1. Find the Hook – You only have to pick up a paper or watch the evening news to quickly see which topics are the hot stories for reporters. Everybody will be covering the same issue, whether it’s the economy, a political dispute, new technology, or a recent natural disaster. Your press release is more likely to be picked up if you can tie into these happenings and ride the wave of news coverage. Reporters have to pitch ideas to their producer or managing editor before getting the green light, and you can help them demonstrate the relevance of your story by linking it to other events that are getting coverage currently.
2. Look for Lulls – The best time to send out a press release is during a news lull. Since half of the news that gets reported each day has to do with happenings in the local, state and federal government, generally there is a lull in the news is when government offices are closed. Try to time your announcements to national holidays, like Memorial Day or Columbus Day, when reporters are eager to find filler for the long weekend. If you can tie your topic into the holiday somehow, even better. Either way, you are more likely to grab a reporter’s attention when you are not competing with current affairs on the political front.
3. Pick Up the Phone – Wire services, like PRWeb.com, are great resources for reaching thousands of local and national news outlets, but contacting a reporter directly is still the best way to get their attention. Find out who covers your beat in the local market; for example, if you are promoting a new tutoring service, research who covers education issues for your local paper or television news stations. Check out some of their latest work and give them a call. Briefly introduce yourself, tell them how much you enjoyed their recent story on ________, and then suggest another story they might be interested in (namely, yours). By demonstrating that you are familiar with their work and providing them with a solution – a lead on another story – you become an ally to the journalist, rather than a nameless person or company looking for media coverage on the wire.

As in any industry, making personal connections and nurturing those relationships will serve you well when you are generating buzz about your product or service. Don’t merely limit your PR efforts to the news media, but also get the word out to executives and industry insiders who might be able to help you land speaking engagements, or make a direct introduction to a reporter or producer. Also, make sure you have a plan to follow-up with targeted contacts when you do send out information, whether on the wire or via fax or email. Persistence pays off in PR, and picking up the phone could result in that coveted interview you’ve been seeking.

Need a press release for your business? Contact Dallas freelance writer Leslie J. Thompson at 214-704-6661.

When I first started out as a freelance writer, my focus was entirely on print—magazines, newsletters, brochures and the like. Occasionally, I would venture out into direct mail or press releases, but for the most part, my text appeared on glossy stock next to fancy pictures that made the words look extra special.

Then along came the Internet. By the end of the 1990s, I was writing mainly for the Web, with only occasional magazine assignments to keep me grounded. Since then, I have continued to hone my craft online, learning the ins and outs of SEO content and how to navigate WordPress. I still do plenty of newsletters and brochures, but I also frequently take on work ghostwriting blogs or crafting clever meta tags.

I never understood exactly what Twitter had to offer. What can you really say in 140 characters or less?

Although I enjoy writing for the Web, I have been reluctant to fully embrace one component of the online environment: social media. Sure, I have a Facebook account. I use it to keep abreast of viral YouTube videos and prayer chains and cute things my nieces are doing in Dayton, Ohio. I do not, however, use it to grow my business.

I also have a Twitter account, which I created last year when my husband created his and then promptly ignored. I never understood exactly what Twitter had to offer. What can you really say in 140 characters or less? Is the sole purpose of Twitter to keep bit.ly in business with shortened hyperlinks to longer articles?

Then I heard the gospel according to Scott Stratten, and it all became clear.

Stratten is a social media expert and was the keynote speaker at PubCon Dallas earlier this year. He is funny, self-effacing and insightful. He has studied social media since Twitter first built its nest on the Web, and he understands the intricacies of marketing in a Web 2.0 world. In short, he gets it.

Now I get it. I get that Twitter is a way to connect with people in your own industry—colleagues, clients, and prospects—to share information and have a casual chat. I get that it’s like a cocktail party where you might overhear an interesting conversation, introduce yourself to one of the speakers, and strike up a new friendship. I get that it takes time to get to know people—just like in real life—but once you do, they might have need of your services, or recommend you to someone else, or give you an idea that can help you with your business.

Twitter is fun. It’s addictive. It’s frustrating. Using Twitter well requires patience and discipline. It can be a powerful tool to help you grow your company and engage with customers, but you have to commit. Most importantly, you have to be generous. You don’t want a complete stranger walking up to you at a party to tell you what they’re selling, so don’t do it to your tweet peeps. Find out what they need. Point them toward useful resources. Be a solution provider, and soon enough, your followers will come to you for solutions.

But don’t take my word for it—Scott’s the expert. Pick up his new book, Un-Marketing, at any major bookseller. Then let me know what you think. You’ll find me on Twitter @lesliejthompson.

