Here are seven steps for a do-it-yourself PR program:

1. Create a media list.

A media list consists of publications to submit press releases and bylined articles. It will include local newspapers, regional business journals and national trade publications related to both your industry and target markets. Go to your local public library and find the Bacon’s PR directories. There are three separate directories for magazines, newspapers and e-zines.

By looking in the alphabetical index of the magazine directory, you will find the proper section with magazines titled according to your interest. However, you still need to read the profile of the magazine; for example, a magazine starting with the word “security” could refer to personal safety or economics.

Then, note the circulation of the selected magazines, generally between 10,000 and 100,000 are the best for a new PR program. For smaller publications (about 10,000 to 50,000), record the contact information for the editor-in-chief. For larger ones, try to find the beat reporter for your industry.

For the Bacon newspaper directory, you need to look for publications in your geographical area, most likely the County where you work. All local daily and regional business publications should be included.

The e-zine Bacon’s directory probably overlaps with the print publications, but if you find new independent websites, you should include them, too.

Your final media list should contain around 40-to-50 publications and include circulation, mailing address, editorial contacts and their corresponding phone numbers and emails.

2. Create a press release.

First, you need to brainstorm with your staff to find a newsworthy angle. This may consist of a local news hook (e.g., Greenwich Church Sends Delegation to Rebuild Home on the Gulf Coast) or a reframing of your company services (e.g., Yacht Company Offers Deluxe Package for Corporate Clients.)

Once you have a topic, write a short headline, and reiterate the headline in the first paragraph. The second paragraph should provide the most newsworthy material, and the third paragraph should contain a quote from your CEO.

When writing a press release, remember the inverted pyramid structure. The most newsworthy material goes up front with background and supporting materials at the end. All writing should be succinct and factual except for the quotation, where it’s okay to include a bit of enthusiasm. However, the quote should not contain new information but react to previously stated facts.

The end of the press release should contain a “boilerplate.” This is a one- or two-paragraph description of your company and is headlined, “About [Your Company].” The same boilerplate should be used in every press release.

The length of the press release should be two pages at the most.

3. Pitch your press release.

Using the information provided in your media list, contact the editors and ask for permission to send your press release. This will avoid cold emails or mass distribution, a near certainty for rejection. Remember editors can receive around 300 press releases per day. At least if you speak to them first, they will be expecting your press release.

Then, you need to follow up about every week asking if they have read your release. Generally, the answer will be no because they are so busy; thus, after two or three follow-up calls, ask to review the press release on the phone. Give editors the exact time of transmission so they can easily find the release. Then, if they accept your release, make sure to follow up and get the appropriate issue to confirm publication.

Generally, graphic support for your release will increase the likelihood of publication. Also, you need to find ways to avoid voicemail, perhaps just through sheer persistence. The idea is to build a relationship with the editor through a series of phone calls.

4. Write a bylined article.

Bylined articles are different from press releases. First of all, they must be exclusive to just one publication. They are written more in an essay format with an introduction, subheads and a conclusion. Bylined articles should be vendor-neutral; they should not directly mention your company. However, it’s okay to recommend general features, especially if those features happen to be provided by your firm.

Bylined articles are generally about 750 to 2,000 words long (a few pages) and discuss an issue of interest to the readers, positioning the writer as an expert on that issue.

5. Pitch your bylined article.

The best way to pitch a bylined article starts even before you write it. You should first review the editorial calendars of the magazines on your media list. These calendars list the topics the magazine will focus on for each monthly issue and can generally be found on the magazine’s website. When you find an appropriate topic in the editorial calendar, contact the editor and ask if you can write an outline of the article for review. By requesting to write an outline first, you determine whether editors are interested in your topic, and you eliminate inappropriate subjects. And if editors are interested in the topic of your outline, they are generally more likely to publish the final piece. Generally, you need to pitch your article at least two months in advance of the issue date provided in the editorial calendar.

The follow-up process for the bylined article is similar to the one for a press release as mentioned above. For graphic support, a headshot of the writer is generally appropriate.

Also, the publication of the bylined article is not the end of the story. Published bylined articles should be transformed into reprints. Reprints are not copies; they are a special PR format with the published article presented in a pleasing layout without any ads, and a banner of the publication going across the top of the page. They should be on glossy paper to create a pleasing effect. Generally, you need copyright permission from the publication to create reprints. Often, they will have an internal department devoted solely to that function.

