Rembrandt’s Blog

On Tuesday, I started to share my hot air balloon story and left off with the balloon heading into the trees below…

We were going down and it seemed like we would touch the rooftops. Dogs barked and neighbors came out to wave at us from below.

Soon, we were floating just a few hundred feet above the valley floor covered with wild foliage. It seemed like we were getting way too close to the ground!

But I had complete confidence in the pilot. He was waiting for a specific wind path. He was patient and knew exactly what he was doing. Suddenly, he blasted the balloon with hot air.

A Happy Ending

Soon, we were floating up in the right direction and away from the trees. And just moments later, we landed right on our target with a smooth touchdown.

The chase truck was right there, and we climbed out of the basket. It was an exhilarating experience!

Relating to PR

So how does this experience relate to PR?

At first, you can be very excited about promoting your products and services. You prepare what you are going to say and who you are going to contact.

Then, you do the work, and the media clippings start to come in. Reporters and editors want to talk to you, and you give them exactly what they want. You get into the balloon basket and start to soar.

But if you are not careful, and “keep your head in the clouds,” you can get caught by surprise and see your publicity efforts deflate fast.

Perhaps your competitors come out with a new product and steal your media buzz? Maybe you stop working hard and let press opportunities pass by?

When was the last time you boosted your PR with a blast of air?

The point is that you need to constantly work on your publicity efforts and hone your interview and media-relations skills. This way, you will know what to do in crisis situations and be aware of what is going on in your industry at all times.

It can be difficult to be “up” all the time in the fast-paced, and often less than positive, media world.

But if you prepare your PR plan, focus on your goals and constantly work towards achieving them, you will experience the exhilaration of a fantastic media ride that can help your business boost sales, awareness and credibility fast!

If you’d like help you with your PR and copywriting, please visit www.rembrandtwrites.com.

And if you’d like to take a fantastic, hot air balloon ride with customer-focused, experienced experts, please check out http://www.californiadreamin.com/!

Recently, I went on my first hot air balloon ride. It was a lifelong dream, and I was really looking forward to the peace and tranquility of floating through the air without thinking about work.

But I couldn’t help but make an analogy between the flight and the world of PR.

The Beginning

It was very exciting as the balloons were pulled out of the trucks, and the baskets were lowered to the ground. Everything was planned out. Workers placed huge tarps on the ground so that the balloons would not get damaged.

Then, fans circulated air into the balloon while the massive piece of material was pulled into place. And at just the right time, a huge shot of hot air blasted into the balloon. I jumped with the unexpected sound. And in just minutes, the huge balloon towered above us.

Taking Action

It was time to climb into the small basket only big enough for three people. I grabbed the metal bar and hung on. My heart raced. And before I could get nervous, we were in the air…floating away from the parking lot.

The view was amazing. The ocean glistened in the setting sun, and we soared above the clouds. It seemed like we would go on forever, and I forgot all about work and life issues.

The Winds of Change

But then, the wind took us in a different path. We started to go down, down, down. It made me wake up and realize that we were in a tiny little basket at the whim of nature!

To find out what happens on my exciting adventure, and how you can use this story to help with your PR efforts, tune in on Thursday… Thanks!

If you want to obtain new customers, and keep them, you can use public relations to your advantage in three ways:

1. Build credibility.

By having your business mentioned in a major media venue, you obtain third-party credibility you simply cannot purchase via advertising methods.

Not only does a media mention help build awareness in front of your target market, you can also use this press clipping in your marketing efforts.

2. Promote successes.

If your customers have an impressive “before and after story” from using your products and services, be sure to get permission and tell the media their stories.

Not only do reporters love to hear exclusive stories about real people with real results, but this kind of publicity also help your customers get some media attention for their own marketing uses. It’s a win-win situation.

3. Write about your customers.

If you are preparing an original article to post on your site and share with the media, consider including a quote from a potential customer, sponsor or investor. 

This will allow you to develop a relationship and enhance the possibility of working together on future projects. Plus, it will give the potential clients some free publicity for their businesses. 

And if you decide to take this approach, be sure that your article offers important information and expertise without being a sales piece. You’ll get a lot more coverage and media respect for both you and your customers if you provide valuable content editors can use and share with their audiences.

Save Money and Get New Customers with PR
By using the media to build awareness for your business, you can increase credibility and build relationships with potential and current customers without spending a lot of money. 

Have questions? Please contact me below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I provide a lot of free information via my newsletter and various blogs and would love to help you out!