Carolyn Moncel's Shoestring PR - Media Relations Advice for the Small Business Owner

5 Star Review for 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover!

2011-07-13T09:12:00.002+02:00

Feeling very blessed for the following review from ReadersFavorites.com:

"Carolyn Moncel is a wonderful author. I like the development of the characters and the way they blended into the plot. This is not Ellery and Julien Roulet's first appearance, though. I was a little confused on that aspect at first, but once I pushed through the novella, I quickly became acquainted with them and found myself pulled into the middle of the book to take the journey of relationships and complicated issues that surround having a lover.

Not that I have been through these things, I really felt a deep connection with Ellery. Just the way that Ms. Moncel created and formed her character really reached out to me. I think that is part of what makes it such a fantastic book. The issues at hand, the cheating, the deeply emotional journey of abuse, all of them were created not to be entertaining, but informative and life like..."

Read the Full Review

Buy the Book

OOSA Online Gives 5 Stars to Encounters in Paris

2011-03-06T11:12:00.001+01:00

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” – Flora Whittemore

When you think of Paris, one of things that might cross your mind is romance, but the last thing Ellery Roulet is feeling is romantic. Ellery never imagined reading her mail would send her life in a downward spiral, but soon she realizes it was already headed that way.

“Encounters in Paris” is described as a collection of short stories, but I would describe it as chapters in Ellery Roulet’s life. Every short story involves Ellery coming to the realization of a situation in her life, and also understanding that life’s solutions aren’t so black and white. The author does an excellent job of engrossing readers in the language, atmosphere, and culture of Paris, also addressing topics such as infidelity, trust, and regret.

Hopefully the author will continue Ellery’s story, because I believe there is so much more waiting in the wings for the main character.

Author Angela Henry Interviews Carolyn Moncel

2011-02-25T18:53:00.002+01:00

Check out my blog interview with Angela Henry, author of the terrific book, Paris Secret! A fast-paced mystery, it's the perfect read for a cozy weekend at home!
http://parissecretnovel.blogspot.com

APOOO Bookclub Recommends Encounters in Paris!

2011-02-25T18:28:00.002+01:00

In Encounters in Paris, Ellery Roulet, a 35-year-old American public relations executive, is living what appears to most people a successful and envied life. In addition to living in her dream city, Ellery is married to a handsome Frenchman, has two adorable daughters, and is one of the founders of a successful public relations firm. But, life always provides a couple of curve balls, some expected and some unexpected. In this well-crafted gem, Ellery will soon discover that life and love have both joy and sorrow. How she deals with the ups-and-downs is what life is really all about, and the joy of reading this book.

Ellery's life is revealed through connected episodes in this short-story collection. Some of my favorite episodes were the ones that deal with what-if scenarios, if you ever had a chance to re-do some past incidents in your life. In "A Brief Indiscretion," Ellery has a second chance to recapture love with an ex-boyfriend, and at the moment to make everything right, Ellery makes a decision that even she never imagined. In "Pandora's Box Revisited," Ellery and her husband will both discover what matters most to them, but one knows more than the other about what came in the mail that will change their future. I was simply engrossed in these stories, and in Ellery's world. I enjoyed that the stories were set in France and how the French culture was incorporated in the tales. The author was able to create situations which appear ordinary, but were more richly complex than what meets the eye. While the stories may use few words to describe the situations, the words are smoothly elegant and polished.

What I most enjoyed about this book, is while Ellery is African-American, she really is "Everywoman," as Ms. Moncel has written about universal experiences women encounter across cultures and time. It was refreshing to read a story that will appeal to all women, and one that features an African-American as the main character.

I recommend this book to all woman readers; this book shows how artful storytelling can be. The themes of job loss, infidelity, and death while bittersweet will speak to your heart. Grab your favorite beverage and be delighted by these profound stories. I look forward to reading future works by Carolyn Moncel.

This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.

Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO BookClub

Ether Books

2011-02-23T18:41:00.001+01:00

Ether Books publishes short/flash fiction especially for smart phones, precisely the idea I had in mind while writing these stories. Check out their site: www.etherbooks.co.uk, as there are so many other stories written by awesome writers presented there too! Also, I'm listed as a contributing writer just under Sir Paul McCartney! How cool is that? Check them out.

Can’t Fall in Love with a Person? Fall for a Book!

2011-02-11T21:53:00.002+01:00

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, American author, Carolyn Moncel together with Smashwords invites readers to fall in love with her book, ’Encounters in Paris,’ by offering free digital downloads from February 11 to February 15, 2011.

“We’ve all fallen in and out of love, and some of us may be alone this Valentine’s Day,” says Moncel, a Chicago native, who has lived with her family between Paris and Lausanne, Switzerland for the last eight years. “It doesn’t have to be a tragedy. Instead, why not love yourself this weekend by curling up with a good book and a nice cup of hot chocolate?”

’Encounters in Paris’ centers on Ellery Martin-Roulet, a 35-year-old American public relations executive living and working in Paris has the perfect life. She is married to a handsome Frenchman, has adorable twin daughters and a successful bilingual PR firm located in one of Paris’ trendiest arrondissements. Unfortunately, Ellery soon realizes that life isn’t always perfect. When betrayal, loss, and regrets enter Ellery’s world at five different periods of time over a ten-year span, she quickly learns that it is how she chooses to deal with life’s trickiest situations that shapes her soul.

At the Smashwords site (http://bit.ly/ePNpa2), readers simply select their favorite digital format and type in the coupon code, SE56P, to generate the free download. The ebook, which normally sells for $9.99, is available in virtually every format including PDF, .mobi for Amazon’s Kindle, Epub, and LRF for Sony Readers.

According to Moncel, there is only one tiny request: All readers are encouraged to post an honest review at their favorite online bookseller site like Amazon.com, GoodReads.com and of course, Smashwords.com.

“It’s my way of saying thank you to all the wonderful fans I have met over the last few months,” added Moncel. “If you love the book, then shout it from the rooftops by posting a message! If you hate it, post a message anyway so I can write better books in the future!”

About Carolyn Moncel

A virtual media and web consultant by day and author by night, Carolyn Davenport-Moncel moved to Paris from Chicago, her hometown, in 2001. Known for her online articles on media relations, Moncel owns MotionTemps, LLC (www.motiontemps.com), a Digital Project and Web Content Management firm, and its subsidiary, Mondavé Communications (www.mondaveinc.com), a media relations and publishing company. She currently resides in Lausanne, Switzerland with her husband and two daughters. ’Encounters in Paris’ is her first work of fiction. Her next collection of short stories, 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover will debut in fall 2011. Discover her other works at www.carolynmoncel.com. Follow her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Encounters-in-Paris-A-Collection-of-Short-Stories/171683209508859; LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/motiontemps; and on Twitter: http://twitter.com/carolynmoncel.

About ’Encounters in Paris’

Published in November 2010 by Mondavé Media via CreateSpace, ’Encounters in Paris’ – A Collection of Short Stories is now available in paperback and also in digital format for Kindle at all major online bookstores including, Amazon.com (http://bit.ly/cB9bfR). The retail price for paperback is $17.99. The Kindle edition is $9.99. Single story downloads start at $2.99. The ISBN number is: 978-1-4538-9821-5. Ms. Moncel is available for appearances, book club discussions and interviews.

About Smashwords.com

Smashwords is an ebook publishing and distribution platform for ebook authors, publishers and readers. Smashwords offers multi-format, DRM-free ebooks, ready for immediate sampling and purchase, and readable on any e-reading device. Visit their site at www.smashwords.com.

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Upcoming Events for Encounters in Paris

2011-02-08T17:36:00.001+01:00

I will be on Black Author Network Radio with Ella Curry on Feb. 9, 2011 at 8 PM EST. Check it out here! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/black-author-network

I had the pleasure of doing an interview on Dave and Lillian Brummet's Conscious Blog! Check out the interview today: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/
Go back in the future 'cause it's great reading and highly recommended!

It was a lot of fun chatting with Tyora Moody from soulful site, Written Voices Blog. Thanks for checking out the interview where we talked about Encounters but also spirtual topics. http://writtenvoicesblog.com/2011/02/interview-carolyn-moncel/

New Review for ReaderViews.com!