Some PR experts believe the reprint is even more valuable for marketing purposes than publication of the article in the first place.

6. Repeat the process.

Press releases can be submitted about every eight weeks. Magazines don’t like to publish a lot of articles all from the same company, so you need to rest your editorial relationships. Bylined articles can be repeated once every couple of months, but you should try to diversify the magazines selected.

7. Future steps

As you accumulate press releases and bylined articles, you will want to create a press kit. This will also include other items such as company brochures, tri-folds and marketing documents. Ideally, the kit cover should be customized and glossy with two internal pockets and a slit for your business card.

Other more advanced PR programs include researching conferences for a speaking engagement, pursuing online public relations, creation of quarterly newsletters, etc. But a media list, press releases and bylined articles represent the heart of any PR program.

Founded in 2003, Cut-It-Out Communications http://www.cioediting.com is a full-service public relations firm specializing in B2B clients and interactive services. The President, Willy Gissen, a Harvard graduate, trained with a former SVP of a top New York City PR firm and served on the communications staff of a New York State gubernatorial campaign.

Real estate flipping is a term used to refer to the practice of acquiring a property for the purpose of generating profit. When you flip a property, you do a purchase transaction and aim to sell the asset at a much higher price when the market is very supporting an upturn.

As you see, it is a usual practice of capitalists and investors to buy real estate with the aim of selling the property at a much significant price in the future. Valuation almost always rises. The only question and uncertainty at hand would be when this rise would happen. Property investors are always on the lookout for market up-ticks. When such price hikes occur, investors take the queue to divest and monetize their profits.

What is most exciting about real estate flipping is that investment returns and profits can go uncontrollable. In other words, profitability can be easily achieved and can be bounded by no limits. You can easily double, triple or quadruple your investments if you would only be appropriately strategic about your investment. Here are some tips that would help you make the most out of flipping.

• Do your homework by researching about the asset you are considering. It would also be advisable if you would know what you should know about the venue, the location and the overall market situation of the real estate asset’s site. Failing to do so would not spare you from any market fluctuation and dips that may arise.

• Tour the property long before you finally implement and execute the flip transaction. Assess if the property is strategically located or if it is potentially ideal for your investment. Some real estate assets are obviously inappropriately priced. If you think an asset is overpriced, stay away from it if the seller or broker is not willing to adjust prices. If the asset is priced too low for its actual valuation, grab it.

• Have a working business plan upon buying the asset. Set your goals and schedule a working plan that you would do about the property. Check the calendar and set strategic and practical schedules for any activity involving the asset.

• Consult professionals or experts. Before putting up and taking the transaction, it would be better if you would touch base with accountants, realtors, tax officers, property inspectors, lawyers and contractors to check if the real estate is sound and safe in all possible aspects. This is not being difficult and tedious, but being practical and cautious.

• Set your mindset that the real estate investment is actually a long-term investment. While it is possible that you may generate income or profits in the short to middle term, depending on market influences, most real estate flippers are prepared to treat the investment as a long term one. Do not worry because you can actually use your property productively. You can live in it, lease it or develop it while you wait for the right timing to sell and generate investment returns.

Julia Vakulenko is a licensed broker associate with Tampa4U.com Realty. She has one of the hardest working Tampa Real Estate team in Florida specializing in Tampa Condos and also in2Va Team for Northern Virginia Real Estate

I have read many anti wrinkle cream reviews, but there is always some missing information. What are the ingredients? You cannot compare anti aging wrinkle cream, unless you can learn about and read about the ingredients.

Do you rely on the claims made by celebrity endorsers and marketers? You must know that celebrities are paid for their endorsements and the marketer’s only job is to sell the product. They never mention the possibility of adverse or allergic reactions. That won’t sell the product for them.

You must also realize that many published anti wrinkle cream reviews were written by people who are affiliated with the company, in one way or another. To be a smart shopper, get results and protect your health, you have to be an “informed” consumer.

Consumer safety groups try to help. They publish research reports and test compounds for safety. The Environmental Working Group, for example, recently found that lipsticks and other personal care products were contaminated with the heavy metal lead.

After learning about all of this and the other health hazards in our beauty aids, I began to compare anti aging wrinkle cream that was “all natural”. But, still I found that natural is not always equivalent to safe. Even some organic compounds increase our cancer risks.

