You may have heard that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevech has hired a publicity firm to help him deal with all the media attention he’s getting, since he was arrested for corruption when he (allegedly) tried to get some kind of compensation to fill  President Barak Obama’s Senate seat. Hiring good PR counsel when you are facing a major problem is a good idea. But I am not sure if this firm is really working on Blago’s reputation, or perhaps doing some major spin doctoring. The public relations agency actually send out  a press release announcing the Governor’s media schedule for today. Huh? Since when is a media schedule news? It is only when you want tons of people watching… perhaps to taint a jury? What do you... [Read more]

In this week’s Monday Media Marketing Minute, I will share the worst thing I see happening in marketing plans and marketing in general.  I am shocked that people are doing this one thing. Are you an offender? Listen in and find out. By the way, the Monday Media Marketing Minute is changing & moving. I’m making it into a video minute & it will be hosted at http://www.thepowerpublicist.com Can’t wait to see you there! [Read more]

Lately, I’ve been getting a ton of pitches from would-be public relations folks trying to get my attention to write about them on one of my other blogs: Startup Spark. And most of them have been completely off the mark for the topic I write about. I mean, just because you represent a new author who wrote a book about stress doesn’t mean a generic pitch will work for me. Tell me why it’s important to my audience, not everyone else. You see, the difference between a good pitch and a bad pitch is all in the execution. The pitches that are used are the ones that are newsworthy, media-friendly and arrive at opportune times. All three working together gives a PR person the best chance of media coverage and publicity. Other tips for... [Read more]

Trade shows. They can be boring or exciting. And yes, your feet can kill you after standing all day waiting for a potential customer to turn in your direction. Exhibiting at trade shows brings new leads, the chance to meet up with clients and catch up with old contacts. However, in addition to sales and seminars, trade shows present many excellent publicity opportunities. Follow the 8 tips below to ensure a successful and beneficial trade show experience: Make sure the show is right for you. Not all trade shows and events have your customer coming through the door. Make sure you know exactly who is attending and that they are your target market. Make a deal before you commit. Event organizers can – and do give booth discounts. Well organized... [Read more]

I was excited when the President’s new administration announced that their website Http://www.whitehouse.gov would play a big role. Here’s what it said: One of the first changes is the White House’s new website, which will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world. Awesome! They’ve also opened the site up to search engines, for the very first time. Great step! They promise more communication, transparency and participation. Sounds good, but their blog is not open for comments. That’s right. Although you can fill out a form, commenting on their blog isn’t available. Communication and participation is a dialogue, not a monologue. Although it... [Read more]