Today, successful product launches are more about PT Barnum than traditional marketing. It’s about making your product into “The Greatest Show on Earth!”

After all, without smart publicity, nobody will know about the product – what it is, what it does, when and where it can be found, how much it costs, what experts and the media think about it, etc.

Here are seven PR secrets to obtaining fantastic publicity for your next product launch:

1. Tease the market: Apple is a master at teasing the market with news of its latest innovations. Leak tidbits of information to the media (and bloggers!) to pique their interest and keep their ears open for future updates.
2. Product reviews: Send out advance version of product to key influencers (journalists, reporters and bloggers) to review the product for their respective publications. Alternatively, you can invite certain members of the media and blogosphere to your office and spend the day testing out the new product.
3. Just the facts: Send out news alerts & product fact sheets to media & bloggers to flesh out the product for them. Make this more widespread than when doing product reviews. It helps maximize the buzz.
4. Hold a launch party: Doesn’t matter if you are Apple, Snapple or Crapple, holding a launch party is one sure way of creating buzz about your new product!
5. Paparazzi to the rescue: Be sure to invite the media to the launch party for a paparazzi effect. Heck, some companies like Cele-4-a-Day, a company founded in Austin by Tania Cowher, specialize in adding a celebrity element to your event by acting like paparazzi running around taking pictures. Nothing like a little extra glitz and glam for added brand cachet!
6. Fan participation: Hold a video contest for fans that send in the most creative ways to use your product. Or have fans create  funny video-shorts about the product – something Stephen Colbert has been known to do on his satiric political talk show The Colbert Report. Award top video submissions a free pass to the launch party and spoil them with VIP treatment. You can never have enough loyal fans.
7. Document the launch: Have your marketing team blog about the launch from start to finish. Videotape the launch party and send clips of it to the media not in attendance as well as to popular blogs. YouTube the most memorable clips to keep the buzz going strong.
8. Brand ambassadors: Consider hiring brand ambassadors to spread awareness in key demographics. Dr. Pepper uses brand ambassadors to help spread the popularity and participation in its million dollar tuition give-away. You’d think a million-dollar give-away would be enough to cause a landslide of interest but the popular soft drink brand knows that even the best PR campaigns need a little extra push.

Got any ideas you want to add to the list? Disagree with me and want to air your grievances? Add your thoughts to the comments section below!

1. Sales pitches: Never use a press release to sell. The purpose of the press release is to inform – not peddle – to the media and public. Besides, sales pitches are quickly tuned out by intelligent readers. One real downside to this approach is that future press releases will be taken much less seriously, which could inhibit your attempt to share actual news.
2. Bad mouth competitors: Even if you have something great to say, you should not do it at the expense of another company or organization. Mud-slinging has an uncanny way of coming back to dirty the thrower’s own squeaky clean image.
3. Long sentences: People prefer to read short, punchy sentences. It’s best to stay away from sentences that would make William Faulkner blush with envy. If you can’t get your point across economically, then you might want to hire somebody who can.
4. Fancy words: This goes hand-in-glove with long sentences. People don’t want to grab a dictionary when reading a press release. Nor do fancy words for their own sake generally fly well with professional purveyors of words: journalists, bloggers and reporters. They prefer that you get to the point so they can decide when to use fancy, 10-letter words.
5. Boring titles: How you frame your news in the title will determine whether it gets read and picked up by the media for publication. While the saying, “you can’t judge book by its cover,” still applies, a title will impact a book’s chances of getting published in the first place. Try to make the title jump out with action verbs and a story angle that tempts readers to learn more.
6. Facts only your mom would care about: If you hope to get a press release published and read, you should not focus on facts nobody cares about. Ask yourself what does the news have to do with your customers’ needs, hopes and aspirations? In other words, figure out what will interest a potential publication or reader demographic the most. That means you have to get out of your shell to really learn (and articulate!) the issues most on the minds of your particular target market.
7. Don’t make stuff up: Sounds kind of obvious, but you’d be surprised by how much people simply make up when trying to support their ideas. From phantom studies to statistical exaggerations, it’s never a good idea to pull facts out of thin air. Even facts that come from websites such as Wikipedia can be erroneous as there is much less fact-checking rigor built into their editorial process compared to reporting done in credible media outlets. Ditto for bloggers; just because a blogger said it doesn’t make it true. Unsubstantiated claims that get exposed will tarnish your image and lessen the effect of your future news releases.