You won’t find information like that in anti wrinkle cream reviews and they don’t require manufacturers to put cancer warning labels on cosmetics. There are many things to avoid. But, you can start by avoiding sunscreens.

If you compare anti aging wrinkle cream ingredients, you will see, as I did, that the vast majority of them contain at least one sun screening compound. Most of them were not adequately tested for safety before being released on an unknowing public.

When you compare anti aging wrinkle cream ingredients, you will often see oxybenzone or benzophenone. Over two years ago, researchers proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that those organic sun screening compounds cause increased free radical production in the skin and DNA damage when exposed to sunlight. That makes them “photo-carcinogens”.

Yet, I’ve seen positive anti wrinkle cream reviews for products that contain these compounds. So, even when you read about something that “sounds good”, do a little more research, before you give it a try.

If you want to compare an anti aging wrinkle cream that is really effective, you need to look for one major ingredient; Functional Keratin. This protein peptide is extracted from sheep’s wool and processed carefully in order to prevent it from becoming inactive.

It is the only digestible form of keratin in the world. Most keratins are hard and processing them renders the proteins inactive. They cannot be used by the skin’s cells.

Keratin is what gives the skin its strength, elasticity and firmness. In clinical studies, it has been shown to increase skin cell production, strengthen collagen fibers, reduce inflammation and act as an antioxidant, preventing and repairing free radical damage.

Now it’s time to stop reading anti wrinkle cream reviews and look for Functional Keratin. There are other effective compounds, but that’s the best one to start with.

Dr. Valerie Rosenbaum is a board certified dermatologist specializing in anti-aging and skin care treatments. She has done extensive research on the way chemicals used in skin care products affect the skin. Visit her website http://www.DefendYourSkin.com to find out what to look for in quality skin care products.

When people have a talk about housing, one of the most probable topics that will come up is that it should really be one of the priorities or goals in life to have their own home. Having your own shelter is really something that is more preferable and advisable than simply renting elsewhere. Whether it is a simple home or a big mansion, what you should first think about is to choose the area of the place first.

In reality, the actual location of the home should be what you give your utmost attention to. For once, you should make sure that the location would still make it possible for you to travel to work or your children to travel to school on a daily basis without having to spend a lot of money for it.

This is really good news for those people who may be thinking about a Miami real estate property. When you invest to a Miami real estate home, you could be sure that you will get the worth of your money and you will not even have to worry about many other things.

Of course, aside from the actual home, you should still have to settle other needs such as the home utilities. As an example, the electric power in South Florida is something that is provided by the Florida Power and Light. This company also offers an online database so they could offer you more ease and convenience to you as someone who owns a Miami real estate and for others, as well.

As you will observe in the studies and statistics that others have put on the web, the Miami real estate has been one of the main factors why modern homes suddenly have become the trend in today’s market.

One good way for you to get started with doing a research about the Miami real estate is to know your priorities first and then see if you could really afford their prices or not. If you do not have enough money for that, you could still plan for getting loans so you could buy it if you want (and if you are qualified for it). Otherwise, take that as a warning sign that you wouldn’t have to do any Miami real estate search at all and do it some other time when you already have enough funds for it.

However, if you already have the money for a Miami real estate, then that makes things more realistic. That would make it more motivational for you to search from site to site and compare prices and features. The best thing here is that you could check various websites on the web so you could see pictures and even take virtual tours of the available Miami real estate offers. Miami is definitely one of the best places to live in and without a doubt, Miami real estate is one of the best investments that you should make.

Eliza Maledevic writes for http://Jump2Top.com - SEO Company

Being a celebrity is a double edged sword; it brings fame and fortune, but also jealousy and sometimes even hatred. Nietzsche, the famous philosopher and critical thinker suggested that resentment of the ‘few’ by the ‘many’ is inevitable. People become jealous of the high and mighty and will do anything to smear, tarnish, and all around ruin these authoritative figures in one way or another.

The same still applies today and the best example is that of the United States Presidential election race where the word ‘celebrity’ has been tossed around as a slanderous term. Democratic Presidential hopefully, Barack Obama, is a victim of his own popularity. Having toppled foreign governments with nothing more than his smile and verbosity, it’s no wonder that 90% of all graphic tees depicting a political figure have Barack Obama on them in some fashion.

