My latest bit of PR writing for one of my clients, http://www.buyorganics.co.uk/ has just come out... I thought I'd reproduce it here not only as an interesting blog on the subject of men's organic skincare and grooming, but also to highlight how PR isn't just about banging out press releases and doing the rounds of the magazines and newspapers.
Good meat and potatoes lead-generating publicity comes from writing, writing, writing - and getting those carefully crafted words out on the internet and into peoples' in-boxes and onto google searches! Blogging is not only interesting and fun but should play a very important part in your online PR schedule. Sonia at buyorganics is the Queen of Blogging - not only does she blog herself at least once if not twice a week, but I also contribute to her blog when I can. She'll be the first to tell you how her website traffic and sales is affected and driven by what we blog about and when.
This blog came as a result of Sonia's strategy for publicising her great ranges of men’s organic grooming products available on the website. As well as some more traditional PR in the form of press releases and targeted men's, grooming and fashion press, we also wanted to write a blog - and one with a difference! Here's the result! I'll update you on the sales in a week or two to show you the power of the blog....
When it comes to men's organic skincare and grooming, Sonia and I quickly realized that this was going to be one area where we couldn’t actually try and test the products ourselves! And we certainly didn’t want to simply quote the blurb off the back of the bottles and jars, as we always test and trial things ourselves to make sure they do exactly what they say on the tin! So… what to do!
Of course, this is where I had the absolutely brilliant brainwave of dragging my poor unwitting husband into the equation. Not only skeptical about organic skincare products themselves, his usual grooming routine consists of a quick shower in the morning using all manner of cheap and nasty shower gels (bottles collected from hotel business trips or bought three for a pound in the super savers discount basket), an electric shave using talcum powder of all things! and a spray of supermarket deodorant (if I’m lucky).
Love him to bits as I do, all my pleas about using organic skincare and natural grooming products are met with raised eyebrows and shakes of his head, so over time I’ve just got used to having to wait at least half an hour before going upstairs after he’s used the cheap deodorant filled with pungent, eye-watering chemicals, in order to avoid being suffocated with noxious fumes! And vacuuming up the mess from the talcum powder can get annoying – “it helps smooth the skin before I shave”, he reasons, despite me telling him about the gender-bending chemicals and pore-clogging filling and caking agents which make up the talc!
So, I threw down the gauntlet – swap all his regular high street cheap grooming products for a week with the same items but from the buyOrganics range of organic, natural products, to see if he preferred them or not!Well of course, he was very happy to help me with my work, and being a typical alpha male, always likes a challenge, mainly the opportunity to prove me wrong! So he accepted the challenge with gusto and two weeks on, the Lynx has been relegated to the back of the bathroom cabinet and the words “Esselle” and “Green People” are tripping off his tongue like a pro!
So what did he use? Well he's really not a lover of too many products and in order to not complicate things I picked the bare essentials for him to start with – he usually likes to use a face wash and shower gel in the mornings and evenings, so I picked the Green People’s Organic Homme pre shave face wash, which claims to prevent breakouts, lifts the beard (whatever that means!) and cleanses without drying, as well as preventing spots. Well hubby’s a little old for acne but he certainly loves the facewash as it is gentle, as well as not having a scent, which he normally dislikes in a facewash. He was also really amazed that a little goes a long way with this product – of course I had to explain that most organic grooming products are naturally more concentrated, unlike high street cheaper brands which create a lot of froth and foam and need palm sized amounts to get the same clean, fresh feeling as a small blob of organic product. This pleased him, as despite loving the products, he was rather gobsmacked at the price compared with his usual pound shop varieties… however with them lasting several weeks rather than one or two, not only are the organic products still great value for money but dramatically cut down on packaging and therefore, waste.
He tried out the Ecosoapia hand and shower gels in the shower – this caused quite a bit of drama initially as the first one he used was the Peppermint flavoured one – still not used to the potency and efficacy of organic products, he used far too much and ended up yelling in shock as the zinginess of too much peppermint came into contact with his precious crown jewels… top tip for men, don’t use the peppermint one as a body wash! He also tried the lavender but again found the strength of the fragrance quite overpowering, and settled for the unfragranced version. We are using the peppermint and lavender to great effect as handwashes, antibacterial and smelling divine, they’re lovely for any cloakroom, kitchen sink or hand basin.
