InsidEPR

Tool of the Month: November

By Kevin Sugarman

Yes, I’m back with my latest entry for the “tool of the month” blog.  It probably won’t come as a shock that we have two winners this month – both were so outstanding that I could not differentiate between them and will give them equal time in the blog.

Our first tool comes from the great state of Nebraska. Tom Larvie, 35, recently had 10 misdemeanor counts filed against him, nine of which were for public indecency – this fact would already make Tom a winner in this blog, as I wasn’t even aware that there were nine different ways a person could be indecent in public.  The good people of Valentine actually don’t know Tom by his given name, but instead simply know him as the “The Butt Bandit”.  You see, Tom “The Butt Bandit” Larvie has been terrorizing the people of Valentine since the spring of 2007 by, and I quote, “Leaving greasy, graphic imprints of his naked behind, and sometimes his groin, on the windows of stores, churches and schools.”  I know what you’re wondering, “greasy”?  I have your answer; it appears that Tom lathered himself in lotion and petroleum jelly before each of his little adventures. 

Fantasy Football Standings: Clinching the Playoffs

By Frank Bauch

They say winners write the history books, and thus it is only fitting that I write this fantasy football update from the top of the fantasy standings as we head into Week 13. Frank’s Ghostriders have won seven straight games, including a week 12 thrashing of Team Whitney. The loss puts Team Whitney in a must-win matchup this week against second place Team Slook. Here’s how the playoff outlook breaks down:

Ghostriders (9-3): Can clinch first place with a win over Kyros Killers. Has clinched a first round bye.

Slook (8-4): Can clinch a first round bye with a win over Whitney. Can clinch first place only with both a win and a Ghostriders loss. Has clinched a playoff spot.

Kevin Sugarman (8-4): Can clinch a first round bye with both a win and a Slook loss. Has clinched a playoff spot.

Jill (7-5): Has clinched a playoff spot. Can clinch a first round bye with a win, a Slook loss, and a Kevin Sugarman loss.

Bitzy’s Bashers (7-5): Can clinch a playoff spot with a win… or a loss and a Whitney loss… or a loss and a Whitney win with less than 22.53 point differential.

Elan Mualem (7-5): Can clinch a playoff spot with a win, or a loss and a Whitney loss.

Whitney (6-6): Can clinch a playoff spot with a win and an Elam Mualem loss, or a win and a Bitzy’s Bashers loss with more than 22.53 point differential.

Team/Record
Ghostriders / 9-3-0 
Slook / 8-4-0
Kevin Sugarman / 8-4-0
Jill / 7-5-0
Bitzy's Bashers / 7-5-0
Elan Mualem / 7-5-0
Whitney / 6-6-0
Kyros Killers / 5-7-0
Allison / 5-7-0
Aliens / 5-7-0
Fritzy (Chelsea) / 4-8-0
Bryan / 1-11-0

Good luck to everyone this weekend! May your turkey days be filled with lots of food and football!

(Editor's note: The best team was actually Team Fritzy... but my good players were on the fritz for a few games... hence the team name.)

A Year of Thanks

By Becky Frost

With Thanksgiving upon us, it is a time to reflect on reasons we have to be thankful.  During these uncertain economic times, many worry about the future and can’t find much for which they are truly thankful. However, with gratitude comes hope and hope can inspire action.  Even the smallest amount of gratitude can change your day.

So, I would submit to you several items that I am thankful for this year, and I hope you’ll share yours.

• Advances in Technology – Working in tech PR, I have many opportunities to see how technology improves lives – from keeping information safe and secure to enabling more convenient communication.  As advancements continue, we have more exciting things to share with the media and the public.

• Social Media – Are you on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn? Do you keep in touch with friends and family through a blog? With the birth of a little one this year, I’ve come to appreciate these tools on a much grander scale.  

• Good Friends and Family – How do you spend your days? Good friends and family make the difference between good and bad days. We spend so much of our time at work, and I count myself lucky to work in a company where camaraderie is promoted and good friendships are fostered.

I could go on, but I’d like to hear from you. What are some things that have inspired your gratitude this year?

The Press Release: The Champagne of Beers

By Chelsea Irwin

The press release has evolved into more than just a vehicle to deliver news these days - it’s a very expensive vehicle to deliver news. The truth is, a shorter press release with multimedia features is less expensive and more media friendly. 

For example, we recently worked with a new client on a press release announcing the launch of the company, its flagship product and first customer win. All bundled into a single press release, these elements resulted in a document that was nearly 1,000 words long. The projected price to distribute this news globally exceeded $10,000. (Yes, that’s a 5 digit number.) EPR worked with the company to bring the price to less than $4,000 – while still maintaining global reach and adding enhanced features to generate higher quality coverage, and without sacrificing important content..

Included below are some of the tactics Engage PR recommends to clients looking to maximize value and minimize cost of press releases:

1. The shorter, the better. Most major wire services charge per word after the first 400 words to distribute a news release. Simple solution: Cut the release to 600 words and created a landing page for the full-length press release. Not only does this method force longwinded writers to focus on the core news facts, but it brings traffic to your company’s web site.

2. SEO enhance your release. Many companies are constantly issuing press releases (regardless of the news value). This routine can get expensive fast. The simple solution is to maximize the search life of your quality press releases with the “search engine optimization” (SEO) tool offered by most wire services. It’s about $200 to SEO enhance a news release (give or take a few dollars) but it extends the life of your release. The average shelf life of a press release in search engines is 28 days; after that time it is pushed to the end of the search results ending up on something like page 16 - at which point companies get the “issue–another-press-release itch” and start fabricating product upgrades. With SEO, the release is frequently refreshed and will continue to appear on page one in search engines much longer (in most cases for up to three months).

3. Key words are key. Many wire services offer an optimization tool that determines what keywords people search most frequently – for example, optimizing a recent release showed that the term “products with role-based access control” is searched much more than the term “role-based access control” alone. It’s fair to say that the ultimate goal of a press release is to generate sales leads, and by including the right key words, you increase the chance that a potential customer will end up on your site rather than your competitors.

4. Everyone needs a visual! Most wire services charge around $400 for the first graphic that accompanies a press release and $200 for each additional graphic. Experience has taught us that reporters are more likely to cover your news if a graphic is available. Granted, the graphic should be compelling and relevant. Including the right graphic will not only increase your chances to receive news coverage, but readers are more likely to read an article with visual stimulation.

(I know, my headline doesn’t really make sense. Deal with it.)

EPR Named 2008 Mobile Star Awards Winner

By Allison Kuhn

Engage PR is proud to announce it has been named a 2008 Mobile Star Award winner. The agency tied for a Silver Star Award™ in the category of “Wireless & Mobile Technology PR Firm.” This is Engage’s second consecutive year on the list.

The Mobile Star Awards recognize the top mobile products, success stories, and public relations firms as chosen by thousands of readers of MobileVillage's newsletter, Go Mobile®. EPR is excited to continue its work with wireless/mobility companies in the New Year.

Thank you to all who voted for Engage PR!