Carter West Public Relations

The 4 Fundamentals of Writing a Good Press Release

mrd28 — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:05:46 +0000

I can’t tell you how many bad press releases I’ve read in the 30 years I’ve been doing PR. From typos to issuing marketing collateral as a release, it never ceases to amaze me how many companies don’t get what it takes to issue a solid release. Writing a press release worth reading is really very simple. Just follow these 4 Fundamentals!

Fundamental #1 – Formatting. Press releases have a traditional format. Journalists and news organizations are used to reading news releases in a certain way, if you break from the basics, they might ignore your announcement all together. The basic format is pretty simple.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE should always be in all caps, bold and in the upper Left corner of the release.
Contact information for the agency and/or the company should be directly below.
Your headline comes next, in bold, usually 12 to 14 point font. Speaking of fonts, use a Sans Serif font like Arial or Helvetica for greater readability
Next is your dateline. This is where the release is being issued. It is usually the location of company headquarters, but if they are launching a product at an industry event or a special location, then you would put that city, state and the date of the release.
After the dateline the company name, followed by a brief description of the company’s business and then the purpose of the announcement.
Then you are off to the races and can write the rest of your content, elaborating on the announcement, benefits, partnership details, release dates, etc.
Finish off your release with the company’s Boilerplate – a concise bio of the company, what they do, where they are located and how to get in contact with them.

Fundamental #2 – Length. It’s hard to boil down a new product announcement, but it is essential to keep your releases as short as possible to keep your readers engaged. There is nothing wrong with a one-page release if you can say all you need to say within a page. Remember, quality over quantity. The purpose of a press release is to get the word out to the industry, press and customers. You are trying to tell a story, but it’s not a novel, keep it short and sweet. Your word count should be no more than 1200 words, but try to keep it around 750 if possible. Look at Twitter for example, in only 140 characters you can deliver an effective message. It is possible to get your point across succinctly!

Fundamental #3 – Content. The basic content of any press release:

PR and marketing are two different styles – write the release as a press release and not a marketing piece that is trying to sell something. Make it newsworthy
Details about the announcement. Include the who, what, when, where and why of the subject of your announcement.
Quotes. Usually attributed to the CEO, President or other executive at the company, quotes are meant to shed additional light on why the company believes in this product or service and how it is going to be a positive thing for the company and/or the company’s customers. Some releases contain additional quotes from a key customer or a strategic partner. Keep quotes interesting and avoid too many superlatives if possible. No one wants to hear “We are so excited for the launch of this amazing product that will change the course of our industry”. A couple of journalists have lamented to me that they read a press release and were disappointed to find nothing useful in the content. They said that if only the company had a decent quote, they could have used that quote in an article, what a wasted opportunity! Journalists rarely find quotes they can use directly from a press release. Sadly, most are just filler rather than compelling content.
Contact information, availability and pricing. Not all releases will have these details, and you may choose to not announce pricing, but customers, journalists and the industry will need to know availability and how they should contact you, so don’t forget to include in your release!

Fundamental #4 – Keywords. Press releases are a highly effective way to increase organic search rankings. Be sure to include one or two keywords throughout your press release. A word of caution, however, be sure to include them when it make sense. Don’t pepper the release with your buzz word until it no longer makes sense to the industry or journalists. Also try as much as possible to avoid jargon and acronyms.

That’s it! Those are the basics. It’s not difficult if you develop a template, follow it, and write something YOU would want to read. Put yourself in the shoes of a journalist. They get hundreds of press releases every day. Think to yourself while writing, “Would this catch my attention?”, if you can answer, “yes” then you are on the right track. Good luck!

PR 101: Selling the Sizzle Begins with Having an Actual Steak

mrd28 — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:52:44 +0000

To the best of my knowledge, Mark Twain – the famous American curmudgeon and humorist – never authored a news release. Yet anyone who hopes to drive coverage of their announcements would do well to follow his lead: “…(U)se plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences,” Twain wrote. “That is the way to write English — it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it.”