His absolute favourite product and “I will use this until the day I die” item was the Eselle Organic Aftershave ‘Razzamatazz’ – a discreetly fragranced rich oil, suitable as a pre- and post-shave oil to soften the beard before a visit from the razor, and afterwards to smooth and seal the skin. The small 30ml bottle is a great size for travelling too (and small enough for aircraft hand luggage!), and in two weeks just over a quarter of this tiny bottle has been used, making it extremely good value as well.
And the best find for me, was the Green People Organic Homme ‘stay fresh’ deodorant – quickly learning the organic less is more mantra, just a couple of sprays under each arm not only keeps my man smelling fresh and the house free from clouds of toxic fumes, but the important omission of aluminium in natural and organic deodorants, including this one, mean that his risk of contracting breast cancer is greatly reduced – men can also suffer from this disease, and aluminium has been identified as a very likely link between breast cancer, particularly of the nodes in the armpit and the side of the chest.So ladies, if you want to convert your man and turn him organic, give it a try – if I can do it, anyone can! Not only will you be happier, but you will have a healthy, fragrant and eco-friendly fella to be proud of!
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
PR - Luxury or Necessity?
Small businesses and sole traders are finding the current economical crisis rather challenging and in some cases, just plain scary! I for one have felt the knock-on effect of businesses cutting down on their spending, as two things which get shoved out the window before anything else are advertising and, sadly for me, PR! But is this sensible business practice or a potential disaster waiting to happen?I’m not biased – I promise you – but unfortunately cutting out PR entirely or even scaling it down to too little activity can have long-term detrimental effects on a small company’s overall profits and success.
Particularly with on-line businesses, as well as spending money on advertising such as banners and ad-words, regular, professional and targeted on-line PR increases search engine ratings, website traffic and direct sales. The best way of doing this is regular output in the form of blogs and press releases to the online world. Coupled with regular contact with the world of print media ie. magazine and newspapers, plus radio and TV, exposure and enhanced exposure to your target audiences and the outside world are a dead cert.However, PR is NOT advertising! With an advert, you’re sending a message direct to your target market, saying whatever it is you need your message to be: buy me now! click on me now! order this now! … you get the picture. The advert contains clear instructions of how this can be achieved – phone number, website – and if it’s worth it’s salt, perhaps a little incentive just to metaphorically twist the reader’s arm that little bit more – a discount, free gift, or a message which categorically says we are the best! If you don’t do xyz now then you’re a total loser…..or in some instances comparison with competitors (such as the Pepsi Challenge for example)!
PR isn’t quite like that. It’s a more subtle approach, endorsing your products and services through the very trusted eyes, ears and other senses of the journalists whose magazines, papers, blogs and TV or radio reports the world listens to and reads every day. If they say it, well it must be true… mustn’t it? Well of course, there are certain “persuasive methods” open to PRs to encourage their reporter friends to look upon their clients favourably – ie. the freebie, the goody bag, the media party, the editor’s lunch – but journalists are of course professionals and a key part of their job is to be impartial and pass honest judgment on what comes that way, which is why PR is so much more powerful than an advert and should be an important part of any company’s strategy to communicate with their public.
They’ll only print what they agree with and believe in, and like, (or what their editor does, anyway!) which is why (as discussed previously) samples are imperative in certain sectors such as beauty when you really do need to get these people hooked on your products for real. This goes for anything though, from makeup to cars, from nappies to pensions, hotel rooms to the latest Wii game…if it doesn’t do what it says on the tin, then watch out! But if it does – you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be shouting about it from the avidly-read columns and pixels of print or online media. Honest feedback from journalists on what you're showing them is also helpful! If they don't like something, it's because they're viewing it from the eyes of their readers, your end buyers, so any constructive criticism should be swallowed whole without any sweetener! And your PR is that interface between your business and the media.
