many times, or use variations of the keywords in illogical syntax, it will read poorly to prospects and the search engines will figure out you are trying to game the system.

If you follow these tips, you’ll get better rankings on search engines and more people will learn about you.

Do you want your press release picked up in major media? Read my special report “How to Get Your Business-Oriented Press Release Printed on Top Tier Media Sites – Guaranteed,” by visiting http://www.prleadsplus.com/toptiermedia/

Publicity thought leader Dan Janal is Founder and President of PR LEADS PLUS which offers a variety of do-it-yourself tools to help small businesses get publicity, including media lists, press release writing and targeted article marketing services and press release distribution. Dan Janal also offers coaching and consulting services to small businesses and professional service providers.

George Washington

In honor of George Washington’s birthday, here are marketing tips from the father of our country.

1.    Always tell the truth. Nothing hurts your credibility with reporters or prospects or customers more than shading the truth. Look at Tiger Woods and Toyota. ‘Nuff said.
2.    Eat the cherries, but don’t chop down the cherry tree. In other words, enjoy the fruits of your labors and always keep your main business well tuned for these tough times. If that means you need to get coaching and consulting help in marketing, PR and business growth, call me and I’ll explain how we can work together.
3.    Watch out for splinters. Those wooden teeth have got to hurt.

How not to pitch a reporter

PR LEADS alum Jonathan Fields wrote a great article for the Huffington Post on how not to pitch reporters. He cited his own experience with a PR person who mass mailed a canned pitch.

Read the article at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/29/book-pitch-gone-bad-how-t_n_303197.html

I posted a response:

As a former reporter (and an award winning one at that) and PR person with 30+ years standing, I agree completely with Jonathan. If you are going to pitch a reporter, make it personal. Show her that you know her readers interests and her interests. That will make you stand out from all the sorry mess of pitches that crossed my desk as a reporter!

Media databases can actually help you accomplish that. At BullsEyePu­blicity,co­m, for example, the media databases include information on reporters’ interests and lets you find their recent articles so you know what they are interested in. I’d strongly suggest that you Google any reporter to find their latest articles and get to know them so you can pitch to them on their terms.

Of course, the hardest part of this is finding the right reporter, and that’s where a good media database comes in. But, as Jonathan suggests, use them to build a relationship, and not spam the marketplace.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/29/book-pitch-gone-bad-how-t_n_303197.html

Frankly, I was stunned to read this report that shows that reporters actually like to receive follow up phone calls. Most reporters don’t answer their phones, so this is doubly shocking.

I think the key here is the word RELEVANT phone calls. Don’t call them to ask "did you get my pitch." They will hate you!

What’s relevant? New information, new insights, updates.  In other words: value to the reporter.

So this study by  Jeremey Porter at Journalistics is well worth reading: http://sn.im/jrq3q

He also gives advice on how to pitch. Very worthwhile. Thanks, Jeremy.

Reporters are dying to quote entrepreneurs, small business owners and consultants just like you. The trouble is, they don’t know you exist!

If only you can get your hands on a great media contact list, then you can get your name and credentials in front of reporters.  This way they will contact you when they are writing a story that would be perfect for you.

So how can you get your hands on a great media list that’s filled with information about reporter’s who want to quote you in their articles?

Many companies sell names of reporters. Like everything else on the Internet, they vary by quality, features and services.

Before you buy a media list, be sure to ask questions like the ones below.

10 Questions You Must Ask When Buying a Media List So You Get the Most Bang (Publicity) for Your Buck

1. When was the list updated? Reporters change jobs quite frequently. And many newspapers and magazines are laying off people. So you want to make sure the list is updated on a daily or weekly basis. Otherwise, you’ll waste time, money and energy sending messages to people who don’t work there!

2. What contact information is included in the list? You’ll want a list that has name, title, email, phone and snail mail address. Yes, snail mail. This way  you can send books or product samples. You’ll want email for sending pitches, press releases and press kits. You’ll want the phone number to pitch by phone. Of course, you will have much of this information on your website, but you’ll want to have every means available to contact reporters in the format they most desire. Reporters can be very, very picky!

