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Kent Martin lives
in the world of communications. His career in the discipline
encompasses the gamut of experience, from working media as a
producer and reporter to corporate communications, helping
companies of all sizes develop and put into action the
appropriate PR solutions to their needs.
He has worked for
both start-up organizations as well as Fortune 100 firms,
providing a host of public relations services, such as
executive counsel, brand message development, trade show
support, media relations and media training. For Kent,
communications lie at the crux of the answers to many of our
challenges in society today.
“The Information
Age in which we live can be overwhelming … and at the same
time, it can be a terrific opportunity,” Kent believes.
“Never before have we had available to us the wide variety
of communications tools we have today, from traditional to
new and social media. The key to success, however, is
knowing which tool to use to reach your audience. And it all
begins with research and planning.”
His career
experience ranges from crisis communications for a national
airline to strategic planning for a global mining company to
media relations for a national memorial. Kent has won a host
of national honors, including the George Foster Peabody
award, the Associated Press Broadcasters award as well as a
regional Emmy award for his work for the Higher Education
Channel in St. Louis.
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The Small Business
Communications Transcripted Podcast
Press Releases - What Makes a Good Story in a Press Release?
Constructing a Press Release
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(Small
Business Communications Podcast Intro begins: typewriter feeding in
paper is heard. The typewriter's guide arm slaps into place. Typing
begins as the music begins to fade in...) Small businesses are one vital
component of the American economy that manage to weather any financial
storm. They are the foundation of what makes opportunities for millions
each and every day. My name is Kent Martin. I've seen just about every
kind of business model there is over the years. Some are strong, others
have endured and some - well - if there weren't bad ones we couldn't
understand how great the good ones are, right? So join me as I share
perspectives, theories and outright facts about how businesses both
large and small communicate and how YOU can strengthen and improve your
company communications during the 2GuysTalking Small Business
Communications Podcast. (Typewriter bell dings)
We’ve looked at what a
news release looks like and what goes into a successful release. It’s
time to talk about what sort of story makes for a good release.
A news release that captures the attention of an editor is one that
tells a story the editor’s audience will want to read. What kind of
story does an audience want to read? Look in the mirror and ask yourself
whether it’s a story you’d be interested in reading. If it’s a story
only you and maybe your staff want to read, think about how to tell your
story to the bigger audience.
How to do this? By helping relate your news to the general population.
The story may talk about how your company is growing, say, through an
office opening or a new contract. It may mean you’ll be adding people …
or maybe not - but it’s still a story of good news about your firm. And
this is worthwhile news.
Here are some examples of stories your company might consider news
release-worthy:Link to
complete text from this transcripted podcast at The 2GuysTalking
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The Small Business
Communications Transcripted Podcast
Public Relations - Good and Effective Communications Tools - Part 2
Constructing a Press Release
Tell Us
What YOU Think of This Episode!
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Listen to This Episode Now!
(Small
Business Communications Podcast Intro begins: typewriter feeding in
paper is heard. The typewriter's guide arm slaps into place. Typing
begins as the music begins to fade in...) Small businesses are one vital
component of the American economy that manage to weather any financial
storm. They are the foundation of what makes opportunities for millions
each and every day. My name is Kent Martin. I've seen just about every
kind of business model there is over the years. Some are strong, others
have endured and some - well - if there weren't bad ones we couldn't
understand how great the good ones are, right? So join me as I share
perspectives, theories and outright facts about how businesses both
large and small communicate and how YOU can strengthen and improve your
company communications during the 2GuysTalking Small Business
Communications Podcast. (Typewriter bell dings)
Last time, we talked
about the news release and its role in public relations. Now, we’ll
deconstruct a release and explain how it works and what it should
accomplish.
A typical news release consists of five main parts:
* A clear and consistent
message – Boil down your story into a nice and concise sentence or two,
then weave it into your release. A good writer knows how to do this so
your release reads easily and your message doesn’t come across like a
sledgehammer. The message should be prominent in the release – whether
it’s in the lead sentence or perhaps a quote – so the reader, a writer
for a trade journal perhaps, is compelled to carry it forward into a
story.
* A headline that
makes the reader want to read the release. Too many headlines are flat
recitations of the actual announcement – ABC Company Opens New Warehouse
– and do nothing to encourage the reader to continue. Give me a little
more in the headline. How about ABC Company Opens New Warehouse to Meet
Customer Demand, or ABC Company Goes Lean and Green With New Warehouse?
Now you have something worth reading...
Link to
complete text from this transcripted podcast at The 2GuysTalking
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The Small Business
Communications Transcripted Podcast
Public Relations - Good and Effective Communications Tools - Part 1
Tell Us
What YOU Think of This Episode!
Subscribe to This Podcast via iTunes!
Listen to This Episode Now!
(Small
Business Communications Podcast Intro begins: typewriter feeding in
paper is heard. The typewriter's guide arm slaps into place. Typing
begins as the music begins to fade in...) Small businesses are one vital
component of the American economy that manage to weather any financial
storm. They are the foundation of what makes opportunities for millions
each and every day. My name is Kent Martin. I've seen just about every
kind of business model there is over the years. Some are strong, others
have endured and some - well - if there weren't bad ones we couldn't
understand how great the good ones are, right? So join me as I share
perspectives, theories and outright facts about how businesses both
large and small communicate and how YOU can strengthen and improve your
company communications during the 2GuysTalking Small Business
Communications Podcast. (Typewriter bell dings)
Let’s
take a look at public relations and some of the tools
used to practice good and effective communications.