So, you get all that, but that still doesn’t mean that when the chips are down, who do you pay - your suppliers, your staff, yourself even, or a giggly airheaded PR whose main job consists of schmoozing with the magazines and bunging a few free lipsticks across their desks? Well, take it from one of my clients – I won’t mention who for fear of embarrassment! – who says that the work I do is a key component in bringing in sales to their website based business, and that sales actually dropped off noticeably when I dared to take a holiday and cut back on the blogging and press releases! The other effect of cutting out PR activity is that unlike advertising which is instant, PR is a longer term method. Doing it here and there when you’ve got a spare bit of budget can have a hit but nowhere near as effective as long-term communication and the building up of an online presence.
Particularly with on-line businesses, as well as spending money on advertising such as banners and ad-words, regular, professional and targeted on-line PR increases search engine ratings, website traffic and direct sales. The best way of doing this is regular output in the form of blogs and press releases to the online world. Coupled with regular contact with the world of print media ie. magazine and newspapers, plus radio and TV, exposure and enhanced exposure to your target audiences and the outside world are a dead cert.However, PR is NOT advertising! With an advert, you’re sending a message direct to your target market, saying whatever it is you need your message to be: buy me now! click on me now! order this now! … you get the picture. The advert contains clear instructions of how this can be achieved – phone number, website – and if it’s worth it’s salt, perhaps a little incentive just to metaphorically twist the reader’s arm that little bit more – a discount, free gift, or a message which categorically says we are the best! If you don’t do xyz now then you’re a total loser…..or in some instances comparison with competitors (such as the Pepsi Challenge for example)!
PR isn’t quite like that. It’s a more subtle approach, endorsing your products and services through the very trusted eyes, ears and other senses of the journalists whose magazines, papers, blogs and TV or radio reports the world listens to and reads every day. If they say it, well it must be true… mustn’t it? Well of course, there are certain “persuasive methods” open to PRs to encourage their reporter friends to look upon their clients favourably – ie. the freebie, the goody bag, the media party, the editor’s lunch – but journalists are of course professionals and a key part of their job is to be impartial and pass honest judgment on what comes that way, which is why PR is so much more powerful than an advert and should be an important part of any company’s strategy to communicate with their public.They’ll only print what they agree with and believe in, and like, (or what their editor does, anyway!) which is why (as discussed previously) samples are imperative in certain sectors such as beauty when you really do need to get these people hooked on your products for real. This goes for anything though, from makeup to cars, from nappies to pensions, hotel rooms to the latest Wii game…if it doesn’t do what it says on the tin, then watch out! But if it does – you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be shouting about it from the avidly-read columns and pixels of print or online media. Honest feedback from journalists on what you're showing them is also helpful! If they don't like something, it's because they're viewing it from the eyes of their readers, your end buyers, so any constructive criticism should be swallowed whole without any sweetener! And your PR is that interface between your business and the media.
So, you get all that, but that still doesn’t mean that when the chips are down, who do you pay - your suppliers, your staff, yourself even, or a giggly airheaded PR whose main job consists of schmoozing with the magazines and bunging a few free lipsticks across their desks? Well, take it from one of my clients – I won’t mention who for fear of embarrassment! – who says that the work I do is a key component in bringing in sales to their website based business, and that sales actually dropped off noticeably when I dared to take a holiday and cut back on the blogging and press releases! The other effect of cutting out PR activity is that unlike advertising which is instant, PR is a longer term method. Doing it here and there when you’ve got a spare bit of budget can have a hit but nowhere near as effective as long-term communication and the building up of an online presence.So, keep your story and your business going and do the right thing, set aside a small amount per month or quarter for some quality, professional PR. If that really isn’t an option then take some advice from your PR and try and continue with the basics yourself if you can until that multi-million pound order or deal comes your way!
PR really isn’t a luxury for when you want to make a splash, but an important necessity for bread-and-butter exposure and a vital component in the life-blood of your special business.
Monday, 12 January 2009
Crunch Time for Consumerism
Goodness me, how time has run on! It’s been ages since my last blog which is quite embarrassing given the subject matter of the first one – making time for blogging! I’m blessed to have been so busy of late with all my clients, but as I enter this wonderful new year, I am, as well as the majority of us out there, feeling the pinch a bit.
