I started January feeling refreshed and positive about the year ahead. I was going great guns with my established clients and had three new ones coming on board. The first month of 2012 actually turned out to be fantastic, not only did get coverage across the board, but also won FOUR more amazing pieces of business.

Recession, what recession? As the economic gloom seems set to stay, it’s fair to say some companies are cutting budgets, battening down the hatches and don’t want to invest in PR. My clients however are looking to the future and know that if they’re going to succeed they need to be talking to their customers and getting their products and services out there.

The media is diverse and growing, it’s getting more complex and can be accessed 24/7 on a global scale. At the same time attention spans are shorter, noise is louder, days are longer and the hunger for news, gossip and information is growing every day.
If you want to get heard above all of that, PR can be a really effective way to go about it.

PR is more cost-effective than advertising and it works to connect a company with the public via a third party recommendation – a journalist or blogger. Real PR professionals are skilled at understanding business goals and helping their clients achieve them.

During times of prosperity, PR might have been about long lunches, swanky boardrooms, press trips and pretty clippings books. Now, in times of austerity, PR has to be more focused to help build and protect brands and make them a success. Yes, it can still be creative, it can still be fun and getting that double page spread is still a thrill; but more than ever PR needs to perform.

The media are always looking for a story to tell, a product to review and a CEO to interview. Do you know how to reach them and tell them what you have to offer? Do you know how to engage with consumers and journalists on Twitter and Facebook, or do you let these opportunities pass you by?

PR can help with this and so much more.

Wendy Powell, Founder of the Mutu System, the Cancer Recovery Foundation, Ice the Cake, Mummy’s Maids and T.M. Lewin are all putting their faith in Tally PR, the services we offer and results we achieve. Maybe it’s time you got in touch to find out for yourself that there’s more to PR than Ab Fab!

At Tally PR we are kicking off 2012 with some very happy retained clients as well as a few fantastic new ones too!

This is great, but isn’t as a result of luck and being in the right place at the right time, but about dedication and hard work as well as self promotion and networking.

For me, each client, however big or small, is important and I really value their business and the faith they put in me and my abilities. I use my experience, expertise and contacts to do a great job for each and every one of them and in-turn hope they will be impressed enough to spread the word about Tally PR.

How Do I Do It?

Know Their Business

PR strategies can be taught at courses and seminars but they are just the basic tools that then need to be put into practise. Being ‘business savvy’ is what you need to succeed.

I cannot stress enough how vital it is to understand a client’s business and what they want to achieve. To do an effective job, and not just create a pretty cuttings book, you have to get under the skin of their business and use your PR skills to help meet their business objectives.

My job is to be a part of the team and really ‘get’ the bigger business picture on a regional, national or even international scale. I encourage clients to understand that they aren’t an island and that as well as engaging with their direct target audience, they also need to comment on their industry agenda to put them ahead of the competition and get seen as experts.

Know the Market!

I make sure that I do my homework and make the effort to research any potential clients before I make any contact – that first impression counts every time in business.

Before striking out on my own, I often used freelancers for a variety of PR roles, especially when working on pan-European projects. I was astounded that when I asked simple questions to test their knowledge about the company, many replied that they didn’t know but would pick it up once they got in the driving seat, not good enough.

In tough times clients want to know they are investing in the right people and I want them to feel confident about my abilities, passion and desire to work with them from the start!

Make Love Not War with the Press

By this I don’t mean endless ‘Ab Fab’ lunches and drunken parties but instead getting to know the press that are key to your client’s success, who they are, what they want and how they work.

As a PR in charge of writing and sending press releases I avoid a coarse, obvious sales pitch and refrain from making claims that aren’t backed up by facts. I make sure all copy is signed off by both my client and any 3rd parties and that it is sent to journalists I think will be interested. Journalists want press releases and news that is relevant to their readers, they dislike attachments they haven’t asked for but they do want, and need, high res images!

I try to know when their deadlines are, when print days are happening and if they prefer email or phone calls – sounds obvious but it really can make all the difference between a happy yes or gruff NO!!

Be Trendy!

As much as I can I keep up with the latest musings and movements in PR. I may work for myself but I pride myself at being at the top of my game. It is vital that as a PR freelancer I know which skills are in-demand, when the market is likely to be hot, what the big boys are running with and where the work is.

One of the biggest requests from clients is for social media. I know my Tweets from my pokes and my links from my likes. I practice what I preach and can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I use Google alerts to track coverage and MySpace to show off my kids. Clients know this and can tap into these skills too as the automatically come as part of the Tally package.

