Getting Publicity
A Do-It-Yourself Guide for Small Business and Non-Profit Groups

Publisher:  Self-Counsel Press, North Vancouver, Canada
Year Published:  1990  
Pages:  128pp   Price:  $12.95   ISBN:  ISBN 0-88908-890-X
Library of Congress Number:  HM263.F53 1990   Dewey:  659
Contents

INTRODUCTION
1 BECOMING YOUR OWN PUBLICIST
a. What is Publicity?
b. Why do you need publicity?
c. The purpose of publicity
d. The advantages of publicity
1. Cost
2. Size of audience
3. Credibility
4. Impact
5. Versatility
6. Longevity
e. Assess your own "publicity Quotient"

2 PUTTING TOGETHER A PUBLICITY PLANNER
a. Introduction to the publicity planner
b. The main components: a place and a plan
c. Step one: Choosing a location
1. Permanent
2. Portable
d. Step two: Assembling the necessities
1. Basic Files
2. Customized files
3. A planning calendar
e. Step three: Preparing the plan
f. Set up your publicity planner
1. Location
2. File folders
3. Labels

3 FINDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLICITY
a. Introduction
b. Learn what the media want
1. Inform, educate, and entertain
2. No self-serving or hard-sell tactics
3. Local angle or national slant
c. Become an opportunist
1. Ride the coattails of a national trend
2. Use statistics
3. Take part in public events
d. Create your own opportunities
1. Aim for variety
2. Make things happen
3. Consider a community good deed
4. Try the back door approach
5. Use the celebrity connection
6. Join clubs
7. Use the calendar as a resource
e. Fifty perfectly promotable ideas
1. Arrange an event
2. Make a donation
3. Give---or get---an award
4. Make a long-term contribution to your community
5. Stand out from the crowd
6. Speak or write about what you are doing
f. Add to your publicity planner
1. Promotion ideas
2. Calendar notes
3. Community events

4 UNDERSTANDING MEDIA ACCESSIBILITY
a. Introduction
b. Start small
c. Levels of accessibility in the media
1. The Broadcast media: Radio and television
2. Print media
d. Work your way up

5 PREPARING PUBLICITY MATERIALS: THE PRESS RELEASE
a. Introduction
b. What is a press release?
c. Rules for writing press releases
1. Style
2. Appearance
3. Writing headlines
4. Grammar and format
5. A sample layout
d. Always double check
e. Tips to make your press releases sparkle
1. Factual superlatives
2. Quotes and reactions
3. Details
4. Human interest
f. Different media, different slant
g. The five fates of the press release
1. Fate #1: Tossed in the trash can
2. Fate #2: Being put on hold
3. Fate #3: Becoming a one-liner
4. Fate #4: As is
5. Fate #5: Making the big time
h. To phone or not to phone
i. Add to your publicity planner

6 PREPARING PUBLICITY MATERIALS:
PHOTOGRAPHS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
a. Introduction
b. Decide on your objectives
c. Weigh the advantages
d. When are visuals appropriate?
e. Guidelines
1. Size
2. Style
3. Composition
4. Labelling
5. Captions
6. Especially for photographs
7. For diagrams only
8. Mailing
f. Sources
g. Add to your publicity planner


7 MAKING THE MOST OF A MEDIA KIT
a. Introduction
b. The Role of a media kit
c. Prepare the cover
d. Contents
1. Business card
2. Press release
3. Cover letter
4. Visuals
5. Fact sheet
6. Biography
7. Clippings and quotes
8. Examples of your own writing
9. Suggested questions
10. Rolodex card
11. Brochure
12. Press passes
e. Decide on your image
f. Sweet stories of success
g. Add to your publicity planner

8 ANNOUNCING A NEW PRODUCT
a. Introduction
b. The new product release media kit
c. Contents
1. Press release
2. Cover letter
3. Photo
4. Brochure
d. Create a "product" for a service-based business
1. Prepare a helpful hint brochure
2. Give away a promotional item
3. Include information for ordering
e. Find new places to send your kits
f. Be prepared to follow up
g. Add to your publicity planner

9 SENDING OUT YOUR MESSAGE
a. Introduction
b. Where to send your information
1. Broadcast media
2. Print media
3. News wire services
4. Naming names in the media
c. Prepare a media list
1. Rolodex
2. Address book
3. Separate sheets of paper
4. Computer
5. Ready-made media lists
d. Get the information out
1. To FAX or not to FAX
2. Telephone facts
e. Evaluate and update your media list
f. Add to your publicity planner

