Public Relations FOR DUMmIES

Whoever you are, wherever you are, public relations makes a difference in your life — believe it or not.

If you’re a small-business owner or manager or a wannabe entrepreneur, PR helps level the playing field between you and your bigger, wealthier competi- tors. You may not be able to afford a 60-second commercial during the Super Bowl, but if you offer a free session at your health club to people who come in during the Super Bowl, you can get front-page publicity based on your PR event.

If you’re a corporate manager or executive, you’ve seen ad budgets decline while ad costs skyrocket. With an effective public relations program, you can communicate with your target market more often, not less, without increas- ing ad spending.

And if you’re a consumer, public relations plays a role in your education and the formation of your opinions without your even being aware of it. Did you know that half or more of everything you read, see, and hear in the media was put there through the actions of a public relations manager or a PR firm? PR has an enormous effect on the information you get every day of your life.

I wrote Public Relations For Dummies, 2nd Edition, precisely because I know that there is no magic to PR and that do-it-yourself is not only viable but also sensible for many businesses. What Wilford Brimley says about Quaker Oats applies equally to doing your own PR for many readers of this book: “It’s the right thing to do.” And just as eating Quaker Oats is “the right thing to do” when it comes to nutrition at breakfast, Public Relations For Dummies, 2nd Edition, shows all you PR do-it-yourselfers out there “the right way to do it.”

The key to getting media coverage is to offer them a story that they can’t resist. The two key elements are an understanding of the marketing message and the ability to think creatively in terms of PR campaigns. You already understand your business’s market, and I am convinced that, with enough practice, almost anyone can learn to think more creatively. The mechanics of PR — and a lot of sample campaigns to inspire you — are laid out in this book. So you already have everything you need to do your own PR, and you don’t need to hire an agency if you don’t want to.