| Good PR is harder to get than ever these days. There | | | | finding the right people for the job should be easy. |
| are many good reasons for this and the proliferation of | | | | Easier still if you go to someone who already has a |
| PR agencies and one-man bands play only a small | | | | network of such people in place, can bring sound |
| part. | | | | expertise to bear on the project, can advise you |
| The real culprit is technology. In the good ol' days (if | | | | whether it will work or not and can assess its full |
| they ever existed) getting some really cool press | | | | potential without looking to the bottom line of their own |
| coverage depended on two things: A. Having a | | | | account first. |
| product to sell or announcement to make which would | | | | This is called a value-led transaction. They value you |
| fall into the category of newsworthy items. B. The | | | | as a prospect but recognize that things will only work |
| relationship that existed between the PR agent and | | | | out if they give honest, up-front advice that will cement |
| the beleaguered editor of the publication targeted. | | | | the tone of your mutually beneficial working relationship. |
| Within that matrix it was relatively easy to get good | | | | If you have found the right company (and hopefully |
| press coverage. You provided the product and chose | | | | you've talked to us at Amerland Enterprises about this) |
| the right PR Agency and they did the rest. | | | | they will give you a FREE report outlining the |
| Not so today. | | | | advantages and pitfalls of launching a newspaper, a |
| Each editor of each publication in every corner of the | | | | good expectation of the costs (because they are |
| planet is laboring under tight deadlines, low costs, hardly | | | | largely predictable) and a reasonable assessment, |
| any time at all and so many press releases and | | | | based on their own research and experience, of the |
| product placement offers hitting the newsdesk that | | | | performance you should expect. |
| they could easily fill most landfills in the country. | | | | It's rarely that someone starts a newspaper never |
| Why? | | | | expecting to make money. |
| Well, the shrinking of newspaper and magazine staff | | | | There are a number of ways your own newspaper |
| for one has seen a glut of PR Agencies springing up | | | | will help you do this:o It will sell your products and |
| everywhere. You'd expect that. | | | | serviceso It will open doors for you in government and |
| Journalists have to make a living through writing and | | | | professional organizationso It will lead to new, creative |
| their contacts and Public Relations offers a relatively | | | | partnerships (more on this later)o It will give you a |
| easy route to a full fridge at the end of the month. For | | | | vehicle for your own thoughts and ideaso It will allow |
| professionals who struggle with deadlines and | | | | you to sell advertisingo It will catapult you into the ranks |
| challenging subjects on a daily basis, knocking up copy | | | | of a media mogul |
| that makes some new type of "green wallpaper" | | | | Selling your products and services is the easiest thing |
| sound the hottest thing to have been invented since | | | | to talk about. You could, for instance, take out |
| sliced bread is a relatively easy task. Selling it | | | | double-page adverts in your paper or, better still, run a |
| successfully is, these days, relatively harder and | | | | double-page editorial advert. Provided you give free |
| because journalists (and PR Agencies) operate under | | | | copies to all your customers, not just for them, but also |
| tremendous strictures of time, they reach for the | | | | to give their customers as a value-added service, you |
| ubiquitous, easy, hi-tech solution that has spoiled the | | | | have just created a massive sales force working for |
| market for everyone: some automated mailer | | | | your business for free. |
| software that will "blast a Press Release on the desk | | | | Owning a newspaper automatically opens doors. As |
| of every magazine and newspaper editor in the | | | | the owner of means to propagate messages to the |
| country". | | | | reading public you will find that professional |
| So they write, charged their clients, click, send and pray | | | | organizations and government services will want to |
| that the sheer percentage of numbers will do the trick. | | | | cultivate your friendship. You will be put on guest lists, |
| Joined in their prayers by just about everyone else in | | | | mailing lists and even interview lists by other journalists. |
| the industry it means that a press release, these days, | | | | A newspaper is the perfect vehicle for starting up |
| will see the light of day only if one of two things are | | | | creative business partnerships. Give it away for free, |