If you work in public relations or with a PR agency, that’s good advice that will be good to you. Today’s leaner newsrooms and shrinking news holes raise the stakes in securing placements with target broadcast, online and print media channels. If you want a reporter’s attention, show how a given product or service delivers real-world results in real-world situations. Beef up the substance of the news release, using only enough style to give your story a well-crafted, competing edge.

Something this company failed to do amid a stream of buzzwords and jargon that doesn’t quantify any of its performance claims:

“(Company Name) is the proven leader in scale-out NAS. (Company Name’s) clustered storage and data management solutions drive unique business value for customers by maximizing the performance of their mission-critical applications, workflows, and processes. (Company Name) enables enterprises and research organizations worldwide to manage large and rapidly growing amounts of file-based data in a highly scalable, easy-to-manage, and cost-effective way.”

Earlier, the announcement cites an executive who makes the HAL 9000 computer of “2001: A Space Odyssey” seem human by comparison:

“With the accelerating adoption of virtualization and ascendance of cloud computing, it’s critical that organizations deploy the best storage architecture for these environments to ensure long-term IT efficiency,” said (Executive Name). “While the data fragmentation and management complexity challenges of traditional SAN and NAS severely limit the potential of server virtualization and cloud computing, (Company Name’s) scale-out NAS unlocks the storage bottleneck and enables organizations to maximize their investment.”

While these tactics may be more common in the race to be visible on Google, Yahoo! and Bing, they don’t necessarily translate into being seen. Search engine crawlers thrive on such filler; human readers starve. Sizzle may make the sale, but the steak makes the meal.

Tune in for my next post. I’ll share proven tips for writing news releases that advance your public relations agenda.

News releases help you reach a wide array of audiences, from customers and prospects to employees and industry influencers. Not only do they offer information about your products and services, but they also provide fresh, relevant content for your website and timely posts for your social media channels. If we can help, please let me know.

Wishing you all the best,

Work-Life Balance 2.0: Deepen Social Network Ties with Professional, Personal Posts

mrd28 — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:08:52 +0000

Scanning my Facebook and Twitter feeds this morning, I’m reminded of the now-timeless advice Dale Carnegieoffered in his 1936 classic, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” He wrote: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” While the adage largely holds true in the 21^st century, it doesn’t fully align with the reality of how we interrelate in a Digital Age. Winning friends and influencing others on the Internet no longer hinges on an either-or decision to be interested or to be interesting. It’s being relevant.

Think of the people you follow online. You likely chose to connect with them because they’re both interesting to and interested in you. Their relevance stems from an ability to engage others at a professional and personal level, to be both informative and entertaining. You come for what they have to say about the industry in which you work; you stay for who they are as individuals.As an example, I have in mind Todd Smith, a co-founder of ActivEngage who uses his Facebook page to share ideas that strengthen his customers’ Internet sales and marketing capabilities and his life. Whether Todd is discussing tactics dealers can use to sell more cars or posting photos that chronicle his role as a father or his interest in paddle boarding, he’s winning friends and influencing people. At this writing, Todd boasts 2,700 friends on Facebook and nearly 1,600 followers on Twitter.

What are people like Todd doing right? They:

• Humanize to personalize. Given a choice, we prefer to work with people we like. Yet the busyness of today’s fast-paced world often precludes us from communicating with colleagues outside of business hours. Industry partners who open a window into their daily lives show their company’s human side and cement personal ties.
• Share interesting information. Consider what the editors at “The New York Times” have long understood: “All the news that’s fit to print.” If your idea of good content is letting folks know you’re stopping by the local coffeehouse for a cup of Joe or catching the latest “Twilight” flick, you’re probably neither winning friends nor influencing people. Facebook added “hide” and “unsubscribe” options for a reason.
• Define the audience. Facebook offers powerful customization tools that allow you to control what is visible on your page. Just as you share some information with some people and not others, you can create lists for your friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
• Return your interest. Social networks are designed to create dialogue, not monologues. When friends and colleagues weigh in on what you’ve got going on at home and the office, they deepen professional and personal connections.