Got any more ideas of things not to say in press releases? Please share so we can all avoid the embarrassment that sometimes comes when we try to communicate with the world around us!

Here some ideas on how to use articles to grow your brand influence and, by degrees, your business revenue:

1. Write about what you know best: Stick to your core business expertise. If you are a career coach, then write about your experiences helping friends, colleagues and customers find greater satisfaction from their careers.
2. Write for relevant publications: Make sure you write for the right print or online news publication. A female owner of a web and graphic design firm specializing in non-profits might consider publishing an article in a business magazine dedicated to women or in a journal about managing non-profits.
3. Know what your customers read: Not sure what your customers read, ask them. Or, next time you stop by their office, look around the lobby to see what kind of magazines they have on the reception desk or coffee table. Then find out if those publications accept articles written about your area of expertise as a value-add to their readers.
4. Don’t shoot from the hip: Research before you write or you may risk looking like an amateur. Feel free to borrow quotes and statistics from other news sources as long as they are both accurate and relevant; also make sure to give credit to the news source in your article lest you be accused of plagiarizing another writer’s work.
5. KISS: Remember the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid? Don’t go overboard with the information and lexicon – unless of course it’s an academic journal, then it’s preferred! – or you may lose the attention of your audience.
6. Practice Zen writing: As a writer, I admit I struggle with a tendency to overwrite. In the case of articles, however, less is usually more. Keep sentences lean, easy to follow, and to the point. Keep the length of the article only as long as is absolutely necessary to get the point across. Believe me, your readers, and editor, will thank you for it!
7. Write first, edit later: Many beginning writers fall into the trap of writing and editing as they go along. It’s always wiser to get your initial thoughts down on papers during the “white heat” of inspiration and come back later to refine the content and style. Just as every great painter is first a great sketch artist, so should you be a dab hand at the quick composition.
8. Admire your betters: When a very young Ernest Hemingway asked veteran writer Sherwood Anderson the secret to becoming a great writer, the older man said you need to “ape” your betters. So can reading better writers help you improve your style, vocabulary, grammar, organization, and so on.
9. Self promote: When your article gets published, tell the world about it. Tweet it multiple times, mention it on Facebook, blog it, include it on your website, etc. The point is to establish yourself as an expert while simultaneously increasing your readership.
10. Daily bread: Just as you break bread every day, so should you write every day – at least every day of the work week. The more you practice a writing style, the sharper your skills become. That’s why journalists find it so easy to write under the pressure of a deadline. I know of one blogger who gets up at 4am every day to blog 2-3 hours before he starts his regular job. It may sound crazy but it works for him, and he’s got a huge following.

It’s takes a real effort to get going as a writer. Last week, I sat down with a personal fitness trainer friend of mine, Kyle Goldin, owner of Work It Personal Training in Austin, and talked about writing articles, something he has done in the past. We agreed that writing is very similar to getting into shape in that it takes a few months of diligent exercise before you begin seeing the results you seek.

So whether you want to shed a few pounds or add some muscle to your brand, all it takes is a dedicated effort (and following some of the tips outlined above) and you too will start reaping a rich reward.

PR is often overlooked when it comes to brand development, which is probably a good thing because it would be hard to stand out from the crowd if everybody was trying to, well, stand out from the crowd. It can pay to try something unique and unexpected when 90% of the others lack the imagination, or will, to try something new.

Here are my ideas on how your company or personal brand can be viewed as a visionary leader in your community, industry or field of work.

