Book Excerpt From “For Immediate Release”, PR Book by Ronn Torossian of 5WPR, a leading PR Agency. The book is available for purchase at Banres and Noble and bookstores nationwide.

There’s always an emergency. In today’s media world, they need your response now—no one cares if your Aunt Mary is dying or if there’s a flood in your basement. The story is still being written and the only question is—will your take be included or not?

  • Read the news. Know what’s going on in the media so you can tie your PR strategy and relevant comments to the trends and stories of the day.
  • The media chases each other’s tails. News assignment editors, although powerful, have limited power and a great deal of responsibility. If they make a mistake and fail to cover something that turns out to be important, their job is on the line. If one outlet does a story, the competitor will want it, too. Figure out how you can use the tail-chasing to your advantage.
  • PR is a 24/7 career. The news never stops. When a bomb goes off at 8 p.m., newspapers, cable channels, and digital media are running updates continuously.
  • Don’t believe your mom’s PR (all the time). Be honest about what you’ve got to work with, and then work with what you’ve got. Deal with reality—PR only works if it’s based on something real.
  • Look for marketing co-ops, especially if budget is an issue. There are many ways to get great visibility for a fraction of the price by sharing the spotlight with complementary brands that attract the same audience.
  • Don’t reinvent the wheel. Given the surplus of marketing ploys out there, chances are there’s already an effort going on or a storyline that ties in well with your brand that you can piggyback and ride the wave. For example, if you’re a beverage brand that caters to the college market, do product seeding through an event that’s already taking place on campus.
  • The media loves stunts. If you want to clear the clutter and make headlines within 24 hours, produce a marketing stunt in a media-centric area. Provided the stunt is well thought out, well-timed, uber-creative, and provides an outstanding visual, you can make headlines and the story and visual can get syndicated.
  • Utilize and understand SEO. Optimize your website. With today’s world, search engines matter more than any individual story. It could be as simple as using SEO Services by Bigfoot Digital, for example, in the hopes of understanding how implementing SEO could make a difference to a website or a business. A website can be someone’s livelihood so finding the perfect agency can be a task. It ultimately comes down to trust and a whole bunch of case studies to back up your ideas. Whether that’s suggesting you secure some Curated Links/ Niche Edits for a website (you may want to check out Indexsy’s Review on Rhino Rank – a lifesaver for SEO agencies) or if it’s convincing them to upgrade their website. It’s a task, and it’s one you need to undertake in order to convince a client your worthy of their money and investment. Not sure where to begin? Why not get in touch with a Manhattan SEO agency such as MaxPlaces who can help you to get ahead of the competition.
  • Hire great PR people. The public’s sense of your brand comes from what the media says and how you turn up in search engine results. Good PR people can help ensure all of it reinforces your brand message. (And don’t be so cheap on PR—don’t expect the world with tiny budgets.)
  • Work hard. Work really hard—the harder I work the luckier I seem to become.
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Ronn Torossian is the Founder & Chairman of 5W Public Relations, one of the largest independently owned PR firms in the United States. Since founding 5WPR in 2003, he has led the company's growth and vision, with the agency earning accolades including being named a Top 50 Global PR Agency by PRovoke Media, a top three NYC PR agency by O'Dwyers, one of Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces and being awarded multiple American Business Awards, including a Stevie Award for PR Agency of the Year. With over 25 years of experience crafting and executing powerful narratives, Torossian is one of America's most prolific and well-respected public relations executives. Throughout his career he has advised leading and high-growth businesses, organizations, leaders and boards across corporate, technology and consumer industries. Torossian is known as one of the country's foremost experts on crisis communications. He has lectured on crisis PR at Harvard Business School, appears regularly in the media and has authored two editions of his book, "For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations," which is an industry best-seller. Torossian's strategic, resourceful approach has been recognized with numerous awards including being named the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, the American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year, twice over, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist, a Top Crisis Communications Professional by Business Insider, Metropolitan Magazine's Most Influential New Yorker, and a recipient of Crain's New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Outside of 5W, Torossian serves as a business advisor to and investor in multiple early stage businesses across the media, B2B and B2C landscape. Torossian is the proud father of two daughters. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and a board member of multiple not for profit organizations.