3. What information is included about the reporter? Most basic lists you’ll find on the Internet will have contact info, but not much else. That’s not enough to do target marketing. You want to know what topic (referred to as a “beat”) the reporter is covering as well. Some of the best companies offer additional insights into the beat. For example, some lists will tell you if reporter A  only covers politics with a conservative slant. That will help you when you fine-tune your pitch to her.

4. Do you get a list that is sorted by the topic the reporter covers? Some list companies will sell you the entire database of each publication. That’s way too broad for most people and will lead to a lot of waste. In other words, it’s not enough to know that Jill writes for Business Week. You want to find the person who covers your topic. Because if Jill doesn’t, she’ll just throw away your message.

5. Does the list contain a reporter’s personal information? Most lists don’t have information such as “like to bowl,” or “wrote a screenplay” or “recovered from cancer.” But if the list has this information, you might gain extra insights into the reporter and you might be able to build rapport faster.

6. Does the list have the publication’s URL? Let’s face it, not everyone knows everything about every publication. Nor is every publication available at your local newsstand or library. However, if you have their URL, you can easily read about the publication, get its view on the world and read articles by that reporter. It’s a great time saver.

7. Does the list have web-only publications, like websites and blogs? These outlets are beginning to play a much bigger role in telling stories to you audience. Don’t overlook the online-only opportunities.

8. Does the list show circulation figures? Since you don’t have all the money in the world to send out books or product samples, or even to call everyone on a good list, you must decide who is important. That’s where the circulation figures come in to play. Start with the biggest and work your way down. If you don’t have the circulation figures, you don’t know who the big boys and girls are.

9. Is the list searchable and sortable? Look for a list that is delivered in a digital form, like a spreadsheet or a word document. That way you can use sorting and searching tools to find the best reporters.

10. What rights do you have to the list? Some companies give you one-time use of the list. They even “seed” the list with fake names so they can tell if you use the list more than once! Look for a company that gives you unlimited use of the list so you can get the most value for your investment.

If you follow these tips, you’ll find a list of media contacts than can serve you well at a price you can afford.

Dan Janal is media relations expert, author and speaker who coaches entrepreneurs, doctors and wellness professionals just like you on how to get publicity and turn it into REAL profits. Now, Dan invites you to go to http://www.bullseyepublicity.com to get a free e-course on how to successfully pitch reporters with media lists. Go to http://www.bullseyepublicity.com

Another PR Leads Expert Teleclass on Thursday, December 4, 2008

Let’s be honest. Press releases in today’s digital media age can spread far and wide in record time, thanks to many fee and free press release distribution services.

The real questions to consider are:

• Are your press releases really delivering the results you need?
• Are you earning big "ink and air" as a result of your press release efforts?
• Or, are you just sending your message into cyperspace with the hope that your message will carry?

These are provocative questions. And here are a few more:

• Do you want to make the most of every press release you issue?
• Do you need a primer on what comprises a good press release?
• Do you wonder if your press releases are meeting the mark?
• Would you like to learn about some useful and mostly free resources to help you get be an extraordinary do-it-yourself publicist?

Help is just one teleseminar away. Sign up today for Dan Janal’s teleseminar interview with Work-in-the-Trenches Publicist, Media-Savvy-to-Go Publicity Toolkit Author, and Publici-Tea™ Trainer Nancy Juetten. Dan will interview Nancy and help answer all of your nitty-gritty press release questions so you can begin 2009 on the right track to earn "ink and air" in the media venues that are most important for carrying your message far and wide.

Here are some of the press release essentials Nancy will cover:

• Why small business owners in particular need to learn to write good press releases;
• Why most press releases end up on the round file;
• The single best way to invite readership of your press release;
• Cool and free tools to help you learn the difference between a good press release and the alternative;
• Why a really good pitch trumps a press release just about every time;
• And so much more.

Stay tuned to the end of the call for a special offer on two resources that will support you in your efforts to get seen, heard, and celebrated in your own backyard and beyond through the power of free publicity and contribute to 2009 being your best year ever.

Click here to register for the December 4th teleseminar now. Everyone who registers will receive a link the recorded MP3. If you can’t attend live, then register so you’ll get the MP3.