10 Proven Strategies to Build your Personal Brand

1 Join your professional associations/bodies—this presents good opportunities for networking and promoting your brand. It also helps to build confidence in you and credibility with your target market.

2 Just like it is with product branding, people are looking for solutions from you. Ensure your brand message tells your target market how you can help them solve their current problem.

3 Your Brand must be credible… Say what you do… and deliver what you promise! Similar to a product, as a Personal Brand you should try to deliver the ‘fix’ you promise or you will lose credibility.

4 Do your research and volunteer your services with institutions that allow you to get a foot in the door, expand your knowledge or gain exposure. Don’t watch the money you could be making if you were charging for your services. The payoff later could be far greater.

5 If you’re an expert or good at something, make sure your target market is aware of your skills! How do you do this? Make sure you have a good Personal Branding Statement on all your online profiles such as Linked in, Facebook, Twitter. Make presentations where your target market is likely to see/hear you such as service clubs.

6 Video blogging is becoming increasingly popular. Create your own channel on YouTube. If you’re an expert at something, here’s one of the best and most affordable opportunities for the world to see you in action.

7 When you’re seeking information about something or someone, what’s the first/easiest way to find out these days? GOOGLE it! Yes, indeed. Google is still the top search engine in the world and you need to be on top of Google! When people are looking for you, you need to be visible and Google is your best bet so create a Google profile today!

8 Submit articles to the newspapers, create a blog online, host an exposition. If you are consistent and credible, pretty soon the media will come calling on you for analysis on matters relating to your area of expertise.

9 Don’t create an impression about your brand that is fake. That’s brand suicide. Who remembers James Frey? The author of the best-selling book ‘A million little pieces?’ Frey appeared on Oprah, told his story, became an overnight sensation then everything came crashing down, including his reputation, when it was revealed that he had actually fabricated some of the events in his ‘non-fiction’ book! And of course there are many others who destroyed their brand by failing to live up to the image they created.

10 Don’t be afraid to build your brand from scratch! Some people have jobs that present them with ready-made opportunities to brand themselves. For example the communications people in some companies are frequently in the media and they can use these opportunities to build their Personal Brand. But other persons don’t have these ready-made opportunities. Be a Pioneer! Be the first to introduce something very interesting and don’t forget to OWN it when you build it. Build and Protect!

10 Interview Dont's a Journalist Should Know

As Journalists, we sometimes forget that our work should be guided by certain principles, whether or not the media house for which we work, has an editorial or professional code of conduct.

One of the most important things to remember, is that when someone agrees to be interviewed, the Journalist should show him/her respect throughout that interview, regardless of your own perceptions and convictions about the interviewee. It is therefore important for journalists to conduct interviews with certain principles in mind.

1. Do not coerce (browbeat) your interviewee into saying what you want to hear. Some journalists are guilty of browbeating and even badgering interviewees. Overtime these journalists develop a reputation that make people reluctant to be interviewed by them.

2. Do not engage in an exchange of insults with your interviewee. Arguing might seem a natural part of interviewing especially for current affairs but when arguing develops into an exchange of insults with the interviewee, the journalist has crossed the line.

Regardless of how rude your interviewee may appear, the journalist should remain in control of that interview. He/she should make a decision as to whether or not he/she can handle the interviewee without becoming too flustered but do not engage in an exchange of insults. Kudos to CVM TV presenter Kerlyn Brown, for keeping her composure and remaining very professional during that now infamous live interview with politician Everald Warmington last March, during which the politician told her and co-anchor Dwayne Berbick to "Go to hell!"

3. Do not ask too many double-barrelled questions. Ask your questions one at a time if possible. Double barreled questions often lose your interviewee. By the time they begin to respond, they forget what the first part of your question was and may need to ask for a reminder!

4. Limit your use of close-ended questions unless you are seeking confirmation of a point made. Close-ended questions are particularly useful to obtain factual information or yes/no answers.

5. Avoid rudely interrupting your interviewee if you think that he or she is talking too much. Rather, wait until he/she pauses, ask him/her to please hold that thought, then ask your question. Attorney-at law Derek Jones demonstrated this skill quite well, while moderating the 2011 political debates. Some interviewees can be really difficult to control but remain as professional as possible in the situation. If it’s an interview with more than one interviewee, try the “Thank you very much Mr. X. It would be interesting to hear Mr. Y's views on this. Mr. Y, what is your opinion on the matter?"

