It might go without saying, but then again, if you want a grassroots campaign, you really have to start with some basic tactics. A high profile media campaign, full of ads, billboards and news features, is not grassroots. You have to think much, much smaller than that, laying seeds, sowing them, and making sure the roots of your new seedling grow deep enough to sustain all types of weather. You want your new crop to come up year after year. You want the figurative harvest to be bountiful.

All new businesses should start their publicity plans with some grass roots efforts — basic outreach, close to home — creating relationships, knowledge, awareness and respect that is intimate, meaningful and long-lasting. The big, showy stuff should come much later, when there is a higher corporate profile, an established brand, a reliable budget and enough activity going on to actually merit the attention of mass media.  And, then, even when you are a significant player in your industry, there is still a time and a place for grassroots campaign to garner solid support for new initiatives.

So, what constitutes grassroots publicity? You might be surprised, but here are a few basic elements that should be pretty easy to incorporate into a new or fledgling business. It’s all action, so if you’re tempted by little ads, flyers, pamphlets, and expensive online advertising when your company is young, don’t spend a dime until you’ve considered what you can DO, instead of what you have to print, distribute or post. 

• Meet your neighbors. Where is your company located? Is it in an office park? A shopping strip? A residential area? It is very important to give face time and energy to meeting your neighbors. Host an open house. Go door to door and introduce yourself. Offer them tours. Look for areas of affinity in products, services or mission. Learn of their challenges. Offer solutions to problems when you can.  No matter where you are located, it’s important to know your neighbors, and your “neighborhood” should be defined to include those very close in physical proximity as well as regional influencers whom you’d like to meet, check out or win over.

• Invest in your local community first. Yes, this means sprinkle a little cash around — and make sure you sprinkle where you want plants to grow. For example, spending sponsorship dollars at a high profile event is not worth the investment until you have established a reputation as a contributor to local schools, civic associations and other causes directly tied to your company, industry or community.  Also consider your customer before spending, and be sure they are impacted and aware of initial sponsorships you make. One final thought: you don’t have to spend a lot up front, but you should budget some money towards “goodwill” marketing so you can make appropriate donations at your discretion. And, although it’s an entirely seperate conversation, don’t be shy about asking for a little recognition in a newsletter or something to that effect in return for your contribution.

• Join the business community.  As a business owner, this is challenging because your plate is already oh-so-full. However, you must engage in your local business community — meaning chambers, economic development councils, civic associations and professional associations. Spread it out over time if you have too, but again, spending real time with real people will be a very valuable exercise. Benefits include opportunities to promote your business (have your 10 and 30 second summary ready!), a chance to learn about and perhaps gather intel on competitors, and finally, a public good faith effort to impact decisions and keep up on industry and/or community concerns. Plus, its rare that you will engage in these activities and not gain valuable contacts who help in many ways (this would be networking, but I shy from the word because it’s so cliche these days). And, of course, you’re bound to just make a friend or two, and who doesn’t need more friends, really?

• Meet local government officials.  This might prove to be the most challenging area of relationship building you face, but it is wise to meet (and keep up with) local decision makers and policy influencers. And, it is very prudent to meet them before there is an issue or concern to share. In fact, meeting them once is not enough. Once you meet, send a note, leave a message or send a reminder or follow up invitation of some sort to move the relationship beyond a handshake. You may never need anything from anyone, but then again, you might have to fight hard against a regulation, a policy change, a budget cut or a zoning rule at some point. Do you want to face those scenarios as an unknown entity, or would you rather have some rapport with the decision makers?

Now, I know you might be wondering why I have not thrown in social media, community newspapers and other more “expected” and “traditional” components of a grassroots publicity campaign. Well, these things are important too, but without some initial legwork and facetime, these other efforts loose their impact. Better to wait until you’ve grown a real-world fan base, gained real “friends” and built a true community on the ground before you take your show on the road.

