If you’re blogging about something in your field, you can bet the farm that someone else—a lot of someone elses—must be doing the same. You already know about the ones who have made a special mark on the area, the blogs that are must-reads for anyone with an interest similar to yours. You can gain some notoriety and perhaps some credibility by linking your blog to theirs.
There’s an etiquette involved here. The first thing to do is to contact the owner of the blog to which you’d like to link (and let’s define a link here in Internet terms—it would be a line on your blog, probably in the margins—that when clicked would immediately open the other blog or site to which you have established a link). Ask, usually via e-mail, if it would be possible to link to their site, and if the other blogger would be interested in linking to yours.
This helps you in two ways: on your site, it will now be demonstrated that you have a connection to a blog that everyone in your universe knows and respects. That lends you extra credibility in the field.
But perhaps more important is the link that will appear on the other blogger’s site. That one, on a page that is well established in your area, not only advertises your connection to this respected blogger but will also increase your traffic on the blog site, meaning you’ll get more people to read your blog and perhaps establish a pattern that could become an everyday habit, if your content is good enough.
A podcast is audio content that is sent directly to someone’s computer, iPod, or Web-equipped cell phone. The purpose is to give those people who desire it information about a particular topic.
It’s not a typical Guerrilla P.R. tactic to podcast, but for some businesses and individuals, podcasting can be an effective tool. Consider it if your message meets the following criteria:
1. It can be communicated best through audio, that is, someone telling the listener about the project, rather than the consumer reading about it.
2. You have access to podcasting software, which is not terribly hard to acquire or use.
3. Your information is something that can be narrowcasted, or sent strictly to people who have a special interest in your industry or project.
4. You’re a natural performer who can communicate through a microphone, not a stiff who’ll sound as if a gun is being held to his head and someone is forcing him to read the copy.
5. Your typical target consumer (the person you’re most interested in reaching) is technologically savvy and will have the proper equipment to receive a podcast, not to mention the interest in receiving the information.
6. You have new information often enough to justify a regularly scheduled podcast.
Perhaps more practical is the idea of getting your message onto an already existing podcast, one that people with an interest in your message already receive. This, obviously, would eliminate the need to set up your own podcast, and the technology that would be required. It would also mean that you could tailor your message to a specific audience and deliver it just once for maximum impact.
If you’re Web savvy and enjoy this sort of thing, research the podcasts related to your project. Get to know them well—as with any media outlet, a podcast is best pitched by those who are most familiar with its content—and then e-mail the originator of the podcast. Mention your interest in what they do (say you’re a fan), and suggest how your message relates to the topic they cover and how it would help them to include a mention at the earliest possible convenience.
Such an e-mail, to a podcaster we’ll call Bill Smith, might say something like this:
Dear Bill:
I’ve been director of the Mid-Valley Youth Center for six years, and as such, I’ve been extremely impressed with your podcast, “Youth at a Crossroads.” I never miss a cast, and admire the way you convey a real sense of concern without sounding preachy. Your recent edition, “Midnight B-Ball,” was especially significant to us at the Center, as we’ve had such a program in place for two years, and you nailed it perfectly, our entire staff agrees.:-)
Here at the Center, we’re dealing with many of the issues you’ve addressed lately. We’re trying desperately to stay afloat amid budget cuts while trying to increase, not cut, services to our local teens, who as you well know, are very much at risk. We provide a safe haven, some counseling, and programs that the kids find a healthy alternative to the cancer of gangs and drugs on the streets. We’re hosting a carnival very soon to try to offset some of our costs, but that won’t be enough. You know how difficult it is to get people interested in a problem when they have so much on their minds already.
Frankly, I need your help. We’re trying to make up for the budget cuts by raising money privately through donations, and you reach an audience that would be especially open to our message, particularly in our local area. If you could mention the Center—or the carnival—in an upcoming podcast, or if you’d like to interview me on air, it could provide an enormous lift to our efforts. I know you must receive a good number of requests, as yours is probably the most respected cast on the subject, but our dilemma is real, and I know the good we do is something we can demonstrate to your audience.
Thanks for your attention. My e-mail address is below. Please don’t hesitate to use it, and thanks again for the good work you do. I want you to know that we in the field appreciate it.
Sincerely,
John Jones, director
Mid-Valley Youth Center
The e-mail isn’t all that different from the kind of pitch letter we’ll be examining in Chapter 5. But its directness and less formal tone is more appropriate to this lightning-fast technology. Within seconds of your hitting the “send” button, the podcaster you have targeted will be receiving your request.
I’ve also made it a point to let the podcaster know that I’m a dedicated fan of the cast. I praise the podcast several times, citing specifics. And I go out of my way to treat the podcaster as someone with great respect in the field, always tempering my information with phrases like “as you know” to emphasize that I’m aware Mr. Smith is up on the issues.