“Credit crunch” is certainly the favourite phrase on the keyboard fingers of journalists out there, as they chunter out story after inspirational story about how bad the economic climate is, how it’s affecting us all, what we can do about it, things we can do or avoid, and list after list of credit crunch beating tips, things to do on a shoestring, how to survive three months on two quid and a tin of beans….. all that sort of thing…. but am I, even with my PR head on, just a little bemused by all these “money-saving”, “debt-busting” stories in the papers, on the TV and radio and clogging up the internet?
The reality is, people are losing their jobs, companies are definitely going bust (national mourning for Woolies and Wedgwood, and the poor boss of M&S a few million quid down on his profits), despite interest rates going down (the phrase “stable door – bolted horse” kind of springs to mind!) mortgages are being defaulted on, it’s impossible to buy a house and the supermarkets seem to love the fact that the credit crunch means they can encourage us to buy MORE of all their cheaper products!
PR cynic that I am – 16 years in the business has rubbed off quite well – I think many companies are just laughing up their sleeves at the general public. Instead of looking at practical, sustainable ways of saving money, many PR machines are happily seizing another opportunity to flog us more stuff only at seemingly lower prices. The story about the battle between the pound store next door to the 99p shop on the radio today made me chuckle over my marmite on (organic!) toast. The pound store had been losing customers in their droves as they stampeded next door to buy the same products but at 1p cheaper per item. But are people really that hard up? The queues of individuals buying lottery tickets seems to get longer and longer, people seemingly spending what little they have in their wallets on a sliver of hope that they’ll scoop the jackpot.
Really, saving money is as simple as losing weight – calories in versus calories out – just swap the calories for pounds if you like ('scuse the pun!), and you’ll get my drift. Simple enough - don’t eat that cream cake and you won’t end up with cottage cheese thighs – likewise if you don’t spend it, you won’t be in debt. Many people have lost the ability to equate real need with need engendered by too much advertising.
It may seem bonkers for a PR to be advocating LESS consumerism, but the entire point of my own business is to shout out loud for all those truly anti-consumerist, ethical and environmental businesses who want you to buy quality, beautiful items which do the job, look great and are produced with the environment in mind. Less really can be more – swap quantity for quality, make things last and see the difference not only to your wallet but also the planet. Consumerism will eventually cost us the earth….. make this the year you shop less, save resources, and start saving your pennies and the environment.
“Credit crunch” is certainly the favourite phrase on the keyboard fingers of journalists out there, as they chunter out story after inspirational story about how bad the economic climate is, how it’s affecting us all, what we can do about it, things we can do or avoid, and list after list of credit crunch beating tips, things to do on a shoestring, how to survive three months on two quid and a tin of beans….. all that sort of thing…. but am I, even with my PR head on, just a little bemused by all these “money-saving”, “debt-busting” stories in the papers, on the TV and radio and clogging up the internet?
The reality is, people are losing their jobs, companies are definitely going bust (national mourning for Woolies and Wedgwood, and the poor boss of M&S a few million quid down on his profits), despite interest rates going down (the phrase “stable door – bolted horse” kind of springs to mind!) mortgages are being defaulted on, it’s impossible to buy a house and the supermarkets seem to love the fact that the credit crunch means they can encourage us to buy MORE of all their cheaper products!
PR cynic that I am – 16 years in the business has rubbed off quite well – I think many companies are just laughing up their sleeves at the general public. Instead of looking at practical, sustainable ways of saving money, many PR machines are happily seizing another opportunity to flog us more stuff only at seemingly lower prices. The story about the battle between the pound store next door to the 99p shop on the radio today made me chuckle over my marmite on (organic!) toast. The pound store had been losing customers in their droves as they stampeded next door to buy the same products but at 1p cheaper per item. But are people really that hard up? The queues of individuals buying lottery tickets seems to get longer and longer, people seemingly spending what little they have in their wallets on a sliver of hope that they’ll scoop the jackpot.
