Further explanation from the AJC on their new layout and design

In case you didn’t pick up a copy of yesterday’s AJC or you missed the press release announcing their debut, check it out (with images included).

Getting a Job in PR (or anywhere else for that matter)

When I finished grad school at FSU in 1991 the unemployment rate was also somewhere around 7%. Competing against experienced professionals for entry-level positions was extremely difficult. Today I find myself on the receiving end of those inquiries and feel compelled to share a few tips I wish somebody had told me 17+ years ago.

First of all, it’s all about your network. Experienced professionals and repeat job seekers know this but new graduates haven’t figured it out yet. While every person you meet may seem like a potential employer, you will be much better served if you figure out how to add them to your network first. Don’t ask them for a job. Ask them how they like their job. Learn about what they do and how they got there. Find out who they talk to, sell to, buy from, partner with and even hire. And then ask them to refer you to three associates who work in your targeted field. If you have enough of these conversations, you will ultimately network your way into a position.

#2 Good PR Clients are Prompt

By prompt I do not mean arrive on time (although that is often helpful). Instead I’m referring to clients who are prompt with their announcements. Nothing is less interesting to a reporter than old news. Clients who want coverage of a product they released last month are out of luck. Prospects and customers are no longer wowed by the newsworthiness of something they have already seen on someone else’s cover or heard you mention at a conference last quarter.

Three Characteristics of a Good PR Client

Before I had the chance to read Kanzler’s How to Be a Good PR Client, the headline got me thinking. And as luck would have it, I had a client-inspired afternoon to help fuel my thoughts.

First, on to my short list. Great PR clients  — and by great, I mean that ones whose behavior ultimately contributes to  (instead of limits) their own success are…

1. Transparent
2. Prompt
3. Available

Before you get started with silly questions, by transparent I do not mean see-through. Transparent clients are those who aren’t afraid to pull back the curtains and reveal some depth about their announcement or organization.

Plans to Reach Your Target Market (Preparing for 2008, Part 4)

If you can’t profile your target, then you can’t make smart marketing investments. If your business is new, look at the competition for a profile of the most profitable part of their business.

If you have existing clients, figure out which ones are most profitable. Just because 50% of your current business comes from a single source or type of client doesn’t mean that you want more of them. Continue to use the same marketing tools and messages to promote your business and you’ll just get more of them. And as hard as it may be to step away from what you know, sometimes you have to take that leap of faith to get the change you want from your business.

Your best prospects are not EVERYONE. They are people or businesses who live, work, do, believe and breathe different things every day. The more specific you can be in your identification of your one or more best prospects, the better marketing decisions you will be able to make.

It may sound great when the ad sales rep tells you they reach tens of thousands of women every month if you need to sell to women, right? Not if the women they are reaching are the wrong age or income, live in the wrong geography or have the wrong socioeconomic status. It is not just about female consumers. The same argument could be made for a vehicle that reaches hundreds of CEOs, etc.

Once you have an understanding of your audience, you are that much better prepared to evaluate the merit of individual opportunities that come your way.