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I recently came across an entrepreneur who was very interested in learning where
publicity and marketing strategy fit into the end result of more sales. His question
was very valid as many unintentionally confuse marketing and publicity with sales.

So what’s the difference? Publicity is all about the ”buzz’, the word that
gets out about you, your company, your cause, or the great work you do. It is about
getting the story out. Publicity backs up marketing and sales because it initiates
the whole process of converting the public to your way of thinking. It makes them
aware of who you are. Afterall, how is someone expected to purchase your services
if they do not even know you? Do not fall into the trap of going for the sale without
getting your name known first.

Publicity is just as much about getting your name known as it is about building
credibility. Human psychology states often enough that if others see value in an
idea, your prospects and prospect market will as well.

Marketing on the other hand, works on the presumption that your prospect market
is already aware of who you are. It takes an established and recognized brand one
step further to action for your prospect. Marketing effectively plays to an emotional
or sometimes logical reasoning of why the public should buy what you have to say.

Both of these concepts are essential yet unique in the eventual development of
sales.

In order to make your product/service or organization a household name, you need
to learn and master each phase effectively. Before going off to sell your services,
follow each of the steps in the inverted pyramid.

The inverted pyramid theory works on the premise that all sales or motivations take
place first with getting the word out. In other words, publicity. From there, marketing takes over. It is only once these considerations are in place that sales or
the actual ”closing” of a deal can occur.

Beginning with a strategy of how you wish to brand your organization through to
the publicity you need , all require individual efforts before people begin ‘knocking
down your door”.

Once your satisfied, give some serious thought to the marketing materials you’ll
want to use when people start asking for more information. And above all, never
stop reviewing and testing your brand.

Mark Buzan is the owner of Action Strategies: http://www.action-strategies.ca, a public
affairs & marketing communications consultancy. You can subscribe now to his
monthly PR tips newsletter by visiting and dropping down the “newsletter” menu. You
can also subscribe to his blog: http://actionstrategies.blogspot.com.

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When non-profit organizations aren’t out changing the world, they’re appealing to supporters and the public for donations. Fundraising is a constant challenge for non-profit organizations and it’s not because people don’t want to give the money - it’s because people don’t always know that there’s a need.

Fundraising efforts include direct mailings, advertising, and marketing campaigns. Each of these is costly and there’s no way to guarantee return on investment. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to gain exposure and elicit donations without having to dip into the coffers? You can - they’re called “editorial placements,” or as we in media relations like to say “free advertising.”

Newspapers and magazines live and die by their content. If people don’t want to read what they’re printing, they’re in trouble. Being able to offer a print publication (or even a broadcast network) with a story that will entertain, educate, or inspires its readers is a challenge, but well worth it if it’s printed.

Which of the following newspaper placements do you think will garner more public response: an ad placed in the “weekender” or “volunteer opportunity” sections describing your organization and asking for donations; or a touching feature story about how the organization is making a difference in the community? The feature story will almost undoubtedly send more people to an organization’s Web site than an ad, and the funny this is that the feature story cost the organization nothing to secure.

Why does the public respond more strongly to a feature than an ad? Because appearing in the media provides instant legitimization. People tend to trust the organizations or people they see in the paper or on TV. If you run a non-profit animal shelter that is featured on the weekend nightly news’ adopt-a-pet segment, chances are the public will think of you first when looking to adopt a pet as opposed to if you simply placed an ad in the Sunday paper every week.

So how do you obtain “free advertising?” By reaching out to the media every chance you get. Smaller organizations that utilize community support can offer personal feature stories on certain overachieving volunteers. The media loves a good “feel good” story: how one volunteer has made such a difference, how a beneficiary of the organization’s services is thriving now, and so on. How did your organization start? Did someone sell their business to establish a women’s shelter? Does a local mother care for homeless animals on her farm? Here are some ideas to help inspire you to develop a story for your organization or cause.

Every person has a story.
Discover the stories behind the people in your organization and make the media aware of them. By “story,” I mean a simple, conversational story - the type you might tell a friend. Pitching a story to the media doesn’t mean you have to write it and offer it in its entirety. When you pitch a story, you simply let your media contact know about it. They’ll decide if it’s a fit and pursue it further.