2011-01-26T17:24:00.000+01:00

Encounters in Paris - A Collection of Short Stories A new review in from ReaderViews.com: "...The end of this short book holds a question and answer session with the author which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was given the chance to understand the author, get to know Ellery better and discover the inspiration that surrounds the writing of this book. It was a unique feature... that fully fits the book..." Follow the link to read the entire review!

Reader Views - Encounters in Paris

www.readerviews.com

Carolyn Moncel on Writer`s Voices Jan. 21, 2011 at 1:30 PM Central

2011-01-18T22:16:00.001+01:00

Time: January 21, 2011 from 1:30pm to 2pm Central
Location: KRUU FM
Website or Map: http://www.kruufm.com/writers-voices

Please tune in on Monday, January 21 at 1:30PM Central when Carolyn Moncel, author of "Encounters in Paris, talks to Writer`s Voices hosts Caroline and Monica about her collection of short stories. Check out Carolyn's website at www.carolynmoncel.com.

Digital copy of Encounters in Paris available at Smashwords.com

2011-01-10T11:51:00.000+01:00

Purchase your digital copy of Encounters in Paris at Smashwords.com between January 6 and February 10, 2011 and receive 40 percent off! Use code UP56K

Upcoming Radio Interviews with Carolyn Moncel

2011-01-09T03:04:00.004+01:00

Upcoming Radio Interviews with Carolyn Moncel

Time: January 17, 2011 from 1pm to 1:30pm EST
Location: Works Cited with Loretta Walker on BlogTalkRadio.com
Website or Map: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/works-cited/2011/01/17/carolyn-moncel-interview
Phone: 917-932-8610
Event Type: live, radio, interview
Organized By: Carolyn Moncel

Please tune in on Monday, January 17 at 1PM EST when Carolyn Moncel, author of "Encounters in Paris, talks to Works Cited host Loretta Walker about her collection of short stories. Check out Carolyn's website at www.carolynmoncel.com.

Time: January 26, 2011 from 7pm to 7:30pm
Location: Artists First Radio Network Online
Website or Map: http://www.artistfirst.com/
Phone: 330-823-2264
Event Type: live, radio, interview

Please join Carolyn Moncel, author of "Encounters in Paris," on Wednesday, January 26 at 7 PM eastern standard time for a DELIGHTFUL show about her new book of short stories. Now, everyone knows that Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. You're sure to fall in love there but Paris can also break your heart. Tune in to find out why when I talk about the inspiration behind the book and much more. Check out my website at www.carolynmoncel.com, and don't forget to tune in at 7pm, January 26th, right here on The ArtistFirst Radio Network.

Encounters in Paris first Review!

2011-01-07T23:29:00.000+01:00

PRAISE FOR

Encounters of Paris – A Collection of Short Stories

"Paris seems like the most romantic thing in the world, until you live there. "Encounters in Paris" is a collection of short stories from Carolyn Moncel and her protagonist Ellery Roulet, a nearing middle age woman working in Paris and finding out while there is love, there is also everything you hate about love. A fun read that blends plenty of romance, "Encounters in Paris" is quite the pick, recommended."

—The Midwest Book Review

The Authors Show with Don Cauley 12-21-2010

2010-12-21T09:35:00.000+01:00

Hi Everyone, I'm on the Author's Show with Don Cauley on 12/21/2010 all day discussing Encounters in Paris: http://www.theauthorsshow.com/

Pagereaders.com Interviews Carolyn Moncel!

2010-12-13T17:59:00.001+01:00

Check out my interview on PageReaders.com! There are many more books reviewed as well, so check out the site! Thanks Nanci, for a great interview!

Swiss Independence Day – American Style

2009-08-10T10:54:00.001+02:00

My latest article on celebrating Swiss Independence Day

http://tinyurl.com/n658qp

Enfin! A Beauty Refuge for Women of Colour

2009-06-09T10:28:00.003+02:00

Expatica.com published my article on both the French and Swiss editions today.

"Where can I find a hair salon?" is the #1 question women of color, especially, ask me about visiting, working, and living in Paris and now Geneva.

When in Paris or Geneva, check them out.

Here are more options from my pal, Priscilla Lalisse of Prissy Magazine in Paris.

On Writing News Releases that Work…

2009-05-21T12:03:00.001+02:00

If you missed Hubspot's free Webinar on News Releases, check out this presentation. I'll have more to add on this topic in my next entry so stayed tuned!

http://www.hubspot.com/archive/news-releases

Switzerland: Europe’s Best-kept Secret!

2009-05-19T14:42:00.001+02:00

Expatica.ch, a really great English-speaking resource publication, interviewed me this week about living and working in Switzerland. It was a fun interview!

You can read it here: http://tinyurl.com/q43uho

People often ask me about the differences between working and networking in the United States and Europe. They also ask me about the differences between the U.S. and Europe when it comes to gaining media coverage. The differences are vast at times when it comes to networking (both online and offline), but when it comes to gaining media exposure, most of the same rules often apply.

I apologize for not blogging more often, but I took a little break to get my family settled and also to move from Paris to Geneva. Now, I'm so happy to be back and can't wait to share some new ideas with everyone so that they can get their in-house media engines all revved up and going!

The rise of social media is such an interesting piece to add into the media mix. How it's altering the ways in which we communicate with journalists as well as potential customers is fascinating as well. I'll be blogging and tweeting more about what this all means for the small-businesses owners. If you have any questions or topics you'd like me to cover, email me or follow me on Twitter!

Getting More Mileage Out of Your Media Coverage

2004-11-01T12:07:00.000+01:00

For me the best part about working in media relations is actually seeing your news story in the media. I guess because media placements are tangible results of all the hard work you've done on the behalf of a client or an organization. The feeling can be so exhilarating and addictive that once you've seen that piece in the newspapers or in some electronic medium, all you want to do is go out and get more.

Many small-business owners know this feeling all too well, and they do a fantastic job in securing the initial news coverage but unfortunately, they often forget to do the little things that can give that coverage some extra mileage.

For example, the last time that your company was featured in a news story, what did you do to get a little extra mileage? Yes, you probably showed the article to your family and friends. You might have even distributed a copy of the media clip around the office.

Next time consider the following options for giving your media coverage that extra mileage:

1. Send local news coverage to nationally based reporters or syndicated columnists; nationally recognized pieces to high profile magazines; highest profiled print pieces to electronic media.

2. Frame all media clips and hang them in the president's office.

3. Hang framed media clips in the office lobby or waiting room. Place extra copies on the tables in the office lobby and also in conference rooms.

4. Convert media coverage to either HTML or Acrobat PDF files and post them on your company website. Supply the appropriate links to your media coverage so that visitors can find your info on your website or through search engines.

5. Include the most high profiled media clips available in company sales kits and also company press packages.

6. Use excerpts of the media clips in company brochures.

7. Send media clips to venture capitalists or company's banking institution.

8. Distribute the media clips to strategic partners.

9. Hand out media clips at trade shows, conferences, seminars and networking events as part of your event packet.

10. Mail the media clips to trade associations representing your company's industry.

11. Keep employees, key team members (attorneys, accountants, etc.), customers, and vendors informed by highlighting the media clips in the company newsletter.

12. Turn the media clips into a sales tool and send to all prospective clients.

13. Print out all media clips and maintain them in a media file so they can be copied and sent at a moment's notice.

14. Turn your Outlook address book into a media coverage distribution list.

15. Add a link to the news story in your e-mail signature.

The bottom line is this. What you do after securing the media coverage matters just as much as what you've done before. So go out there and put your company on the map. Who knows? Getting some extra mileage out your media coverage could bring your company an additional client, strategic partner or more media coverage - all very good things, indeed!

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Putting the Local Spin on a Global Story

2004-10-01T12:07:00.000+02:00

If you run a small business and occasionally there is a demand for your products or services overseas, should you really be concerned about attaining foreign media coverage? A friend in Chicago, who runs a consulting firm catering to upscale clients in Europe, asked me this question recently. The short answer to her question is yes!

Businesses of all sizes are competing in a global economy. Almost all companies have web sites, and if you are selling products or services directly through your website, then the chances are great that many of your clients may reside outside of the United States. So if your company sells widgets and they are selling like Fish 'n Chips in London, why not contact one of the business reporters at the Times to tell your story? Here are a couple of examples to illustrate my point.

