The PR Masterclass: How to Develop a Public Relations Strategy That Works!

Cover......Page 1
Title page......Page 5
Copyright page......Page 6
Contents......Page 7
Foreword......Page 9
Preface......Page 13
Chapter 1: Why Public Relations Campaigns Fail – and How to Make Them Succeed......Page 21
 Ignorance isn’t bliss......Page 23
 How to get started......Page 26
 The dreary product or personnel announcement......Page 29
 What higher-level PR looks like......Page 30
 How to capture the results of good PR......Page 31
 The need to measure PR......Page 32
 What to avoid......Page 36
 When PR won’t work......Page 38
 The miracle cure......Page 39
Chapter 2: How to Develop a Story Idea that Is Newsworthy......Page 43
 The three types of news story......Page 46
 The perspective of the journalist......Page 47
 Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader......Page 49
 Opinion polls......Page 52
 Reframing how we view the world......Page 54
 Gamification......Page 55
 The bandwagon......Page 58
 The grenade......Page 59
 Days and weeks......Page 61
 Scarcity......Page 63
 Diary stories......Page 64
 Product reviews......Page 65
 The specific challenge of business-to-business stories......Page 66
Chapter 3: How to Build and Maintain an Effective List of Journalists......Page 69
 Pay-for press-release newswires......Page 74
 How to build a list properly......Page 77
 How to build a relationship with the press......Page 79
 How to get the best results when emailing the press......Page 83
Chapter 4: How to Write an Attention-Grabbing Press Release......Page 87
 The case for length......Page 90
 The inverted pyramid......Page 91
 Why newspaper standards matter......Page 93
 The problem of corporate waffle......Page 94
 Effective headlines......Page 98
 Press releases with no real story......Page 99
 What if the press release delivers bad news?......Page 100
 How to take and issue photographs......Page 101
 Photographs for report covers......Page 103
 Press conferences......Page 104
 Why you should avoid sending attachments......Page 106
 Customised press releases......Page 107
 “Did you get my press release?”......Page 109
 Embargoes......Page 111
 Giving advance notice......Page 113
 Newswires......Page 115
Chapter 5: Dealing with Incoming Media Enquiries......Page 117
 Incoming phone calls......Page 119
 Online media centre......Page 120
 Unhelpful press offices......Page 122
 Smelling a rat or an opportunity worth avoiding......Page 124
 Withdrawing the use of a press office......Page 125
 Crisis contingency planning......Page 128
Chapter 6: How to Successfully Pitch a Letter......Page 129
 The spirit of a letters page......Page 131
 The competition......Page 132
 What to avoid......Page 133
 A correcting letter......Page 137
 The position letter......Page 138
 The informative letter......Page 139
 The anonymous letter......Page 140
 The group letter......Page 141
 When to submit your letter......Page 143
 Getting the details right......Page 144
 How often should you write?......Page 147
Chapter 7: Persuade the Public with Compelling Comment Articles......Page 149
 The expert position......Page 152
 How to pitch the article......Page 153
 When to pitch a comment article......Page 155
 When a publication approaches you......Page 156
 Tricks for writing newspaper-quality articles......Page 157
 The content of an article......Page 159
 Newspaper grammar......Page 160
 Proofreading......Page 161
 The Flesch–Kincaid reading ease test......Page 162
 Promoting the article......Page 163
 The problem with American newspaper columns......Page 164
Chapter 8: The Secrets of Effective Television and Radio Appearances......Page 167
 Appearing on television......Page 170
 Appearing on radio......Page 173
 Your own radio studio......Page 174
 The pre-record......Page 175
 Start off small......Page 176
 The snowball......Page 177
Chapter 9: How to Choose an Agency or Consultant......Page 179
 How to select an agency......Page 182
 Audit your communications first......Page 183
 Why trade association membership matters......Page 184
 Other considerations......Page 185
 The staff......Page 187
 The independent consultant......Page 188
 Qualifications for PR practitioners......Page 189
 How to pay for PR services......Page 190
Chapter 10: Future Learning......Page 193
 The essential reading list......Page 196
 Useful websites......Page 198
 The future......Page 199
About the Author......Page 201
Acknowledgements......Page 203
Index......Page 205