Write an article: It doesn’t involve a huge effort, or cost any money, yet it’s a great way to be perceived as an expert on a topic and gain an audience for your ideas. Some magazines and newspapers take guest contributions, so identify what publications best suit your interests and make the appropriate inquiries.

Throw a party: You can celebrate a product launch or anniversary by inviting members of the press, customers and influencers to a kick-ass party with good eats and sips. Oh, and make sure you have a band for shock and awe – forget those weenie wine and cheese events. Go all out!

Sponsor a non-profit event: Get behind a well-known non-profit, or a promising up-and-comer, in a big way to get your brand associated with doing good for the community. If possible, make sure the event you sponsor pertains to your industry in some way. For example, Whole Foods here in Austin doesn’t know it yet but they’re going to sponsor a food trailer event I am organizing next spring to help fight hunger with healthy food. Why are they going to participate? Because a core belief of Whole Foods is everybody should have access to high-quality, healthy food so they can live healthy, productive lives. (Plus, I'm going to ask them real nice and beg if I have to!)

Meet the Governor: Put a target on the governor of your state and make it your mission to get an audience, preferably in the form of a visit to your place of work. Short of that, attending a public event in a formal capacity will do. The guvnor’s bound to have several reporters in tow to help his or her profile, which will help yours, too.

Go Green: Start a Green initiative at your work place and make a big deal about it. There are still very few businesses out there that have completely embraced a Green workplace. If you do go Green, then you can be one of the first in your industry or community, and get props in the media for doing it.

Be nice to reporters: Reporters are good people to know. They do the thankless work of society by holding people and companies accountable to higher standards. Clark Kents and Peter Parkers though they may be, they still need a helping hand from time to time. Befriend a reporter and let him or her know you can be counted on for feedback in your particular area of expertise – if and when it’s needed. Be sure to stat in touch with them with the occasional email or buy them lunch once in a blue moon. You may find yourself quoted in a newspaper more frequently than you ever imagined.

Lead a Committee: Every community needs volunteers. Local school boards, chambers of commerce, government – all of them form committees to study issues and make recommendations. Get on one and try to either lead it or get a spokesperson role in order to stand-out.

Mergers & Acquisitions: Nothing gains the attention of media and the public in an industry quite like the announcement of a merger or acquisition. Just look at the cat-fight ensuing between Dell and HP over 3Par. Journalists and bloggers can’t resist a breaking news story like this and will respond immediately. Obviously, the merger or acquisition has to make business sense, but it will make a big splash for your brand.

Write a book: It sounds like a daunting task, and it pretty much is, but if you can write a book then it’s a ticket to media coverage. The media enjoys talking about new books and authors and quoting them in their articles and interviewing them on radio and TV. You can do book-signings at local bookstores, or turn the book launch into a mini-book tour the way John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing fame recently did with the publication of his latest book The Referral Engine. Groups will invite you to stand up and talk about yourself, your company, your brand. Hey, if Michael Dell can write a book, so can you.

Volunteer your company: Set aside one day a month where you’re whole company pitches in to help out a local charity. Go one better than that by leading your employees on a mission to help victims of a natural disaster. One thing that’s certain in this world – apart from the usual death and taxes – is that natural disasters will continue to occur and the victims of those disasters will need help. Follow this tip and you will establish your company as a great place to work and also receive credit for your leadership.

These tips are not a blueprint for successful branding. Nor are they a checklist to be ticked off so you can feel good about yourself as you rake in the cash. It must result from an authentic effort and permeate your brand if it is to be perceived as genuine by the public and media.

If you have some tips you can share, please let me know. I’m always looking to expand my PR repertoire.

It actually goes way beyond all that. What the Oracles of the Internet are observing is the number of daily downloads on YouTube, which are staggering. You may not have realized but YouTube now registers more than 2 billion video downloads every day. That’s a ridiculously large number. For the non-mathematically inclined (like me!), try imaging 2 billion minutes strung together. In only 24 hours, we humans are watching some 7,600 years of video footage on the Internet!

