Free PR: How to Get Chased By The Press Without Hiring a PR Firm

by Cameron Herold, Adrian Salamunovic

First Published February 4, 2019Public relations has always been an essential part of doing business which is probably why you're shelling out big money to an outside PR firm. But the truth is that you don't need them. You already have all the necessary tools in-house to do as good as job as the so-called experts. Cameron Herold and Adrian Salamunovic have taught thousands of company execs how to exploit free media coverage and ditch these expensive, often ineffective outsiders. In Free PR, you'll learn how the media world operates while you gain invaluable insider knowledge on how Build your own in-house PR team Provide effective interviews Score great media coverage gratis with just a few easy steps You've got more passion, commitment, a larger stake, and a deeper understanding of your business than any outside firm could ever have. So stop wasting money and take the reins yourself.

Genres: Business, Communication, Nonfiction, Buisness

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 26, 2019

Reviews

[Audrey Levens]

Did I read this for work? Yes. Am I using it to reach my reading goal? Also yes.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insight for any startup founder, quick to read and very little ramble, only facts and points for success.

[Gil Gerretsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a professional marketing mentor to the CEOs of rapidly rising ventures, I read this book after one of my clients mentioned it. I will say that there is indeed a lot of good information in the book for someone who has never really been exposed to the world of media relations. However, I think reality deviates quite significantly from the promise the authors make "that anyone can do this." Yes, if the CEO has nothing else to do, then they could see some results eventually. Yes, if the CEO can dedicate an employee to this task, they might also see some results eventually. However, I disagree that the D.I.Y. route is a better choice than utilizing a professional publicist or PR firm. The professionals who focus on a specific type of business or industry have built longstanding relationships with the right media people -- who will accept their pitch emails and calls. Reporters know which professionals are worthy of their time and attention. Most other hopefuls get relegated to trash bin even if they are highly creative and tenacious. Bottom line, if you are a smaller company that is focused on a relatively local market, then the ideas in this book will help you a lot. If you want to play the game at the regional or national level, you're better off hiring a pro if you'd like to see results quickly.

[Dmitry · Rating 1 out of 5]

(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)

Рискну предположить, что эта книга очередное творение блоггера. Причиной такого предположения является стиль автора.

Как человек, который читает много нехудожественных книг, я всё чаще замечают, что книги делятся на серьёзную литературу, в которой автор полностью раскрывает тему или хотя бы пытается это сделать, предлагая что-то от себя, т.е. собственные идеи, умозаключения и книги, написанные непрофессионалами, которые просто пересказывают другие книги. Вот такие книги, которые сейчас чаще всего пишут блоггеры, а раньше их писали специалисты по самопомощи, можно легко отличить от всей остальной литературы. Самой знаменитой книгой подобных авторов является книга Карнеги «How to Win Friends and Influence People». Книга «Free PR» очень похожа на книги Карнеги и Ко, но только главной темой здесь является PR.

В этой книге нет абсолютно никакой теории по PR, его видам и пр. Тут полно советов, и я даже скажу, что вся книга состоит из советов. Но в начале книги, авторы пишут о вполне здравой идеи, что журналисты ищут интересные для читателей события. Т.е. СМИ заинтересованы в том, чтобы им кто-то предложил интересные новости/события или текст, который будет интересен аудитории этих СМИ. Таким образом, PR отдел компании может стать таким вот поставщиком интересной информации - информации об интересных событиях связанных с той или иной компанией. Мы можем даже сказать, что PR отдел компании и журналисты имеют взаимовыгодные отношения. Эти размышления занимают в книге где-то первую четверть и были довольно интересными. Однако всё остальное будет иметь вид вот этих самых книг по самопомощи, которые так часто напоминают типичный блог. Автор досконально описывает и перечисляет различные американские СМИ и как выгодно можно ими воспользоваться. Это было просто неимоверно скучно читать. Да, я понимаю, зачем это было сделано, но думаю, такой вопрос – какое именно издание средства массовой информации стоит выбрать – каждый предприниматель или специалист по маркетингу/PR, может решить сам. Так же автор предлагает советы по прохождении интервью, налаживанию контактов с журналистами и пр. в типичном, для книг по самопомощи, стиле. В итоге книга имеет вид коротких советов а-ля «101 совет тому, кто готовится к свадьбе/путешествию в Азию». Да, многие рекомендации вполне здравые, но читать это было невыносимо скучно. Я считаю, что намного проще и эффективней обратиться за консультацией к людям, которые профессионально занимаются вопросами интервьюирования или просто почитать статьи из интернета на эту тему, ибо, судя по содержанию книги, именно это и сделал автор.

P.S. Книга «Паблик рилейшенз для "чайников"» Эрик Явербаум намного лучше.