Whether you find yourself in the position of coaching someone to speak to the news media or you become the lucky spokesperson yourself, avoiding these blunders will help with a successful interview outcome. Several of these blunders result from an inappropriate attitude (a defense mechanism, perhaps) but I’ve encountered all of these scenarios as a media coach at one time or another.

Blunder #1:
“Don’t insult my intelligence.”

• Spokesperson will not accept coaching on proper media interview or taping guidelines & recommendations.
• Spokesperson becomes frustrated or offended when tips or suggestions are provided.
• Spokesperson cannot speak in common “layman’s” terms to simplify explanations in non-industry terms.

Blunder #2:
“This is really inconvenient and I’m doing you a huge favor!”

• Scheduling problems: lack of spokesperson appreciation for media deadlines cause you to miss a story (and sends the reporter straight to a competitor).
• Preparation: spokesperson agrees to interview, but takes no time to prepare.
• Inattentive: spokesperson agrees to interview, but is obviously rushed and thinking of other things during allotted interview time.

Blunder #3: No style!

• Jabbermouth: doesn’t grasp the concept of “soundbite.” Is too longwinded and cannot provide simple, succinct answers.
• Pottymouth: doesn’t maintain proper level of professionalism during the interview, allowing questionable language and stories to seep through.
• Monotone: no voice inflection or enthusiasm (opposite: too animated/hyper).
• Tech-speak: cannot avoid use of industry jargon and acronyms.

 Blunder #4: Dress Code Violation

• Spokesperson unwilling to “look the part” to suit needs of desired portrayal.
• “Pictures are worth 1,000 words,” so appearance is important.

Blunder #5: “I’m in charge here!”

• Spokesperson dominates the interview and surrounding settings.
• Spokesperson frustrates reporter by interupting.
• Spokesperson will not accept advice from PR staff on do’s and don’ts of appropriate topic control, direction, positioning, & messaging.

Blunder #6: Me, me, me!!!

• Spokespeople should represent their company/organization first and foremost and leave personal opinions out of their commentary.
• Sometimes media interest is about individual accomplishments and skills, but spokespeople should appear humble yet confident.
• Anyone overly arrogant or self-centered will not represent their company well and will loose credibility with the audience.

Blunder #7: Marking Your Territory

• No understanding of PR process: PR department/agency pitches stories with specific experts in mind. The limelight must be shared. This should not become an internal political power struggle.
• The goal is to portray balance & diversity across companies appropriate to each situation.
• Uncooperative/Jealous/Offended: grown adults in high positions have been known to act like 5-year-olds and refuse opportunities because they were not chosen to participate in media interviews in the past!!

The bottom line is that public relations teams walk a fine line between giving news organizations what they’ve asked for and making sure their client/company is well-represented. Preparing a spokesperson properly is a huge component of any media relations program, so, in the interest of giving the best interview, be sure to avoid these seven spokesperson blunders and, of course, always be prepared.

First, check out The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz. Mike is a smart guy, and in addition to running a very well-honed marketing program, he collects and freely shares good insight and advice that many business people can benefit from. He is entertaining, too.

You might think I know this guy, or he’s a new client or something, but that is not the case. I just enjoy submitting thoughts from time to time, and you can do it too. Visit his site and sign up to submit information. He sends readers right to your site if they like what you say. Here are two of my recent contributions — always short and sweet.

• How social medida can improve entrepreneurship: See tip #13.
• The best money we spent in our business: See tip # 7.

Next up, I received this interesting list from a LinkedIn group called Social Media Marketing this week.  

12 new free Social Media white papers, webinars and helpful resources… check them out but move fast, some expire soon!

1. “How to Use Twitter for Business: A Beginner’s Guide” – an excellent starting point for understanding the true power of Twitter.

Click here: http://bit.ly/ltpMv2 Inc.