A few years ago while working for a small online publishing firm, our marketing team monitored our web traffic reports every month. Over time we discovered that a large segment of our readership were Russian. The traffic was so significant that we eventually launched a Russian edition of the magazine complete with Russian columnists. We, of course, threw a media party in Moscow and invited the local media. When the magazine debuted we received some great press coverage from the Russian newspapers.

It happened again while handling PR for another online publisher. When the company wanted to launch a Spanish edition of their website, our team contacted the Spanish news wires. The company's president conducted interviews in both Spanish and English and the story was disseminated across Spanish newspaper and radio outlets throughout the United States and also Latin America.

Intimidation and language barrier fears are probably the main reasons why more small-business owners are unwilling to make contact with the foreign press. Although communication may be a problem in some instances, don't forget that English is the language of international business. Thus, you'd be surprised by just how many journalists speak English because a lot of them have worked in the United States covering stories.

But if you're still nervous about contacting the foreign press then there are two useful tactics.

First, make contact via e-mail rather than phone. Even if the reporter doesn't speak perfect English, chances are he or she will still be able to understand written communication perfectly well.

Second, most foreign newspapers maintain a news bureau in major cities. It's usually just one reporter covering stories, but contact them with your story idea. Even though they're are often very busy, they still are always hungry for a great story.

The bottom line is this. All news is local. Whether the reporter is in London, Bangalore or Indianapolis, they all want the same thing: a great story that appeals to the local audience and is relevant to the news beat that they cover. Never losing sight of the impact your products or services have on a foreign audience yet also being able to make a meaningful connection is an invaluable skill that anyone can learn with practice. Not only will you be showing the local reporter that you understand them, but it will just make your story that much more appealing. And that's how you put the local spin on a global story.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

The Power is in the "Pitch" Letter

2004-06-01T12:05:00.000+02:00

Ask the average small-business owner and most will tell you that they know they need to actively promote their businesses to the media. Sometimes it's a matter of not knowing where to begin, but many fall short of achieving their publicity goals when faced with the prospect of having to write the dreaded press release. Yikes!!

Yes, writing press releases can be a scary affair, but did you know that there's an even more effective tool available in your PR arsenal? It's called the "Pitch Letter." Taking time to learn how to write one skillfully in order to attract the media's attention could reap far greater benefits than a traditional press release and here's why.

Writing an effective pitch letter accomplishes two goals. It not only shows the reporter that you understand your business and how it fits into a specific industry, but it also shows the reporter that you understand what types of stories he or she likes to cover. The reporter will be impressed that you've done your homework.

Pitch letters are personalized. You can't send out pitch letters to reporters blindly - not even to a targeted list of reporters all covering the same industry. So when a reporter gets your letter, he or she surely knows that the letter received is tailored to his or her needs alone.

Pitch letters are meant to be exclusive. You may have some basic points that are important for all reporters to know about your business, but your primary job is to craft a relevant, yet different story angle for each targeted reporter.

Consider these eight steps when constructing your pitch letter:

1. Begin with a greeting.

2. Introduce an intriguing issue relevant to the reporter. This is the first paragraph of your letter, and use it to demonstrate your familiarity with a specific reporter's work and the topics he or she covers.

3. State a relevant problem and/or consequence. Identify an emerging trend or big issue within your industry, and prove that you understand its impact in both the long and short term.
Provide a solution and introduce your company. Introduce your company and describe how your services provide solutions. Emphasize why your solutions or ideas should matter - not only to the reporter but to your potential customers.

4. Supply a link to background information. Direct the reporter to your online newsroom to review company press releases, fact sheets and third-party testimonials.

5. Close with an action you intend the reporter to take and thank them for their consideration. Ask the reporter to consider visiting your company website; invite the reporter on a tour of your facilities if appropriate, or simply ask the reporter to contact you via phone or e-mail to discuss details for a possible feature story.

6. Include all means of contact. Add you name, title, company and mailing address. Reporters must know how to reach you in a 24-hour cycle so also include your phone number (office, home and cell), fax number, pager number, e-mail address, and your IM address.

7. Keep your letter short. After writing a draft continue editing until the message is informative, concise and direct. The reporter will greatly appreciate this gesture because it's considerate. Reporters don't have time to read long missives.

Keep in mind that the number of reporters targeted doesn't matter nearly as much as the impact and size of the reporter's' readership. Targeting one reporter might yield greater results than sending a press release to 100 reporters. That's why if given a choice, many PR professionals will spend the extra time cultivating, one-on-one relationships with one reporter at a time. This is also why it takes a long time to actually attain media coverage.

Here's an example to illustrate my point. It might be very important for your company to receive media coverage among reporters covering the automotive industry. Therefore you might want to spend time getting to know the needs of the automotive reporter at USA Today and pitching him or her ideas in hopes of securing a large feature rather than sending out general press releases to all the automotive reporters in your database. A press release sent out to hundreds of reporters might only get a couple of lines of coverage. The exclusive pitch to one reporter at a major newspaper or magazine might yield a full-page article so the value is tremendous.

The bottom line is this. By no means would I ever suggest that small-business owners stop writing and issuing press releases to the media completely. However, sometimes there are better ways of getting the media's attention, and you can achieve masterful results simply by varying the means in which you make contact. Whether you're a small-business owner handling your own media relations or part of a small in-house team, your goals are always to build long-lasting relationships with the media and to maximize coverage opportunities. The ability to achieve these goals often can be found in the power of the "pitch" letter.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Finding Your Company's "Wow" Factor

2004-05-01T12:02:00.000+02:00

Sometimes when trying out a new PR angle for one of my clients or for my own company, I ring up my best friend in Chicago. Somehow by doing so and monitoring her reactions to my idea, I can accurately gauge whether or not the story will be receptive to the media.

My best friend's insight is always helpful; not because she's a reporter or a member of the media, but because she's your average newspaper reader and television news watcher. She represents the average reporter's audience. And if ever during a conversation she says, "Wow, I didn't know that!" I know that I've struck gold because it means that I've found the "Wow" Factor, and I probably have an interesting story to tell to reporters.

So what is this "Wow" Factor and why is it important? At its most basic level, it's a test for newsworthiness. In addition, I like to think of it as that certain something that ordinary readers just find interesting about any story. The information can be historical in nature, thought-provoking or eyebrow raising, funny or a satisfying tidbit for the curious minded.

Recently I put my friend to the test when a client from Paris, an American expatriate and cookbook author, was planning a small promotional book tour in selected cities around the United States. I worked on my story idea and when ready, I casually brought up the subject to my friend during one of our regular weekend gab fests.

I knew we had a winning story when in between bites of food my friend said, "Yeah, but I thought Paris was the 'food capitol of the world! How odd that you can't easily find soul food there!" Here was the "Wow" Factor I was looking for, and her reaction gave me the confidence I needed to proceed with pitching my story idea to local reporters back in the United States with great success.

Some Tips on Finding Your Company's "Wow" Factor

1. Look at your company's operations and accomplishments objectively. Too often small-business owners assume that because they know everything about their companies and the industries they represent that everyone else knows as well. Everyone doesn't know what you know so spread the word.

2. Keep a diary of interesting stories involving your company, and learn to view these stories as potential ideas for the media.

3. Dust off your company's fact sheets and statistics, and use these documents to develop your "Wow" Factor.

4. Share story ideas about your company with selected family or friends who are not directly involved in your business or industry.

The bottom line is this. The average business owner knows way too much about their business. That's why if a family member or friend finds your story interesting and says, "Gosh, I didn't know that!" then chances are, a reporter and his readers will have the same reaction. So the next time you have a PR angle for your business, go ahead and call up a good friend or family member before you reach for your reporter rolodex or database. Your family and friends can be your most honest critics. They think like members of the media and most importantly, they think like your potential customers. If you can impress them just imagine how many more folks you can wow!

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

When the Media Bumps Your News Coverage

2004-03-01T12:00:00.000+01:00

A four-alarm fire, plane crashes, celebrity deaths, stock-market crashes, or even the verdict on a high-profiled criminal or civil case. What do all of these news stories have in common? All are instances when the media will likely bump your company's news coverage in favor of a breaking news story, and little can be done about it - at least not initially.

I was reminded of this fact recently after the verdict from the Martha Stewart trial was announced. It immediately made me think of all those people working in media relations who had probably secured media on that day for their companies or clients, and now would likely have to scramble to reschedule their coverage, or lose it all together. Nothing incites greater fear into the hearts of those responsible for publicity -- especially when they have worked so hard in planning and securing press coverage for a story.