| happening: A. The PR journalist has a personal | | | | for example, to all the tourist hotels in your area and |
| relationship with the editor in question (it happens, | | | | offer them reduced advertising or even free |
| though not frequently), or B. The editor in question puts | | | | advertising and see if you can then link up with them to |
| together a survey cobbled from the mountain of press | | | | promote your business or services. Offer reduced |
| releases overflowing the newsdesk and features a | | | | advertising in it to all your clients. Use it as a vehicle to |
| product alongside that of its competitors. | | | | sell complementary products or services from |
| What has all this got to do with starting your own | | | | businesses outside your own. The list of possibilities |
| newspaper? | | | | here is limited only by your own ability to negotiate a |
| Well, a lot actually. If you really want to control your | | | | creative business deal. |
| PR, impress your customers, add gravitas to your | | | | Use the newspaper as a platform (but not a pulpit) for |
| business and open doors wherever you go, starting | | | | your thoughts and ideas. As a business professional |
| your own newspaper is the way to do it. | | | | you re in tune with your market. You know the |
| I know the prospect sounds daunting. A newspaper | | | | challenges, its developments, what makes it tick. You |
| requires a name, office space, equipment, an editor, | | | | probably have theories, untested ideas, suggestions. |
| subs, a graphic design desk, photoresearchers, | | | | Used wisely, a newspaper platform, can turn you into |
| journalists, publicity, a circulation manager, printers and | | | | a media star in your own circle. |
| someone to make the coffee. | | | | Make money from advertising. This is a no-brainer. |
| The latest foray into national paper publishing in the UK, | | | | Depending on how you circulate your newspaper you |
| The Sportsman, burnt 15 million British pounds in just | | | | can make it work directly for you by generating ad |
| three months and failed to find a circulation, an | | | | revenue. This can be from small-scale ads designed to |
| audience or pretty much anything at all. | | | | fill the 'Classifieds' section to full-page ads given to |
| So why am I suggesting it at all? | | | | practically anyone you care to approach. |
| Well, because it's feasible, for one and makes sound | | | | Last but not least you will, through the 'magic' of having |
| business sense for another and, handled right, does not | | | | your own newspaper be classed as a media mogul. |
| need to burn up a truckload of money the way The | | | | Someone who has clout in the world of mass media, |
| Sportsman did. If we leave cats and skinning alone for | | | | able to highlight specific developments, give profile to |
| a mo (old clichés should be locked away | | | | specific business and attend glitzy events. |
| sometimes, particularly if they upset animal lovers), | | | | All this, of course, is just a pared-down version of the |
| there's always more than one way to do something. | | | | advantages and possibilities offered through the |
| If you launch a newspaper to just make yourself feel | | | | owning of your own newspaper. The reality of it, |
| good, then maybe the first step is to find a reliable | | | | properly handled, can catapult your business into the |
| printer you can trust who can get his hands on some | | | | stratosphere, enable you to take advantage of |
| really good quality printing plates because printing your | | | | possibilities which would have slipped past your fingers |
| own currency is the easiest way to fund it. | | | | and help you have a far greater impact upon the |
| But if you are thinking of launching a newspaper to | | | | business world than you would normally have thought |
| promote your business, gain exposure, increase the | | | | possible. |
| reach and power of your networking efforts, open | | | | Because starting your own newspaper is a feasible |
| negotiating doors, impress customers, sell more | | | | idea it doesn't mean you should go ahead and start it |
| products or services and make some money while | | | | (though we'd love it if all our clients did just that!). Talk |
| doing all this, then there is a way to do it which does | | | | to us first. Tell us what you hope to achieve, why you |
| not cost the Earth. | | | | think it will work for you and we'll be happy to give you |
| In fact, with so many high-quality, experienced | | | | a FREE, obligation-free assessment outlining not just |
| freelance journalists and editors knocking about praying | | | | the possibilities but also the pitfalls. |
| that their expertly written, electronically filed press | | | | That will give you a good overall picture of the way |
| releases get through to an editor who will use them, | | | | newspaper publishing works. |