I think we can all agree that the Internet is constantly shifting and keeping up with the frequent changes can be overwhelming – especially for time-strapped entrepreneurs.  A year ago, I did a blog post about press releases and search engine optimization (SEO) for those interested in small business PR, but things have changed since then so I thought it would be helpful to do an updated post with the latest and greatest!

When I write a press release for my clients, I always search optimize it with the relevant key words for their business so it can be distributed over the wire using a service such as PR Web or ereleases.  Here are the five tips that I always follow:

1. Incorporate the most relevant key word(s) in headline and secondary headline

2. The press release headline should be about 75 characters, but the secondary headline can be longer

3. Hyperlink keywords back to your Web pages with the same key words

4. Hyperlink about four words throughout the release (only hyperlink one key word per every hundred words)

5. The press release should be about 550 words

I hope this helps!  If you would like to see a search optimized press release in action, please email me and I’ll send you a helpful completed release to reference.

As a reminder, to make my goals a little more palatable, I made a list of just three tasks, instead of creating a long laundry list of things to do.  Here’s how I’m doing..

1. Secure an office space – CHECK!

2. Start free monthly small business PR office hours (in person at my office or over the phone) – CHECK!

3. Create a DIY PR YouTube channel  CHECK!  (Ok, I only have one video up, but it’s a start!).

So that being said, I think my minimalist goal-setting strategy worked!  I really wanted to set my mind to these three goals that never seemed to get done for one excuse or another.  I follow a similar strategy for my daily tasks – rather than trying to get through my entire list, I’ll pick a few items to get through.

How are you doing with your 2012 goals?  Any strategies you would like to share?

To light a fire under my you know what, I’ve enlisted the help of Jalanda James to create what she calls a Video Business Card (brilliant!), which I thought would be good for my homepage and to add to my channel.   Jalanda is a NYC video producer and she’s having an AWESOME special right now for the first ten people who sign up – $97 for one of her video business cards.  You can read more about her special here.

Check out my video below.  What do you guys think?  Jalanda was fabulous with making me feel comfortable in front of the camera.  And it didn’t take a million shots as I had anticipated!  Phew!

So now that I’ve actually put it out to the universe I better get going on those videos!

For each session, participants are required to fill out a questionnaire in advance of our one-on-one meeting so I can best understand their PR goals and we can maximize our time together.  During the 30 minutes I’ll discuss a general PR strategy and participants can ask any PR-related question that they have on their minds. The sessions are specifically tailored to each business so it’s not just general PR 101 advice.  Please note: these meetings are only open to those clients that I haven’t worked with previously.

I’ve just wrapped my March sessions, but my next office hours are set for Tuesday, April 3rd so drop me a note at thea@pescepr.com and lock in a time slot!

Photo Credit: Conference room at @ The Yard in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I had so much fun working on a recent DIY PR Pack for small business PR client and culinary concierge extraordinaire Alejandra Ramos from the blog Always Order Dessert.  In addition her online daily dose of mouth-watering recipes and cooking advice, Alejandra offers a number of personalized food services including group cooking classes, menu planning, cooking demos, and pantry/kitchen make-overs.

If you are in the NYC area, I highly recommend checking out some of her cooking courses!  I’ve listed her upcoming classes below and as you can see there is definitely something for everyone.  Alejandra’s classes are kept small (max 12 students) so the environment is relaxed and everyone has a chance to participate in making all the dishes.

Busy Weeknight Dinners

Cook Once: Feast all Week! (Brilliant! Might have to put this on my gift list. Hint hint if you’re reading hubby:)

Beginner’s Basics: Easy Dishes for Novice Home Cooks

Oh, and I can’t finish up this post without mentioning one of of my favorite recipes from Alejandra’s blog.  Her chocolate banana nut smoothie is to die for and it’s a regular of mine for breakfast.  YUM!

Alejandra has been featured in a number of segments and articles including Martha Stewart Radio, NY Times, Shape.com, NY Post, FoxNews.com, NBC Latino and The Daily Meal.  To see these and more of Alejandra’s publicity, visit her press page.

I like to use this small business public relations blog as an opportunity to showcase some of my clients and the work that we’ve done together.  Brooklyn Cruiser, one of my retainer clients, is a new commuter bike company that came onto the scene this past August.  The company offers city bikes that combine the function, comfort, and style of a classic Dutch bike with the stable and smooth ride of a hybrid bike.

With the expansion of the NYC bike lanes and the upcoming NYC bike share program, to say urban biking is becoming mainstream would be an understatement!  That being said, the timing for the launch of this new bike company was right on target (and a publicist’s dream!).

Brooklyn Cruiser’s initial model of bikes includes a unique two-speed kick shift hub, allowing riders to quickly shift between gears with a slight pedal backwards (so there are no cables or hand shifts).  I’ve included a photo of my favorite model here, but check out the Web site for more color options.  Every Brooklyn Cruiser includes its signature double top tube and cream colored tires.  The men’s bikes are available in black and cream and the women’s bikes are available in black and tangerine.

Since the August launch, this vintage inspired bike company has been featured in Vanity Fair, New York Times, Vogue Brazil, New York Magazine, Time Out New York, Maxim, Next, Momentum, Refinery 29, Daily Candy, Gear Patrol, Cool Hunting, Re-Nest, Inhabitat and more.  For all the press clippings, check out their press page.  I’m looking forward to more success working with Brooklyn Cruiser in 2012!!  They have some fun plans in the works so stay tuned….

