The PR masterclass : how to develop a public relations strategy that works / Alex Singleton

The PR Masterclass is written by former newspaper, magazine and digital journalist Alex Singleton, who is now a prominent PR trainer and consultant. It reveals the secrets of effective PR and shows how to put in place a practical, reliable and successful media strategy for your product, business or activity – one that delivers the greatest results. Through the book, you get to discover how to develop and pitch effective newsworthy material, regardless of your budget. The PR Masterclass is aimed at PR professionals as well as small business owners and entrepreneurs implementing a PR strategy.

Chapter 1: Why Public Relations Campaigns Fail -- and How to Make Them Succeed; Ignorance isn't bliss; How to get started; The dreary product or personnel announcement; What higher-level PR looks like; How to capture the results of good PR; The need to measure PR; What to avoid; When PR won't work; The miracle cure; Chapter 2: How to Develop a Story Idea that Is Newsworthy; The three types of news story; The perspective of the journalist; Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader; Opinion polls; Data and research. Reframing how we view the world; Gamification; The bandwagon; The grenade; Days and weeks; Scarcity; Diary stories; Product reviews; The specific challenge of business-to-business stories; Chapter 3: How to Build and Maintain an Effective List of Journalists; Pay-for press-release newswires; How to build a list properly; How to build a relationship with the press; How to get the best results when emailing the press; Chapter 4: How to Write an Attention-Grabbing Press Release; The case for length; The inverted pyramid; Why newspaper standards matter; The problem of corporate waffle. Effective headlines; Press releases with no real story; What if the press release delivers bad news?; How to take and issue photographs; Photographs for report covers; Press conferences; Why you should avoid sending attachments; Customised press releases; "Did you get my press release?"; Embargoes; Giving advance notice; Newswires; Chapter 5: Dealing with Incoming Media Enquiries; Incoming phone calls; Online media centre; Unhelpful press offices; Smelling a rat or an opportunity worth avoiding; Withdrawing the use of a press office; Crisis contingency planning. Chapter 6: How to Successfully Pitch a Letter; The spirit of a letters page; The competition; How a letters page is split up; What to avoid; A correcting letter; The position letter; The informative letter; The anonymous letter; The grassroots or astroturf letter; The group letter; When to submit your letter; Getting the details right; How often should you write?; Chapter 7: Persuade the Public with Compelling Comment Articles; The expert position; How to pitch the article; When to pitch a comment article; When a publication approaches you; Tricks for writing newspaper-quality articles. The content of an article; Newspaper grammar; Proofreading; The most important word in the English language; The Flesch-Kincaid reading ease test; Promoting the article; Dealing with rejection; The problem with American newspaper columns; Chapter 8: The Secrets of Effective Television and Radio Appearances; Appearing on television; Appearing on radio; Your own radio studio; The pre-record; Don't be a robot; Start off small; Preparation; The snowball; Chapter 9: How to Choose an Agency or Consultant; How to select an agency; Audit your communications first.