I Don’t Need My Hand Held

Whatever the PR service, I love the challenge of a new client and am more than happy to “hit the ground running ad get on with the job but with the client knowing they are in safe hands.

So, let’s put this in practice and get Tally PR on the road for 2012 – want to come along for the ride then get in touch – www.tallypr.co.uk

Remember where you when the news broke that Steve Jobs had lost his brave fight against cancer?

I was making my morning coffee and stopped to think about how one man influenced the way we communicate in the 21^st century and how one brand has such presence in our lives.

My 1st encounter with Apple was when my stepdad lent me his Mac to write my dissertation on back in the early ‘90s. It was cool and funky and had the equivalent status to the iPads tapped on in Starbucks and the iPhones tossed into school bags and handbags around the world.

Steve Jobs not only changed the way we use and understand technology, changing it from geeky to cool, but also embraced marketing and used it to create an unprecedented brand loyalty that has lead Apple products to be ‘it’ gadgets and almost the glue of popular culture.

Apple has perfected the art of seamless multi-channel, multi-touch marketing communications and has rolled out some of the very best integrated, repeatable formulas the world has ever seen.

Whether it’s launch events, traditional advertising, in-store signage and beautiful packaging, the creation and updating of an interactive website, customer newsletters or media briefings, these activities are slick, targeted and impressive but most of all – they work!

In a rare reflective moment Steve Jobs, after the launch of the iPad, Jobs said: “Technology alone is not enough. its technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that makes our hearts sing”.

Yes, the products do the talking and Steve Jobs could have sat back and rested on his laurels, this wasn’t in the plan and instead he mastered the art of great communications for his benchmark, innovative products that really worked and this is something all practioners can learn from and aspire to.

 RIP Steve Jobs, 1955 – 2011

Tally PR is 1 today, where did the past 365 day go and who’d of thought they’d be so amazing?

This time last year my baby was launched and armed with a laptop, a dream and one client I set off an adventure that’s been remarkable.

Without the support or safety net of a team, my abilities and skills were laid bare and it was up to me to do everything from make the tea and lick stamps, networking and cold calling to pitching business and signing contracts.

Just like any new business starting out in this recession, I’ve had to continually ensure that I know my market, I have good contacts, I’m up to date on media movers and social networking and I know where to find new business and how to keep clients happy.

Along the way I’ve met many dedicated and inspiring business owners, journalists, peers and bloggers; I thank them for their time, services and coverage.

Great clients like Joyce Campbell, Lisa Talbot, STEPS, Bespoke Nanny, Wrothams, VTI and Victoria at Saumarez have been a pleasure to work with and have enjoyed media coverage in the likes of The Telegraph, The Guardian, BBC World Wide, Daily Mail, Vet Gazette, Sugar, ParentDish and many more.

I have LOVED every minute of it and the buzz of being my own boss is fantastic. It’s 100% down to me to make Tally PR success and to keep clients happy and I hope that over the past 12 months I have done just that.

Tally PR maybe 1 but it is supported by a number of great people who really believe in what I’m trying to do and that is to offer first class PR for small businesses and entrepreneurs. So, thank you everyone, you know who you are!

Keep your eye on www.tallypr.co.uk this coming year and follow our new clients, Crowne Plaza Marlow being the first, and the media successes we know we will achieve.

SUPPORT STEPS AND LUCAS THIS MARCH!

The national charity STEPS is hoping their Baby Hip Health Week 13th – 19th March 2011 will help raise awareness amongst parents and health professionals of the vital need to check babies’ hips during the first few weeks of life to prevent unnecessary pain and disability in later years.

My second son, Lucas, was diagonised with DDH 18 months ago and is awaiting a second round of surgery after the first failed last year. STEPS has been an amazing support for us and we are therefore supporting them by holiding a ‘Put the Kettle On’ this March as well as carrying our free PR for the event. We are asking for people to either come along and have a coffee and cake or offer a donation of raffle prize so that we can give back to this amazing organisation.

Julie Charlton, STEPS Marketing & Community Fundraiser, commented, “Whether you host a ‘Put the Kettle On’ event for two or two hundred people, we are very grateful for your donations. Without this support, our work, including campaigning, a helpline, information centre and website could not happen and many parents would be alone during a very difficult time. Ultimately we want all babies to be checked as early as possible and not have to endure unnecessary pain and suffering.”

In the UK alone, up to 2000 children a year are diagnosed with Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH), which describes a range of conditions from mild instability to total dislocation of the hip. Early detection means DDH can often be corrected by a simple outpatient treatment, but a later or missed diagnosis can leave a child requiring hospital stays, operations and potentially a permanent disability.