I take the risk of assuming that this book is the next creation of a blogger. The reason for this assumption is the author's style.

As someone who reads a lot of nonfiction books, I increasingly notice that books are divided into serious literature in which the author fully exposes the topic or at least tries to do so by offering something of himself, that is, his own ideas and insights and books written by nonprofessionals who simply retell other books. These are the kinds of books that bloggers write most often now, whereas in the past they were written by self-help gurus and can be easily distinguished from all other literature. The most famous book by such authors is Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. The book "Free PR" is very similar to the Carnegie & Co. books, only the main topic here is PR.

There is no theory in this book about PR, its types, etc. It is full of advice, and I would even say that the whole book consists of tips. But at the beginning of the book, the authors write about the perfectly sound idea that journalists are looking for events that are interesting to readers. That is, the media are interested in having someone offer them interesting news/events or text that will be of interest to that media's audience. Thus, the PR department of a company can become such a supplier of interesting information. We can even say that the PR department of the company and journalists have a mutually beneficial relationship. These reflections take up about the first quarter of the book and were quite interesting. However, the rest of it will be in the form of these very self-help books, which so often resemble a typical blog. The author thoroughly describes and lists the various American media outlets and how to take advantage of them. It was absolutely boring to read. Yes, I understand why it was done, but I think such a question - which edition of the media is worth choosing - every entrepreneur or marketing professional can decide for himself. Also, the author offers tips on interviewing, making contacts with journalists, etc., in the typical self-help book style. The book ends up looking like short tips a la "101 Tips for Someone Preparing for a Wedding/Travel to Asia." Yes, many of the recommendations are quite sound, but it was unbearably boring to read. I believe that it is much easier and more effective to seek advice from people who are professionally involved in interviewing or read articles from the Internet on the subject because, judging by the content of the book, that is exactly what the author did.

P.S. The book "Public Relations Kit for Dummies" by Eric Yaverbaum, Bob Bly is much better.

[Daniel Novak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for any entrepreneur trying to promote any kind of brand. From now on this is the model we'll be following at Landish Foods. We've learned firsthand that the PR firm model doesn't make sense - it truly is broken - especially for smaller companies and everything in this book makes a big "yes!" go off in your head, like you're reading the Truth with a capital T... It really isn't rocket science, but having it explained in plain English is really useful. And... I can't put enough emphasis on this: the book is SUCCINCT. It doesn't unnecessarily meander and repeat, like so many books do. I listened to this book on 1.3x speed on Audible on a series of flights and layovers, took notes on my phone, and absorbed everything just fine in a few hours, with key notes to go back to.

[Vadim Smolyakov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book presents a modern view on Public Relations (PR) that focuses on you and your company as the PR agency. You are the person who knows your company strategy best and therefore you are in a better position to pitch your idea to a number of PR outlets: journalists, blogs, television, podcasts, interviews, press releases and more. The book dives into each PR area in greater detail from crafting your strategy to mastering the interview process. If you are looking to understand modern PR, this book is for you!

[Bruce Harpham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors deliver fully on the title's promise: you can achieve publicity success on your own. I thought the book was well structured with clear tips throughout. It was helpful to see a combination of techniques from leveraging "gimmick" style PR ideas (e.g. buying ads in New York Time Square) to more traditional approaches. The interplay between the style of the two authors was also quite compelling and added more depth to the book's ideas. I'm starting to use these ideas as I use PR to build my business.

[Jerry Floros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on free PR

This book explains in great detail how to contact and connect with journalists and secure an interview or company exposure. Written in an easy to understand format and with a lot of useful tips and tricks. If you want to save money and do your own PR successfully, this is definitely the book to read.

[Stephanie Thoma · Rating 4 out of 5]

To-the-point actionable book written in an instructional, conversational way. I have gotten my own free pr and this book lists many of the things I did that worked and additional nuances- I recommend this book to anyone who wants press mentions but doesn’t know where to start and is open to DIY or hiring a dedicated person to implement the tactics this book shares.

[Jarie Bolander · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all entrepreneurs and PR pros

There’s a lot of great stuff in this book. PR is one of those things that everyone hates to do yet it’s a very powerful tool to grow your business. Give it a read and start getting the free PR your company needs.

[Eliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explains how media indicator works and how to gain brand exposure. Useful whether to plan to DIY or outsource your media efforts. I know both authors personally and know that they applied these tactics successfully in multiple ventures.

[Michael Assad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical and insightful

The authors provide all the tools you need to succeed in PR. Now it's up to you to make it happen.

[don cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great Book by Cameron

Such a great and practical guide to help any business get their word out. So many useful how to tips to build your brand.

[David W. Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful.

[Douglas Kendyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

hmmmmmm. I'll update my review based on how the tactics learned work.

[Amber Zegers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for those who want to learn more about PR stuff