My plea for help is based on the assumption that Mr. Smith will respond to the Center’s dilemma as a colleague would—that he already knows about the problems I’m facing, and doesn’t need to have them explained. I’m also careful to treat podcasting as a legitimate, accepted medium, and not speak to him any differently than I would a television producer or newspaper editor.
Podcasting, whether you do it yourself or deal with those who do, can be a valuable and effective medium for disseminating your message. Don’t overlook it when you’re planning your Guerrilla campaign.
Start with the Basics
First, consider your objective: getting people to know about your project and to see it in a positive light. How will you achieve that goal? Will you start by sending every news outlet in the country an e-mail announcing your intentions? Will you put up a killer Web site that will attract attention on its own? Will you contact owners of other influential Web sites in your field to ask for a link to your site or, better yet, a mention on theirs?
One of the tools I use in my business is the Levine Breaking News (LBN) e-lert, an e-mail news update sent daily to 229,000 decision makers and influencers in politics, business, entertainment, and many other fields. Obviously, I began this effort after 1993, when Guerrilla P.R. was first published, but I believe it to be one of the most effective strategies my company has ever employed.
The e-lert is delivered via e-mail every morning and contains capsule versions of news stories, some specific business-related content, and the odd commentary, all very brief and all made to be easily understood and digested. Its primary focus is on anything but my public relations business; it stays dedicated to the news of the world and the country, not which client I might have signed recently. In fact, Levine Communications Office (LCO) is rarely mentioned by name in the e-lert. It’s understood that the company is behind the e-mail, but it is decidedly not a “publicity sheet” about the office; instead, the e-lert is a product
of the office that leads by example.
Maybe you can do something similar. It’s probably unlikely that you’d like to compile news stories and condense them for an e-mail tip sheet, but perhaps you could do something that’s more industry driven—something that would concentrate on your own industry rather than the world as a whole. But let me warn you now: putting together a daily briefing on anything is a great deal of work, and you might find yourself growing weary of the grind after a short while. Consider trying out the process for a few days (or preferably weeks) before you start sending it out to your mailing list, to see if you can fill a decent-sized newsletter daily (or weekly, if that’s what you decide to do). Or think about having a member of your staff compile it, and see if the items included really do interest you as a reader. If so, you might have an excellent free source of insider publicity on your hands.
Again, though: It’s essential that you remove from your e-mail list anyone who requests to be left off. Spammers aren’t simply ignored—they’re hated. Don’t come within a mile of being considered one.
Tips & Traps
Don’t design a Web site from a template offered by the Web host. It’ll look like everyone else’s Web site, and you’ll lose any advantage you had.
Blogs are places where opinions are expressed. If you express a controversial opinion on your blog, expect there to be some people who disagree.
Update your Web site frequently. Visitors like to check back to see new information, and you should provide it as soon as possible.
E-mail is a wonderful thing, quick and easy. Don’t let it seduce you into thinking you should overuse it. Think about how you feel when you receive too many e-mails from someone in the course of a week.
Your Web site shouldn’t just be informative—it should be fun. Think about contests, questions, and entertainment content that would offset your direct message. People won’t keep coming back if they’re bored.
Podcasts are very good for reaching a selected, interested audience. Tailor your message to those “in the know” on your subject, and you can’t go wrong with this emerging medium.
Use two e-mail addresses: one for your personal messages and the other for your business or project. It’ll help you differentiate between messages and keep your private communications private.
Never, in any medium, approach an outlet with which you’re not very familiar. If you pitch a podcast, listen to at least three casts before sending an e-mail.
Most pitching is done by e-mail in these accelerated times. Keep a current e-mail list of contacts, and update it immediately when a name or position changes.
Writing e-mails is certainly less formal than writing business letters, but don’t fall into the trap of sounding too familiar with someone you’re approaching for the first time. Keep your use of emoticons to a minimum. You can use less formal language, but never forget this is a business arena. You’re not immediately a pal here.
It’s desperately important to be fast, but if anything, it’s more important to be accurate. Don’t toss off a quick e-mail before you check your facts and make sure you’re right.
5
Fanning Out:
Expanding Your Guerrilla P.R. Tools
Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.
—Mark Twain
Letter Perfect
It’s very likely the first shot fired in your Guerrilla P.R. campaign will be via the U.S. mail or, in today’s world, e-mail. In either format, before you send out a press release, you may wish to contact some media by letter (and we’ll use the word “letter” to mean either a physical note on paper, sent through the U.S. Postal Service, or an e-mail, just for the sake of simplicity). By writing directly to an individual, you are far more likely to hear back from him or her or to get the person on the phone with a follow-up call. Letters are a form of direct one-to-one communication and demand a direct one-to-one response.
In addition, a letter is a great way to introduce yourself and your project. Guerrilla P.R. is a personal system, and a letter personalizes your project in a non-threatening way. Cold phone calls can be intimidating to both parties on the line. Press releases usually get mailed en masse. Letters are much warmer because they ideally go to one particular person. Still, as with everything else, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about letter writing.
