Unleash the Power of The Press

PR

Keep your relations public. PR 101. Free webinar set for Wednesday, September 29, 9 a.m.

Jon Chesto, Boston Globe

How does your company make the headlines?  Lead off the 6 p.m. news?  Get a guest appearance on local talk radio?

News leaders will provide answers and insights during a free one-hour, webinar on the topic of “Keep your relations public. PR 101”. The complimentary webinar is set for Wednesday, September 29, 9 a.m.

Panelists will include Jon Chesto, Business Reporter, Boston Globe; Jim Borghesani, former reporter Boston Business Journal and spokesman/strategist to legalize cannabis in Massachusetts and Ed Perry, Owner/Founder, WATD-FM.  The panel will be moderated by Steve Dubin, President of PR Works.

This webinar is for business owners or those running businesses who want to leverage the power of the press.  The business community is encouraged to attend.

The event is sponsored by three leading organizations including My Pinnacle Network which hosts monthly meetings for business-to-business professionals at five locations throughout Massachusetts including Braintree, Mansfield, Needham, Pembroke, and Westborough; South Shore Networking Professionals which connects business people monthly at locations throughout the South Shore; and Rockland Trust, offering a wide range of banking, investment, and insurance services to businesses and individuals through retail branches, commercial lending offices, investment management offices, and residential lending centers located in Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as through online, mobile and phone banking.

Please RSVP for the event at https://rb.gy/eys25n.  Or contact My Pinnacle Network, SDubin@PRWorkZOne.com, 781-582-1061.

Keep your relations public. PR 101. Free webinar set for Wednesday, September 29, 9 a.m.Read More

Free Ebook outlines how to grab hearts and headlines. Plymouth, MA man authors PR 101 book.

What is free news coverage worth? Creating visibility, credibility and traction, PR is a powerful tool. Don’t complicate it. Don’t chase other shiny objects.

 

The new Ebook, “PR 101” is a crash course on public relations and provides a specific outline of how local businesses can develop a consistent PR plan and prosper. The book is free as a download from the PR Works’ website. Visit http://www.prworkzone.com/ and click on “Free Ebook, PR 101”.

 

The book includes details on why Public Relations is not just visibility, but a lead generator; how to become a media darling; 21 news release topics that generate press and prospects; 7 phrases that editors hate; how an on-going column makes you the “go to” source; how to groom a CEO as a spokesperson; how to get to the point so that you do not exceeded the average Internet attention span; and how to call a duck and duck and keep writing from running afoul.

 

“We are overwhelmed by a barrage of messages every day,” noted author Steven V. Dubin, president of PR WORKS, a full service public relations firm based in Plymouth, MA and serving clients throughout the U.S. “Given that amount of noise, your messages and news have to be strategic and well-crafted. This book provides a detailed road map to position your company as the leader.”

 

Steven V. Dubin began his media newspaper career by writing feature stories about the Boston Celtics for the New Bedford Standard Times. Steve and Larry Bird shared rookie years. From there he progressed to editing and marketing positions in several publishing companies, including Mariner Newspapers. Dubin was a contributing author to “Get Slightly Famous”, a book about becoming a celebrity in your field and attracting more business with less effort and “Tricks of the Trade”, the complete guide to succeeding in the advice business.

 

PR Works is located in downtown Plymouth at 18 Main Street Extension, Plymouth, MA 02060.  For a complimentary Ebook or for more information, please visit www.PRWorkZone.com or contact the firm at SDubin@PRWorkZone.com, (781) 582-1061.

 

Free Ebook outlines how to grab hearts and headlines. Plymouth, MA man authors PR 101 book.Read More

Taking it to the hoop. NBA jams ads on jerseys.

basketballIf you are a hoop purist this is not good news for you.  Red Auerbach would growl. (Although he would have also have groaned at inclusion of cheerleaders, dance teams, T-shirt guns and dancing gorillas that have also intruded on the game.)

News flash. The NBA is the first MAJOR sport to sell ad space on jerseys and will begin the human billboard campaign next season.  The 2.5 inch by 2.5 inch patch on the upper jersey and the three year pilot program is projected to generate $120 – $150-million in revenue per season.

Zroom! Nascar has somewhat desensitized us with a Rorschach test splatter of ads all over the cars and jumpsuits of drivers. The English soccer Premier Leagues has been kicking us in the shins with similar ad conglomeration on uniforms.  Perhaps you even remember the fad of temporary corporate tattoos on boxers.

What’s next?  So, are you ready to connect your brand to the NBA?  Would you like to return to simpler days?

Let us know if we can help you develop a potent weave offense.

 

Taking it to the hoop. NBA jams ads on jerseys.Read More

Don’t do it. Spare me the holiday e-cards.

Warning.  Don’t send holiday e-cards.

E-cards scream “I almost care”.  E-cards involve little effort, little cost, little personal sentiment.

Holiday cards are more likely to burn than build a bridge.  Keeping in touch is a wonderful thing, doing so en mass and with a generic message is somewhat insulting.

If you want to wish me Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year or any other holiday…

  • Send me a real, honest to goodness snail mail card.
  • Call me to catch up.
  • Drop by and visit.
  • Take me to lunch.
  • Join me for coffee.
  • Invite me to a holiday gathering.
  • Buy me a  little gift.

As a reseller of Constant Contact and other email platforms, I understand the value of regularly connecting with your network.  Use email with discretion.  Share business news via e-newsletters.  Celebrate holidays with authentic good cheer.