Once you’ve actually done a DIY project, on the other hand, you may have second thoughts the next time inspiration strikes.

I’m a glutton for home renovation shows; Flip This House, Sell This House, Property Ladder, Trading Spaces–I find them fascinating. On the weekends, I’ll often hunker down to watch a mini-marathon of home makeovers, intoxicated by the interior designers and handymen working their magic with paint, furniture, and artfully placed throw pillows. For years I’ve been telling my husband how much I wanted to tackle a room–any room–in our house. Over Memorial Day Weekend, I finally did.

We recently updated our master bathroom with a new tub and a gorgeous travertine tile surround. After the renovation, the old wall color simply had to go. So, I took it upon myself to paint. Seemed simple enough; painting is always the “easy” part that the designers give to the homeowners on the home improvement programs. Grab a roller, make a “W” shape with your stroke, and you’re good to go.

Painting a room smaller than 80 square feet took me two whole days–twice as long as I anticipated. After taping the trim, cutting in with the brush, and hitting each wall with two coats, I was exhausted. Sure, the room looked great, but I questioned whether the results were worth the effort.

In hindsight, I realized that the reason home improvements look so easy for the experts on TV is because they are experts. They went to school or pursued an apprenticeship to study interior design or carpentry or architecture and have spent years plying their trade. They have a gifting and a passion for home improvement. Even though I was eager to try my hand at a relatively simple project and figured we’d save some money in the process, the learning curve was steep and the task laborious.

The same thinking applies to your company’s communications: Just because you can write them yourself doesn’t mean you should. Often, I find clients have tried to get by creating their own print collateral, press releases or website copy, only to find that the work takes longer than they anticipated and pulls them away from the things they do well–the things they get paid for.

When it comes to your marketing efforts, your time may be better spent managing other aspects of your business rather than wordsmithing a new brochure. Instead of tackling the project yourself (or delegating the task to someone in-house), consider calling on an expert to help you get things done faster and with exceptional quality. A qualified freelance writer with a degree in journalism, marketing communications or advertising and several years’ experience will know how to help you hone your message and reach your target audience effectively. In the process, you’ll be free to focus on exercising your own talents to increase your company’s bottom line.

RELATED ARTICLE:
The Dangers of DIY Marketing

Need a quote on a project? Contact Dallas freelance writer Leslie J. Thompson via email.

~gulp

It is often the case that the cobbler’s children have no shoes, and this holds true for my own marketing efforts, as well. Very often, managers and business owners are so busy handling the day-to-day affairs of their enterprise that they overlook their most valuable promotional tool: their Website.

If you’re in the same boat, you would be wise to show your site some love. If you don’t, your competitors could get the upperhand.

Case in point: As one might imagine, my website has been search engine optimized for the term Dallas freelance writer. And, my efforts at search engine optimization have paid off, because (at present), my site comes up #1 on Google for this keyword phrase.

But, not for long.

Although the core content is well-crafted and I’ve done some clever behind-the-scenes coding to improve the site’s SEO, unless I continue to post fresh, relevant content to my humble blog, it will gradually lose authority with the major search engines. And, when a site loses authority, it falls in the search rankings.

The same thing will happen with your website, if you do not keep the content up to date.

For this reason, many companies are choosing to add a blog to their existing website, or to build a new site on a blog engine (also known as the content management system, or CMS). Using the blog format makes it easy to add content on the fly, without having to know a lot of tricky HTML code or worry about “breaking” the design template. And, search engines like fresh content.

If you don’t want to create a blog, you can add content to your site by posting press releases (in HTML text, not a PDF) or by adding recent case studies and client testimonials. Keeping your site up-to-date needn’t be a major undertaking; even adding 300 words of text once a month will have a positive impact on how the search engines view your content.

So, take it from me, your trusty Dallas freelance writer — no matter how busy you are serving clients and managing business operations, don’t overlook your Website. It is your face to the outside world, and you should always put your best face forward. If you don’t have the time or resources in-house to create fresh content at least once a month, drop me a line at leslie [at] lesliejthompson [dot] com. I’m happy to help.

In truth, the sudden influx of Web-based projects came as a surprise. After all, in today’s media-saturated, socially-networked marketplace, I figured everybody already has a robust Web presence. But, that’s simply not the case. From doctors to lawyers to event planners, thousands of professionals still need help capturing the attention of prospective clients surfing the Net.

As the maxim goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. To this end, your Website needs to shine – or at the very least, not offend. And few things are more offensive than a site that is outdated, whether in design, functionality or content. Although you don’t need to implement an annual overhaul of your entire site, you should avoid letting it go stale if you hope to keep visitors engaged.