Social media plays an increasingly important role in today’s public relations toolkit. If we can help implement a strategy that drives results for you and your organization, please let me know. If you’re just getting started with social media, in general, or Facebook, in particular, here are four benefits of company and personal Facebook Pages you should consider.

4 Benefits of Company and Personal Facebook Pages

SCallahan — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:40:59 +0000

Having a Facebook page is paramount to your business’ social media success. Before developing a Facebook page, ask yourself what do I want to get out of my page? Once you answer this question, you are better equipped to determine which page is better for your company’s needs and objectives. Technically, businesses can’t make personal profiles. However, owners/managers might consider creating a personal profile. Here’s a list of the benefits from each type of Facebook page.

Company Facebook Page

1. Number of followers: The goal of marketing is to reach as many people as possible. A company Facebook page doesn’t limit the people you reach like the personal page that maxes out at 5,000 friends. I’m sure you want your company to pass this number! Not to mention, when you surpass 5,000 friends, you’ll have to create another account.

2. Number of pages: Several automotive businesses have extensions to their brands. There’s no limit for business pages. It would be beneficial to create separate business Facebook pages to address each product or service you offer. This will make marketing easier because your social media strategy can be tailored to each brand’s needs and target audience.

3. Wall postings: You have the ability to make your wall postings open, closed, or subject to approval. As a result, you have total control of the content your fans see when they visit your page.

4. Ads: Several companies use this feature to create a buzz or thank followers for liking your company. Running a contest or promotion is the perfect chance to display your creativity by engaging and/or rewarding your loyal followers.

Personal Facebook Page

1. Personal Connection: People become more invested in a product or service when they can personally identify with the company. An actual person adds a personal touch that resonates with the public and allows them to relate and connect with your company.

2. Messaging and Chats: Making yourself accessible to the public is essential in today’s market. The messaging and chat features are only included in personal Facebook accounts. This provides your friends with an authoritative point of contact to ask questions or inquire about your products and/or services.

3. Friend Profiles: All of your friend’s profiles are visible, so you gain a better understanding of your followers. This feature provides you with an insightful look at who your audience is and what they’re interested in.

4. Invite friends: Making friends is easy because you can send friend requests to other people. This feature is an excellent tool for increasing your network.

Working with the automotive industry is my bread and butter, so I want you to succeed and create the most effective social media presence for your company. I hope these benefits make deciding on a page easier. Remember every business is different, so choose the page that will effectively engage your clients.

Making a Social Investment with Google+

SCallahan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:02:14 +0000

When I heard about Google+ providing business pages, it made me contemplate if I needed another social media network. After much consideration I realized the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

Being a founder of a public relations firm, I’m expected to know everything about the latest marketing techniques. Creating a Google+ page keeps your business relevant in the minds of consumers. More and more people are being socially motivated to purchase items. As a result, if your business doesn’t possess the proper social networking accounts, then you lose out on a crucial consumer.

Several consumers research companies online when they’re looking to purchase a vehicle. If your company’s at the bottom of search results, then you’re losing business. Creating a Google+ account for your automotive business increases your search ranking as well as traffic to your various sites. I have searched for several automotive vendors on Facebook and they don’t show up in the results. However, when I go to Google and search for the automotive vendor their website comes up with a link to their Facebook page. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

Another benefit Google+ offers is segmented messaging. Sometimes you have situations where you don’t want content to be public. When you post information on Facebook, it’s visible for all your followers to see. Google+ allows you to tailor who receives your content with the circles concept. For example, if you are a vendor that has 3 different products targeting 3 different audiences, you don’t want the target audience to be privy to the wrong product. Essentially, you can make certain information available to the circle of your choice. Therefore, grouping your circles with distinct identifiers makes this process easier.

Making your brand social involves creating dialogue between your company and your followers. Facebook gives you the option of making your wall available for others to comment, but Google + takes this idea a step further by giving you the chance to connect with followers through video with the hangout feature. Vendors can speak to followers to gauge what aspects of your brand and/or services they find favorable or hold a staff meeting. This kind of personal interaction bodes well with consumers and doesn’t cost you a penny unlike Skype.