Starting to see what the excitement’s all about? Marketers, as you can imagine, are emitting nervous giggles as they ponder the potential: create a viral video and watch your product will go nuclear overnight, or at least that’s how it’s supposed to happen.

Nowadays every company is wondering how they can harness the power of video to generate leads, educate customers and boost their brand. Some call it “edutainment.” Most consider it part of a smart marketing strategy.

Before you run out and hire a video production company, you may want to learn why videos may NOT work for lots of small companies. [Caveat: videos can work for some companies, perhaps even yours; but care must be taken to make sure it’s truly the wisest way to spend your precious marketing dollars.]

1. Cost: Unless you’re a video professional and can write a good script on your own, paying a professional to make a video can be expensive. When you compare the cost to the potential benefits, it doesn’t always make financial sense. Just be sure the ROI justifies the cost.
2. Not all videos go viral: Some companies are better suited to go viral – consumer product companies are an obvious example. Many B2B companies, however, aren’t suited for viral videos given the often irreverent, campy or off-color ingredient that goes into the making of viral videos. Customers of B2B companies expect information about complex products and services, not an attempt to be clever and humorous. If anything, B2B videos should address helpful value-add topics like how to get more out of a product or software.
3. Time crunch: Videos can be good communication tools but they take time to view. And time is a commodity in short supply among business professionals. Here’s the thing, videos must be viewed in linear fashion to be processed effectively, which means a busy executive may not have the patience to wait for a 5 minute video make its point. Written communication, on the other hand, can be scanned and processed allowing the seed of your marketing message to get planted for later nurturing.
4. Lost in Space: As videos become more popular for marketing, finding a way to differentiate your company becomes harder. Making a memorable video is a lot harder than it looks. [All you have to do is take a look at some of my home videos!] What that means is if you’re going to produce material that impresses the senses and engages the Gray Matter, you’ll have to spend more money to raise the overall production quality. Eventually, video marketing a business will become passé as tons of content is created for way too little interest – every Tom, Dick and Mary in marketing will make sure of that.
5. Beware experts: One thing social media marketing has proven over the last 5 years or so since it arrived on the marketing scene is that self-professed experts are a dime a dozen. One sure fire reason why some companies will fail at using video is that some will hire a video expert only to find out, belatedly, of course, that the expert is one in name only and lacks the experience that goes with the title. A recently laid-off corporate lifer who goes out and purchases some video equipment, takes some video courses and sets up a website is not necessarily the best resource for your video production needs. Make sure you fully vet those so-called experts before engaging their services. Talk to their customers and review their previous work closely to make sure it aligns with your company’s marketing requirements.
6. Talking heads: News flash! Not everybody wants to see us try and make videos in our home office. Mispronunciations, umms and ahhs, poor lighting and sketchy sound make us look like amateurs, which is what most of us are! Unless you are a professional or are working with one, it’s probably wise to stop trying to be the next David Letterman of marketing.

If you still think video is the right tool to use when communicating with customers, prospects and the general public, then do yourself a favor by conducting some due diligence before settling on a provider. Don’t be afraid to ask them if your company would truly benefit from video marketing. Some firms – the honest ones – will shoot straight with you and let you know if you’re wasting your money or not.

Even though I’m a print oriented guy because of my PR and marketing communications background, I see how video can be a great way to get your message out. I am, however, reluctant to march headlong into video just because thought leaders are beating the drum. The true impact of social media on branding and sales is still so hard to quantify that, unless video is just perfect for your market and industry – and you have the budget! – it’s probably prudent to postpone the investment.

The Oscars can wait until next year.

Despite constant rumors of the death of traditional media and press releases, they are quite possibly the most effective way to give your company a boost up to the next level.

Below I’ve outlined the 5 ways PR is ideally suited to grow your small or mid-sized business.