It also took me back to the two occasions when the media bumped my stories as well. The first time was nine years ago when our company's president was waiting in a local television station's green room. She and her partner were to appear live on the afternoon news when their coverage was cancelled due to a surprise winter storm, which later paralyzed the city.

It happened again six years later when one of my clients was participating in a local charity event. Planning editors at all the news stations were set to dispatch news camera trucks to the event that evening, when high winds caused a terrible building accident which resulted in serious injuries.

Nothing makes you say, "Ouch" louder than when the media bumps your story. Whether you are a small-business owner handling your own publicity or part of a small communications team, remember three things: First, when the media bumps your news coverage, it is never personal; second, if you stick around in the PR business long enough, sooner or later it will happen to you, too; and third, when securing media for your company or client, you always have to be armed with a back-up plan.

Consider using these tips to help soften the blow of the bump, or avoid it all together:

Secure as much media coverage in advance as possible. It really is okay to receive coverage a couple days or even a couple of weeks prior to an event or major announcement. Most seasoned PR people prefer this and in many cases it really isn't imperative that coverage happen exactly on the date of the event or announcement.

Rely on more than just television coverage. Television thrives on action, conflict, controversy and catastrophe. Therefore, vary your media contact list to include reporters from many different types of news outlets (newspaper, magazine, online, television, radio, etc.)

Design your media campaign always with a "Plan B" in place. Should the unthinkable occur, know who you'll contact, and have fresh story angles already developed and ready for deployment.

When the media bumps your news coverage, it only occurs because a bigger, more immediate story surfaces. Even though we now live in a world of round-the-clock news coverage, breaking news of all types will always take precedence over all other stories, as they should.

The important point to remember here is this. There is always an element of luck associated with securing media coverage, and sometimes luck isn't on your side no matter how well the campaign has been prepared and executed. Next time the media bumps your story, just keep smiling because it's not the end of the world. Chalk it up as being just another opportunity to add fresh angles to your story and a chance to retell it at a later date.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Working with Freelance Reporters - A Winning Opportunity

2004-02-01T11:40:00.000+01:00

A few days ago during lunch, a business-owner friend needed some advice. A freelance journalist had approached her about doing an interview for a local magazine. Not having very much experience in working with the media, naturally she felt a bit reluctant, as she wanted to make the right decision in promoting her company. She wondered if she should decline the offer. My advice regarding her dilemma would apply to any small-business owner who found themselves in a similar situation: "Take caution but do the interview."

When it comes to working with freelance reporters, most business owners probably have some reservations - mainly because they may wonder if the freelance reporter is real. It's a legitimate concern, I guess, given the fact that some businesses will go to great lengths to access competitive data and gain market advantage - even using unscrupulous business practices to do so. It's no wonder that some business owners may worry that a freelance reporter requesting an impromptu interview could turn out to be a "company spy."

The fact of the matter is that most freelance reporters are experienced, talented and ethical professionals. The simplest way to allay this fear is to simply check out the reporter. Ask the freelance reporter to supply samples of his or her published work. Going one step further, contact the media outlet the reporter represents for verification. If the freelance reporter working for an established media outlet contacts you via e-mail, they will properly introduce themselves and likely will use the media company's e-mail address. Finally, prepare for the interview just as you would with any other staff reporter.

Moving beyond the concerns, working with freelance reporters can present winning opportunities for business owners. Here are five good reasons to work with a freelance reporter:
1. To build a long-lasting relationship with members of the media
2. To collaborate with the media in telling your company story to the public
3. To increase the chances of your story being syndicated across other media outlets
4. To conduct longer interviews so that the reporter can gain intimate knowledge of a subject matter
5. To gain a media insider - someone who can help you transform a great idea in a great story

While working on stories in the past, freelance reporters have told me exactly the angles needed so that the stories would be interesting to their readers. The freelance reporters were straight with me, and in doing so, showed me how to flush out the ideas so that I would have a better story to tell. Advice like that from media insiders are gifts because they help you hone your pitching skills so that you can present your company in a way that would make a great story.

In the end my friend did go through with the interview, and guess what? Her interview is scheduled to appear in the magazine later this spring. She's happy to have done the interview now because it gave her a better understanding of the types of news angles most journalists like.
The point that I'm trying to make is this. Working with a freelance reporter should not be viewed as only a cautious risk, but also as a tremendous opportunity to build a relationship with members of the media. When putting deals together in business, the most successful ones occur because there's a win/win opportunity for all parties involved. Don't miss out on creating a winning relationship with a freelance reporter.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail

What Your Online Newsroom Says About Your Company

2004-01-01T11:35:00.000+01:00

Building a website with current information about your business is one of the most important things you can do in establishing your company's credibility with the media. More than ever, the company website has become the first place reporters turn for basic information about businesses. Having key facts about your company readily available at their fingertips becomes an important investment. This is not only true for large corporations but for small companies as well.

In fact Vocus Inc., the leading supplier of automated tools for PR professionals, recently completed an interesting survey on this subject. When interviewing 1,000 journalists, 86 percent of them revealed that a company's website is the first place they look in order to find information on a company. Three out of five reporters said that they will look at a website first in order to decide whether or not to make contact. Additionally, 90 percent of the journalists also said that they wasted valuable time combing through websites in search of information.

Those are important statistic because having an easily accessible online newsroom is not very hard to achieve and doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars to implement. The advantages to building an online newsroom that contains pertinent company information are clear: You not only help to make a journalist's job much easier, but in doing so, you may also significantly increase the chances of having your company included in that journalist's story.

If you need help developing your online newsroom, start by following some of these suggestions:

1. Design your online newsroom with the local as well as international press in mind: We live in a global business community so even the smallest company's website can play a major role in International PR. Your company may be located in the United States, but reporters from around the world may have an interest in your business. One of the simplest things you can do to give your site more impact is to spell out the dates in your releases (i.e., January 10, 2004 instead of 01-10-2004) so that they adhere to international global date formats. For many reporters around the world, the latter example above would be interpreted as October 1, 2004. Doing this could mean the difference between your website's content being seen as current or stale.

2. Properly label your news area: Give your news area a name easily recognizable to journalists. Examples of this could be "Newsroom" or "Press Center." Journalists tend to associate the term "Media Kit" with sales information and advertising rates, and therefore may choose not click on the link.

3. Make your online newsroom easily accessible: Your online newsroom should be no more than one click away from the homepage. Provide quick press contact information: Not only list the name of your press person, but also make all means of contact (office phone, cell phone, and pager numbers) within a 24-hour day available to them. Also provide a personal e-mail address (i.e., cathy_smith@acme.com) rather than a generic one (i.e, communications@acme.com.) Journalists on deadline will not take a chance on sending a message to a generic e-mail address because they figure they will not receive a timely response.

4. Include links to all relevant company information: Journalists should be able to access your company fact sheet, mission statement, statistics, background materials and executive bios. Making this information available on your site helps the reporter in building the foundation for his story.

5. List all company press releases in descending order: Give your visitors your freshest information first. In addition, when distributing your press release via wire services, be sure to upload a copy to your website immediately as well. Also, keep in mind that reporters may be accessing information from a variety of locations (home, office, remote locations) so make sure that the release is available in multiple formats (html and .pdf) for quick and easy downloading. If your company has distributed more than ten releases, then make sure that the releases are searchable by headline, type, date and year.

5. Present your company's news coverage and make it searchable: Let the reporters see what other media outlets have said about your company -- even if some of the stories are not friendly to your company. It shows that your company has third-party endorsements, lends credibility, and will help in developing more interest in your story.

6. Make multimedia files available and downloadable: These resources would include digital images (i.e., logos, corporate and product photos), as well as short audio and video clips. Make sure that digital images are available in multiple formats (JPEG, GIF, TIFF, and EPS). TIF and EPS are listed because print journalists will need the images delivered to them at a much higher resolution (at least 300 dpi) than the standard resolution found on the web (72 dpi). List the size of the multimedia files so that the reporter can gauge how long it will take to download. It's also a great idea to make audio and video clips available for use on a variety of different players (i.e., Real Audio or Windows Media Player), or at least indicate which player should be used.

