There are a number of sites online where you can submit your press release for FREE and are worth checking out. Here is a list of 70 such sites. These are some of the most frequently used sites, but there are certainly many others.

1 http://www.prleap.com/
2 http://www.prlog.org/
3 http://www.free-press-release.com/
4 http://www.clickpress.com/
5 http://www.downloadjunction.com
6 http://www.newswiretoday.com/
7 http://www.openpr.com/
8 http://www.pressbox.co.uk/
9 http://www.sbwire.com/
10 http://www.1888pressrelease.com/
11 http://www.afreego.com/
12 http://www.sanepr.com/
13 http://www.theopenpress.com/
14 http://www.free-press-release-center.info/
15 http://www.prfree.com/
16 http://www.ukprwire.com/
17 http://www.pressreleasespider.com/
18 http://pressabout.com/
19 http://www.pr-inside.com/
20 http://www.pressmethod.com/
21 http://www.24-7pressrelease.com
22 http://www.freepressreleases.co.uk/
23 http://freepressindex.com/
24 http://pr-gb.com/
25 http://www.pressexposure.com/
26 http://www.i-newswire.com/
27 http://www.mediasyndicate.com
28 http://www.publicitywires.com/
29 http://www.seenation.com/
30 http://news.eboomwebsolutions.com/
31 http://www.prwindow.com/
32 http://www.pressreleasecirculation.com/
33 http://www.dime-co.com
34 http://www.ecommwire.com
35 http://www.express-press-release.net
36 http://www.free-news-release.com
37 http://www.kazor.com
38 http://www.malebits.com
39 http://www.newsreleaser.com
40 http://www.pr.com
41 http://www.pr9.net
42 http://www.press-releases-news.com
43 http://www.prnewsnow.com
44 http://www.przoom.com
45 http://www.usprwire.com
46 http://www.afly.com
47 http://www.bignews.biz
49 http://www.pressreleasepoint.com
50 http://www.ideamarketers.com
51 http://www.upvery.com
52 http://www.postafreepressrelease.com
53 http://www pressabout.com
54 http://www.exactrelease.com
57 http://www.press-network.com
58 http://www.prfriend.com
59 http://www.live-pr.com/en/
60 http://www.addpr.com
61 http://www.netforcepress.com
62 http://www.prkiosk.com
63 http://www.pressrelease001.com
64 http://www.prurgent.com
65 http://www localnews.biz
66 http://www.prbd.net
67 http://www.pitchengine.com
68 http://www.prbuzz.com
69 http://www.prfire.co.uk
70 http://www.seenation.com

Happy Submitting!

Networking seems to be the BUZZ word these days. Everybody who’s anybody is doing it! Not sure how many of you have felt this way, but I have. I started networking a couple years ago and was a networking nut. I set up my week around networking events – morning events, lunchtime events and of course, the after work networking mixers. Are networking events worthwhile for non-profits? The answer is a definitive YES!

According to dictionary.com, my literary bible, networking is “a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.” I believe this definition to be partially correct. It is, in fact, sharing with those that have common interests but it is also a wonderful way to educate people, or make them aware of you, your business, your mission and your goals. For a nonprofit organization like Gabriel’s Angels this is critical. We have always stressed at Gabriel’s Angels that people give to people. So the more people that know you and your mission, the more likely YOU are to garner support. This has proven true for Gabriel’s Angels.

Some of the most important relationships we’ve built have been a result of meeting someone at a networking event. Networking has become a platform for us to tell people about our love for animals and children and how that bond between them can facilitate healing for abused, neglected and at-risk children. Networking has allowed us to share this amazing mission with others. Once people hear about what Gabriel’s Angels does for the community they want to help and better yet, once they see our passion, they are eager to become involved, too. By nature, people want to help and if there’s a personal connection that goes along with it, even better!

Our CEO and founder, Pam Gaber attends between 8 and 10 networking events per month. She has met some of our biggest supporters, amazing volunteers, terrific therapy teams and board members through networking. She always says “you never know who you’ll meet in an elevator,” clearly she has no problem meeting people but the networking event makes it easy to get out and share. The success of Gabriel’s Angels is based on the help of others, so what better way to meet them than by networking?!

Gotta run, on my way to a networking mixer………should I represent Buzz Marketing or Gabriel’s Angels? I think I’ll do both!

Public Relations is about maintaining relations with the public according to Wikipedia. Well, this is entirely true. But it also goes on to explain that public relations encompasses a variety of other things including communication, community relations, crisis management, customer relations, employee relations, government affairs, industry relations, investor relations, media relations, mediation, publicity, speech-writing, and visitor relations. Whoa, that’s a mouthful and very broad although also true. To me, public relations is simply getting your message in front of people as often as possible. Awareness, awareness, awareness…..which in turn creates interest. The more people see or hear your message, the more curious or interested they become.