1. Cheaper than advertising and most other marketing activities: PR scales like crazy. With just a small investment in a press release and some time pitching your story to the media, you could have your company name in front of thousands, possibly millions, of eyeballs. The same investment in advertising would be cost prohibitive for most small or mid-size companies. It might cost $5,000 to get a mention in a major news outlet like The Wall Street Journal or CNBC but cost a small fortune to produce and purchase enough ad space to acquire the same credibility and mindshare through advertising.
2. Level the playing field with corporate giants: Nothing wins a fan base quite as well as the David vs. Goliath scenario. If you’re a smaller company going up against giant corporations, a PR campaign leveraging the special qualities your small company offers, qualities the corporate leviathan overlooks or simply can’t offer because of its size, will win followers hand over  fist. For an example of this kind of campaign, find out how one small company called AustiNuts bested one of the largest food giants in the world in a battle over names. So fear not, just pick up a rock, load your sling, and take aim!
3. Brand differentiation: PR is a great way to define your company in contrast to the competition. True, advertising is effective, too. But illustrating the differences in a newspaper or TV news story makes a much stronger imprint on a buyer’s psyche than the dubious science of advertising ever can. One of the ways Dell grew its PC business in the 90's against competitors like Gateway 2000 (now just Gateway) was by sending its computers to be tested by influential journalists like Walt Mossberg. Pronouncements from media personalities like Walt could make or break a brand over time. Just compare the number of PC's sold today by Dell compared to Gateway. (An over simplification? Perhaps. But I personally knew PR pros from Dell who made a huge impact on the perception of the Dell PC as a quality leader over the competition just by how they worked the media.)
4. Get new customers: It’s all about being top-of-mind when a decision is made to look for a product or service. Nothing impresses the neurons in decision-makers quite like a flattering article in the Wall Street Journal or even a local newspaper. Nuff said!
5. Credibility: Good PR can help a business be seen as a leader in a given industry and market. The fact is, when we see stories in newspapers, journals,  TV, and even blogs, there is an unconscious legitimizing effect which occurs in the minds of potential buyers. Think of what The Oprah Effect has done to small, unknown consumer product manufacturers since the Queen of Daytime Talk Shows began reviewing products she thought were worth our attention. What exactly is The Oprah Effect, you ask? When a product is featured on Oprah’s show, it’s not uncommon for the company's website to crash from all the traffic generated by Oprah’s positive endorsement. She’s a modern-day King Midas. And it’s all possible because of PR – getting a product featured on any TV show or media outlet takes a concerted PR effort.

This is by no means a complete list. My intent is to illustrate how PR is often overlooked, nay completely unknown, by so many small companies, most of which are in bad need of affordable ways to get more business. Are you wondering if your company is a candidate for PR? Let's see, if you have customers and would like to grow, then, yes, you're a perfect candidate for PR.

If you want to create a firestorm of interest in your story as opposed to a forgettable fizzle, then it’s best to keep in mind some basic rules of the Pitch. While there’s no one formula for success in getting your story published – be it in a newspaper, blog, ezine or on TV – you can’t go wrong by adhering to these basic tips.

Newsworthiness: You can improve your chances of getting coverage in the media by making sure your story is newsworthy. Stories related to hiring, particularly executive new-hires, make for good journalistic fodder. So do new product launches, geographic expansion into a new market, an event you're sponsoring, a major customer win, etc.

Big Picture: Is there a big picture storyline to which you can associate your news? For instance, say you are targeting military personnel with a new promotion. You might consider a press release tied to Veteran’s Day or July 4^th and make a public announcement to which you can invite important guests such as leaders of military veterans’ associations or the mayor of a town where a military base is located. One company I worked with rode the “coattails” of a nationally syndicated story all the way to a different article in a related national publication.

