How to Create an Elevator Speech

In case you are unfamiliar with an elevator speech, it is a verbal pitch about your company or a client's that will hopefully encourage other people to want to learn more about it.

No matter the circumstance, whether you are out at a conference or you are just out and about, you should have an elevator speech about a particular topic, company, or person. When you are promoting yourself, your company, or a client, you need that elevator speech to answer questions like, "What is your/their company about?" "What can you tell me about yourself/them?" etc. You need to get people interested in the topic of your elevator speech, you need to make it short (around 30 seconds) and you need to make it compelling.

Why is it called an "elevator speech"? Well, it's supposed to be something you can tell someone when standing in an elevator and be able to say in the time it takes to ride an elevator. In that short amount of time, you have to make a big impression. As someone in franchise public relations, I have to deliver these all the time.

So how do you make one of these guys a good one?

1. Make people care. People want to know, "What can the company do for me?" The answer to this question is going to really make or break whether or not the person cares to carry the conversation past the elevator speech. Explain the benefits of your company or your client's company and personalize it. 
2. Make it easy to join the club. Feel free to drop some big names that you company or your client's company has worked for/with, even if they are competitors with the person you are pitching too (this could actually work to your benefit). 
3. Make them want to hear more. The pitch is supposed to be nice and short so do not try to stuff it with detail, put enough in there to peak their ear but not so much that they have to double back. A few good details, your credibility, and what the company can do for the person. 
4. End with a call to action. What are you willing to do for the person, to win over a client or customer? What is your end goal? Etc. 
5. Be yourself. Be professional but do not act like a stiff board, have a smile and be comfortable. No one is likely to buy a pitch from someone who is rigid and awkward. Be comfortable with your pitch and say it nicely. 
6. Get feedback. Tell it to people who can give you feedback like coworkers, friends, family, etc. Just don't test it out on the people you are trying to win over. 

If you have any questions about elevator pitches, then contact All Points PR - a Chicago PR agency. 

How To Get Your Press Release Noticed

As a public relations practitioner at a Chicago PR agency, I have learned a few things about how to get a press release noticed; after all, Chicago has plenty of PR agencies and so just having a press release will not get you noticed by the media, you have to make it worth their time.

Pitch a story that is relevant. 
You want to pitch a story to journalists that is on topic with what is going on in the world or a certain industry. Make sure to give people a reason why your story is something that people will care about and how it will help them, this stands out.

Make the info easy to find. 
A journalist will love when you have a press release that contains the important and relevant information at the top, not at the bottom. There is a trend in the industry that has some PRPs putting bullet points in their releases, some journalists find this attractive while others do not.

It helps to put the contact information at the top of the release as well and paired with a couple sentences giving a summary of what the release is about, this is similar to a budget line. You are sure to get your release tossed by a journalist if they have to dig through your release just to figure out who you are, that is a no-no. In order to succeed at a franchise PR agency, you have to succeed at this.

Make sure, above all things, you list the Ws! Who, what, where, when, why, and how in the release. Now, not all the points will be important enough to be in the first paragraph but list them all in the release somewhere, according to importance.

Do a full subject field and headline. 
Make your subject line something creative and catchy but do not make it over-the-top or cheesy; if you try to oversell in the subject line, this will not get your release noticed. You have to have a valid subject line, do not make it misleading or you will only frustrate the recipient. Give the person a reason to care and to continue reading.

Think like the audience. 
Whoever you send the release to, you will want to think like their audience. This will help you get the attention of the recipient. If you are in franchise PR, you will realize that thinking like the audience will get you great results.

If you have any questions, then contact All Points PR - a franchise public relations agency.

PR Tips for Grand Openings

The grand opening to your business, whether it is your first location or another location, is a big deal and can be rather chaotic. You wonder if you are letting people know in the right way and if there is more you can do. There are several things you can do to help increase the promotion on your business's grand opening.