7. Optimize your online newsroom for search engines: Journalists spend a great deal of time using the Internet to find or research stories. Optimize the keywords associated with your company and the industry in which it belongs so that journalists will be able to find your company during their search on Google.

If your company doesn't already have an online newsroom yet, then now is a great time to start developing one. In doing so you would be creating a one-stop shop for news releases, photos, and any other content deemed important by reporters to do his or her job more efficiently. You'd be ahead of the game, too, because if you ask most journalists what they think about most online newsrooms, they will tell you that most of them are horrible. Use this opportunity to build something that reporters will find useful and feel comfortable visiting again and again for solid information. As small-business owners, here is your chance to level the media playing field, and get the coverage that your company deserves. Having a great online newsroom can carry you along ways toward achieving your goals.

Notable Resources:
Ten Elements of An Effective Online Newsroom
Online Newsrooms Failing to Meet Goals

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail

25 Reasons to Write a Press Release

2003-12-01T00:34:00.000+01:00

Where should I look to find story ideas for my press releases? It's a question that a local web designer asked me recently during a client meeting. My advice to him would apply to any small-business owner. Start by looking at yourself and your company because like everything else in life, the best ideas are often found right under your nose. The same can be said for story ideas for press releases.

After that meeting I couldn't stop thinking about all the media opportunities many small-business owners often miss. Most of the time, the problem occurs because business owners think that journalists are only interested in big, splashing events and press conferences. They waste so much time waiting for a "real reason" to surface before contacting the media that they end up receiving no coverage at all.

Keep in mind that what journalists really want is a good story to share with their listeners or readers. Most business owners fail to realize that they already have "real reasons" to write press releases. Evidence of their companies' uniqueness and triumphs are waiting to be transformed into great stories. All they need to do is take time to reflect and jot down those ideas that could result in favorable media coverage for their businesses.

Consider these ten reasons below, and if you need 15 more, then download the PDF document at the end of this article.

1. Starting a new business - the more unique and unusual the business the better

2. Introducing a new product or service to the marketplace

3. Launching a new web site

4. Winning a high profiled client account or contract

5. Meeting an unusual challenge or overcoming adversity - "Industry insiders said it couldn't be done, but we did it!"

6. Participating in a philanthropic event -- your business has been named to serve in a leadership position in a community, professional or charitable organization

7. Sponsoring a workshop, seminar, or conference

8. Announcing polling or product survey results conducted by your company

9. Changing the company name, location, web address or a product name

10. Publicizing the changing of the guards in a family owned business - the son or daughter becomes the new company president after father or mother retires

Now that you have potentially 25 reasons for writing a press release, don't just file them away and forget about them. Print out the list, and post it some place in your office so that you're constantly reminded to review them and put the ideas into action.

Here's a great exercise to help you get started.

Check the list of 25 story ideas and compare them against the articles found in the local and business news sections of your morning paper. Do this for about a week so that you become more comfortable looking for story ideas within the news. You'll be surprised by how many stories are actually generated from ideas just like the ones listed here. You might even find a dozen more ideas that are not even on the list. If so expand your list to include the new ideas as well.

Next, go back over the list of story ideas and think about each one within the context of your own company. Jot down any notes for specific stories involving your own business next to each entry. With a bit more research, you can most likely use any of those ideas as the basis for a future press release.

The bottom line is this. It really isn't that difficult to find reasons to write press releases about your company. Just remember that almost any type of company news is a good excuse for writing a press release - as long as the release is well written, has news value and speaks to the intended audience. Give it a try. Once you do, you could be on the path to creating a steady stream of memorable media coverage for your company.

Notable PR Resource:
25 Reasons to Write a Press Release [back to top]

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Promoting Your Business on Cable Access TV

2003-11-01T00:33:00.000+01:00

"Don't knock it until you've tried it." That's what I told a political opponent's campaign manager when he laughed at me for using cable access television as part of my communications strategy. Unfortunately for him, he would learn too late what I already knew -- that implementing this medium into any communications strategy (political or otherwise) is a pretty good idea, and can reap tremendous benefits.

A few years ago, I took a break from public relations to work on my first local city council race. The candidate was actually my older brother, a person very active in his community but felt it was time to do more in the realm of public service. So he decided to run for office.

From the beginning we both knew that one of the biggest problems he would face, as a first-time candidate, would be how to gain name recognition. One of the ways in which we planned to circumvent the problem was by integrating the use of cable-access television into our communications strategy.

Yes, cable-access television! I know it sounds strange, and the old Wayne's World skits from Saturday Night Live must certainly come to mind. In fact, most small-business owners do chuckle at the mere mention of the medium, but what they often don't realize is that many of the same media strategies used in political campaigns can and are regularly implemented to promote small-business owners and their company services. Here's what you should know in order to take full advantage of this often under-used medium.

Respect Cable Access Hosts as Potential Customers

Sure, many cable access hosts are just ordinary citizens who want an outlet for expressing their views, but many of them also have prominent professional careers. No matter what their backgrounds happen to be, don't they also represent potential customers? You bet, and by appearing on their shows, you get a chance to describe your business in plain speech, talk directly to your customers and also practice doing interviews.

Contact Cable Access Hosts Early

Each cable outlet is different but most only allow hosts to produce a limited amount of shows so that everyone gets an equal chance at exposure. But, did you know that you can also use this information to prevent your competitor from appearing on future shows? Here's an example of how we did it.

During the campaign I was able to book my candidate on five of the eight available shows devoted to political issues. By the time our opponent's campaign manager discovered our plan, it was too late to get a booking because the production schedule had ended for the quarter -- a mere 60 days before the election. The cable access shows really served as an electronic billboard for us, allowing our candidate to appear on television twice per day on each access station for two solid months. Potential voters saw our candidate 112 times on television, which made him quite recognizable on the street.

Consider the Cable Access Host a Member of the Media

Research each show's topic to make sure you and your company's services offer the proper fit, and then pitch story ideas. Follow up with them regularly and prove that you are a great expert to have on the show. Provide the hosts with media kits, adhere to their deadlines, answer their questions immediately, and take the time to find out how they would like to be contacted. These are all the normal steps you'd take with any other journalist.

We lost the election, but the use of cable-access television helped to keep the race close until the very end. More importantly, well-established political incumbents began to take notice at what we had achieved. Appearing on cable-access television was no longer taboo, and many of them now have their own shows. They now see the value in using cable-access television to get their messages out to their constituents -- a communications medium that has always been available to them for free.

The bottom line here is this. There really aren't very many differences between promoting a small-business owner and a political candidate. Each can achieve favorable results simply by properly executing their messages. And while it is true that we are a nation of channel flippers, most people will and do stop -- on occasion, to listen to guests on cable-access television. Furthermore, you'd be surprised by just how many of them do act on what they have seen.

So don't get angry the next time a business competitor laughs at you for appearing on cable access television to promote your services. Just tell them the same thing I did, and take comfort in knowing that your competitor will likely learn too late that cable-access television can be an excellent way of introducing small-business services to potential customers in your town.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail

What to Say When the Media Calls

2003-10-01T00:32:00.000+02:00

If the media were to call you today for an interview, would you know what to do or say? That question was posed during a recent conference on small-business ownership and micro enterprise creation, which was held here in Paris. I watched the reactions around the room, and it occurred to me that for most small-business owners, the only thing more frightening than conducting a follow-up phone call with a reporter is having that same reporter actually interview them.

There is only one way to overcome the fear. You have to simply adopt and apply an old U.S. Army recruitment slogan, "Be Prepared." Don't get caught without an answer the next time the media calls. Follow these quick tips for success:

1. Ask the reporter to describe the subject and story angle for the interview.

2. Establish the medium for the interview (i.e. live or taped television, print, radio, etc.)

3. Discover when (date and time) and where (by phone, e-mail or in person) the interview will take place. Also try to determine if the reporter will need additional information from you, as well as the story's deadline.

4. Research the reporter's past articles so that you'll be comfortable with the story's tone.

5. Create talking points. These are brief positive statements about you and your company that you will want to be included in the story.

6. Anticipate the types of questions that that reporter might ask, and prepare truthful answers for them.

7. Assume that everything you say to a reporter - jokingly or otherwise, will be used in the story. Always be aware of what is being stated, and if an awkward silence develops, don't feel obligated to keep talking if you have no more to say on the subject matter.