 Know the Target Audience: Before you pitch your story to a certain publication, journalist or blogger, make sure you know the type of content they’re looking for. In other words, don’t try to pitch a story about real estate investing to a writer for a data storage technology ezine. It frustrates the writer and gets you nowhere fast. Research the writer first by reading some of his or her content, or the content of the publication. Only when you’re certain your story fits the writer’s audience profile should proceed with the pitch.

Write a Succinct Pitch Email: The email pitch you send out with a press release is equally as important as the press release itself. Jeremy Porter, whose influential blog about PR and journalism (aptly titled Journalistics), goes a step further by saying that press releases should take a back seat to the pitch itself. Jeremy’s personal preference? A real-live conversation with a journalist. His point is you shouldn’t expect a press release blasted hither and thither over the Internet to yield any significant media coverage. Quality trumps quantity, so make sure you’re pitch is on target with their story preferences and succinctly states the value of the news to their audience.

Follow Up: When you send out an email pitch, or get voicemail on a phone pitch, be sure to follow up if you don’t hear back from the media person you’re trying to reach. Whatever you do, don’t take it personally. These are very busy people who receive way too many pitches to respond back to all of them. Sometimes, all it takes is a little extra push in order to get your news noticed. So pick up the phone and make the call. (Word of warning: limit your call backs as you don’t want to annoy and create a negative impression.)

Take Rejection in Stride: Not every journalist is going to write about your story. My approach has been to talk with each and every journalist to learn how my news fell short. Usually, I end up learning more about what the journalist likes to publish, and it’s a great way to build a relationship with the journalist for future pitches. You can also revisit your news release and pitch to rework them based on the feedback. It’s possible you can bring to light additional information or cite some notable statistics that will sufficiently pique the journalist’s interest.

Blog your Pitch: Blogs are a perfect way to get the news out to your customer and prospects, but they’re also good for journalists in search of a story. Granted, journalists probably don’t follow your blog the way they follow famous blogs like TechCrunch and Mashable. But if you use social media to spread the word about your blog and can get the buzz started in your own network, then a journalist may stumble over the blog link and reach out to you. It’s still a pretty uncommon happening but why rule out the possibility?

Be Nice: Often overlooked but incredibly important, etiquette and manners are serious matters when it comes to pitching your message to journalists and other media outlets. They’re busy professionals who get pitched daily by people just like you who think that their message will set the world on fire. All the more reason to be pleasant and mindful of their busy schedule. Ask if this is a good time to talk; if it’s not, set up a time to call back. Keep your pitch focused and succinct. Ask (politely!) if they wouldn’t mind giving you more detail on stories they like to publish. And when the call is over, thank them profusely. It will make your next pitch even easier if you’re able to establish a friendly rapport.

Think you’re ready to pitch your story to the media? Don’t worry if your first efforts yield no tangible results. Just keep on pitching and pretty soon you’ll be amazed at how many stories you’ll see published, filmed and recorded for public consumption.

Keep in touch.

This zero-to-sixty brand development is not just the stuff of legend. How else can you explain candle-making company sedafrance, based right here in Austin, getting an endorsement on the Oprah Winfrey Show and experiencing seismic growth and media pick-ups all over the place?

All it takes is a little creativity, a knack for writing and a defined objective. Almost any newsworthy story can go viral with the right kind of spin.

Just ask Jacqueline Hughes.

I met Jacqueline at Kick-Butt Coffee near Highland Mall this past week and learned that her nascent technology idea was just covered by a nationally syndicated radio show! Now when I say “nascent,” I mean so brand new she hasn’t had time to form a company yet. We’re talking raw, in utero, ink-still-fresh-on-the-cocktail napkin new.

Jacqueline is the founder of an exciting social calendar solution called Bridge the City, which aggregates events happening in Austin from lots of calendars on the Internet. Bridge the City is quickly becoming a go-to calendar for people wanting to stay plugged into Austin no matter what their interest: job seekers, live music junkies, outdoor enthusiast, hardcore Joomla programmers, inventor wannabes. You name it. If there’s an event in Austin, chances are, Bridge the City has the scoop you need.