Don’t do it. Spare me the holiday e-cards.Read More

What if Bill Belichick…

Love him or hate him, Belichick is a icon for an era. Which got me to thinking, what if…

  • Bill Belichick were the president. He would have congressman playing both sides of the aisle.
  • Bill Belichick was the head of the MBTA. Not only would there be NO delays, there would be a “hurry up” schedule.
  • Bill Belichick ran Fashion Week. Ripped hoodies would have many new looks.  Think sparkles, faux animal pelts, day-glo.
  • Bill Belichick was your psychologist. He’d suggest that you Cowboy Up and get out there.
  • Bill Belichick was your mentor. He’d strongly recommend that you never take the nickname Little Bill.
  • Bill Belichick was your mechanic. Never replace your car, just keep rotating the tires.
  • Bill Belichick was your career counselor. Get the edge on your employer.  Film them when they least expect it.
  • Bill Belichick was your marketing advisor. He would speak in a monotone and let the scoreboard speak for itself.

How does the scoreboard look for your marketing efforts.  If you want us to join your huddle, please e-mail or call.

What if Bill Belichick…Read More

Excuse me, my hovercraft awaits.

Adaptation. While traveling last month I had the “aha” moment of how drastically travel has changed. How have standard elements changed in your world?stevewsj

First, we all know airliners have become stripped down school buses in the sky. Space is tight, food is limited and you are at the mercy of person wedged in next to you.

Second, Airbnb has completely revamped accommodation options. Now you can choose a room, an apartment or a villa at short money and on your terms.

Third, Uber has reduced costs and wait time.

These seismic shifts have also been felt in my PR/Marketing world. The Huffington Post has become a “go to” source for news and (many) opinions. Streaming radio allows out of market access. Hulu and YouTube are a strong alternative to conventional TV. Netflix is nibbling away at cinema. Follow ads haunt our Internet experience.

The challenge is to embrace the new, bolster the old and keep an eye on the horizon for the next innovation.

What are the major shifts in your world? Do they bring savings, wider selection, immediacy?  How do you remain current? How do you compete?

Quote to Consider

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
~ John F. Kennedy

Excuse me, my hovercraft awaits.Read More

On the radio…

Let me start by warning you.  This radio interview explores the new silver bullets of PR and Marketing and is 60 minutes long.  Yes, one whole hour.

Given that our new Internet led attention span has been reduced to 4 seconds or less, this might be a challenge to some of you. Heck, it was a uphill battle for me and I was being interviewed.

For the brave and the patient, here is a link to my recent appearance on the radio show “When Opportunity Knocks ” which is part of the eWNradio and hosted by Nancy OKeefe, Small Business Consultant and Executive Coach.

The show caterers to entrepreneurs who want to increase their value in the marketplace. eWN has a network of 500,000 business owners and professional women.

http://tobtr.com/7973959

Steven V. Dubin

Quote for this blog edition –

“A world without radio is a deaf world. A world without television is a blind world. A world without telephone is a dumb world. A world without communication is indeed a crippled world.”

― Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

 

On the radio…Read More

5 phrases that editors hate.

Many media gatekeepers are ALMOST human.  Thus, they have buttons, and when pushed, make them crazy (crazier than usual).

The first time this was brought to my attention was when an editor of a medical trade journal commented that if I ever used the phrase “paradigm shift” in a news release again he would completely block my email address.

Fair enough.  Paradigm shift is such a grandiose claim that it should be reserved for cures for cancer and amazing muffin recipes.

Similarly, these over the top phrases should also be avoided at all costs.

  1. Cutting edge
  2. Bleeding edge
  3. State of the art
  4. Best practices

Keeping it simple, communicating in a concise manner – now that would be a paradigm shift.

5 phrases that editors hate.Read More

Direct Public Relations – Show Me the Money. Cranberry Country Chamber sponsors workshop, October 21.

Tired of advertising and marketing that creates work, cost and NO results?
stevewsj

The Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce and Rockland Trust are sponsoring a workshop that outlines, step by step, how to create an on-going public relations (PR)  campaign that generates a steady, predictable stream of new customers. Set for Tuesday, October, 21, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m., the Direct Public Relations – Show Me the Money workshop will be led by Steven V. Dubin, founder of Plymouth, MA-based PR Works and veteran journalists and marketer.

The seminar is free and will be held at Massasoit Community College’s Middleboro campus located at 49 Union Street, Middleboro Center, 02346. Seating is limited and reservations can be made at www.CranberryCountry.org, or by calling the Chamber at (508) 947-1499.

Dubin is a contributing author to “Get Slightly Famous”, a book about becoming a celebrity in your field and attracting more business with less effort and “Tricks of the Trade”, the complete guide to succeeding in the advice business.

The workshop outlines how PR is the most cost effective marketing tool available to small to mid-market businesses. But what are the strategies and tactics to maximize PR? If you are a solopreneur or a mid-sized company, you HAVE to make your budget work extra hard.  How do your harness that power?

This workshop will give participants the keys to unlock FREE media coverage from both regional and trade/niche press; leverage LinkedIn discussion groups to motivate targeted, massive audiences; create Constant Contact E-newsletters that entice prospects to “take the next step”; fully use newly revitalized Facebook advertising platform to flush out new business; blog to boost search engine optimization (SEO) and drive the right traffic to your website; and wake up your website to turn visitors into customers.

PR Works has coined the phrase “Direct Public Relations”.  Previously seen as largely an unquantifiable “image” tool, PR Works has launched a new approach to PR that emphasizes direct response.  What are the techniques in making eliciting a response from PR?  What are examples of this approach? How do you measure results?

PR Works was founded 24 years ago as a traditional public relations firm and has since evolved into a full slate of PR and marketing services to help small to mid-sized companies maintain visibility and expand sales.  The company provides a wide expanse of public relations services, including strategic PR planning, social media strategy involving LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, web development, e-newsletters, video and sales collateral development.

Direct Public Relations – Show Me the Money. Cranberry Country Chamber sponsors workshop, October 21.Read More