Here are some tips on what you can do to create your own BUZZ. Obviously I can’t deny it is beneficial to hire a professional since we can’t all be good at everything, and as I’ve stated before we should focus on being good at one thing rather than mediocre at everything. But, here’s how to start:

1. Learn how to write a proper press release and distribute it online. There are MANY sites where you can post it for free. Here’s a list of 50 free press release submission websites.
2. Network. Networking is a great way to get your name out there, networkingphoenix.com is a fantastic tool to find various networking opportunities in the Phoenix area. If you aren’t in the Phoenix area I’m sure there are comparable sites in your city.
3. Get involved in the online community. Social media, online forums, blogging, videos, photo sharing, social bookmarking, commenting, etc. are all ways to engage with your audience. Although these means of marketing have made it very easy for businesses to market themselves and gain visibility you shouldn’t rely solely on Internet marketing.
4. Offer current customers incentives to bring in new customers.
5. Newsletters. Make sure you ask someone if you can add them to your newsletter distribution list. Make sure it’s opt-in so people aren’t always opting-out.
6. Find out who produces the news programs at the television stations and send a press release with a creative idea on how a story about your product or service would be useful and newsworthy to their viewers.
7. Follow media personalities on Facebook and Twitter. Often they post stories they are working on and need resources.
8. Be visible in the community. Participate in community events, festivals, business organizations, charities, etc.

These are all great ways to make yourself visible and things you can do at little or no cost. If you are doing this on your own, you must be consistent in all areas. Checking in every now and then doesn’t help because getting exposure is often based on relationships. Now go out there and create some BUZZ of your own!

I’ll keep this post brief, I just wanted to wish everyone the best in 2010 and share this funny yet appropriate video with you.

Please check my blog

In addition, I leave you with this:

“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” Dale Carnegie

May the New Year be fruitful for us all and bring continued hope and prosperity. Let’s make this a wonderful year regardless of the circumstances. We are the only ones that can change the way we think, the chances we take and the people we surround ourselves with. Take this opportunity to think about how we can improve things ourselves and not wait for someone else to tell us things are getting better before we believe it and start taking action. This year has been dismal for us all, to say the least, so let’s put change in motion and make 2010 a better year!

We are each responsible for our lives and our businesses and if what you did in 2009 didn’t work, try something new, something different. Don’t just sit tight and “hold on” this year; make things happen, take chances. If we ALL take action, change will come, it has to! But if we all continue to sit idle and wait for a sign, 2010 will be yet another depressing year for us all.

Happy holidays to you and your family and all the best in 2010! Here’s to taking chances and making things happen!

Wouldn’t it make more sense for you to post something on Twitter for example asking for a recommendation or suggestion? Our “friends” on Facebook and our “followers” on Twitter are suppose to be our network, our confidants, our partners in crime. Isn’t that what everything we read these days about social media tells us? We are to have conversations and build relationships rather than sell things so why not ask our cyberspace peeps for their opinion? This is the very thing we’ve been building relationships for and it’s much better than sifting through 1,400,000 search results, that’s for sure.

For example, when I do a search for PR firms in Phoenix, 105,000 results come up. Granted there are a lot of independent practitioners in the Valley and more and more are popping up due to lack of jobs, but come on, 105,000 credible and relevant PR firms? How do I know who to pick if I am looking for a firm? I’m pretty sure much of those are irrelevant fluff and probably not even true PR firms, and it would take me several hours to even scratch the surface in sifting through the results. But imagine if I made a post on Twitter that said, “looking for a good PR firm in Phoenix, any suggestions?” I am willing to bet the list would be loads shorter and the results more relevant and credible and not simply the result of a company with a good search engine expert. The value of world of mouth speaks volumes and it’s much more “real time” than a search since most of us have access to social media on our phones or have TweetDeck open all day at work.

Next time you are looking for a good mechanic, printer, sports bar or of course PR firm, ask the people you communicate with everyday, you’ll be much happier with the results and a lot less panicked at the thought of having to sort through the millions of suggestions by Google.

And yet another reason to engage in social media!

This year has been a whole new ball game! I have spent the year actually marketing my business and seeking out clients. In doing so, I met an appalling amount of business owners that have engaged the efforts of a PR firm and were “burned” as many put it. I can’t tell you how many times I heard people complain about PR firms making lofty promises and not delivering. So what does this mean? To me it means perhaps businesses aren’t doing their due diligence before hiring a firm. Here are five things to consider when hiring a PR firm:

1. References – talk to former clients. Ask them how the firm operates, how the campaign or efforts affected their business, did they deliver on their promises, etc.

2. Contacts – much of PR is based on contacts. Find out where their contacts are; locally, regionally, nationally, etc. Are they bloggers, analysts, journalists, TV producers or all of the above? What kind of relationship do they have with these contacts? Is the firm well liked by the media? Perhaps even ask for a media reference.

3. Representation – many times the owner of a firm will meet with potential clients, sign the deal and pass it off to a Jr. account executive or even someone just out of college with little to no experience. Make sure you know who will be working on your account.