8. Avoid speculation or hypothetical situations. It could lead to being misquoted. You are the expert so stick to what you know.

9. Admit when you don't know the answer to a question. However, make it your top priority to find the answers and deliver them to the reporter immediately. It is also fine to take a moment to think before answering a question.

10. Avoid using technical terms or jargon. You must be able to explain your ideas simply and concisely.

11. Take notes and don't be afraid to ask the reporters questions as well.

12. Make yourself available by phone or e-mail in case the reporter has additional questions or wants to do a final fact check before completing the story. This will help give clarification to something you've said or give an opportunity to fix something if you've misspoken.

13. Thank the reporter for selecting you for the interview.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Underestimating the Power of In-house PR

2003-09-01T00:31:00.000+02:00

Do small-business owners always have to rely on large PR agencies to get attention from the press? An entrepreneur recently asked me this question during a networking event for women business owners. Of course my answer was, "No," but not for the reasons one might expect.

Ultimately, I do believe the time comes when a company needs professional guidance from a PR agency -- be it a large or small one -- to secure media coverage. But I also believe that a really media savvy small-business owner, or a two-person marketing team can do a fantastic job in promoting an organization. Here's how I know it can work.

A few years ago during the dot.com boom, I worked for a small online publishing company. We had a terrific technical team and staff, two great products, but no one knew the company existed. As a start-up, it was crucial for the company to gain awareness through media exposure because advertising was too expensive.

Since our marketing department only consisted of two people -- the marketing director and myself, there was a bit of concern within the organization as to whether we had enough in-house resources available to successfully get the company much-needed ink. So the company's executive team hatched an interesting plan. They offered our in-house marketing team the chance to bid on the company's PR project as if we were an outside agency.

My experience had always been in public relations, rather than product marketing. My boss' experience had always been the opposite. We seized the opportunity to combine our knowledge, skills and research.

Our tiny two-person team matched PR wits squarely against four established pros - including one former White House aide. Guess what? Our ideas prevailed, and the company decided to ditch the notion of hiring a big PR firm in favor of keeping the in-house team.

Before long we were generating some memorable press for our company. Over a two-year period we placed stories on our company in more than 100 media outlets - from MSNBC and Forbes to the Wall Street Journal and Wired News online. We did it by studying what the big PR agencies did well, and also by using our department's "smallness" to our advantage. Here's how you can do it, too.

Research your company.

Forget that you own or work within the organization. Really invest the time in understanding your company's structure, the executives and their backgrounds, the products and technology, the industry in which your company belongs, competitors and experts, and most of all the target audience -- the people who stand to benefit most from your product or service. If you know all of this information, then you'll be in a better position to brainstorm ideas on how to get the media's attention. Doing this also helps in flushing out your overall marketing plan -- which PR is only a part.

Research the reporters who cover your company's industry and study the types of stories that they like to write.

Learn their deadlines and how they prefer to be contacted. Introduce yourself by phone and make it a point to speak with them regularly -- not just to talk about your company, but also about the industry in general. Use those conversations to offer up source materials that will help reporters write terrific stories. If you are able to do this successfully, you will become a trusted source that reporters return to repeatedly, and you will significantly increase your chances of gaining coverage for your company.

Always Return Media Phone Calls Immediately.

Keep yourself and your organization at the ready to receive phone calls from the press. Make sure that reporters know how to reach you in a 24-hour cycle. This means they should have your office, cell, home, and pager numbers, as well as a contact e-mail address. If you still happen to miss the call, return it ASAP. Always prepare yourself or members from your organization to conduct interviews from anywhere, at any time.

Conduct proper follow up after the interview.

This is not a call to find out when a story will be published, but rather a call to make sure that the reporters have everything they need in order to write a favorable story on your organization.

Whenever our company executives were interviewed by reporters, one team member would always accompany them to the interview to take careful notes. Alternately, the other team member would remain in the office on standby. If, during the interview, the reporter indicated a need for specific information, an urgent message would be relayed back to the office so that the team member had time to gather the information. Without fail, we always had the requested information waiting in the reporter's e-mail inbox before they arrived back to the office. This may seem like a small task, but getting it right could really decide whether or not a reporter selects your story, or moves on to a new one.

The important point to remember here is this. Never underestimate the power and dedication of your in-house staff. Before you make the investment in retaining a PR agency, look at your internal talent first. What you find just might surprise you, and their drive to succeed will become contagious throughout your entire organization. And when the time comes to hire a PR firm, you will have a ready-made collaborative team in place to work with your outside agency. Your in-house team knows your company better than anyone and that's where you, as a small-business owner, have an advantage over the "big boys" at the large PR agencies in getting the media's attention.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Honesty is the Best Policy -- Especially When It Comes to Dealing with the Press

2003-08-01T00:29:00.000+02:00

As a child growing up in Chicago, my friends and I would often yell at each other, "Cheaters never prosper!" if we thought someone was playing unfairly on our Catholic school playground. In the business world over the years, I've learned that there's a lot of truth in that statement. Cheaters don't always succeed in business, and while we're on the subject, liars are always discovered.

We've seen these lessons played out a lot lately. The newspapers have been flooded with commentary about a former New York Times reporter and the poor conduct he displayed by purposely filing inaccurate stories. While his actions have cast a very negative light on the journalism community as a whole, causing many business owners to wonder if they've been treated fairly by the media in the past, it's important to note that unscrupulous reporters represent just a few "bad apples" in a very large barrel. Most journalists possess great integrity. It's their job to search for the truth so if you're a small-business owner ready to tell your company story, honesty is still the best policy - especially when it comes to dealing with the press.

So why do people lie to the press in the first place? You'd think that the most obvious answer would be because they have something to hide. In actuality many times lies are told inadvertently. Here are common examples and the ways in which to avoid these mistakes before it destroys your reputation:

Not knowing what to say when a reporter phones. Two examples come to mind. First it's always tough being a business owner because sometimes crises arise. When they do surface, it's difficult to know what to say to anyone, let alone a reporter. Second, it can be equally difficult to conduct interviews with the press if you're either a new business owner or you've only had limited exposure to media interviews. In either case, it's simply unnecessary to lie, because if you know yourself and your business inside out, then you will have plenty to say. When in doubt about a question, ask the reporter to clarify then give the straightest answer possible, and only elaborate if you feel comfortable doing so.

Perceiving your company story to be boring. Never embellish your company story. Remember that in addition to the basic facts about your company, it's the little tidbits that seem unimportant that can actually peak a reporter's interest.

Not knowing how to respond to the reporter's questions. There's no shame in not knowing an answer. The reporter will respect your honesty, and by doing so, your story placement can still be secured - as long as you make it a top priority to find the answers to the questions and deliver them to the reporter immediately.

Lack of preparation before the interview. Do a little research on the reporter prior to the interview by reading past articles. Then try to anticipate the types of questions that reporter might ask, and prepare truthful answers for them. It's fine to ask the reporter what the story topic will be before doing the interview. That information will also give you some additional clues about the story's tone.

If you don't believe me, then take advice from veteran CBS News anchor, Dan Rather. He says when in doubt as to how you should answer a reporter's questions, there are four acceptable answers:

1. I know that answer, and I will give it to you
2. I don't know the answer, but I will try to find it and give it to you
3. I know the answer, but I'm not going to tell you
4. I know the answer, but I'll have to kill you if I tell you.

The last one, of course, is a joke, but you get the idea. The bottom line is this. Follow playground rules and never lie to the media - period. There is no profit in doing so, and you'll only end up hurting yourself and your company's credibility. Always tell the truth, even if the truth turns out not to be all that interesting.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Writing Suitable Copy for the Press

2003-07-01T00:23:00.000+02:00

Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning for the rest of us continues. Whether you're a seasoned PR professional working for a top agency, a novice just beginning a career, or a mid-level manager working in-house at a small business, the time comes when we all could use a refresher course in properly writing suitable copy for the press.

My lesson occurred recently upon reading an interesting interview with retired Wall Street Journal assistant managing editor, Paul R. Martin, Sr., in The Bulldog Reporter, a public relations trade newsletter. Reporters and public relations professionals alike greatly admire Mr. Martin's experience, and they should because his advice for avoiding common writing mistakes is the best primer available for writing great press releases.