How did Jacqueline get coverage for her “virtual” start-up? She found out on Twitter that Winston Edmondson from the Innovation at Work radio show – nationally syndicated on CNN Radio – would be in Austin for two weeks studying and documenting high-tech start-ups. Jacqueline used the twitterverse to track Winston down and gain an audience. (If that isn’t an endorsement for using Twitter to promote your company, I don’t know what is!) Winston stopped by Tech Ranch, which is a sort of high-tech start-up halfway house for underfunded ventures in need of nurturing, to watch Jacqueline demo her social calendar tool, which integrates to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, by the way.

It was an exciting day for this 2-month old start-up, which really began as a way for Jacqueline, a recent grad who had yet to find gainful employment courtesy of the recession, to execute an aggressive networking plan in hopes of finding a job. When she realized how painful it was to keep track of so many independent calendars on the Internet, in typical entrepreneurial panache, she set about to fix the problem. She cooked up an idea of aggregating events into one definitive calendar that would scrape other Internet calendars from all manner of websites so socially minded Austinites like her would have everything at their fingertips.

Jacqueline is a natural at PR, by the way. Her mellow demeanor belies the instincts of a shrewd showman capable of throwing out PR ideas as easily as Stephen King cranks out novels. How else could she have gotten her idea onto a national radio show, almost effortlessly? Her PR talent, and serious networking chops, has helped her build one of the fastest start-up trajectories in recent years. Fact is this 23 year old unemployed entrepreneur has pulled off some tricks that even seasoned PR professionals find difficult to manage.

So if you are a small company with an inferiority complex and think you’re company can’t possibly attract media attention, just think of Jacqueline. Throw off all doubts, play the PR game with abandon, and watch the press clippings start adding up!

Have you done something spectacular in the media that you want to share with me? Maybe we can learn a thing or two from your experience!

It’s true that writing an effective press release requires some writing talent. And turning a press release into something more than just a logical series of sentences takes a finely tuned ear and a knack with words. So, yes, there is considerable art – in the loosest sense of that word possible – in the making of a powerful press release. But that’s not where the art of a press release is greatest.

That honor goes to the story itself. A good press release writer knows how to take events, accomplishments and non-news items and find a compelling story that will hold readers’ attentions and get them to take action. The art is in knowing how to frame a particular event to do the most good for a company’s marketing strategy – brand development, new business generation, SEO.

The art of a PR pro is a bit like what an oyster does with a grain of sand when it makes a pearl. Admittedly, some stories sell themselves but many others take a trained eye for finding what's compelling, powerful and effective in what otherwise might be viewed as mundane or commonplace.

I have my best thoughts when my head is clear and my mind is free to roam. My thoughts can get as close to tabula rasa as possible short of deep meditation. (And I don’t do meditation!) That may be why I like to take walks in a park near my office. It de-clutters the cranium.

Epiphanies bubble up when my mind is less focused on pounding out emails, racing to meet a deadline or talking with customers.  Last Sunday, for instance, I realized I was missing a huge opportunity by not partnering more closely with some of my small business marketing buddies, Rick L’Amie of Moxie Marketing and Dawn Westerberg of Dawn Westerberg Consulting. As Duct Tape Marketing Coaches, they both are incredible resources for small businesses in need of marketing strategy and execution plans. Rick and Dawn, if your ears are burning right now, it’s because I’m thinking about how we can collaborate and grow our businesses together!

Another item that made last Sunday's strategic laundry list is the launch of Dave Manzer PR, a business I hadn’t even contemplated starting until three months ago when I began a PR campaign offering free press releases to businesses in Austin.

Note to reader: It’s amazing how many new doors of opportunity will open when you offer a valuable service for free. I highly recommend you try it out!

Suffice it to say, leaving the office has become integral to keeping my business on track with a strategic plan. What are ways you keep a sharp focus on your business’ strategy so that you don’t get bogged with busy work?