6. Do not try to religiously stick to the questions you’ve prepared!. It’s a recipe for disaster. Let the interview flow. Listen keenly to the interviewee's responses to keep pace, take mental notes and ask relevant follow-up questions. If you try too hard to stick to previously prepared questions, you can become confused.

7. Do not dart anxious little glances at your tape recorder during the interview. This can throw off your interviewee who will think you are not listening to what he/she is saying. Test the recorder before the interview officially begins. Ensure it's fully charged.

8. Do not rely totally on your recorder. The horror stories of recorded interviews that turned out to be blank tapes are many! Always backup your recorded interview with written notes.

9. Avoid beginning your next question by repeating what you have just been told by the interviewee--especially if it's a radio or TV interview. For example, your interviewee says “I graduated from the Academy two years ago." Do not begin your next questions with “You graduated from the Academy two years ago…

10. This can be a tough one especially when interviewing celebrities but do not be a gusher or act overly star struck. Celebrity entertainment show hosts might get away with this but hard news journalists should show appreciation without being too patronising especially with celebrity interviewees.

The points stated in this article are by no means finite but if put into practice should produce a good interview. Do feel free to share your guidelines with us in the comments section.

Ready to build Brand YOU? Why Personal Branding could be just right for you

We're almost at the end of another year and what have you done for you? How about trying something new? Like Building Brand YOU? Personal Branding can make the difference between being successful and being ordinary in an increasingly competitive marketplace.


What is Personal Branding?
Are you a public personality, someone who is constantly in the public eye or an ambitious professional seeking to take your career to the next level? Are you good at inspiring others? Are your peers always admiring YOU for something you’re good at? Do you want to stand out from the crowd? If you can answer yes to any of these questions…you are a BRAND. Yes. YOU ARE A BRAND and The PR Girl can help you build and earn money from your brand through Personal Branding coaching.

The PR Girl’s Personal Branding workshops will help you to develop and execute the marketing and communications skills you need to enhance your image and build BRAND YOU.

Who is it for?
Personal Branding can benefit any driven person who wants to stand out from the crowd, earn from their talents or just have a successful career. It's particularly useful for public personalities,professionals, entrepreneurs,entertainers, people whose work places them in the public eye, young executives seeking to make their mark and people seeking to market/establish themselves as experts in any field.

Benefits of Building a Personal Brand (BRAND YOU)
Become recognized and respected for what you’re good at
Earn money from branding yourself
For executives/professionals, make yourself exceptionally attractive to employers in an increasingly competitive job market

Overview of the PERSONAL BRANDING package

There are three main components to The PR Girl’s Personal Branding Workshop labelled Re-TAP ©
o Re-think: Identifying the Brand in YOU. Re-think helps you identify and package your most marketable talents/characteristics.
o Re-align: Building Brand YOU: Re-align guides you how to market yourself as a brand with proven Personal Branding techniques. Coaching includes image management and media relations.
o Re-position: How to build equity and sustain BRAND YOU. Re-position guides you to grow and protect Brand YOU.(Trademark and copyright laws are examined).

NB: PB is offered in groups or through private coaching sessions. Email The PR Girl at mariebg79@yahoo.co.uk for further information about coaching sessions scheduled for January 2012.

Why a press release isn't always effective at getting you publicity

How many press releases have you issued in recent times without getting the desired outcome—publicity? A colleague PR Practitioner confided to me recently, that these days it’s the toughest she’s found it to get publicity for clients in her 20 something years of being in the PR business. So why is this? Perhaps she is still thinking and using strategies that worked 20 years ago but are no longer as effective today.

Publicity is an important part of building a client’s profile and for a long time, issuing a press release has been one of the most popular ways of getting publicity. However, things and times are changing and depending on the nature of the matter for which you seek publicity, the press release might no longer be the most effective way of getting publicity.

So, your client donated a dozen computers to a school today or the company has a new CEO. Sure—to you that’s big news but the reality is to the editors or news managers, it isn’t. So you’ve got to find the best way to pitch your news-make it interesting enough for the journalist to want to take a closer look and the press release might not be the best strategy. Here are a few things to note.

Your client/company doesn’t always have to be in the headline
PR practitioners need to understand that your client doesn’t always have to be in the headline to reap the benefits. Sometimes it’s better to allow someone else to tell the story. For example if your client or company donates computers to a school, the first thought for a headline is probably “Company X donates computers to so and so institution”. Yes, that’s an accurate headline but what makes it deserving of a space in the paper when there are so many other companies doing likewise? Instead, try using the human interest approach—whose life is it changing? Let those people do the talking for you.