2. “Marketing Imperative: Balancing Paid vs Earned Media” – A powerful On Demand webinar in which you will learn how to gain more Earned Media by tapping into a large segment of your highly satisfied customers, integrate Earned Media into existing marketing efforts and how to measure the impact of Earned Media

Click here: http://bit.ly/iCvLTI

3. “Speed Kills – Tips for Managing Crisis in the Era of Social Media” – Information on the web spreads faster and farther than ever before, and never goes away. Incorporating social media into your crisis response plan can help keep your organization out of trouble!

Click here: http://bit.ly/lFw4TD

4. BRAND NEW – “The Evolving Uses of Social Media” – the latest white paper looks at how social media changes can benefit your organization and how you make it work for you.

Click here: http://bit.ly/kEIR2c

5. “How can you influence up to 50% more cross-sell in a business-to-consumer environment? “ – Reducing churn and retaining your existing customer base are critical. This recorded webcast discusses customer cross-sell, up-sell by highlighting the critical importance of customer data and analytics.

Click here: http://bit.ly/mzEtGm

6. BRAND NEW – “CMO Perspectives on Social Marketing ROI” – A how to on monetizing social media marketing. This benchmark study shows how CMOs are overcoming the challenge of social media ROI and measuring it.

Click here: http://bit.ly/kMbTLB

7. “Emerging Technologies B2B CMOs Should Watch in 2011” – New Forrester Research report overviews new technologies marketers us to improve customer acquisition and engagement. It covers content curation, listening platforms, brand advocate platforms, as well as appointment routing and scheduling.

Click here: http://bit.ly/miwpXh

8. “How to Leverage Social Media for Public Relations Success” – Handling publicity in social media is entirely different in social media than it is in traditional media.

Learn more here: http://bit.ly/iOiiQJ Inc

9. “The 21st-century CMO: How digital marketing is driving organization transformation “ – This paper highlights advances in closed-loop marketing for measurement and optimization of digital marketing efforts and how next-generation WCM solutions overcome those challenges.

Click here: http://bit.ly/kb8K7A

10. “The Top 10 Pitfalls to Avoid When Sourcing New Prospect Data” – Do you feel like you are rolling the dice every time you buy a new prospect list? By starting with better business data, you’ll end up with more qualified leads, better conversion rates, and be more profitable.

Click here: http://bit.ly/jqXx91

11. “Drive Sales Faster: Guide to Smart SMS Marketing -Sell more in 160 characters or less” – Lean how SMS can help retailers disseminate calls-to-action quickly and to a wider base of population, driving traffic and increasing revenue.

Click here: http://bit.ly/lHS1iu

12. “Top Takeaways: Best Practices for Doing Business in Emerging Markets “ – G+ convened a panel of senior executives to share their best practices and strategic insights for doing business in emerging markets.

For more, click here: http://bit.ly/jEWAqi

And, as always, you can find the Top 100 free social media resources here: http://changetheworld.tradepub.com/free
http://bit.ly/imILWl . There is a real treasure trove of valuable tools, research, white papers and more.

Thank you, Mike Crosson, Moderator and Publisher, www.SocialMediopolis.com, for sharing these resources with us.

Happy Reading!

If you haven’t heard the cheer, I hope you soon will. The Lightning have emerged victorious after the first AND second rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs. We were fortunate to attend the last home game in series one , and it was definitely one of the best hockey games I’ve been to yet – excluding, of course, the actual Stanley Cup win.

We followed up with a home game in series two — game 3. Had to watch the grand victory last night on television, but sometimes that is just as good.

From a marketing standpoint, there is a real bonus to the regular team sponsors who purchased arena signage along the ice and those who have sponsorships on the Jumbotron and throughout the game. The television coverage is phenomenal and viewership increases for playoff games far beyond what a sponsor gains from a regular season broadcasted game.

I spent some time preparing a sponsorship proposal for one particular client (twice), and I am still puzzled as to why they did not pursue at least some piece of this highly visible opportunity.

For others who have not considered it, contact the Lightning Corporate Sponsorship office. You will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of opportunities available … and you will wish you had done it before they made it to the playoffs!

It seems like so many people have so much to say these days. I wonder, were we always so full of thoughts to share, frustrated with so few outlets and such a small voice?