Allow me to share with you what I learned:

Keep your press release short and simple. Try to use one word instead of two, and ask yourself if what you've written is redundant. If in doubt, have a colleague or friend read your release. Reporters want to understand your key points immediately. They don't want to call you multiple times for clarification.

Write plainly and avoid company-insider phrases, clichés or industry-specific jargon. Unless you are targeting the trade press, avoid all jargon because it has no meaning outside of the company or industry. An example phrase would be "state of the art."

Do not capitalize titles to elevate your boss or company. Never capitalize titles like "President" or "Chairman". Capped titles should only be applied to things like the names of countries or political heads of State.

Refrain from creating new words or phrases. Instead of saying, "grow the economy" verbs like 'expand,' or 'increase,' still work just as well.

Write in active voice. Remember that no one likes to read poorly written copy. Brush up on your grammar and never use the passive voice, which is boring.

Whether you are a PR professional or a small-business owner writing press releases in-house, you must know how the media writes. Keep in mind that journalists expect the quality level and same attention to detail in your copy that their editors demand from their own stories. If you violate these rules, here is yet another instance where your release will receive a one-way trip to the reporter's trash can.

Notable PR Resources:
The Bulldog Reporter
Steven R. Van Hook's All About Public Relations
PR Newswire
PR Toolkit

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Life After Press Release Distribution?

2003-06-01T00:12:00.000+02:00

A few weeks ago I was participating on an on-line message board. One of the members was a new business owner who was very excited about sending out her company's first press release. The question she posted to the group was important, but also a common one echoed by so many small-business owners charged with handling media coverage in-house for the first time: "Now that I've distributed my press release, what do I do next?"

The answer to that question is a simple one: You follow up with the media. Following up with reporters by phone or e-mail -- where appropriate, can be more important than sending the release itself. Why? Because maybe the reporter didn't receive the fax sent, hasn't read his e-mail yet, or the headline for the release sent via wire services just didn't engage him enough to want to read the release in the first place. Or maybe the release wasn't sent to any one reporter in particular, which is always a no-no.

Fear is the number one reason why most people avoid making contact with the media. In fact, most small-business owners worry that they won't know what to say to the reporter once they call, or that they will catch the reporter at an inopportune time and anger him or her. However if you've taken the time to target the right reporter, study their news beat and the types of stories they prefer, and adhere to their deadlines, you should have nothing to fear in picking up the phone and calling a reporter.

There are basically two approaches one can take to follow up. First if you are confident in telling your company's story, you can just call up the appropriate reporter and tell him or her about your news and ask permission to send over the release. If there is interest from the reporter then send the release over immediately. The second way is to send the release to the correct reporter and then follow up with a phone call or e-mail -- base your follow up method on what the reporter prefers.

One word of caution: Always remember that reporters are very busy people so try to give them two days before following up. It takes them a while to get through all of the messages that they receive. However, if you have a breaking story to report and you want to alert the reporter in advance, or you have an event taking place -- any particularly time-sensitive news, then give the reporter a call the next day after the release has been sent.

So you have the reporter on the phone - what exactly should you say to him or her? It's easiest to start with the one sentence you should never utter: "I'm following up to make sure you received my news release." Consider this the second commandment right under "Thou shall not forget to ask a reporter if he or she is on deadline before pitching a story." It's also always a good idea to do a little preparation prior to making your phone call.

Here are some tips:

Do make sure that the press release sent is available in two forms - fax and e-mail. The reporter may not have received your release, and if he or she has an interest, they will want you to resend it. The faster you can resend it the better the chance of coverage, so have the fax version ready in the fax machine and the e-mail version ready to go once you hit the "send" button.

Do prepare two alternative story ideas in case the reporter rejects the one offered in your release.

Do purposely leave out a couple nuggets of information so that you can offer them up to the reporter during follow up.

Do take time to listen to what the reporter says during your conversation. Your follow up call should not be a monologue but rather a dialogue. If you listen closely, the reporter will indicate interest and what your next directives should be. For example, you'll discover whether or not you need to conduct a second follow up.

Do make note as to whether your release has been forwarded to another reporter. If this turns out to be the case, then prepare to contact the new reporter with your story idea, but follow these steps again.

Do accept "No" gracefully. When a reporter says "no" to your story, accept the fact that he or she has a good reason -- at least at that particular point in time. Therefore, you should never try to push a reporter into running your story because you will run the risk of alienating that reporter forever. He or she will remember you and each time you try to pitch a new story, you will be punished. Simply say "thanks," tweak your release and try again later. The timing or story angle may be wrong. Again, if you are listening closely, sometimes the reporter will tell you why the story will not be covered. Perhaps he or she wrote a story on a similar topic recently.

Last, it never hurts to prepare a little script to help you concentrate on the specific points you'd like to make to the reporter. Practice what you are going to say so that it feels natural during delivery. Below is an example of what you can say once you have the reporter on the line:

Hi, John. I'm Carolyn Moncel from MotionTemps, LLC. Are you currently on deadline and is this a good time to talk?

Great! I know that you like covering stories about running offices more efficiently and my company specializes in helping other businesses get their offices organized.

To kick off a new service that we're offering to our clients, we're sponsoring a contest called "Chicago's Most Disorganized Office," and the release that I sent to you has all of the details.

Oh, you didn't receive it? Shall I resend it and to which fax number? Oh, you'd like it by e-mail instead? Can I please verify your e-mail address? You can expect to receive the release in five minutes.

In case you're interested in covering the story, I thought I'd provide you with some additional numbers and sources, which might help to flush out your story. Would you like me to fax that to you now also? Thanks for the consideration. Can I follow up with you again? If you have further questions, just give me a call at 877-555-5555 or e-mail me at carolyn@acme.com.

Now, what happens if you get the reporter's voice mail? Actually you can use the voice mail to your advantage because it allows you another opportunity to leave your contact information, pitch your idea and offer up alternative ideas without interruption. You can use the same script as above with a few modifications.

The bottom line here is this: the media will never know about your company unless you tell them. You can't wait for the reporter to call you because it will almost never happen. That type of response is reserved for hard news stories and extremely rare circumstances -- miraculous rescues, scandals, extraordinary acts of kindness -- and most business stories just don't fall into any of those categories. As the business owner the onus is on you to tell your company's story to the reporter, and you do it by following up.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Are There Secrets to Gaining Media Coverage?

2003-05-02T00:10:00.000+02:00

Are there secrets to gaining media coverage or is it pure luck? It's a question that I am asked often while meeting with small-business owners who are seeking press attention for their companies or products. While luck certainly plays a part, the short answer to this question is "maybe." However with a little practice and skill, a small-business owner can significantly increase the chances of garnering coverage by following some basic journalistic rules.

I started my career in public relations the way many college students do - as an intern. While working for a PR agency one summer, I learned the greatest lessons from a crusty, old newspaper editor with whom I had to have constant contact.

Each time that I called him to follow up on a story idea, I would learn something new - by the time he stopped yelling at me. At summer's end that editor had become a mentor for me and the rules introduced by him have served me well in placing news stories over the years. You see the greatest gift that he gave me was not a hypothetical example found in my college textbook. Rather, it was practical experience in pitching story ideas to "real" journalists.

What I learned from him about approaching journalists with story ideas can be summed up in one word - relevancy and its multiple meanings.

Allow me to share with you what I learned that summer.

Relevance to Beat Assignments: Only approach a journalist with story ideas that are relevant to his or her news beat assignment.

Relevance to Newsworthiness: Keep in mind that stories must be new, unusual or important, and informative.

Relevance to Time: Take stock in what's happening in your world and in the lives of others around you by paying attention to current events.

Relevance to Audience or Readership: Make sure that your story idea will matter to the specific group of people who comprise the media outlet's readership or viewers. For example, the story idea may only make sense in a magazine that targets working women, or men's health newsletter, or the residents of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Fifteen years later, I still think about that editor - and every PR mentor I have since encountered - whenever it is time for me to pitch a story idea to another reporter. I still stand by my answer that "maybe" there are secrets to gaining media coverage, but truly understanding the power of relevancy and how journalists regard it is a better bet. It could make the difference between whether a story idea makes it on the front page or lands in the trashcan.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

What You Know Can Work Just As Well As Who You Know

2003-04-02T00:28:00.000+02:00

We all know the saying in business, "It's not what you know but who you know", right? This saying is definitely true when it comes to small business and on occasion, the same can be said in media relations. However, what you know can sometimes get you just as far - especially if you're trying to tell your story to the local press.

