Press Pass:

Speaking of the Web 2.0 conference . . .

When I was in San Francisco for that conference I had the opportunity to meet lots of people, many from the Bay area. I ended up at dinner with a few people from Microsoft one evening. One of them was pregnant and due soon. She asked what I did and I filled her in on the basics of our regional reference guides, local websites and magazines. The Bay area just happens to be our next market; in June we’ll be launching seven editions of our books as well as a regional magazine. So at first she was very excited. Then came the question: Where are you based?

I gave my answer, and the conversation took a very different turn. It went something like this:

Her: Hmmm, here in the Bay Area we are a very different from a market like yours. The women here are very sharp, highly educated and tech savvy. I’d be interested to see if any of your content would be a good fit for this market.

Me: Interesting. Well, much of the content comes from moms in the Bay area as well as some national outlets (after this I didn’t have much else to say).

Her: Hmm (turns away).

Me: (I started to have a conversation with myself in my head about what she really should know about my business and the market we are based out of, but I kept figuring I was overreacting, so I kept it in my head).

This interaction is really not too big of a deal in the scheme of things. But in the broader world of business, I always get funny reactions about the city we are based out of. We are not in Silicon Valley or New York, but we are in a very entrepreneurial, very savvy market.

The others who were at dinner with me were flabbergasted by the interaction. When we left they expressed their awe at the comments made (which made me wish that I had snapped back with something sassier than I did). But I told them that I frequently get odd reactions when I tell people where we are based, especially because we are not a Silicon Valley startup.

My companions actually suggested to me that I set up a “faux” office in the Bay area so we can have a multi-headquartered feel about our company and get a boost in credibility by looking a little more “big city.” I laughed because the stubborn part of me wants to say, “Brace yourself, big world, and wait for the big things that come out of my hometown!”

Let’s see if you can guess where we are based:

• We have more plastic surgeons per capita than any other city in the U.S.;

• Voted number one vainest city by Forbes;

• More computers per household than any other U.S. city (at least that is the last stat I heard);

• Lots and lots of startups and tech companies are based here.

And my follow up question: How important is the city where you are based?

If you haven’t started a blog yet, it’s time. Blogging comes with benefits.

I went to the Web 2.o Expo this week in San Francisco, a “gathering of geeks,” if you will. So as such, of course, it had a fabulous blogger lounge that was anything but geeky. Free massages, Wii on a big screen, music by Pandora, free drinks and–best of all–networking with other bloggers.

Of course, not every conference you go to is going to have a rockin’ blog lounge like the 2.o Expo. But blogging for your business or blogging about your industry gives you opportunities and a level of credibility with others that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. It also gives you access to a whole new network of people whom you would have had no excuse to talk to before. And of course, for those of you searching for someone to talk about you and your business, blogs are a vast new outlet to receive online coverage of your business.

I’m a small fish in a big sea of bloggers, but my various blogs never cease to serve up great contacts for me. Even on a person-to-person level (the real-life stuff), I’m able to meet people because of my blog. We have blogger dinners in our community, local blog networks and, of course, the huge network of bloggers available on the World Wide Web.

So if you’ve been putting off starting your business blog or blogging about a niche in your industry you are passionate about–it’s time.

Ready to start your blog? A few blog resources for you: Wordpress.com, Typepad.com, MoveableType.com, Blogger.com. And for more options, I Googled “Blog Service.”

Happy blogging!

OK, who doesn’t want to be on Oprah? I’m still trying to figure out how to get on the show myself.
I came across a great little piece from Marketing Sherpa this week with tips on “How to Get on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ “.

Most of these tips should be followed to get booked with any media outlet. They are the nuts and bolts of your PR arsenal, but they’re still worth a review.

• Know what they are looking for

• Watch the show

• Have a press kit

• Write a compelling headline and pitch

Check out the full article here.

Yes they did.
And they’ll do it again.
So what do you do?

When you are in business and you put yourself in the public sphere, you are going to have to accept not only praise but also criticism. Especially in the blogosphere. So how do you deal with the bad stuff? Go crying to your mama?

Someone took offense to five words of our marketing copy and wrote a 1,000-word rant on her blog. In this case in particular, I have vacillated a bit. As a staff we said our naughty words and then laughed about it. But this particular situation was a little trickier. This blogger didn’t know something about us that was about to benefit the blogger in a big way. I had recommended this particular blogger as a feature for our first magazine, which will launch in her area in June. That means her blog had a full-page feature in a magazine going to almost 200,000 people directly in her market. We had also slated her as a MamaVote featured blogger this summer.

My first impulse is to take vengeance–if she hates us so much, I will pull it, feature someone else and make sure to let her know she missed out. Once I find my Zen place, I say–who cares, I’ll leave it in. I thought her blog had value before, so I’m not going to change it just because she didn’t play nice on the playground. But as we try to take the “high road,” it doesn’t really make us feel any better that we were trashed on her blog.

But I toss this question out to everyone else: What do you do when people say bad things about you or your business in the public sphere? What should your response be? How will you react?