Sometimes you just need a good photo
They say a picture can tell a thousand words and that is so true in the news business. There are times when all you need to send to the media (newspapers), is a good photo that is accurately captioned. Unfortunately, some PR practitioners still believe that submitting a smiling photo of the CEO or a well orchestrated photo of key players is the best option but it’s not. Dozens or even hundreds of photos come to the editor from various sources everyday including their own photojournalists so you need to get creative! When you are competing with similar news (such as those nice donations companies make to charity), you need to find a way to stand out. Look out for different kinds of photo opportunities—think outside the smiling well posed photos and find something different. Also, know your industry publications and the various newspaper sections. This will help you to figure out what publication is most appropriate for you to send that photograph to.

Think and write like a journalist
In this fast paced news environment where an editor has to go through many press releases, all competing for a space in the newspaper or a few minutes of airtime, the PR practitioner needs to know how to grab the editor’s attention with the first few lines of the release! Yes, news writing skills are essential in this business. The PR Practitioner needs to think like a journalist and write the release like a journalist probably would write the story. Sometimes there is a good story there but your writing/story telling skills are so poor that the release gets tossed before the editor gets a chance to find the news in it. For example, at the beginning of the release, you might ramble on and on about the “how” part of the story when you really should be telling the reader “who” and “what” the story is about and leave the “how “ for later in the release. Remember the inverted pyramid news writing guide? It directs you to put the most important information first. Try to apply it when writing your release.

Help the media to understand your business
Do you have a client or work for a company that is doing great things at the micro or macro level but no matter how hard you try, journalist just do not seem interested in your story? If your answer is yes, perhaps you are one of those PR people who need to help the media to better understand your company/client’s business. For instance, I’ve had to work very hard to get the media to support clients whose businesses are of a highly technical nature. I found that the average Journalist doesn’t have time to figure out what all the technical terms in a release means so I’ve had to work with clients to break down technical terms, create information materials that are simple but very interesting to stimulate the journalist’s interest.
So in cases of apathy, inviting a journalist to visit the company and taking them on an educational tour of the facilities might be far more effective than issuing a press release. Awareness is one thing but if the media do not understand and appreciate the nature of your client/company’s business, you’ll have challenges getting publicity for all the things that make your company such a good corporate citizen.

Build Relationships with the Media
You’ve got to get out from behind your desk and go meet the people in the newsrooms. I can’t stress this enough. It’s good to get to know news editors, assignment editors and programme producers when you’re in the PR business. Remember, news staff come and go. The editor with whom you had a good relationship might move on tomorrow and what happens then? When you can call an editor and discuss a pitch or share a story idea with him/her, and have them send a reporter to get the story, that’s an invaluable relationship. And don’t call only when you need a favour or they’ll figure you out pretty soon –news people know when they are being used for selfish gains.

There’s no hard and fast rule about how to get publicity but experience teaches wisdom so you can learn a thing or two from the ideas I’ve shared. Good luck!

5 Sure Ways to Mismanage a Crisis

Managing corporate crises can be a tough job, especially the media relations aspect of it.

Companies need to be proactive—be prepared for any eventuality- and have a strategic crisis communications plan. Here are five examples of how you should not respond, in the event of a crisis situation in your organization.

All are drawn from observing the manner in which successive Governments,politicians, public personalities and some Jamaican corporate entities have handled crises in the public sphere over the years.

1 Tell your critics to “shut their damn mouth.”
– Comment made by Alston Stewart, former Chairman of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), at a press briefing held in April 2005, to address allegations of corruption at the NSWMA. He directed critics to come forward with evidence or ‘shut their damn mouth!’

2 Refuse to admit and apologise when your company is at fault.
When your company fouls up, don’t act like you’re not at fault. Admit and apologise. Take corrective action and put in preventative measures. The more excuses you come up with to avoid taking responsibility, the more ammunition you’ll give the media. Your stakeholders will also begin to question your credibility and this breeds mistrust. If you are a publicly traded company, a negative reputation can affect the value of your stock. So think long and hard about whether being ‘pig headed’ is worth it.

3 Say “No comment” when the press calls.
Why people still use the ‘no comment’ excuse to avoid talking to the media is beyond my comprehension. When you stonewall the media, they are inclined to think you’ve got something to hide. Saying ‘no comment’ to the media is like telling them to“bring it on baby!”
They will then begin to dig deeper and harder and put you under more pressure to get the story. So just get a good PR adviser and they’ll help you handle the media.