 No, I don’t think so. I think social media has made everyone a would-be expert. Everyone has a comment. Everyone has a thought, opinion or perspective that needs to be heard.

Sure, it’s healthy! Vent it all out here, there and everywhere.

Now, don’t get mad at me … but I just went on Facebook and I was bored. I use it mostly for business purposes … long story … but Heidelberg PR exists for the very purpose of sharing information – that’s my job! So, a large percentage of the information I post on Facebook & Twitter, etc. is client related. These are great tools to share news …

But! The problem is that the “real” news is getting lost in the “would be news,” “wish it was news” and “I don’t care if it’s news, I’m saying it anyhow” clutter that just goes on and on. To sift through the heap of whatever-anyone-wants-to-post and find the true gems of information is really getting challenging.

So, what does this mean for the professional communicators of the world? Is social media really a tool to target audiences and create meaningful relationships with people? Or is it mass communication thrown out there for a “catch as catch can” craps shoot?

The tools are getting smarter. They tell you who you might know. They tell you who you might want to connect with. I like that … but only to a certain extent. As in real life, I am prudent, strategic and calculating about these online relationships because for me, they are for business. Yes, I enjoy a reminiscent “hello” from old classmates and neighbors now and then, but I really don’t need to hear from their siblings and cousins and their neighbors unless we were once friends in real life. And even if we were, do we really have anything much to say to each other today?

Here’s the hard truth about Julie Heidelberg online!

• I do not accept all friend requests.
• I do not seek out past acquaintances just to watch my followers, friends or connections tick up.
• I do not automatically follow you back if you follow me.
• I will un-friend and severe ties to you immediately if you are inappropriate or radical.
• I do not enjoy random contact from complete strangers.

 So, why am I sharing this? Why am I all worked up?

 Well, it’s partly due to a stand of conversation I’ve been following on Linked In ….

 [flash forward to April 29, 2011] …

Yes, so, this is perfect. I did not publish this post on Feb. 23 due to technical difficulties. I just reread it and I was laughing out loud — especially when I got to the end, which illustrates my point perfectly. My original intention was to come back and finish my rant, but I never got to it. And now today, two months later, I don’t even know what it was that launched me into this tirade, nor do I care enough to go back, figure it out, and make my point.

I think my point is made. We have to remember that sometimes this online world just does matter. So, here’s to keeping it real in the world of breathing humans, smiling faces and sharp minds.

The written word is, by far, what most people associate with public relations. In fact, about 85 percent of what we do at Heidelberg PR is grounded in written communication.

News releases stand out as the most recognizable. These short, informative documents help to spread your companies’ news to journalists and are a way for you to communicate with your public in a way other than advertising.

But news releases, or press releases as they are sometimes called, are not the only written documents a public relations firm prepares. Fact sheets are similar, but spell out the “Who, what, when, where, and why” of an event that your business is hosting. Sometimes we are asked to prepare company biographies for external use in media sources or on collateral materials.

Internally, we can prepare company newsletters, brochures or annual reports to inform your employees of what is happening in your business.

Now that more business is being conducted digitally, many of the written communication pieces that public relations firms prepare are for online purposes. For instance, starting a company blog is a powerful tool that you as a business owner can use to communicate personally with your customers about your company. PR firms can help you manage that blog to stay consistent with the other message points you deliver to your audience.

Have you started connecting with the millions of people on Facebook or Twitter with a personal page for your business?  If not, it’s easy to start with the proper help. Social media management is a relatively new area of public relations that PR firms can offer to help you use online social media strategically for business applications.

Written communication, while important, is not the only media tool that a public relations firm can help you prepare. Over the next few weeks, I will continue to blog about the other devices in a good PR firm’s toolkit that can help to grow your business. Stay tuned!