Really, saving money is as simple as losing weight – calories in versus calories out – just swap the calories for pounds if you like ('scuse the pun!), and you’ll get my drift. Simple enough - don’t eat that cream cake and you won’t end up with cottage cheese thighs – likewise if you don’t spend it, you won’t be in debt. Many people have lost the ability to equate real need with need engendered by too much advertising.
It may seem bonkers for a PR to be advocating LESS consumerism, but the entire point of my own business is to shout out loud for all those truly anti-consumerist, ethical and environmental businesses who want you to buy quality, beautiful items which do the job, look great and are produced with the environment in mind. Less really can be more – swap quantity for quality, make things last and see the difference not only to your wallet but also the planet. Consumerism will eventually cost us the earth….. make this the year you shop less, save resources, and start saving your pennies and the environment.
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
The beauty of the free sample...
In PR terms I’m really not the Ab Fab type – and in fact schmoozing, air kisses and long Chardonnay lunches are probably more fiction than fact (well in the circles I move in at least!) but one area that isn’t a myth when it comes to beauty PR in particular, is the power of the (free) sample.
If you want a journalist to rave about your product, then they really do need to try it, and at least see and feel it in its packaging, to give an honest opinion of its efficacy and value. Trouble is, for tiny companies on a budget, the clamour for a freebie the moment a press release goes out can seem quite alarming, particularly in the ethical sector where products are rarely mass produced, are often handmade in smaller quantities or produced in a different way and without the enormous marketing budgets of the likes of L’Oreal, Avon and Rimmel, to name but a few. For new businesses or those operating as a one-man band, money spent on what just seems like "giving things away for free" can seriously dent cash-flows and margins, but in reality, the whole exercise should be looked at in a different, more positive way.
It is actually really important to invest, wherever possible, in product samples as part of an overall PR strategy in order to gain those vital column and on-line inches! A recent PR stunt for one of my beauty clients, Natural Spa Supplies, who sensibly ploughed a budget and a bit of thinking into some journalist-friendly sized samples of natural Moroccan Rhassoul clay, came up trumps as over 35 journalists leapt at the chance to take on the gauntlet we’d thrown down and attempt to use the clay exclusively, for all their skin, hair and body washing needs for a whole week. It really had to be seen to be believed - a single 100g packet of dried clay - enough to fit in the palm of your hand - for everything for a week. It seemed ridiculous and impossible in words, which is why the physical product had to be sampled, with great results as well! The expense of the promotion itself and the samples, postage etc was still probably less than the cost of a single banner advertisement and a huge amount less than a print advertisement, and yet will be deeper and more far-reaching as the end users – the journalists - who write first-hand about their experience will touch their readers in a much more effective way than just another ad in a sea of ads on a page or a site.
Another client, buyOrganics, regularly does PR for their incredibly diverse range of beauty, skin and body care, and cosmetic products and again, we get many requests for samples, but these do lead to great coverage – not only that, but journalists are also potential customers and as is often the way with beautiful, organic and ethical beauty products, they are so yummy that they really do speak for themselves. Also, combining products together to create "looks" or to appeal to certain themes and features, is also a great idea when it comes to being creative with samples. buyOrganics stocking all the products it does, can provide journalists with more than the usual run-of-the-mill "look what we've just launched" bog standard press release - and create interest in issues and areas of interest, not just for selling makeup but telling the story behind why it's important to use ethical, safe, healthy cosmetics. It's not enough just to use the paraben, SLS and phlalate free organic skincare products, if you then smother your face in foundation, lippy and eyeshadow which is chock-full of the very stuff you've omitted from your skincare regime, so by extending the story to the cosmetics on offer as well, not only does buyOrganics provide interesting, compelling evidence and products but shows that it is a business which remains full of integrity and sticks to its values.
I do a bit of freelancing myself and I can say hand on heart that my conversion to mineral foundation, particularly the natural brands by Bella Pierre, AfterGlow and Inika, are purely down to the tests I did on the free samples I received for a feature I’m writing. Not only that, but I’m hooked for life and will continue to buy and use the products after my freebies run out! I must confess to even surfing their sites to see what else they make - again, the beauty of the sample is not just the gift of the product itself, but it's ability to provide interest and an entry into an entire world of similarly captivating products!