Critics and political pundits said that Obama never had a prayer when he entered the 08′ race for president; he was after all over-shadowed by Hillary Clinton and John Edwards. But as the seasons comes to a close, we find that Obama is on top and it leaves many people dazzled as to how it happened; now his name is now chanted everywhere. Change, very much the motif of Obama’s campaign is what voters seek for America. With our huge economic deficit, weak dollar, and military blunders, American seeks a change from the Republican regime which has gotten them into this mess. This growing trend of change can be seen on the street wherever you got.

There are vector graphic tees depicting action poses of Barak Obama, or graphic t shirts showing merely passionate quotes from campaign speeches. Whatever the reason, Obama has usurped the political t shirt market without ever lifting a finger. Barack Paraphernalia does not stop with graphic tees; there are buttons, backpacks, hats, foam fingers, notebooks, and stationery pads all dedicated to him personally. Obama’s personality and campaign might resemble that of a celebrity status, which would attribute to his widespread products in our nation, but being a celebrity isn’t a bad thing. It just means that people want to be you but can’t.

Fred McCoy is a content writer and a print designer who strongly suggests R.A.G clothing as a great example of where to get affordable graphic tees in New York City. They have everything from Plaid shorts to Cheap Polo t Shirts. For more information about R.A.G, visit R.A.G. Clothing.

Why do the tabloids get so much attention at the checkout stand? When you watch the news or read it online which stories get your attention the quickest?

We live in a huge mass society. If you met 100 people a day, you could only meet a tiny fraction of those people in your lifetime. The best way to reach the masses, or even the majority of your target customers, is to use mass media.

Most public relations press releases are just downright boring. The material might be important but come on. There has to be a way in this attention-deficit culture to reach people effectively.

In order to get your product, service, organization, or idea into the media, you have to think like a tabloid story editor. You must hit the Media Manager Hot Buttons. You need to first, reach the editors before you reach the public.

First, target your message to the medium that is most interested in your type of story. Start with online blogs and press release companies. You can test headlines with press release submissions and place a special link to your site.

There are several topics that media managers usually grab as soon as possible. If you can think of a way to combine your message with controversial subjects, you will be noticed. The Controversial topics can be searched on the Web and with some creative writing, connected to your own story.

Is your story controversial all by itself? There are certain topics that the media seems to be jumping on regularly. You can actually look up what is popular on the Internet or in the news by going to Google Trends or to Technorati.

The bottom line is this, think like the media; shape your message to fit their likes. Do that and your message has a great chance of being used. Above all, don’t give up. Find interesting facts that will tie in to your own story, for example: When Brittany Spears shaved her head, the pictures were everywhere.

If your hair restoration product was linked to the topic, you could put out a Press Release that said: Brittany Spears’ baldness highlights the growing problem of women’s hair loss. Of course, you’ll have to make the headline more creative.

Hang in there and keep creative ideas flowing. Do research on the latest movies, stories and trends. Determine how to make sure your product, service, organization or idea ties into some of one of those stories. If you need assistance, let me know. I’ll give you more in depth information on the subject. You can get on my free online coaching program for more help.

Dennis Morales Francis is a consultant and coach for business professionals and wellness practitioners. His website, offers its members online coaching on building Internet income and automating their marketing on and off the web. Dennis is the author of “Double My Revenues In 12 Months or Less”.

Go to http://www.doublemyrevenues.com/money.html to learn how to put $120,000 a year in your pocket by pressing a button on your PC. You don’t want to miss this E-Tutorial.

When your prospect reads your ad, you want to make sure he believes any claims you make about your product or service. Because if there’s any doubt in his mind, he won’t bite, no matter how sweet the deal. In fact, the “too good to be true” mentality will virtually guarantee a lost sale…even if it is all true.

So what can you do to increase the perception of believability? Because after all, it’s the perception you need to address up front. But of course you also must make sure your copy is accurate and truthful.

