From the desk of Tatyana Gann

Publicist, Nashville TN

In a recent meeting with a client of mine, we discussed creative, innovative and even non traditional strategies for an upcoming publicity campaign.  It is very exciting to meet and discuss PR plans with company owners who “get it”.  They have passion. They have a desire to expand. They want to be different.

They are willing to adapt to all the changes happening online. When it comes to online publicity strategies, the key is to be flexible and adapt to what are almost always instant changes.

In this lesson, I want to teach you the basic tools which you can implement immediately. You can launch your campaign within 24 hours without having the need to hire a publicist.  However, please do not think you can immediately do it all on your own, especially if you have never launched a campaign before. PR is a very creative way to spread the message. It takes time and patience… It takes determination!

Publicity provides free innovative ways to add more buzz about your company. You must first know what you want to be known for and your ideal market. Only then can you begin to set a publicity plan into action.

When planning a public relations campaign, you must include paid ads and sometimes even paid infomercials… everything should be presented as a package. It is a process that can take up to 9 months to be captured by the target audience. The results also depend upon how quick and creative you can be.

Here are a few simple ways to spread the word about YOU:

Let’s talk about press releases: Announce the launch of your service, product and/or training in your press release. Talk about the benefits of what you have to offer. Show your expertise and how the launch of your business/service/product can impact your ideal, target market. After you write it, submit it to the right online distribution services. This is where a lot of folks get stuck. They do know which services to choose or trust.

The service you choose depends on your budget. I would recommend PRWEB.com, CisionWire.com. The more customized your press release is, the more you are going to pay for distribution. You want to make sure you have a good SEO press release using two to three major keywords within the title, summary, and of course placed throughout the story. Do not forget to link the keywords to the related content you have written such as articles, YouTube videos and your blog.  The services I listed above will offer SEO press releases, which is extremely important that a service provider does this.

What If you have a local business? Well, CISIONWIRE can give you customized packages for local SEO and PR campaigns. Know what your target market is and where it is… then, submit to these publications.

NOW;

You have a traditional way of submitting your story. Let’s talk about creative ways to become a person of influence.  In PR, we influence the actions of others.  We follow very simple rules. We build relationships, we provide awesome content, we build reputations and we show that we are truly genuine.

When it comes to content, we must conduct research to find out what the media is seeking… even if it is just glancing at the latest 3 to 4 magazines on the newsstands or in your local library. Going online will also help to discover the latest trends and which stories are the best to share.

The best way to do this is to define your favorite magazines. Contact the assistant to the editor and ask for guidelines to submit a pitch. Then, after you know what to send, you can connect with editor by building relationships via social media. Relationship Marketing is vital! In her recent book “The New Relationship Marketing”, author Mari Smith discusses the importance of solid content and building a network.  Mari Smith has shown the most effective ways to build solid reputation, become the center of influence and make a difference. I have written a book review on Amazon and very impressed with the quality of the content. It is powerful!!!!

When creating a publicity plan, you must focus on building a network of editors and journalists who have impact and the influence in the media.

Be the leader on your topic, especially popular ones. Write updates, write press releases, and create videos that are related to the hottest changes in your niche.  Identify what people complain about… then write about it. BE the expert who is always there to bring answers. Be personal. Be kind. Be grateful.

Now you know what you want to talk about. You have determined your niche. You know at least 3 topics you want to cover. Now create your presence using simple tools. I recommend services such as Pitchengine.com to create pitches, stories and share video news and Slideshare.net – awesome PR tool that allows to upload your presentations, brand your company and your name.

With Pitchengine, you can customize it, build awareness about your brand, add an unlimited amount of stories, updates and even featured articles, and videos for a small fee (comparing to traditional PR directories). You can even integrate it with your Facebook Fan Page and have a social media newsroom on your Fan page to share stories you have posted in Pitchengine.com.

You can get PR 2. 0 traffic using social media press releases using SEO guidelines to get more traffic. The key to success with Pitchengine is to write an optimized press release to get into search engines. Once you publish them, you can add every story on your blog in the Blogroll or LINKS section. It is a simple trick that can help to get your blog ranked higher.

Another tool I am currently testing is SlideShare.net.  It is an innovative way to generate PR leads, especially if you generate B2B leads. This service can make a difference. I recommend their PRO package for $49, which gives you 70 business leads.

Here is the catch: You must be very specific with Slideshare.net. You must define your topic and go with it… Just one and see what will happen. The beauty of this tool is that it comes with analytics, branding features, and a video channel where you can upload videos and presentations. It is way to capture business leads and get instant notification.

One last little tip I’ll share with you: You can also link your Pitchengine and Slideshare content to create an awesome online authority for you or your business!

Enjoy!

Tatyana Gann

Tatyana Gann is the founder of the Smokin’ Hot PR Ezine and Smokin’ Hot PR Boutique, providing publicity, online PR services and even private VIP consulting. Tatyana Gann is ready to bring you publicity tips, advice and PR services to help you gain more raving fans for your business and create smokin’ hot publicity! She has a simple formula for creating a publicity plan that brings results! Grab your FREE publicity weekly advice at: http://www.smokinhotpr.com/