If you’re one of those people for whom the word “write” causes unutterable distress, here’s some advice. The best way to write is just to start writing. Let the words flow like water; get your thoughts on paper without editing yourself. Later you’ll switch to a stingier mode, thinking of press releases or letters as Western Union telegrams (remember those?) with each word costing a buck. But for now, pour it on. Believe me, it’s easier to edit out then add in, so don’t hold back on your first draft.
If you need a more savory analogy, think of writing as making a stew. Start with a full pot, and cook down to richer more concentrated fare. The stew won’t be as tasty if you keep your batch small and if you add too many seasonings after you’ve cooked it, and neither will your writing. So, bearing all that in mind, put on your chef’s hat and let’s return to your letter.
First, begin by writing to someone, not to Dear Sir, Madam, or Editor. If your list is worth more than the paper it’s typed on or the kilobytes it takes up on a hard drive, it will contain individual names and job titles. Use them. Second, don’t write long letters. Nothing over a page. If you do, you’ll lose the attention of the person you’re writing to faster than an Olympic sprinter on steroids. Shakespeare said, “Brevity is the soul of wit,” and at this point in my life I am unwilling to argue with him.
In any written or printed material you send out, appearance is important. Use high-quality bond paper here—letterhead if you have it—and always type. This book is designed to save you money, but if you don’t have a computer at all, it’s time to join the rest of the world. Spend the money and get one. You flat-out will not be taken seriously by anyone if you handwrite. Here’s a sample query letter, followed by analysis:
Mr. Bob Smith
City Editor
The Daily Life
Anytown, CA 90099
Dear Bob:
As director of the Mid-Valley Youth Center, I’ve seen firsthand the perils kids face today. Drugs, gangs, broken homes, illiteracy, and other social ills threaten the nation’s future. Yet, many of these problems can be overcome. I know because I have seen the way out.
At the Center, we help teens who might otherwise be lost to the streets. Our success stories include many now-productive members of society who credit the Center with giving their lives direction.
But we’re in trouble. A budget crunch may soon spell the end of the Center. With no government funding, our only hope is public support. I can think of several good news angles: How can a facility doing so much good work be forced to close? How did a middle-class white man like me end up working with inner-city black and Hispanic teens? With our remarkable success rate in getting teens off the streets, what are we doing right that nobody else has yet picked up on?
I hope you’ll consider running a piece on the Center. Our upcoming carnival will provide a new infusion of money, but it will take even more to get the job done. I’d like to tell you more about the carnival, and I hope you’ll take a moment to read the enclosed material about the Center.
Looking forward to speaking with you soon.
Regards,
John Jones
As you can see, I wrote “Dear Bob” and not “Dear Mr. Smith.” I tend to address journalists on a first-name basis. It’s safer to be familiar in a letter than in person or on the phone, especially if you have never contacted the person before. Don’t be afraid to create a climate of friendliness. However, the same caveat is in order. Not every media person appreciates excessive familiarity at first. So keep your interpersonal antennae up.
In the first two paragraphs, I give a thumbnail sketch of my project and injec
ted a brief description of my role as well. In the third paragraph, I introduce the conflict, the angle, the central reason for contacting the media. Remember, they’re looking for a story, so you have to give them one. But don’t blatantly tell the person that you “need publicity.” Journalists are not in the publicity business; they’re in the news business. So your objective is to provide news.
Take it a step further: think from the reporter’s point of view. He or she is given a beat to cover—an area either physical (a section of the city) or conceptual (youth and/or crime)—and is charged with the responsibility to find what’s news in that area and report on it. Every day.
That means there’s a lot of legwork to be done, and a lot of time spent getting to know the people who live or work in that area. Good reporters aren’t in their newsrooms that much—they’re out talking to people about the news. They don’t have time to spend sifting through every piece of mail that comes across their desk or screen. If you don’t grab them in the first paragraph or two, they’ll probably round-file your letter and move on to the next.
It’s not that reporters are mean or callous; it’s that they have a job to do. That’s to report the news. If you’re not coming to them with news, and not a plea for publicity because you’re such a nice person, they’re not going to respond. At all. Ever.
So think about what’s the most newsworthy aspect of your story. What will interest the reporter’s readers, his or her ultimate constituency? How can you play up that aspect of your story? Once you’ve determined that, you’ll know what information to feature in the top part of your letter.
In closing, I mention my news item—in this case, the carnival—but I don’t overemphasize it. My intention is not to sell per se but to increase awareness, to prime the media for a press release later. The letter is a teaser to increase the likelihood the journalist will respond to my appeal down the line. I also mention “enclosed material.” It’s a good idea to attach brochures, previous clips, or some other supporting materials. It gives extra weight to your claims. For a nice personal touch, I often add in a handwritten postscript. Try it!
Guerrilla PR 2.0 Page 11