4 Act pig-headed and arrogant during media interviews.
The bottom line is this--if you're not ready to be held accountable for your actions, don't take to the airwaves. An angry person or one who thinks he/she, as an individual,--is bigger than the matter that is of public interest,is not the best representative to speak with the media. Think JLP Member of Parliament Everald Warmington who simply felt that the journalist's questions were too probing when asked about his dual citizenship and responded with the now infamous 'Go to hell!" quote. So if you messed up and are not ready to take responsibility for your actions, don’t even think about going on air until you can be rational.

5 Chastise or March on media houses that do not give you favourable coverage.
Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, the late Michael Manley led a march on the Gleaner Company in 1979, for allegedly misrepresenting his speech given at a conference in Cuba. In recent times, the Jamaica Labour Party administration has taken issue with how the media has reported several matters, including the Dudus/Mannat issue.

There are indeed times when the media needs to be chastised but determining the best way to go about it can be tricky because when the media is against you, you’re never in a good place. So someone might need to 'bell the cat' but marching on a media house is never an option that I’d recommend to a client.

News Values Every PR Practitioner Should Know

Editors often complain that many press releases which are sent to the newsroom are a waste of their time.

One of the main reasons for this is because public relations professionals, particularly those who have not worked in a newsroom, do not know that there are factors—known as news values, that editors use to measure a press releases’ news worthiness.

Here are some of the News Values--which determine whether or not a story you pitched is worth publishing.

Impact-- How significant is this news in terms of public interest and people impact? How many persons will be affected by the information contained in your press release and to what extent? For example if you are the PR person at the Jamaica Flour Mills and your company increases the price of flour, your press release will make the news because the price increase will automatically affect the baking industry and send up the price of bread, which almost everyone eats, everyday. If there's a natural disaster and you work for a disaster relief agency, your Press Release about how many persons have been affected by the disaster, how many are in shelters and what your organization is doing to assist is likely to make the news.

Celebrity or public personality-- Stories involving celebrities and public personalities often make the news because people are interested in reading about them. People just can’t get enough of the drama surrounding the lives of celebrities and public personalities. They are fair game in countries like the United States but the mainstream Jamaican media is a bit more conservative about reporting on the private lives of public personalities--mainly because they fear a libel suit. Anyway, people still want the inside scoop so there’s always the online news and gossip sites.

Currency-- Timing is everything in news so unless it’s something like a new development in an ongoing big story, avoid sending out a week-old press release.

Tragedy— PR practitioners know first hand that good news isn’t the most attractive bait for journalists. Crime stories, tragic incidents or generally negative happenings are often considered more newsworthy than the press release about how many computers your company donated to a school. Some newspapers as a policy, try to refrain from placing negative stories on the front pages but the truth is, bad news and sensationalism sell newspapers!

Unusual/Shocking—Unusual looking things, unusual people and unexplainable incidents make the news because they are not things we see or experience in our normal everyday lives. Therefore the farmer with the cow that gave birth to a two-headed calf will make the news, as will the policeman who attempts to eat the money he bribed from a motorist!

Proximity and Relevance—The Gleaner, Observer and Sunday Herald are national newspapers therefore their coverage is nationwide. On the other hand, regional newspapers such as The Western Mirror and North Coast Times concentrate on covering stories which are of interest to people within their respective regions. So think about relevance and proximity before you send a press release to regional publications.

How’s Your Company’s Media Relations?

Developing and maintaining a good relationship with the media is no easy task—but it’s achievable. The relationship can seem like a love/hate one, especially in the early stages as Public Relations executives have come to realize.

Regardless of how good a relationship a PR executive might have with journalists, he/she will NEVER be able to fully control what is published about their company or client.

The key to getting the best out of your relationship with the media is to develop a good and honest working relationship with key journalists, while accepting that you do not control them.

Apply all honest and ethical means available to protect your company or client’s reputation but DO NOT lie to a reporter—when the truth comes out, you’ll be the one with a soiled reputation.

Like yourself, a reporter is just doing his or her job, so be courteous and helpful whenever they seek you out for information---and not only when it serves your interest.

Be genuinely helpful and don’t pretend you want to be their best friend either—reporters aren’t silly, they know how to spot a fake.

Finally--sending some reporters gifts will not get you more favourable coverage, it’ll only make them more suspicious of your motives!