Congratulations to Mary Hilton Cross, age 80, a long-time volunteer at St. Anthony’s Hospital. She was named the  2010 FHA Volunteer of the Year and was featured in the St. Petersburg Times. You can read her story here: http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article1131045.ece. I got to meet Mary this week at a groundbreaking event at St. Anthony’s Hospital, and she is truly a delightful woman. If you prefer to watch instead of read, here’s a recent TV feature: 

http://www.baynews9.com/video?clip=http://static.baynews9.com/newsvideo/bn9/web_video/HospitalHero.f4v

The other winning project is the Turley Diabetes Program at Morton Plant Hospital, which was honored for its innovation in patient care. This program provides ongoing treatment and care for diabetic patients who do not have a primary care physician, and the results have been very positive in improving their overall health.

For those considering applying for an award, we highly recommend it as a part of your public relations mix. A story like Mary’s has  wonderful spill-over effects for St. Anthony’s Hospital, and you can leverage the same type of benefit by nominating your company, its leadership or an employee, volunteer or board member for recognition.

Here are a few tips as you move forward: 

1.  Make sure you directly meet the criteria for the award, or you are wasting your time. A stretch to comply with award criteria will not hold up against applications that truly meet all of the qualifications.

2. Tell your story in depth, but do not exceed word count limitations when provided. Being too brief and telling your story without appropriate context equates to a waste of time as well. If you do not have time to do it right, wait until next time.

3. Submit your application a few days early, and call to make sure it has been received. An e-mail confirmation is even better because it provides a written chain of communication in case any concerns arise later in the process.

4. Make sure you proofread your application carefully, or ask a skilled writer to review and edit the application for you.

5. Take advantage of any and all publicity opportunities to share your recognition as a nominee, finalist or winner. Awards brings third-party endorsement to your operations and your people because objective outsiders have compared you against your peers and concluded that you stand out for some special reason. Leverage the opportunity to make the most it!

What a pile of JUNK. As I sit here proudly wearing my “I voted” sticker, I almost feel as if I was duped into something. I’m not saying anything about anything — I don’t typically sound off on political issues — but I just want to put this out there for your consideration.

I had to dig, but I found a list of  recommended ethics to reflect on when you decide to go down the slippery slope of persuasive communication. I’m a communicator, and I know and understand that there are appropriate times and forums for the tool of persuasion, but fortunately most of my work falls into the objective fact-reporting realm.

Nevertheless, here’s what mass communications students have been taught about persuasive communication. Perhaps some of our politicians would do well to go back to the basics when planning their campaigns.

PERSUASION ETHICS

• Do not use false evidence.
• Do not use baseless reasoning.
• Do not falsely represent yourself.
• Do not use irrelevant appeals as diversions.
• Do not make false links to favorable values, motives, or goals.
• Do not conceal your purpose or interest.
• Do not cover up consequences.
• Do not use hollow emotional appeals.
• Do not oversimplify complex situations.
• Do not feign certainty.
• Do not advocate what you don’t believe yourself.

Is it just me, or have some people checked out in the world of ethical communication (and maybe ethics altogether)?

In the meantime, I’ll keep plugging away on the St. Anthony’s Hospital Groundbreaking ceremony and media relations for grand opening of the new Walmart store on Gandy Blvd.

And once these events are over, I think I will have to fight very hard to avoid slipping into premature holiday mentality. My upcoming trip to the Bahamas for six days should really help keep me focused!

Here’s the short list.

Special Event Themes
• Enchanted Garden
• Key West
• Broadway
• St. Patrick’s Day (and other holidays like Halloween)
• “Green” theme
• Martini bar/club
• Las Vegas
• Oasis/desert
• Beach
• 50s/other time periods
• Circus
• Safari/Jungle
• Seasons – spring, fall, winter, summer
• Hawaiian
• Location specific – traditions from other countries, Italian, Asian, Egyptian, French
• Sports themes
• Television shows/game shows/movies
• Construction site
• Space
• The Artic
• Western
• Revolution
• Nautical
• Pirates

What else? Send me your professional best!

The news release link below contains more details as well!

Tampa Bay Small Business Jumpstart Contest Retu… MyPRGenie