The only noticeable absences in a Google+ page are a promotion feature and URL personalization. Facebook is a great marketing tool because you can create promotions solely around your Facebook followers. This kind of exclusivity adds value to your brand and makes your followers feel special.

Facebook also allows companies to change their URL making them more distinct and easier to remember. Unfortunately your stuck with the long numeric URL Google+ provides its user. Since Google+ is relatively new, there is still time for its features to evolve based on the needs of its users.

Here are some examples of how automotive company’s can use their Google+ pages:

Lexus page

Automotive Digital Marketing page

Infinite Prospects, Inc. page

What are your feelings on Google+?

Social Media Division

SCallahan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:44:21 +0000

Carter West Public Relations, the nation’s leading agency specializing in the retail automotive technology industry has launched its social media division. Integrated public relations and social media solutions have been proven to greatly increase the effectiveness of clients’ marketing communications strategies, maximize web exposure, increase brand awareness and drive more traffic to client web sites.

“The social media strategies we have implemented for our clients have opened up new channels of communication for them and have been very well received,” said Sara Callahan, President of Carter West. “The results have made clear that an integrated public relations and social media approach takes a company’s exposure to a new level, enabling them to reach and engage with a very targeted audience.”

The launch of the new social media division is the culmination of more than a year’s worth of trials that have implemented social media strategies into current public relations programs. “Carter West PR has increased our web presence and we are looking forward to seeing the ROI of a full-service social media program with them in 2012,” says Phil DuPree, President of AutoUSA Internet Sales Solutions. “In the past year it’s become clear that as more dealership employees are growing comfortable with the various social media platforms, they are using them to research, find reviews of, and interact with vendors.”

Carter West’s social media services include establishing and building presence on well-known platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, client blogs and automotive-specific social networking sites. Carter West’s social media team provides full-service solutions including content creation, engagement campaigns, comment marketing, video production, design and advertising, reputation management and ROI reporting/analytics. All social media strategies are custom designed to each client’s preferences and specific marketing goals, and are offered as part of an integrated public relations program.

In a recent survey conducted by Carter West PR, 159 dealership management personnel responded to social media related questions (55% owners and general managers, and 45% a mix of other management positions including controllers and CIOs, dealer principals, service and parts managers, and sales managers). Survey results indicate that a growing number of dealership management personnel are turning to auto social networking sites as a primary source of information and news on products and services. In addition, more than 81% of respondents maintain a Facebook profile, and of those, 29% said they use Facebook to interact with vendors. 44% have a Linked In profile and 17% have a Twitter profile. The survey also highlighted the growing usage of social media by dealerships, with 79% of respondents reporting they have a social media program in place.

For more information about Carter West social media programs visit www.carterwestpr.com or call 727-288-2159.

Clients in the News

SCallahan — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:43:05 +0000

Getting articles about your company and your products published in the media is a proven method of generating qualified sales leads. Here are samples of articles we have placed for clients. Each placement resulted in a boost in sales lead generation, increased income and expansion of the company’s brand and name recognition.

Read all about it:

5square .com in Automotive News

Automotive News PDF

TimeHighway.com in the Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal article

STORIES
5square.com in Automotive News
Automotive News PDF

TimeHighway.com in the The Wall Street Journal
Click here to download Word file

MPi in Automotive News
Click here to download PDF of article

TimeHighway.com in Automotive News
Click here to download Word file

MPi in NADA’s Auto Exec Magazine
Click here to read article

MPi and CallCommand in NADA’s Auto Exec Magazine
Click here to download PDF of article

CallCommand in Dealer’s Edge/Car Dealer Insider
Click here to read article

MenuVantage in Dealer Marketing Magazine
Click here to read article

MenuVantage in Ward’s Dealer Business
Click here to read article

CallCommand in Auto Dealer Monthly
Download PDF of article

MPi in Auto Dealer Monthly
Download PDF of article

Kemp Ford on CBS News
Click here to see video clip

GUEST ARTICLES
Al Babbington, CEO CallCommand
Guest article in Dealer Magazine
Click here to read article

