4th Quarter Publicity = 1st Quarter Prosperity

4th Quarter Publicity = 1st Quarter Prosperity
by
Todd F. Brabender-Spread The News PR, Inc.

As the year starts to wind down, many businesses and entrepreneurs are
making plans and budgets for the year 2003. Those plans could include
anything from setting up goals for new products to preparing marketing,
sales and PR/publicity campaigns. When it comes to your publicity plan, WHEN
you launch your campaign can be just as important to what and how you
launch.

HOLIDAY PUBLICITY OPPORTUNITIES
If your product/business lends itself to increased holiday sales, the next
few weeks are a perfect time to get a publicity campaign launched - given
the right media targets. Many holiday issues are already been laid out for
magazines, and many other media outlets are feverishly seeking
information/pitches on innovative stories for the holidays. Some media
outlets even reorganize or beef up staff around the holidays to allow for an
increase in stories on products. Have your publicist help you take advantage
of this increased media opportunity.

PLANTING PUBLICITY SEEDS NOW FOR 1ST QUARTER RESULTS
Some business owners may be of the mindset: "I think we'll wait to launch a
publicity campaign until after January 1st." The problem is -- if you wait
to launch your publicity campaign until the first of the year hoping for a
quick media interest blast in January, you may be in for a quiet month. Keep
in mind most media outlets have editorial lead-times of a few weeks to 6
months. Also what some entrepreneurs don't realize is this. Because of the
increasing number of publicity pitches media outlets receive, anything you
send out is subjected to what I call the "media digestion period" - simply
put - that is a period of time (sometimes weeks, sometimes months) that it
takes media outlets to:

#1) see/understand your release and decide if they are interested;
#2) find space ime in their editorial calendar to place the article/news
story/show segment.

The potential placement is also directly dependent upon how quickly and
efficiently your publicist or PR agency can help the media secure the
placement. Media relations is crucial. Your publicist's job is to make the
reporter/editor/producer's job as easy and as effortless as possible - which
will lead to quicker and more numerous placements for your business.

When it comes to publicity pitches, the facts are: placement is totally up
to the discretion of the particular media outlet; and very few media
responses are immediate. I have in fact had media outlets respond even
before the media release seemed to settle in the fax machine tray.
Conversely, I also had one media outlet that responded 17 months after a
pitch. (I had to ask the reporter what the YEAR was on the release!) NO
placement is guaranteed, but you can definitely increase the odds. Even if
your product/business if a dead-on perfect match for a media outlet's
editorial profile, you are not guaranteed placement without some hard work
and media relations. That's why timing of your publicity pitch is so
critical. Have your publicist get your pitch to the media, allow the
editorial staff to digest it a bit, and strategically and professionally
"rattle the cage" over the next several weeks to generate as many placements
as possible.

What we are trying to do is plant seeds in media outlets' editorial garden
so they will bear fruit -- in the form of articles/show placements --
continuously over the next several weeks and months. Like the plant that
comes from a seed, publicity placements can also grow roots and lead to
other arterial media placements in other media outlets. Given the right
tending, the publicity seeds you plant over the next few weeks will indeed
germinate and you'll reap a wonderful harvest for your business well past
the first quarter of next year.

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Todd Brabender is the President of Spread The News Public Relations, Inc.
His business specializes in generating media exposure and publicity for
innovative products, businesses, experts and ventures.
http://www.spreadthenewspr.com
todd@spreadthenewspr.com
(785) 842-8909