Hiring a Publicist Doesn't Need Be Complicated

With these tips for hiring a publicist, realize that we work on all different levels. John McCain and Barack Obama have publicists, but no doubt you have smaller shrimp to saute, and so let us go to work on earning the grassroots publicity you desire. My own experience is with worthy non-profit causes here in Saginaw, Mich. As a young neighborhood community organizer, I pursued what we called "some ink" back in the old days. Then as a Saginaw News reporter for 32 years, I reversed into the ruler's roost as others came calling upon me for news coverage. Therefore I have seen both sides.

First among these tips for hiring a publicist, we can dispense with some obvious qualities, such as reliable and hard-working and clean ... and of course, literate. Don't demand someone who dazzles with all the bells and whistles of computer technology, however. That sort of knowledge can be a plus, but common sense still rules.

Where can you find publicist candidates? There are pros in virtually any community, but often they bill themselves as advertising or marketing consultants, rather than publicists. Unless you are putting on a really big show, such as a Beyonce concert or a NASCAR exhibition, you could save some cash by simply consulting your local colleges for free-lance students in journalism or public relations.

Now for the nitty-gritty. We must aim to earn publicity, not just ask. Let's say two groups are putting on a community fair. One group simply announces the day, date, time, location and so forth. The second group calls a press conference a week before the fair, offering interviews with the fair's movers and shakers. Which publicist has done a better job of earning publicity? Be creative!

With the advance press conference, hopefully the newspaper is afraid that if they do not send a reporter, then the TV station will "beat" them on the story, and vice versa. A good start time for your confab is mid-morning, to catch the noon TV and radio news as well as the evening shows. But to be fair to that ink-stained wretch (like me) from the dinosaur newspaper, you may have to slip him the "embargo" info on the prior evening, just so he can keep up a tie score with the electronic media on the next day.

Double check any phone numbers or e-mail addresses, even the most simple spellings. Once I misspelled the name of John Smythe, via a false assumption.

Perhaps you are learning that possibly you can do some of your own publicity. It is not as complicated as you may perceive.