Here are some tried and tested methods that will help:

• If you’re dealing with existing customers who already know you deliver as promised, emphasize that trust. Don’t leave it up to them to figure it out. Make them stop, cock their heads, and say, “Oh, yeah. The ABC Company has never done me wrong before. I can trust them.”
• Include testimonials of satisfied customers. Be sure to put full names and locations, where possible. Remember, “A.S.” is a lot less believable than “Andy Sherman, Voorhees, NJ.” If you can also include a picture of the customer and/or a professional title, that’s even better. It doesn’t matter that your testimonials aren’t from somebody famous or that your prospect does not know these people personally. If you have enough compelling testimonials, and they’re believable, you’re much better off than not including them at all.
• Pepper your copy with facts and research findings to support your claims. Be sure to credit all sources, even if the fact is common knowledge, because a neutral source goes a long way towards credibility.
• For a direct mail letter or certain space ads where the copy is in the form of a letter from a specific individual, including a picture of that person helps. But unlike “traditional” real estate letters and other similar ads, I’d put the picture at the end near your signature, or midway through the copy, rather than at the top where it will detract from your headline. And…if your sales letter is from a specific individual, be sure to include his credentials to establish him as an expert in his field (relating to your product or service, of course).
• If applicable, cite any awards or third-party reviews the product or service has received.
• If you’ve sold a lot of widgets, tell them. It’s the old “10 million people can’t be wrong” adage (they can be, but your prospect will likely take your side on the matter).
• Include a GREAT return policy and stand by it! This is just good business policy. Many times, offering a double refund guarantee for certain products will result in higher profits. Yes, you’ll dish out more refunds, but if you sell three times as many widgets as before, and only have to refund twice as much as before, it may be worth it, depending on your offer and return on investment. Crunch the numbers and see what makes sense. More importantly, test! Make them think, “Gee, they wouldn’t be so generous with returns if they didn’t stand behind their product!”
• If you can swing it, adding a celebrity endorsement will always help to establish credibility. Heck, if ‘ol honest Abe Lincoln recommended your product and backs up your claims, it must be true! Ok, you get the idea, though.
• When it makes sense, use 3rd party testimonials. What are 3rd party testimonials? Here’s some examples from some Web site copy I wrote when there weren’t many customer testimonials available yet:

“Spyware, without question, is on an exponential rise over the last six months.“
- Alfred Huger, Senior Director of Engineering, Symantec Security Response (maker of Norton security software)

“Simply clicking on a banner ad can install spyware.“
- Dave Methvin, Chief Technology Officer, PC Pitstop

“A deployment method is to “trick users into consenting to a software download they think they absolutely need“
- Paul Bryan, Director, Security And Technology Unit, Microsoft

Do you see what I did?

I took quotes from experts in their respective fields and turned them to my side. But…be sure to get their consent or permission from the copyright holder if there’s ever any question about copyrighted materials as your source.

Note that I also pushed an emotional hot button: fear.

It’s been proven that people will generally do more to avoid pain than to obtain pleasure. So why not use this little clue to your advantage?

• Reveal a flaw about your product. This helps alleviate the “too good to be true” syndrome. You reveal a flaw that isn’t really a flaw. Or reveal a flaw that is minor, just to show that you’re being “up front” about your product’s shortcomings.

Example:

“You’re probably thinking right now that this tennis racket is a miracle worker-and it is. But I must tell you that it has one little…shortcoming.

My racket takes about 2 weeks to get used to. In fact, when you first start using it, your game will actually get worse. But if you can just ride it out, you’ll see a tremendous improvement in your volleys, net play, serves, …” And so on.

There’s a tendency to think, with all of the ads that we are bombarded with today that every advertiser is always putting his best foot forward, so to speak.

And I think that line of reasoning is accurate, to a point.

But isn’t it refreshing when someone stands out from the crowd and is honest? In other words, your reader will start to subconsciously believe that you are revealing all of the flaws, even though your best foot is still put forward.

• Use “lift notes.” These are a brief note or letter from a person of authority. Not necessary a celebrity, although that can add credibility, too. A person of authority is someone well recognized in their field (which is related to your product) that they are qualified to talk about. Lift notes may be distributed as inserts, a separate page altogether, or even as part of the copy itself. As always, test!
• If you are limiting the offer with a deadline “order by” date, be sure the deadline is real and does not change. Deadline dates that change every day are sure to reduce credibility. The prospect will suspect, “if his deadline date keeps changing, he’s not telling the truth about it…I wonder what else he’s not telling the truth about.”
• Avoid baseless “hype.” as discussed in previous tips. You’ll lose sales and customers. Enough said.

Look out for the next chapter - “Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)” coming real soon.

Andrew provides a focused problem solving approach through his personal and business coaching (especially to small businesses). This approach is linked to providing work at home businesses, affiliates and online businesses with PROFITABLE INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS.

His overriding goal is to provide you with the right choices that fit your needs, solve your problems.

His website, http://www.youraffiliatecoach.com - is content rich with useful information, articles and resources.

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