10 MASTERING THE MEDIA INTERVIEW
a. Introduction
b. Be prepared for the telephone call
c. The pre-interview
d. Have your anwsers ready
e. The ABCs of interview success
1. Accuracy
2. Brevity
3. Context
f. Interview tips
1. Be quotable
2. Speak in sound bites
3. Add color
4. Tips from the professionals
g. Practice, practice, practice
1. Plan ahead
2. Brush up on your anecdotes
3. Try these rehearsal techniques
4. Review the do's and don'ts
h. Add to your publicity planner

11 POLISHING YOUR TELEVISION IMAGE
a. Introduction
b. Makeup
1. Why makeup is needed
2. Do-it-yourself makeup
3. Makeup basics
4. Makeup tips for women only
c. Clothing
1. Color
2. Avoid white
3. Style
4. Appropriate attire
5. For men only
d. Accessories
1. Jewelry
2. Hats
3. Eyeglasses
e. Body language
f. Full dress rehearsal
g. What to expect at a TV studio
h. Last-minute appearances
i. Add to your publicity planner

12 PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR PUBLICITY AND PROFIT
a. Introduction
b. The benefits of public speaking
c. Begin with the basics
d. Design a presentation
1. Answer consumer questions
2. Emphasize only a few main points
3. Use visuals
e. Get the words right
f. Giveaways
g. Turn public speaking into publicity
h. Add to your publicity planner

13 WRITING AS A PUBLICITY TOOL
a. Introduction
b. Win publicity with your pen
c. Various forms of writing
1. A letter to the editor
2. A hint, tip, or suggestion
3. A numbered list of consumer tips
4. A regular column
5. An article
6. A book
d. Rules for writing
e. Markets
f. Add to your publicity planner

14 POLISHING YOUR PUBLICITY TECHNIQUES
a. Introduction
b. Establish cordial media relations
1. It's not your show
2. When all is said and done
3. Don't become a pest
c. Pyramid on previous publicity
1. Crossing over
2. Local to national or national to local
3. Snowball effect
d. Watch your timing
1. The three-cycle rule
2. When timing is of no importance
e. Take advantage of a "photo op"
f. Use public service announcements
1. Radio vs. television
2. Writing the PSA release
g. hold a news conference
1. Purpose
2. Subject matter
3. Notifying the media
4. Scheduling for local television news
5. Elements of a news conference
6. Visuals
7. The setup
h. Practice damage control
1. Make yourself accessible to the press
2. Show concern
3. Take positive action
4. Keep it short
i. Video news release
j. Add to your publicity planner

15 IMPLEMENTING YOUR PUBLICITY PROGRAM
a. Introduction
b. Work out a budget
1. postage
2. photocopying
3. Photographs
4. Media kit covers
c. Review your publicity plans
1. Putting together a Publicity Planner
2. Choosing an activity
3. Compiling a media list
4. Drawing up a plan
5. Getting Started
6. Scheduling
d. A one-your publicity plan case study

APPENDIX

LIST OF WORKSHEETS

#1 Test your P.Q
#2 Assessing your publicity goals
#3 Writing a press release
#4 Media list worksheet
#5 Publicity budget worksheet


LIST OF CHECKLISTS

#1 Review your press release
#2 Review your photographs and drawings
#3 Interview etiquette
#4 Television appearance checklist

LIST OF SAMPLES

#1 Press release
#2 Press release----layout
#3 Basic press release
#4 Press release using quotes
#5 Press release: Alternative use of quotes
#6 Press release: Radio, emphasizing sounds
#7 Press release: Television, emphasizing visuals
#8 Labelling and captioning for photographs
#9 Press release for media kit
#10 Cover letter
#11 Fact Sheet
#12 Biography
#13 Quotes from media
#14 Suggested questions
#15 Press release for new product release kit
#16 Cover letter for new product release kit
#17 New product release for service-based business
#18 Answers to difficult questions
#19 Public service announcement----20 seconds
#20 Public service announcement----10 seconds
#21 Media advisory----news conference
#22 New business case study: Talk of the town telephone store
#23 Press release----grand opening
#24 Press release----seasonal
#25 Press release----free offer
#26 Press release----holiday promotion
#27 Press release----charitable contribution
#28 Press release----seminar

Subject Headings

• Media Interviews
• Media Relations
• Press Kits
• Press Releases
• Public Speaking
• Publicity for Non-Profits
• Publicity Tips
• Small Business