Of course as a PR I would always advocate PR over advertising when budgets are limited, but the effect isn’t as instantaneous and usually a sensible mixture of the two is the best approach.
Other items are harder to “freebie” but books must be reviewed and for the cost of even a box of books given to review journalists, has got to be still less than the price of a display advertisement, and again reaps dividends when praise is quoted from the mouths of journalists. Clothing, homewares, electrical goods, gadgets and other more expensive or ungainly items, can still be reviewed – many publications will borrow and return items they need for photoshoots for example, and a good rule of thumb is always to make the request – if you don’t ask you don’t get! And part of your PR’s job is to be responsible for getting the product samples out there, and getting them – and the press coverage about them – back!
Next time - I'll be talking about The Launch Party - something close to my heart at the moment as I'm involved in organising a couple of these this month, and I really want to dispel any myths about the Launch merely being an opportunity for a bunch of journos to get plastered, scoff vol-au-vents and grab goodie bags - nothing could be further from the truth!
If you want a journalist to rave about your product, then they really do need to try it, and at least see and feel it in its packaging, to give an honest opinion of its efficacy and value. Trouble is, for tiny companies on a budget, the clamour for a freebie the moment a press release goes out can seem quite alarming, particularly in the ethical sector where products are rarely mass produced, are often handmade in smaller quantities or produced in a different way and without the enormous marketing budgets of the likes of L’Oreal, Avon and Rimmel, to name but a few. For new businesses or those operating as a one-man band, money spent on what just seems like "giving things away for free" can seriously dent cash-flows and margins, but in reality, the whole exercise should be looked at in a different, more positive way.
It is actually really important to invest, wherever possible, in product samples as part of an overall PR strategy in order to gain those vital column and on-line inches! A recent PR stunt for one of my beauty clients, Natural Spa Supplies, who sensibly ploughed a budget and a bit of thinking into some journalist-friendly sized samples of natural Moroccan Rhassoul clay, came up trumps as over 35 journalists leapt at the chance to take on the gauntlet we’d thrown down and attempt to use the clay exclusively, for all their skin, hair and body washing needs for a whole week. It really had to be seen to be believed - a single 100g packet of dried clay - enough to fit in the palm of your hand - for everything for a week. It seemed ridiculous and impossible in words, which is why the physical product had to be sampled, with great results as well! The expense of the promotion itself and the samples, postage etc was still probably less than the cost of a single banner advertisement and a huge amount less than a print advertisement, and yet will be deeper and more far-reaching as the end users – the journalists - who write first-hand about their experience will touch their readers in a much more effective way than just another ad in a sea of ads on a page or a site.
Another client, buyOrganics, regularly does PR for their incredibly diverse range of beauty, skin and body care, and cosmetic products and again, we get many requests for samples, but these do lead to great coverage – not only that, but journalists are also potential customers and as is often the way with beautiful, organic and ethical beauty products, they are so yummy that they really do speak for themselves. Also, combining products together to create "looks" or to appeal to certain themes and features, is also a great idea when it comes to being creative with samples. buyOrganics stocking all the products it does, can provide journalists with more than the usual run-of-the-mill "look what we've just launched" bog standard press release - and create interest in issues and areas of interest, not just for selling makeup but telling the story behind why it's important to use ethical, safe, healthy cosmetics. It's not enough just to use the paraben, SLS and phlalate free organic skincare products, if you then smother your face in foundation, lippy and eyeshadow which is chock-full of the very stuff you've omitted from your skincare regime, so by extending the story to the cosmetics on offer as well, not only does buyOrganics provide interesting, compelling evidence and products but shows that it is a business which remains full of integrity and sticks to its values.
I do a bit of freelancing myself and I can say hand on heart that my conversion to mineral foundation, particularly the natural brands by Bella Pierre, AfterGlow and Inika, are purely down to the tests I did on the free samples I received for a feature I’m writing. Not only that, but I’m hooked for life and will continue to buy and use the products after my freebies run out! I must confess to even surfing their sites to see what else they make - again, the beauty of the sample is not just the gift of the product itself, but it's ability to provide interest and an entry into an entire world of similarly captivating products!
