Creating Positive Buzz: Local Author & Inspirational Speaker Esther Hughes
From time to time I will be sharing my clients’ news which helps me not only share their exciting events, but also gives you an idea of what a typical press release or story pitch should look like. So consider them case studies if you will and reference them if you need help in writing up that press release or story pitch.
And if you’re still stumped and just want to hand off the writing, you know where to go!
Press Release: People currently affected by cancer have a new source for faith
Author and professional speaker, Esther Hughes, has recently published a book solely for those affected by cancer, Psalms and Prayers for People Affected by Cancer. This new resource acts as a tool for anyone affected by cancer, inspiring thought and offering hope.
Esther Hughes, a breast cancer survivor herself, has experienced first-hand the challenges cancer brings (www.EstherHughes.com). Through her battle and recovery, Esther had profound experiences and felt charged with the mission to share what helped her through each day with others affected by cancer. In Psalms and Prayers for People Affected by Cancer (http://www.amazon.com/Psalms-Prayers-People-Affected-Cancer/dp/1442108797/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250791040&sr=8-1), Esther shares prayers for each stage of the process of dealing with cancer. Her connection of faith to the positive healing process will inspire anyone diagnosed with cancer to keep a positive attitude.
An accomplished speaker, Esther has shared the message of capturing the gift of each day with womens’ groups, churches, community associations, support and wellness organizations, and at corporate functions. Helen Wolf, Facilitator of “Meet the Authors” class at Delaware Valley College commented, “Esther gives a lively presentation, with material presented in a clear, concise, manner, speaking to the audience, not at them. She shares her personal life experiences, encourages feedback, and weaves hope and positive affirmations. Hearing Esther speak can change your attitude at a crossroad in life, and make a personal difference for you, in just one day.” Her other thought-provoking speaking topics include:
- Discover and Uncover You
- One Day Living: Full Life Collection
- One Day + One Event = Second Chances
- SHAPE for Women
- Caring for People Affected by Cancer
For more information on Psalms and Prayers for People Affected by Cancer or Esther Hughes visit http://onedayliving.com/.
Turning a negative into good PR for a cause.
When you can take a Cancer diagnosis and turn it into a positive raising awareness and funding in a creative way like Drew, you’re amazing!
Other amazing Philadelphia area folks finding creative ways to help fight Cancer and life-threatening illnesses:
- Esther at One Day Living – she’s a Cancer survivor and author launching a non-profit to help families facing life-threatening illnesses.
- Carla Wilson & Caroline Wright — an amazing duo who trekked 190 miles coast to coast in England to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
What do smores have to do with public relations?
I went camping recently and the yummy smores my family and I made by the camp fire are still on my mind. The fact that I’m a chocoholic doesn’t help either.
What do smores have to do with public relations? This may be a stretch but here goes:
1. Patience. Smores take patience to make because you have to first roast the marshmallows to the exact temperature of your preference. Some people like their marshmallows golden brown while others like them crispy on the outside and melted on the inside. Public relations, done properly, takes patience as well. Patience in crafting your message the right way to reach the right people. Patience in getting a response to your first attempt or follow up. Patience in the amount of time and frequency required to spend on generating buzz. You may not create positive buzz after that first or fifth press release or story pitch, but have faith it will come!
2. Organization. Crafting the perfect smore takes organization. You have to have your supplies ready at hand – the marshmallows, the graham crackers, the chocolate and of course a napkin or paper towel to keep the gooiness at bay. Crafting a simplified, yet effective public relations plan takes organization as well. Whether you’re developing an editorial calendar for your ezine or blog, or crafting a quarters worth of story pitches or press releases, your information must be organized. You should have the Who, What, When, Where and Why clearly mapped out and your contact information must be organized and easy to find as well. It’s also notable to have your follow-up plan and strategy for what happens once you generate buzz organized.
3. Slice of heaven. Smores (if you like them as much as I do) can be a slice of heaven. They can help you be in the moment, having fun with family and friends, and can remind you of fun times as a child. Generating positive buzz around you, your business, your events, products or services can be a slice of heaven. When you get noticed for the hard work that you do, or your community involvement you can be in the moment, relish it, be giddy like a kid and do your happy dance. It’s amazing when we get noticed after a lot of effort. It’s what life is all about. Being appreciated, being in the moment, appreciating others, and paying it forward.
Who knew smores and PR had so much in common!?
The Buzz About Music…Matisyahu
It’s Friday, I’m getting ready to head out on a weekend camping trip and music has always helped me get through busy, tough or just down right blah days. I listen to a lot of National Public Radio and lately they’ve been playing Matisyahu’s “One Day”. This song sums up how I would love the world to be every day. So here’s the video…and some questions.
Does music energize, inspire and motivate you?
Does it fuel your passion for life?
How can you tie the music you love to your buzz generation activities?
Finding Your Tribe
Whether you’re a work-at-home entrepreneur or have a brick and mortar office, you need to get out and find your Tribe. Sure online networking is great…LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Digg, etc. are great sources for relationship building, getting answers and finding potential partnerships and clients. But they are just one piece of the puzzle…you’ve got to complete the circle with real live interaction.
But with so many in-person networking and business mentoring opportunities how do you decide what’s best for you and your quest for relationship and buzz building? Part of the process of finding the right “tribe” is determining what your goals are and what kinds of people you want to surround yourself with. What is your niche or who are your ideal clients? What types of people can you identify with? What kind of support are you looking for?
Recently, I’ve found two amazingly inspirational and local groups that I think directly fit in with my business goals and hopes to develop stronger business and personal relationships with like-minds.
- Network Now, a networking group for women in the Bucks County area who are business owners, lead non-profits or are representatives for national companies, is a dynamic group of women from all walks of life. Events are held year round and there are numerous opportunities for growing your network.
- The non-profit Women’s Business Forum is another fabulous organization for women business owners that provides support, mentoring and educational opportunities. It holds two free meetings per month and focuses on growing your business.
How does this tie into Public Relations? It IS a huge piece of your public relations/marketing pie. Networking, or relationship building as I like to call it, is the best way to get known. But don’t do it solely to get known…people can see right through that and won’t take you seriously. Keep in mind that humans have always operated in a “know, like, trust” manner and will appreciate the time you’re taking to invest in your business and learn about theirs. Be genuine. Ask questions.
Go out and find your “tribe”…one that you can authentically connect with…you never know what kind of buzz that may lead to!
Innovate Services & Client Media Mentions…
http://www.business-opportunities.biz http://blog.cristinafavreau.com http://www.ivaa.org/pdfs/latestcast.pdf http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog
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