Phillip Battista, Co-CEO MenuVantage
Guest article in Dealer Magazine
Click here to read article

Robert Steenbergh, Co-CEO MenuVantage
Guest article in F&I Magazine
Click here to read article

Robert Steenbergh, Co-CEO MenuVantage
Guest article in Dealer Marketing Magazine
Click here to read article

Client Highlight (placeholder)

SCallahan — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:42:07 +0000

We’re proud of the work we do and don’t mind sharing or bragging. With that in mind, here are just a small number of examples of press releases, articles and other collateral written for clients that helped the good news coming:

resources / PUBLISHED ARTICLES

PLACEHOLDER ONLY (LINKS ONLY; ABSTRACTS

Marx Brothers Night at the Opera

SCallahan — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:38:32 +0000

The first few times someone asked me to follow them on Twitter, I thought it a funny expression. In fact, it reminded me of a scene in a Marx brothers movie, Night at the Opera.

Truth be told, I’m not a serious fan of the M-bros, and you won’t find me dressing as Harpo Marx to go to a Halloween party. But, picture this: Con artist Groucho is fast talking gibberish to the sophisticated and confused Margaret Dumont, his foil, who sits across from him in a restaurant. At one point, Groucho stops and asks, “Do you follow me?” Ms Dumont replies in a prolonged and very nasal, “Yesssssssssss.” Groucho snaps back: “Well, you better stop following me, or I’ll have you arrested.”

On the other hand, being followed on Twitter is a good thing, – - and it can often be pleasantly arresting. Businesses can and should take advantage of this relatively cheap marketing tool. It’s not that difficult to master. In fact, its whole concept is based on simplicity.

First, the basics: Twitter asks: “What are you doing?” Your answer must be no more than 140 characters in length. Your response is sent as a “tweet” to those who have signed up to receive your messages. Best of all, the message is sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the Web. Simply put, those words immediately travel far and fast.

Why would a business want to use it? I should rephrase the question and replace “want” with “must” for Twitter is fast becoming the quickest, most inexpensive and indispensable way to keep connected to your customers, not to mention protect your brand.

It’s estimated that up to as many as 3 million users are following or tweeting on Twitter. Customers can express their feelings about your company, products or service—and when they do, you need to be there to correct misperceptions or fix potential issues before any negative news goes viral. Your average Twitter user is social media savvy and most likely influences many others. Let’s face it, real-time communication doesn’t get any more real or unfiltered.

In another scene from a Marx brothers movie, one of the brothers mispronounced “viaduct” as “why a duck?” Forget the duck and protect your business with a tweety bird. Do you follow me?

The Fortune Teller

SCallahan — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:37:19 +0000

There’s an old cartoon that showed the owner of a Fortune Teller shop putting up an Out of Business sign. One person walking by sees the sign and says to his friend: “You’d think they would have known.”

Every now and again, I have a client who sorta-kinda assumes that we know everything that’s going on inside their company–or industry–and never bothers to share key developments with us. Hmm. Assuming someone should have known is never a strong or even useful assumption, and it can severely handicap your PR effort.

The solution? Be sure to keep the PR agency well informed of company news and developments including goals, marketing initiatives, and so on. PR is your contact with the media and is constantly working on developing stories and talking to media personnel about developing trends. If PR is not supplied with all the latest information, stories that could be obtained can be easily missed.

Of course, every good PR firm does their best to keep up, by reading the trades and blogs, or by attending trade shows and such, and by making phone contacts or exchanging emails with clients. But there’s nothing quite like the latest insider product or company news, the skinny, if you will. Remember, PR is on your side and, unfortunately, we’re not mind readers.

The Roman philosopher Seneca nailed what I’m talking about when he said, circa the mid-1^st century, AD: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” So, always keep your PR team in the know because they know the best opportunities. And the more you tell them, the better prepared they’ll be to take advantage of any openings. If you want to try plain ol’ luck, there are plenty of States willing to sell you a lottery ticket.

Be prepared is a much better philosophy. Just ask any Boy Scout.