Some time ago, a small-business client approached me about handling public relations for her firm. She had been writing her own press releases and submitting them to the press but all of her efforts had generated no press. She asked me to critique her work to discover what she might be doing wrong. Upon reviewing her press releases, I found that her writing skills were outstanding but the problem came when I began to investigate the methods by which she was submitting her releases. The five rules below illustrate the lessons that she learned about distributing press releases to the media.

Rule #1: Do your homework on reporters. You can start with the Bacons' Media Directory, which serves as the public relations practitioner's Bible. If you don't know what it is, basically it lists the name, address, phone number, fax number, e-mail, beat (issue or specific type of story to cover), deadlines, and story preferences and angles for most every reporter and news producer anywhere in the world. There are five volumes of books: Newspapers, Magazines, TV/Cable, Radio and International. You can purchase the books or get the same information from Bacons' in CD-Rom format or through an online subscription. These books are invaluable but unfortunately are also very expensive.

Here's a tip: You can access them for free usually at your local public library or a college library. Use these books to help you narrow down the reporters that you think would be helpful for launching your story. If Bacon's is completely out of your budget, just follow your favorite local newspaper to determine which reporters cover which stories.

Rule #2: Verify your sources. Just because you found information on reporters in Bacons' doesn't mean that your work is done. Most reporters are assigned a beat but those beats change from time to time and as a result, reporters tend to move around a lot. Because the Bacons' books and their competitors are only published once per year with occasional updates, it's very important that you call media outlets and verify that you can still reach the reporter you would like to talk to. More importantly, find out if the reporter still covers the beat that is important to your story. If for some reason there is a new reporter covering that beat, make note of those changes in a database or spreadsheet, and always call before sending out a new release.

Rules #3: Know where to call for information. Most people are afraid to just call up a reporter (they can be scary people) to find out this information, however if you want to avoid that aspect of the job, then simply call the News Assignment Desk - the nerve center of news operation. It is here that you can verify the reporter information and also get a sense for the types of stories that an editor might find interesting enough to assign to an individual reporter.

Rules #4: Know how a reporter likes to receive information. When it comes to distributing press releases or letters, all reporters are different. It's your job to find out how a reporter wants to receive his or her information on a potential story. For example, some reporters only read faxes while others only look at releases sent by mail. Still others will only read e-mail, and yet others will only accept a story idea over the phone. This is important because if you violate the reporter's rule for receiving information, then your release likely will never be read. It will get a one-way trip to the trashcan.

Rules #5: Adhere to a reporter's deadline. Just as you can find out the name and e-mail address of a specific reporter, you can also find out their writing deadline. This is very important because the last thing anyone wants to experience is being on the line with a reporter when he or she is on deadline.

Here's another tip: Most daily newspapers are put to bed at 5pm. Call the reporter between 8am and 9am because you might catch them before they go their morning editorial meeting. When calling up a reporter directly, always asks the reporter if he or she is currently on deadline as a courtesy. They will respect you for it and this will give you an indication as to how long you have to speak with that particular reporter on the phone. If you're nervous about speaking with the reporter, then create a short script that you can state comfortably in 60 seconds.

While it's always great to know a reporter personally, few small-business owners will ever have that luxury. However, if you know what to do and whom to contact when the time comes to tell your story, your chances of coverage are just as good as anyone else's. After all when it comes to media relations, it's not just who you know but what you know - plus a little luck never hurts either.

Notable Resources:
Bacons
BullDog
Vocus
Community Media Workshop
Burrelle's Information Services

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

It's the Little Details that Can Make or Break a News Story

2003-03-01T23:12:00.000+01:00

Have you ever heard of the saying, "One person's trash is another person's treasure?" Well, that statement is a true one, but never more so than in the realm of media relations where so many small-business owners find it so difficult to garner media coverage for themselves or their companies. Allow me to illustrate my point below in an actual incident that happened to one of my clients and the lessons we learned from this experience.

One day a new client approached me about getting media coverage for her company. She had tried writing and submitting press releases on her own but with little luck and decided that it was time to contact a media relations company. We made an appointment to meet and we discussed her business and brainstormed about ways in which to secure coverage in a creative and affordable way.

During that meeting and subsequent other ones, I became very familiar with her business and learned why she was so successful. But it was in a casual conversation, which had little to do with her business, that I learned about the information that would allow me to secure news coverage for my new client.

This particular client is a visual arts designer and runs a very successful business in the Midwest, but her one true passion since childhood is gymnastics. She participated in the sport as a child. She still follows the sport on television and even incorporates the sport into the name of her company. I learned that she liked to have people take photographs of her performing handstands near historic structures, and that she had done this all around the country.

It was through that conversation that I learned that she even had a photo taken of her performing a handstand just outside of the World Trade Center several years ago. I asked her why she hadn't shared this information with me earlier and she said, "It was such a little thing that I really didn't think it was very important."

In reality, it was that little-known fact that sealed the deal for local newspaper coverage. When I spoke with the reporter, I I was able to strategically mention this "little" fact to the reporter and explain that I could supply the actual photo. It mattered less to the reporter that this client was a self-published author and ran a successful business. While all of that information was great, it was the World Trade Center photo that peaked the reporter's interest. In the end, instead of receiving a small blurb in the newspaper, which was what we really expected, she in turn got a front-page story complete with her photo and references to both her business and her love for gymnastics. Plus, this was a very affordable decision because the client could never have afforded an advertisement the size of that article generated.

The point that I'm trying to make is this. Sometimes small-business owners need to depend on the services of communication companies in order to secure media coverage. But whether you are dealing with a big agency or a boutique agency or a freelancer, it's always important to share every detail because sometimes it's the little details, which can make or break a story.

Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondavé Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her by e-mail.

Carolyn Moncel's Shoestring PR - Media Relations Advice for the Small Business Owner

5 Star Review for 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover!

OOSA Online Gives 5 Stars to Encounters in Paris

Author Angela Henry Interviews Carolyn Moncel

APOOO Bookclub Recommends Encounters in Paris!

Ether Books

Can’t Fall in Love with a Person? Fall for a Book!

Upcoming Events for Encounters in Paris

I had the pleasure of doing an interview on Dave and Lillian Brummet's Conscious Blog! Check out the interview today: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/Go back in the future 'cause it's great reading and highly recommended!

It was a lot of fun chatting with Tyora Moody from soulful site, Written Voices Blog. Thanks for checking out the interview where we talked about Encounters but also spirtual topics. http://writtenvoicesblog.com/2011/02/interview-carolyn-moncel/

New Review for ReaderViews.com!

Carolyn Moncel on Writer`s Voices Jan. 21, 2011 at 1:30 PM Central

Digital copy of Encounters in Paris available at Smashwords.com

Upcoming Radio Interviews with Carolyn Moncel

Upcoming Radio Interviews with Carolyn Moncel

Encounters in Paris first Review!

The Authors Show with Don Cauley 12-21-2010

Pagereaders.com Interviews Carolyn Moncel!

Check out my interview on PageReaders.com! There are many more books reviewed as well, so check out the site! Thanks Nanci, for a great interview!

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Enfin! A Beauty Refuge for Women of Colour

On Writing News Releases that Work…

Switzerland: Europe’s Best-kept Secret!

Getting More Mileage Out of Your Media Coverage

Putting the Local Spin on a Global Story

The Power is in the "Pitch" Letter

Finding Your Company's "Wow" Factor

When the Media Bumps Your News Coverage

Working with Freelance Reporters - A Winning Opportunity

What Your Online Newsroom Says About Your Company

25 Reasons to Write a Press Release

Promoting Your Business on Cable Access TV

What to Say When the Media Calls

Underestimating the Power of In-house PR

Honesty is the Best Policy -- Especially When It Comes to Dealing with the Press

Writing Suitable Copy for the Press

Life After Press Release Distribution?

Are There Secrets to Gaining Media Coverage?

What You Know Can Work Just As Well As Who You Know

It's the Little Details that Can Make or Break a News Story

I had the pleasure of doing an interview on Dave and Lillian Brummet's Conscious Blog! Check out the interview today: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/
Go back in the future 'cause it's great reading and highly recommended!