Raising Ink...

Great post on getting PR. I love these rules, so I've shamelessly stolen them from re:invention, the blog for women entrepreneurs.

10 good rules of thumb when it comes to Ink-Raising:

1. Write good press releases, preferably those that
can be printed verbatim. Include quotable stats, top
5/10 lists, and facts of interest that people want
to know. Make your point quickly and make it well.

2. Be blurbable. Speak in blurbs - a blurb is a short,
meaningful statement that will pop in print (or sound
smart on air).

3. Never turn down an opportunity for media. Drop
everything when they call.

4. Stand for something - believe in what you do, what
your company does, be yourself, be honest, and declare
it with conviction.

5. Do something newsworthy and do well by doing good.
Make sure your company goes the distance with exceptional
and noteworthy products and service, do things differently,
suggest problems for which you have a solution, debunk
common myths, allude to controversial topics, align yourself
with powerful causes & national issues, get involved, volunteer
and advocate community involvement.

6. Toot your own horn. But be tasteful. Too soft and no one will
hear you, too loud you will turn people's stomachs.

7. If you want publicity, ask for it. You shouldn't be afraid to ask
for anything. Those who ask, get.

8. Network with the press at events. Networking means more
than new business lead generation. Meeting editors is equally
important.

9. Email thank you notes to reporters, even for small mentions.
Thanking them opens the door to future communication. And
more importantly, it's just good common courtesy and polite!

10. Be committed to others' success. Introduce your contacts to
reporters to help them with their future stories. Promote other
sources that have something to say of value.

I'm pretty good at 3, 4, 5 and 9, and working on the rest. Some would say I'm too good at 6 (it tends to piss people off if you effectively promote yourself and create/leverage opportunity).

Thanks to Kirsten Osolind of re:invention. Here's her original post. I also enjoyed her recent post on marketing for women rather than marketing TO women.