To get an idea of the kinds of stories the paper and local networks like, spend a few weeks tuning in or scanning the pages. It will be obvious the kinds of things they’re looking for.

Pay close attention to the journalists and reporters who write on topics related to yours. These are the people you are going to want to contact with your story.

Local outlets want local stories, and this can represent multiple opportunities for media coverage. For instance, if the person your story focuses on lives in a town other than where your organization is based, you can pitch the story to both locales.

Let the world know what’s happening.
Hosting or sponsoring an event can garner more attention than a two-line announcement in the calendar section. What is the story surrounding your event? If you’re launching a clothing drive for professional attire to help women get jobs, highlight a success story, such as a woman associated with your organization who overcame hardships and landed a great job that changed her life. If you’re hosting a casual fun-day dog show for kids to benefit a local animal shelter, find a pet owner who plans to enter his or her adopted shelter dog.

Even your fundraising events can be promoted through editorial placements. You don’t have to have a high-profile MC or a gala to make the news. If this is an annual event, how do you expect to surpass last year’s donations? How were the funds used? If they built a library or added a wing to a senior center, what’s the story behind that?

Announce Everything
Organizations in large cities face direct competition for donations and media coverage. To help improve your chances of media attention, do everything you can to stay in the news (or at least in the minds of the news writers in your area). Is there a staffing change or new hire (a positive one)? Announce it. If you’ve added a service to your organization, announce it. In sales and marketing, a consumer needs to hear about a product seven times before he or she will buy it, on average. The same is true for donations to non-profits. The more often the public sees your organization in print or hears about it on the radio or on television, the more likely they will be to consider donating. Keep that in mind the next time you’ve got news to share!

Media relations is about building relationships and having an idea of what the public wants. It’s not as complicated as it may seem, after all, you are the public. What do you want to read? What would be interesting to you? Talk to your co-workers and friends and find out their opinions. Identify the media people in your area who cover the types of things you and your organization do and begin to build a relationship. Before you know it, you may have them calling you for a story.

Drew Gerber is Co-creator of Press Kit 24/7(http://www.PressKit247.com), an online press kit technology. In addition to helping non-profits and small businesses manage their own media relations through technology, Gerber is Co-Owner of Wasabi Publicity, Inc., a PR firm representing causes, nonprofits, and businesses that make a difference. An expert in the art of listening and in building relationships, Gerber can be reached at Drew@publicityresults.com.

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Three seconds. That’s what you have to convey your message. Creativity is the strategic weapon that allows us to capture those few precious moments of attention from busy consumers in our increasingly competitive, time-crunched environment.

Focus groups tell us that time is a precious, yet dwindling resource. Attention spans are dwindling, as well.

Many forces condition people: competing messages, special effects, quick cuts, pop-up videos, too much media. We should not totally surrender to these trends but instead look at the yearnings they reveal: a desire for simplicity, efficiency, truth, and quality of presentation.

When we design and write marketing communication material we must recognize a very fundamental fact: we are interrupting someone’s day.

The fact that they chose to read, hear or view our message places a great responsibility on us to present this work as best we can. All the elements should contribute to a single point. A single reason for being there. Add something and it is excess baggage. Take something away and it’s thin soup. The balance is critical.

And, we can’t underestimate today’s consumers. They are smart and we must not fall prey to communicating to the lowest common denominator. Consumers demand creativity, and ultimately they are who we work for.

Do The Math

It adds up to this: the increasing need for creativity. Thinking beyond the rote. Asking why and why again. Researching. Feeding the mind. Looking at the situation from a different angle. Parking your biases at the door.

Once you’ve done the research and asked all the questions, it’s time to let ideas flow, not just on concepts, but also on content, medium, style.

Quick example. A small New York lingerie store with virtually no budget wanted to boost business. Its ad agency had an idea: paint messages on the sidewalk within eight blocks of the store. The messages read, “From down here, it looks like you could use some new underwear.” Business exploded.

Creativity isn’t just a flash of lightning. It is a deliberate, disciplined process that anyone can follow. Now, go be creative.

Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR. He has 26 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Brent Dees Financial Planning, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems VELUX and Verbatim.

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