Do you post back on their blog? I chose not to. Who needs online “mommy gang wars”?
Do you mark them as enemy number one to your company? Not a productive use of your resources.
Do you pretend it never happened? While I’d like to, it made for a good blog post.
Do you correct misconceptions? I’d say yes. A follow up e-mail clearing up any inconsistencies is a good idea. But don’t bring on the war!

I wanted better advice on how to handle bad blogger press, and I happened across a good video from Seth Godin right here on Entrepreneur.com–check it out! I couldn’t have asked for more timely information: “Negative Press as a Way of the Online World”

To go the extra mile, I even emailed Godin about our bully on the playground. His response: “It’s not that bad! Comment or write a polite note.”

Lesson for us: It usually looks worse to you and your staff when someone kicks your baby. Buck up!

Lesson for bloggers: You never know what bridges you are about to set ablaze when you blog. Think before you post. For sweet justice, I know that one day I will be seated next to the woman I dedicated a 1,000 word blog post to! I’m sure it will be on an airplane or somewhere uncomfortable!

But what I want to know is how would you handle bad blogger press? I want to hear from the PR pros and novices alike!

Check out a new wiki at bloggersandpr.com that allows everyone who registers to edit the “best practices” section of principles of outreach. You can also suggest questions (and vote on existing ones) for the next survey.

Many of us have had things designed. As a novice entrepreneur I assumed that I owned the things I paid to have people design–whether a website, illustration, artwork, book template, etc. The thing every startup needs to know is that in many cases you don’t technically own any of it (in terms of copyrights, etc.), even if you commissioned it and paid for it. Even though I now understand the reasoning behind it, it still makes me angry, and I still think it has the ability to hold you hostage someday.

However, you do have the right to negotiate some of those ownership issues as you enter into contracts and agreements for work with your graphic designer or web developer. A helpful book that my designer passed along to me is Pricing and Ethical Guidelines by the Graphic Artists Guild. You can pick it up at Barnes&Noble.com.

Know your rights before you have work done for you. This will save you some big surprises down the road. If you have a designer or a programmer as an employee, the rights technically default back to you. But many startups hire lots of outside contractors to escape long-term, costly overhead. These contract relationships are the ones to review with a fine-tooth comb. And, as costly as they are, keep a good lawyer on hand to review all of your contracts. It will cost you upfront, but the peace of mind moving forward as you grow your business will be invaluable.

I’ve decided to start a new category of posts on this blog titled “Open Session.” I’ll post information about a business and the issues it is dealing with from a PR perspective. I’ll give my take from the entrepreneur, do-it-yourself perspective and then leave it up to everyone else to add her 2 cents and give fellow entrepreneurs some good feedback, tips and tricks.

(NOTE: I have highly violated a snackable length here and apologize in advance for being longwinded!)

To start us off I am highlighting Studio 28 Couture. I got an email from Andrea Marron last week: “PR has been somewhat of an issue for me lately as I am in Rochester, New York, and trying to pitch to publications and blogs based in larger cities.”

For any entrepreneur who doesn’t have a big budget to pay a PR firm, there is a lot that you can do on your own and a lot of low-hanging fruit you can snag without worrying about competing for coverage in big media markets. Here are my suggestions for a college-age entrepreneur such as Marron:

Company Blogs
Marron already has a company blog and is off to a great start. Company blogs are a great way to connect with other businesses, to build relationships and, yes, to get press from other blogs. Some quick tips:

• Build a “blog roll” of the fashion blogs that you want to cover your business; this builds links out to them.

• Start posting about similar issues you have opinions about and linking back to those bigger blogs as references.

• Whenever I reference another blog, I send the blog an e-mail letting the writer know that I referenced his or her post or his or her site. This is a surprisingly easy way to get some blog love back.

• Comment on other fashion blogs and make sure to include your link where appropriate–this can be a double-edged sword if you do it just to build links. Only comment on posts you have an opinion on or where you genuinely have something to say.

• Overall, keeping up your blog will help with SEO and in building relationships with other bloggers big and small.

Network
Some people don’t consider networking part of PR, but to me it is a huge part of public relations. I’ve had great referrals from people I’ve met through networking groups and other organizations. Marron is in the perfect demographic to:

• Join various young entrepreneur groups on college campuses, and also on Facebook and other online resources. They are generally easy to find through a Google search or a search on Facebook.

• Ladies Who Launch is a great organization for women to network through. Women participate in an incubator and then proceed to a membership level. Members have access to all kinds of media connections and alerts from editors looking for people to interview for specific stories. For those who utilize their memberships, Ladies Who Launch is a huge asset in stirring up great press leads.

• Another great organization for women entrepreneurs is StartUpPrincess.com. I’ve made some great contacts here and even scored interviews and blog hits from contacts there.

• Mentors rock: Don’t be afraid to ask older business owners and entrepreneurs for help, advice and referrals. The beauty about being a young entrepreneur is that you have nothing to prove. You don’t have to pitch yourself as a seasoned, accomplished, veteran entrepreneur. You can pitch yourself as someone who has drive, energy and the desire to learn.