• Franchise Public Relations: having a franchise PR firm help you out will be absolutely worth the cost. Why would hiring a PR team be worth your time? Well, PR agencies have ties to the media that you might not, if you do, they might not be as good. The team can gather a story about you and write it up in a nice press release and then submit that to journalists in various areas of media: newspapers, magazines, online newspapers, radio, even television news. If you get your name out there in the media, then you will have your name be seen by thousands, perhaps even millions of people (depending on the medium and the location). The PR team can also help you with creating a promotion plan. 
• Blogging. Having a blog post or two will also help you get your promotion for your grand opening a big push. When you do a blog post, you will be able to give great detail about your business and your grand opening. This can allow for comments and discussion as well. 
• Social media: You probably expected this one because it is so easy to do. Your company likely has twitter, Facebook, and other social media (or, if it's your first location, then maybe just your personal accounts) and you just take a few seconds to push a few keys and get the message out there. 

If you have any questions or need assistance with your grand opening, contact All Points PR. 

How To Know When You Should Hire a PR Agency

A big part of running a business is growing the business and getting your name in front of more people, the only thing that really takes priority is actually running your business and selling your product or service so you gain revenue.

However, it can be intimidating or confusing to think about hiring a franchise PR agency to come and help you because you may be wondering, "Will it be worth it?" or things like "I bet I can do it on my own."

There are a few things you can consider to know if it is time for you to hire a franchise PR firm.

The first thing to consider is if you have time to do PR or not. If you find that you consider PR for your business as something that will get done when it'll get done, then you do not have time for it. Public relations is not something that you just turn on and off and get small bits done here and there, then hope it works out for you. You need to have a game plan, execute your plan, and measure the results. If you do not have time for this, then you should really consider hiring a PR agency.

Another time to consider bringing in the help of an outside franchise PR agency is when you want to really nail a launch of a product, service, etc. The launch of a new product or service or whatever it is your company is doing is a big deal. Sometimes having the brain power of a PR agency that is not in-house can really bring some great ideas and give you an awesome launch. Also, having the help of a PR agency can bring in fire power that you may not have such as connections to the media, social media, event planning, etc.

A third thing to consider is when you want to revitalize or revamp your products or service. This is a real good time to bring in some outside minds because if you are trying to revamp, that means you're trying to break away from what was done before. If you use the same minds as the first time, then you run the risk of having the same results.

If you are considering a PR agency, then contact All Points PR - a Chicago PR agency. 

4 Tips for Sparking a Grassroots PR campaign

Sparking a grassroots PR campaign can seem like a huge undertaking, and it can be, but it does not have to mean struggling; there is a difference between something being a big job and being a hard job, if you know what you're doing, you will find that this task requires dedication, persistence, and creativity.

Grassroots PR for any PR type means getting your hands dirty but especially for franchise PR because it is being done for the little guys (usually).

So what are some things that you should know for your next grassroots campaign?

The first thing to know is that you are not raising an issue but rather are telling a story. People like to hear stories because it gives them to listen to or read and establish a connection. When you tell a story, you are trying to build that emotional connection with your audience; that emotional connection means having more loyalty and a solid connection. You want that ethos and pathos (credibility and feelings) to happen between you and your audience.

The second thing you will want to do is to reward your supporters. Why is this important? Well, if you do not reward the people who are giving you their time, effort, and money, then you will run out of people who give you their time, effort, or money. If people are offering up their services or whatever, then you show them that you are grateful for that. Don't forget that even a simple "thank you" will do wonders.

The third thing you need to do is make sure your message is heard. As an employee of a franchise PR agency, then you will have tools in your arsenal that help you get your message heard. You will have press releases, the media, signs, social media, and people. People are one of the most potent tools you will have to amplify your message. Have people go out and tell your story and get people to hear it; people tend to listen to someone standing in front of them more than any TV, sign, or whatever. Another important you will want to use is social media.

The fourth thing ties into the second point, empower your supporters. Develop brand volunteers, give them their time and space to tell the story to people, meet people, and build that ever so important connection with them.

So next time you try a grassroots effort, make sure you get your team together and make sure they know they are valued.