Of course as a PR I would always advocate PR over advertising when budgets are limited, but the effect isn’t as instantaneous and usually a sensible mixture of the two is the best approach.
Other items are harder to “freebie” but books must be reviewed and for the cost of even a box of books given to review journalists, has got to be still less than the price of a display advertisement, and again reaps dividends when praise is quoted from the mouths of journalists. Clothing, homewares, electrical goods, gadgets and other more expensive or ungainly items, can still be reviewed – many publications will borrow and return items they need for photoshoots for example, and a good rule of thumb is always to make the request – if you don’t ask you don’t get! And part of your PR’s job is to be responsible for getting the product samples out there, and getting them – and the press coverage about them – back!
Next time - I'll be talking about The Launch Party - something close to my heart at the moment as I'm involved in organising a couple of these this month, and I really want to dispel any myths about the Launch merely being an opportunity for a bunch of journos to get plastered, scoff vol-au-vents and grab goodie bags - nothing could be further from the truth!
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Time is running out!
I've no idea how I've managed to carve out a little time today to write this, but in fact as my first entry it's a really important issue! As a PR for all my clients I spend my days writing on behalf of them: blogs, press releases, articles, all about their businesses, services and products, with the aim of getting them noticed by the press, into their favourite magazines, newspapers, even on TV and the radio and importantly for on-line companies, in the internet "ether".
Hypocritically, I've never practised what I preach - and it got me wondering - why not! I'm always advocating we write as many blog entries as possible to increase google ratings, traffic and hits on their websites, but have I ever had the time to do it myself! Not on your life! There's always that "one more thing to do" - especially when you're working a billion hours a day, ferrying kids to and from school, tackling the persistently looming laundry pile, attempting the housework (occasionally!), kids' homework, feeding the clan (and the tortoise). All this means that there's precious little time left at the end of the day to do anything except slump in front of the TV with a glass of wine and fall instantly asleep!
So this is why I write for my clients; it's not just my abundant creative skills and bursting media contact file which is attractive - more mundanely, they are actually so busy with the day to day running of their own businesses that the telling of their story to their public - PR - just has to take a back seat, yet it is this aspect of a business that is so important to generate sales, profile and a following. And I take this chicken and egg situation and turn it into a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis for them.... the beauty of having a friend, colleague, mentor, sounding board and professional on board to do your PR for you.
But as well as the promotional aspect of writing your blog, it's also good for the soul and good brain training. Who needs a Nintendo Wii to get those little grey cells working away, when you can put finger to keyboard and enter the realms of writing not only for profit but for pleasure as well.
As Edward Gibbon said "There is more pleasure to building castles in the air than on the ground."
That's why I've found the time - at last - for this blog!
Hypocritically, I've never practised what I preach - and it got me wondering - why not! I'm always advocating we write as many blog entries as possible to increase google ratings, traffic and hits on their websites, but have I ever had the time to do it myself! Not on your life! There's always that "one more thing to do" - especially when you're working a billion hours a day, ferrying kids to and from school, tackling the persistently looming laundry pile, attempting the housework (occasionally!), kids' homework, feeding the clan (and the tortoise). All this means that there's precious little time left at the end of the day to do anything except slump in front of the TV with a glass of wine and fall instantly asleep!
So this is why I write for my clients; it's not just my abundant creative skills and bursting media contact file which is attractive - more mundanely, they are actually so busy with the day to day running of their own businesses that the telling of their story to their public - PR - just has to take a back seat, yet it is this aspect of a business that is so important to generate sales, profile and a following. And I take this chicken and egg situation and turn it into a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis for them.... the beauty of having a friend, colleague, mentor, sounding board and professional on board to do your PR for you.
But as well as the promotional aspect of writing your blog, it's also good for the soul and good brain training. Who needs a Nintendo Wii to get those little grey cells working away, when you can put finger to keyboard and enter the realms of writing not only for profit but for pleasure as well.
As Edward Gibbon said "There is more pleasure to building castles in the air than on the ground."
That's why I've found the time - at last - for this blog!
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