The news release … or press release, however you choose
to call it … has been an essential communications tool
since the birth of PR. The news release contains the
storyline, message and the tone of a campaign and
provides essential details about the announcement, such
as the when and where and why. In many ways, in fact,
its format is similar to a news story and when you think
about it, this is necessary because you’re pitching your
story to a journalist.
But first, we need to understand the role a release
plays in public relations...
Link to
complete text from this transcripted podcast at The 2GuysTalking
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The Small Business
Communications Transcripted Podcast
Telling Great Stories
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What YOU Think of This Episode!
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(Small
Business Communications Podcast Intro begins: typewriter feeding in
paper is heard. The typewriter's guide arm slaps into place. Typing
begins as the music begins to fade in...) Small businesses are one vital
component of the American economy that manage to weather any financial
storm. They are the foundation of what makes opportunities for millions
each and every day. My name is Kent Martin. I've seen just about every
kind of business model there is over the years. Some are strong, others
have endured and some - well - if there weren't bad ones we couldn't
understand how great the good ones are, right? So join me as I share
perspectives, theories and outright facts about how businesses both
large and small communicate and how YOU can strengthen and improve your
company communications during the 2GuysTalking Small Business
Communications Podcast. (Typewriter bell dings)
Once
upon a time … that’s how almost every fairy tale begins. And let’s face
it, who among us doesn’t enjoy a good story told well? Just about
everybody enjoys storytelling. And if you’re a small business owner
trying to break through the clutter in today’s media traffic jam, that’s
good news.
Because
you don’t have to be overwhelmed by all the choices available today
online, broadcasting, social media, print - name it. It may seem that
the ways to communicate are complex and endless, and your task is
overwhelming.
In
reality, what matters is what you want to tell your audience. And how
you do that is through telling a good story.
Consider
some of the more memorable stories you’ve ever heard about a company or
an organization. Colonel Sanders had been selling his famous fried
chicken to patrons of his restaurant for years before launching his
franchise empire at the age of 65...
Link to
complete text from this transcripted podcast at The
2GuysTalking Television Review Blogs...
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The Small Business
Communications Transcripted Podcast
Dealing with Scandals
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What YOU Think of This Episode!
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(Small
Business Communications Podcast Intro begins: typewriter feeding in
paper is heard. The typewriter's guide arm slaps into place. Typing
begins as the music begins to fade in...) Small businesses are one vital
component of the American economy that manage to weather any financial
storm. They are the foundation of what makes opportunities for millions
each and every day. My name is Kent Martin. I've seen just about every
kind of business model there is over the years. Some are strong, others
have endured and some - well - if there weren't bad ones we couldn't
understand how great the good ones are, right? So join me as I share
perspectives, theories and outright facts about how businesses both
large and small communicate and how YOU can strengthen and improve your
company communications during the 2GuysTalking Small Business
Communications Podcast. (Typewriter bell dings)
When you
think back on news stories that have made headlines over the years, no
doubt many of them that come to mind most quickly involve scandals, and
the companies and celebrities ensnared in them.
But think back again and consider how you remember them. You probably
put them into two categories: Those companies who failed miserably at
dealing with said scandals, and those companies who dealt with these
scandals not only professionally and intelligently but did so in such a
way that their response actually enhanced their reputation.
Some of the biggest PR mistakes made in corporate America in recent
times occurred on or near Wall Street and Detroit. The bonuses handed
out to top executives of companies that had been given federal bailout
funding drew scorn and criticism. Whether or not those bonuses were
justified, the outcry and protests from taxpayers and lawmakers alike
forced some recipients of the bonuses to give them back...
Link to
complete text from this transcripted podcast at The
2GuysTalking Television Review Blogs...
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The Small Business
Communications Transcripted Podcast
Public Relations (PR) - What is It?
Tell Us
What YOU Think of This Episode!
Subscribe to This Podcast via iTunes!
(Small
Business Communications Podcast Intro begins: typewriter feeding in
paper is heard. The typewriter's guide arm slaps into place. Typing
begins as the music begins to fade in...) Small businesses are one vital
component of the American economy that manage to weather any financial
storm. They are the foundation of what makes opportunities for millions
each and every day. My name is Kent Martin. I've seen just about every
kind of business model there is over the years. Some are strong, others
have endured and some - well - if there weren't bad ones we couldn't
understand how great the good ones are, right? So join me as I share
perspectives, theories and outright facts about how businesses both
large and small communicate and how YOU can strengthen and improve your
company communications during the 2GuysTalking Small Business
Communications Podcast. (Typewriter bell dings)
What a
time to be in business for yourself! Yet this is the very time when you
need to look to the future when times will be better. Now is the time to
start reaching your audience with your vision. And one way to do it … is
with public relations.
Everyone
has a different opinion of PR. Some see it as free advertising. Others
call it “spin.” Still others struggle to see any value in it because its
effectiveness is not easy to measure. At least with advertising, you see
the final product.
Your
audience may remember where they saw the ad. It may be easier to
understand if we talk about what PR is - and what it is not...
Link to
complete text from this transcripted podcast at The
2GuysTalking Television Review Blogs...
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