I usually forward the original email and include one or two sentences referencing the pitch.  Remember, the media is more likely to read emails if they are on the short side.  For example, here is an example of a follow up note:  Hi Erin – I’m writing about the email I sent last week (see below) for a possible article in Entrepreneur about DIY PR tips for securing your product on national television.  Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I generally only send one (or maybe two) follow up notes.  If there is still no response, then it’s OK to place a phone call.  Beyond this you should consider the journalist not interested in your pitch.   In a perfect world, it would be great to get a “yes” or “no” response either way, but that doesn’t always happen.  If you’re not getting any type of response, then it may be time for a new strategy or perhaps you’re not pitching the correct media contact.

Any other clever ways that you have followed up with the media with success?   I’d love to hear from you.

One of the most frequent questions from my DIY PR clients is:  When do I follow up with the media?  It’s a really great question because there’s a very fine line between being persistent to bring attention to a relevant pitch vs. being a bit annoying (and ending up on a journalist’s blacklist – yes, they exist!).

First up, “following up” with the media is a term used in public relations which refers to checking in with a media contact about the status of a pitch.  After a pitch is sent to a journalist or producer, a follow up email is typically sent if there is no response from the initial pitch.  If there’s still no response then a follow up phone call is placed.

Following up is a very important part of the pitching process and placing an email or phone call can really help in the process of securing a placement.  There are many situations where my first pitch may not initially capture the attention of a journalist but a quick, short follow up email does the trick (remember journalists receive TONS of pitches every day).   My general rule of thumb (and typically what I recommend to my small business public relations clients) is to follow up via email about five business days after the initial email is sent (assuming the email received no response) and then a phone call 2-3 days after the follow up email (if still no response to the 2nd email).   Keep in mind, these are general guidelines because there are many factors that can change this strategy including the urgency of a pitch and/or your exiting relationship with the contact.

In some cases, you may not receive any response which can be very challenging as you can’t close the loop on your outreach for that publication.  While it’s frustrating to not to get a simple “yes, i’m interested” or “no i’m not interested,” there comes a certain point where the pitch just might not be a good fit for the publication or contact and you have to know when to hang it up.   That’s not to say that you can’t pitch another person at the same publication or go back to the specific contact with a different pitch a few months later.

Have you had success with follow up emails or phone calls?  I’d love to hear from you about your experience.

Photo Credit: Workattheyard.com

Last week I wrote about my top three New Year’s goals for 2012.  Topping the list was to secure an office space that made sense from a commuting perspective and would be a convenient place to meet small business PR clients.  I’m excited to share that I’ve crossed that goal off my list and I’m officially part of a very cool new co-working space in my neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn called The Yard.

From speaking with my friends and colleagues, working from home vs. an office is a personal decision and really depends on your personality and any distractions at home (kids, hubby, etc.)

Obviously, I feel the pros of working from an office far outweigh the cons.  Here are the advantages in my book:

1. Productivity: I am simply more productive in a work space outside of my home. Hands down.

2. ADD Be Gone!  Laundry and cleaning the bathroom do not all the sudden sound appealing on Tuesday at 10:30 am.

3. Professional:  While I don’t mind meeting up with retainer and DIY PR clients at coffee shops, it’s simply more professional to have a dedicated space that’s quiet without any time constraints.

4. Networking:  On a self-serving tip, working in a co-working space is a great way to network and meet other small businesses.  Maybe even a friend or two

5. Quittin’ time:  It’s easier to “shut down” at the end of the day.  I can declare that day is DONE and I can look forward to spending time with my husband or plans with friends.

Aside from the cost of rent, I had a hard time finding a list of pros to working from home.  Of course, I should point out that I lucked out finding a space that is affordable and within walking distance to my condo.  A long commute would probably deter me choosing an office space although even with the commute I think I would STILL be more productive.

What are your thoughts about working from home vs. working from an office?  Do you have a hard time “shutting off” at night?  Did I miss any pros from working from home?

With each New Year, it’s customary to take some time to review the year that’s passed and make resolutions/goals for the future.  Small business owners tend to stick to this tradition in their professional life as well as their personal life.

While I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions in my personal life, I find the New Year is an excellent time to spend some time thinking about things that worked well with my small business public relations clients and reviewing those tasks that didn’t work well.  Plus, it’s a good opportunity to be honest with yourself and set some realistic goals for the year to come.  I’m not just speaking about financial goals, but specific tasks that have been lingering on the “to do” list for the past six months.

I’ve been keeping a running lists of things I’ve been meaning to implement and picked the top three for this year as I think it’s easy to underestimate the time certain tasks take to complete.  For example, I’ve been wanting to start a YouTube channel, but I know that this will require a bit of education on my part in addition to learning to be compelling in front of the camera.   That being said, I think it’s realistic to start with three goals than a long laundry list of tasks that seem overwhelming to complete.

My three goals for this year include…

1. Secure an office space

2. Start free monthly office hours (in person at my office or over the phone)

3. Create a DIY PR YouTube channel (I’ve started a temporary one here for now)

What are your business New Year’s resolutions/goals?  I’d love to hear them!

Wishing you all wildly successful 2012!

Thea