Here, then, are three quick tips to renovate your Web presence and beef up your online marketing efforts:

1)    Add a blog – If you don’t already have one, you need one. You can create a new section for the blog within your existing site, or set it up as a separate site – at zero cost – through a service like Blogger.com or Typepad.com. (Be sure to include a link back to your primary domain.) The power of a blog is that it lets you generate fresh content and speak plainly with customers. By adding frequent posts on new developments in your industry and other topics of interest to anyone visiting your site, you demonstrate that you are an authority in your field, and that you understand the needs of your readers. Likewise, by allowing Comments  in your blog, you can establish a dialog with your clients (and let them provide part of your content).

2)    Go minimalist – As little as five years ago, features like a Flash landing page were all the rage. But, these days, making them hit “Skip Intro” is a sure way to irritate visitors to your site. People want instant access to relevant information, not lots of fancy graphics (unless, perhaps, you are a graphic artist). What’s more, Flash puts a serious dent in your search engine optimization. If your site uses Flash, consider redesigning your landing page to take visitors straight to the main site navigation and summary content about how your business or practice can improve their life. (And remember, when it comes to text, less is more.)

3)    Add video – Recently, a colleague shared with me that 25 percent of all search engine results are now links to online video. (That’s results, not searches.) As sites like Hulu and YouTube continue their exponential growth, Web-based video is becoming perhaps the most powerful tool for capturing your customer’s attention. Whether you are a shoe wholesaler or a mortgage broker, video lets you engage viewers and lay the foundation for your relationship before you ever meet. For example, I recently did a project for a Dallas video production company to create a series of videos for a bariatric surgeon in Fort Worth. Even if you aren’t considering weight loss surgery, this case study demonstrates how effective adding even a short video segment to your homepage can be.

You can implement any of these strategies quickly and at minimal cost. All of them will make a positive impact on your search engine rankings and help improve the user experience for Web surfers who come to your site.

For a free evaluation of your site’s content, functionality and search engine optimization, please contact me at leslie [at] lesliejthompson [dot] com, or by phone at 214-704-6661.

Writer’s block can strike at any time, whether you need to draft a simple letter or a more complex report or proposal. It’s that uncomfortable feeling of having nothing to say. You know in broad, vague terms what you want to communicate, but the words just aren’t coming together in a cohesive fashion, and you’re getting frustrated. Frustration leads to procrastination, and procrastination leads to Starbucks®. Now, you’re frustrated and hopped up on caffeine, which only aggravates the situation.

The secret to overcoming writer’s block—or procrastination, in general—is to get busy. Take action. Do something, anything, and use that momentum to keep moving forward. Eventually, you will build up steam and reach that blissful state of flow, where everything just seems to come together naturally. Here, then, are five quick tips to help you get the ball rolling:

1. Remove all distractions. The little pop-up on your screen that indicates you have mail? Turn it off. Put your cell phone on silent, and close your office door. Minimize the possibility that something will pull your attention away from the task at hand, and you’re more likely to finish quickly.
2. Brainstorm. You already have a general idea of what you want to say, so start scribbling thoughts down on a piece of paper. You can jot individual words or bullet-point a few phrases. Don’t censor yourself or worry about grammar and spelling—write whatever comes to mind. The goal is to spray a little mental WD-40 in your head to loosen up the gears.
3. Start typing. Take the ideas you noted on your scratch pad and begin to flesh them out on the screen. Again, we’re not looking for perfection, just “fuller” thoughts—sentences, or even a couple of paragraphs—that express what you want to communicate. If you are writing a white paper, you might simply list some of the facts that relate to the topic. If your project is creative, like a short story, don’t worry about structure so much as concepts. We’re not looking for a well-rounded plot at this point, just bits of dialogue, exposition or descriptions.
4. Speak up. Many writers find it helpful to speak out loud the thoughts they are trying to communicate and then capture them in writing. Pick up a micro-cassette recorder, or one of those nifty MP3 recorders, and rattle off your thoughts verbally. Then, transcribe your recording and start to organize the content in your document. Go light on the editing—we’re still just spreading puzzle pieces out on the table.
5. Pull it together. At this point, things should start humming along. You have a notepad full of ideas and some rough material on the computer screen. Plenty of clay to work with. Take your time, and start molding the material into the shape you want, moving pieces around, filling out certain parts and paring back others, until you have a completed rough draft. Depending on your project, this could take minutes or hours. Stick with it until the end. If you stop, it will be hard to regain momentum, and you may have to backtrack a few steps. But, if you can knock out a thorough draft, you can enjoy the immense satisfaction that comes from conquering writer’s block and realizing your goal.