College!
Andrea is, after all, a college student. Facebook built its business by working with its peers. She has some cool opportunities to plug into resources that are right before her:

• Send a press release to various college newspapers with an angle about your very cool business started by a college student.

• Invite other fashion departments and colleges to participate in a design contest on your site. People overlook the fact that contests and promotions are another form of PR.

• Make yourself available to your college business department or MBA program as a case study for any of their programs. It will get you some free advice and also expand your network.

and finally:

Become a Go-To in Your Industry
You definitely have a story to tell, so why not tell the story as a “fashion expert”? You can represent a very different voice and trend in fashion focused on individuality and creating your own look.

• Do surveys and collect data on the attitudes and trends in fashion today and how they relate to your business.

• Blog about those trends, connect with others who are blogging or writing about those trends and offer to speak on panels or at events. Those experiences will build your credibility in the field.

The bottom line: For every entrepreneur, there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit you can pick to start building your credibility and weaving the story you have to tell to a broader audience.

Any more suggestions for Marron? Add a comment.

A few basic tools that every entrepreneur should utilize: Google Alerts and Technorati.

I sign up for Google Alerts to keep up on any time we are talked about on the World Wide Web, and I use Technorati to keep my eye on the blogosphere.

Google Alerts
It’s easy. For Google, just set up an account. Click on My Account, and this will bring you to My Services. Click on Alerts, and enter the search terms you’d like to track. I have alerts sent to me once a day. In addition to tracking my own info, I track competitors and industry keywords to keep up on any interesting trends.

For more on Google Alerts, click here.

Technorati
If you want to see what blogs are saying about you or you want to track your own blogs’ impact, simply type your name, business name, website and blog address in the search field on Technorati and check out your results. You can subscribe to other services, and setting up an account is free.

For more about Technorati, click here.

I just got the latest Marketing Sherpa e-mail blast with a good feature, “Pitching Blogs: 25 Dos and Don’ts.” This is a good, quick read with open access until Feb. 22. Access the full article here.

The Highlights:

Dos

• Do check out the sidebars for content categories. Know in advance what is relevant to each blogger. In short, be familiar with what he or she likes to write about.

• Do link to the blog you are pitching if you have a blog of your own.

• Explain why you have chosen the blogger as the recipient of your pitch. If a blogger suspects you are merely crossing a name off a long list of contacts, you will probably be ignored.

These three “dos” hit on what I feel is the most important part of contacting bloggers: being genuine. Don’t just mass blast e-mail lists. Target specific bloggers and get to know their blogs. Show that you’ve read it, appreciate his or her perspective and understand the overall tone and direction of the blog. (Again, be genuine; this can backfire on you if you are not truly reading and following the bloggers you are targeting). I always use their names when I contact bloggers and always drop in a short personal note about one of their past posts.

Don’ts

• Don’t leave advertorial comments. Be relevant and professional; otherwise you’re going to make a bad name for yourself. Why? First, your comments are probably moderated. Second, you are looking to establish a solid relationship with the blogger.

• Don’t make the huge mistake of being pushy with a blogger. Bloggers are usually their own bosses; they are in charge. Dictating when you want your information to be blogged or by what date your product needs to be reviewed is a no-no.

• Don’t put words into a blogger’s mouth. Present your information without telling the blogger that he or she will just love the subject of your pitch. Asking for their opinion on how useful it might be for their readers is the way to go.

These three “don’ts” hinge on another overall “don’t” that is important with bloggers. Know that when you turn the reins over to the blogger, he or she can be nice or mean: It’s the blogger’s prerogative. That’s why you don’t want to leave advertorial comments on blogs. It’s pushy and a quick way to lose credibility. Be there to assist and provide good content instead of trying to get a “hookup.”

Make sure to check out the entire article. It was a good one.

Looking for where to start with your PR strategy? The best place to start is in your own backyard. The big goal is an appearance on Oprah,  right? However, you’ve got to show her (and the rest of the media world) that you’ve got something worth talking about way before you make it to Oprah’s studio in Chicago. This applies to every other major national outlet, as well. Too often businesses want the whole enchilada and ignore the low-hanging fruit that builds credibility in their own market.

Check out the press we received in the market we started in. We’ve stayed persistent. We’ve become a source for local media, and we’ve built many ongoing relationships. In a market like San Francisco or New York, this type of leverage is harder to get. But we do not all live in San Francisco or New York. There are so many small to mid-size markets that make getting covered easy and approachable.

It takes time, but there are some huge benefits. Local PR has built my local brand, given me credibility on a larger scale, improved my SEO and produced great relationships. But it has also been the perfect training ground for moving to the next level. I’ve learned that I need to clasp my hands around my knees when I’m on TV (I have to keep them busy). I’ve learned how to push the cough button on the radio and how to pace phone interviews for different writers. But most of all,  I’ve just gotten comfortable talking about my business, routine about my messaging and ready to do more.

So I’m ready for some national coverage this year. Oprah, where are you?