4. Past campaigns – ask for samples of past campaigns or examples of coverage received. See the types of stories they are pitching and the coverage they are securing. Ask for an idea of what you can expect in the first few months of working together.

5. Personality – make sure you can relate to and will enjoy working with the person(s) who will be working on your account. Not all personalities will mesh and that’s ok. Make sure they have enthusiasm for your product, understand your business values and know how to have fun.

Of course there are many more things to consider, these are just a few very important ones that came to mind. Be picky, ask questions, get references and CONTACT the references. I had several potential clients in the past year ask me for references but never bothered to call them, then hired another firm and came back later and said they were displeased with the results. This is beyond frustrating!

Despite all the precautions you can take, you still have to take a chance and trust the process when hiring a firm. Have realistic expectations and realize that PR and marketing takes time, nothing happens overnight.

From what I understand, since I’ve never been in a Barneys, it is higher priced than Nordstroms but slightly under Neiman Marcus. This location will be 65,000 square feet of designers ranging from Bottega Veneta and Manolo Blahnik to Chanel and Proenza Schouler. I’m not convinced however that those that were able to afford such luxuries were ever affected by this depressed economy. Are the wealthy still spending money like they used to or have they cut back? Or, does this indicate that our economy is on the mend? I have yet to see any concrete evidence of a turnaround but perhaps this is a sign from the economy gods?! What are your thoughts?

So, let’s celebrate the opening of Barneys in Scottsdale by letting go of our fear and opening our wallets to at least things that will help our businesses improve. If people are spending money on Gucci then why not indulge in some much needed marketing for our businesses. Marketing is a call to action, give people a reason to spend and our economy will improve.

For more info. about Barneys New York opening in Scottsdale check out:

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/JaimeeRose

Once you have taken in enough of the conversation, and have a good idea of how it works and what’s being said, you are ready to execute a social media strategy!  Here are 5 key elements to include in your plan so you can be a part of the conversation:

1. What are your goals?

• Are you trying to build awareness about your company?
• Are you trying to gain new customers?
• Are you trying to position yourself in the marketplace?
• Are you trying to retain current clients?

2. Who are you trying to reach?

• Demographics
• Are they new customers or repeat customers?
• Does your audience use social media?  If so, what are they using?

3. What is your message?

• What do you want to say about your product or service?
• What point do you want to get across?
• What makes you unique?
• What do you want people to remember about you?

4. What tools will you use?

• Blog
• Video
• Bookmarking
• Social networks
• Slideshows/Presentations
• Web press releases

5. How will you measure the results?

• Number of fans or followers
• Analytics (site traffic, leads)
• Comments/Opinions (positive, negative, neutral)

Do’s:

1. Show up for an interview on time, or rather early, dress appropriately and be prepared (common sense right?)

2. Be flexible!  There is a good chance the interview time may change, they may cancel at the last minute, cut your interview time or they may pull the reporter from the story.

3. Be conversational and light-hearted.  Think of it as a conversation with someone that is interested in what you do.  Show enthusiasm but don’t overdo it so it seems insincere.

4. Be clever but avoid industry jargon.  Speak so the average reader/viewer/listener will understand.

5. Get your point across without sounding like a commercial.  They have paid advertisers for that!  Although your intent is to promote your product or service, their goal is to educate their audience.  You must find a way to do both.

6. Have visuals for TV and good photos for print.  The more visual you are for TV the more likely you are to be asked back and something is more likely to be printed if you have a really good, professionally taken photo to go along with the story.

7. Accommodate producers, writers, etc. every chance you have even if it’s last minute.  They will remember that and call you the next time they need a story idea or fill in.

Don’ts:

1. Don’t get upset when the interviewer doesn’t ask the questions you want them to ask or let you show something you want to show.

2. Don’t be monotone and boring. No one will be interested in what you are saying if you don’t sound interested in what you are talking about.

3. Don’t just answer their questions in one or two word answers, expand on their question.  Make it a conversation rather than a question and answer session.  The questions are only to lead the discussion.

4. Don’t be surprised or irritated when you ask for coverage and they tell you it’s going to be at 5 am with a 4:30 am arrival!  That’s how morning TV goes, deal with it and be happy you are getting exposure.

5. Don’t expect the entire story to be about you.  You may be one resource among others or you may only be a part of the story.

6.  Don’t let an opportunity for exposure go!  Rearrange your schedule, bring in extra people, or do whatever you have to do to accommodate the media or story.

7. Don’t wing it, make sure you are prepared.  Know prices, facts and all details possible about the product or service you are promoting.  Be the expert!

Publicity is free and gives you credibility, but it’s not always easy or the way you want it to be.  The more you do the easier it gets, so be patient, open-minded and learn from your mistakes.  No one expects you to be perfect.  The more you do, the better you will get and the more recognizable you will become.  Remember, it’s all about creating a BUZZ!