Throughout this whole process, remember that the feeling of being blocked is just that—a feeling. We have the ability to change our feelings and our attitudes simply by changing our mindset. Sometimes, you will need to take action first, and your feelings will catch up with you. But, with the willingness to take that first small step, you can finish your project quickly—at which point that mocha Frappuccino® is well-deserved.

I read through the sell sheets with despair. The writing was riddled with grammatical errors, and the formatting was woefully inconsistent. These types of mistakes are bad no matter what business you’re in, but this company was promoting its expertise in the area of regulatory compliance, where attention to detail is essential. Were I a prospective client, I would have had a pretty poor impression of the vendor.

Such is the risk of writing your own marketing materials. Sure, you could find someone in-house to take ownership of the project, but that doesn’t mean they’re qualified to do the job well.

As a freelance consultant, I was in a predicament. Should I tell the client about the typos and bad grammar in the firm’s collateral, or just provide the proposal he had requested? If I didn’t raise a flag and then didn’t get the assignment, the client would never know that his sell sheets, well…suck. But, if I brought it to his attention, I ran the risk of offending the company president–essentially shooting myself in the foot. For all I knew, he wrote the brochures himself. At the very least, he had read them.

I decided to send the proposal first and, once it was accepted, I would offer to copyedit the text in the firm’s existing marketing materials to ensure consistency. I have learned that unsolicited advice generally comes off as criticism. My goal is to first build a relationship with the client, not build a wall between us.

But, my point is that if you want to save money by creating your collateral in-house, you would be wise to at least hire a proofreader to bring the text up to par. The finished product may not be as spiffy as if you had engaged a freelance writer, but at least you will save yourself the embarrassment of airing your grammatical dirty laundry for your prospects to see.

As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

A talented singer and musician, my spouse is an auditory thinker. He is a gifted writer and types at lightning speed, but often, he instinctually spells words based on the way they sound. The approach works well for locutions like “market” or “record”, but is less effective with a word like, well, “locution”.

I try not to tease him about his creative constructs, but he gladly kids me about my anal-retentive approach to text. (Admittedly, I have been known to gripe about typos on menus and instruction manuals with dangling participles.) So, I was both relieved and comforted when I recently discovered a group of like-minded wordsmiths at The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG, for short).

The following excerpt from the SPOGG Website captures the humor and vision of its creators, and offers a warm welcome to those with a punctilious personality like mine:

There are huge problems in this world, and then there are problems that can be solved by everyday people with red pens and a little moxie.

The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar is for pen-toters appalled by wanton displays of Bad English. (And we’re not talking about Bad English, the band, although their song “Heaven is a 4 letter word” needs a hyphen.)

SPOGG is for people who crave good, clean English — sentences cast well and punctuated correctly. It’s about clarity. And who knows how many of the world’s huge problems could be solved if we had a little more of that?

Ah, at last a refuge from this crazy, mixed-up world of text messages and linguistic short-hand! A safe haven from the jargon of Fortune 500 companies and verbosity of new media ventures! A place where people appreciate crisp, uncluttered writing, and members are lauded for their use of proper punctuation. I can find solace in the blog posts, and vicariously vent my frustration at the lack of good grammar usage in modern society.

Plus, they have really cute T-shirts.

When you are interviewing consultants for a freelance writing opportunity, the more preparation you do prior to the meeting, the better the final outcome will be. Why? Because you can set clear expectations, minimize misunderstandings, and help ensure that the project will be delivered on time and on budget.

When I arrived at my meeting this afternoon, the client was prepared with a binder of background materials related to the project. She was able to show me existing marketing collateral, the template for the company’s new website, and a list of major competitors. She was also able to answer all of my questions about how the project would take shape without missing a beat.

If you are thinking of working with a freelance writer, here are some questions you should be prepared to address during that initial meeting:

• Who is the point person? Will the writer be sending copy to you for review, or to someone else involved with the project?
• Who are the key decision makers? Does just one person need to sign off on the project? Or, does the copy need to go through a committee or get approval from the Compliance department?
• What are the sources of background information? Will you be supplying those (e.g., providing existing marketing collateral or scheduling interviews with subject matter experts)? Or, is the consultant responsible for conducting any research needed for the project?
• What is the deadline for delivery? You may need to work backwards from your launch date (e.g., when you want the printed brochures in hand or the Website to go live) to build in time for production, legal approval, revisions after the initial review, etc.
• What is your budget? Would you prefer hourly billing (perhaps with a cap) or a flat project fee? Can you authorize the expense, or do you need approval from someone in your firm?

The more prepared you are when you interview a freelance writer, the more smoothly the project will run. Everybody will be on the same page regarding the deliverables, and in the end, you will look like a star for finding the right person to get the job done.