Last week, I blogged about the Media Consult I led with Mary Knight, the communications chairman for Zonta International District 1. Today, you can hear from Mary directly about her organization and what she learned in the consult. 

What is Zonta, and what inspires you to take part?

Zonta is an international organization, and our purpose is to empower women and girls to be the best they can be. We work around the world in a number of different avenues, including crises such as trafficking and domestic violence, helping women to reach a higher level of decision-making. We’re working in Massachusetts, especially on stopping child marriage. Girls as young as 12 or 13 can get married in the state, and we’re trying to move that age to 18. The work is truly inspiring.  

What prompted you to reach out to Janice recently for help?

I was charged with doing a training and putting together a tool for the individuals who are in charge of communications for each of our clubs throughout the district—New England states and Nova Scotia. I felt a little bit uncomfortable doing it on my own. So, I contacted Janice for tips and ideas. She was easy to work with. 

You took part in a Media Consult. How was that structured, and what did you learn?

It was structured just as I needed it to be, working on an existing document and going through it step by step, and rearranging things. Frankly, in 30 minutes, Janice was able to help impart best practices, tips, lessons learned. I was really inspired. I gave her a press release I was working on at the time, and we used that as the basis for our 30 minutes. Together, we constructed the press release, and as we went through it, Janice explained why she was recommending her edits and changes. Then she helped me send it to the key people in the area and in the format they would want it in. It worked! The release was picked up by all six publications I sent it to. It was wonderful, and I really learned a lot. Through that work with Janice, I was able to put a template together and some notes so that I could train others. 

What value did you find in the consult?

It was invaluable. I’ve sent a lot of news releases over the years, and they were not picked up by the editors and used in publications. I learned why. This was a big deal. I learned how to make sure that your first sentence offers a summary of who, what, where, when, and why. I learned what material to use in quotes. I learned how to properly send information to a specific editor as opposed to just a general email address. And I also learned to include the text of the press release in the email and attach it and that you shouldn’t embed pictures but instead attach them. I learned a lot!

Did you learn skills that you will now always have?

I absolutely did. 

Who else do you think might benefit from a Media Consult?

Frankly, I think anybody who does not do media relations, newsletters, news releases on a regular basis would really benefit. Janice has an awful lot to offer and learning what I learned in 30 minutes is a great return on my investment. Anybody who doesn’t do this regularly for a living and wants to be better would benefit from working with Janice. 

Anything else you think readers of Janice’s blog would like to know?

The thing I really liked about Janice is that she is really straightforward. She doesn’t pull any punches, and you know she is certainly a kind person to work with. I highly recommend her.

The post A Q and A on a Media Consult Experience appeared first on Beetle Press.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the Media Consults I offer to professionals of all types who want to either learn basic PR skills or refine the skills they already have. Shortly after the blog was posted, I received an email from Mary Knight, the communications chairman for Zonta International District 1.

As the head of her local Zonta chapter, Mary oversees all PR efforts. She had a great event planned and wanted to invite community members to take part, but in the past, she had written and distributed press releases but got no pick-up. 

Mary wanted to increase her chances for success.

In half an hour, I met with Mary on a Zoom call and taught her the basics in a consult. We reviewed a press release she had penned, and I edited it with her by sharing my screen, so she could see what I was doing and follow along.

I helped Mary with everything from developing the content of the release to understanding the strategy of distributing her release to key media in Western Massachusetts. About a week after Mary sent the release we’d worked on, I began to see it get picked up—first in The Republican and BusinessWest.

Mary emailed me to say, “Meeting with you was a home run. All six of the publications contacted printed my press release! A first!”

Next week, I’ll offer a Q and A with Mary so you can learn more about her organization and the Media Consult. She talks about what she learned, specifically.

I really enjoy doing Media Consults; the work brings out the professor wannabe in me and gives me pleasure to teach others a skill that is second nature to me.

If you’d like to schedule a Media Consult, email me!

The post Client’s Release Picked Up in Six Newspapers appeared first on Beetle Press.

Many entrepreneurs don’t know how to write and send a press release, and those in leadership roles in marketing or communications simply don’t have the time. That is where I come in. 

But for those who enjoy learning and doing on their own, I can also help by teaching you the basics. PR 101, so to speak.

If you are the new head of your company’s marketing or communications team, and the PR strategy recently fell in your lap, I can teach you. Or if you have a new junior member on the team who’s charged with PR, I can teach them, too.

I call this service a Media Consult, and in such a session, I teach people everything they need to know about writing a press release and getting it where it needs to go. I discuss what is and isn’t news—what editors do and do not want to hear from you—and I brainstorm topics that would make sense for each businessperson or organization leader.

I’ll also walk you through a sample release, using a topic that makes sense for your business to flesh the release out and complete it. Finally, I’ll pass on the key contact information for some of the region’s editors and teach you how to send your release to them.

Over the years, I have done many media consults with entrepreneurs—mostly small business owners but also with new members of a communications or marketing team—and I’m always proud to see their releases getting picked up in the news in the months that follow. 

Honestly, it’s not a fine science. It’s a logical, formatted process.

After a consult, some clients find that PR work is more than they have the bandwidth for, and they turn back to me to prepare and send their releases anyway. That works, too!

If a Media Consult might help you get noticed more often in the media, please be in touch.

I love sitting in the teacher’s seat as much as I like writing and editing!

The post DIY Media Relations appeared first on Beetle Press.