Even if the hips appear to be normal it is important to be aware of signs that might mean there is a problem. The signs parents should look out for include:

- one leg appearing shorter than the other.

- an extra deep crease on the inside of the thigh.

- crawling with one leg dragging or walking with a limp or a waddle.

Whilst these signs are not conclusive, they may indicate the need for further investigation.

Please seek medical advice if you are concerned.

For more information about Healthy Hip Week go to www.steps-charity.org.uk or contact me at natalie@tallypr.co.uk to donate to our event!

January has nearly been and gone and at Tally Towers we have been busy and are ready to introduce some new, exciting clients and all of them have come via word of mouth!

On of our first retained clients was life coach and media superstar Joyce Campbell whose book, How to Get Off Your Backside and Live Your Life, has seen her in publications as diverse as Fabulous (NOTW) and Natural Health to Practical Parenting and Sense magazine (Nat West). Joyce was so pleased with Tally PR she passed her praises on to her publishers, Live It. From this January we are working with Live It Publishing (www.liveitpublishing.com)on a number of levels. Via PR this ‘Partnership Publishing House’ will be reaching budding authors looking to build their kudos and reputation by publishing a book in their profession field. Natalie is also the publicist for Murielle Maupoint, Founder of Live It Publishing and author of ‘The Essential NLP Practioner’s Handbook’. Finally we are now the preferred supplier for all Live It Publishing authors and hope to see more come through the door in 2011.

Our next client is the lovely Shelley Ensor from Little Singers Club (www.littlesignersclub.co.uk) and Little Learner Books (www.littlelearnerbooks.co.uk). Natalie met Shelley in April 2010 and we clicked and kept in touch via Facebook. Work has now started on promoting their book ‘Signing Hands: Baby Signing Basics’, with nearly 20 review copies sent out, competitions being placed and a feature being written for Junior Magazine. We have also prepared a template press release that can be used by new Little Signer teachers and this was picked up for Sue Searle on City Local for Oxford.

Through word of mouth, courtesy of Shelley, the UK’s first all species Veterinary Thermal Imaging company (www.veterinary-thermal-imaging.com) has put their faith in Tally PR and are already seeing the results. There’s been an interview on Jack FM, a feature on Mothers Who Work about Helen Morrell, company founder, and a review in the key publication Veterinary Record. Helen has already said that her expectations for her first month have been exceeded, which is nice to know.

Maria Arpa came to Tally PR via a recommendation from follow PR Lesley Singleton (www.lsmedia.co.uk). Maria is an outstanding mediator who is well-known in her field. We will be working together to raise awareness of Maria as well as mediation, how it can help in many situations and how choosing the right mediator can make a huge difference.

Last, but by means least, we are working with the International concert pianist, Valerie Childs. After an amazing career, Valerie now runs The Childs Pianoforte School in Buckinghamshire and we are working to help raise awareness of her and her easy to use method books, Lisa Childs Piano Books (www.childspianobooks.co.uk). This link was from the gorgeous Vicky of Saumarez, the eco-lingerie company that is so nice The Guardian, Telegraph and Bliss included them in their Christmas gift guides.

So to Joyce, Shelley, Lesley and Vicky, a very BIG thank you and to my new clients, welcome!

I would like to thank all my clients for their continued business and support since I opened in April 2010 and am really looking forward to generating new leads, securing more coverage and reaching out to new companies over the next 12 months.

On Tuesday 11^th January I am attending the first ‘Women in Business Networking’ event of the year in Marlow. This is a great, monthly networking lunch where you build relationships with other businesswomen, swap ideas, brainstorm issues and find out about business opportunities. It’s also a great way for me to pass on details about Tally clients, be it Joyce Campbell (www.joycecampbell.co.uk) and her life coaching tips or Chloe Tasch and her motivational nutritional plans, as well as sharing recent client media successes.

Wednesday 19^th January is ‘back to school’ for Tally PR at the Henley Business School for a Twitter course. I am hoping that by the end of the session I will as hot on Twitter as I am on Facebook. There is no dobut that social media will be playing an increasing role in PR and I want to be sure my clients will be reaching influencers on Twitter, their posts are ‘retweeted’, pages are ‘liked’ and that when it comes to the media – be it broadcast, print or online- Tally PR won’t miss a trick.

During January we will also be offering a bottle of bubbly to anyone who refers a potential client who then signs up with us. So if you know anyone who could do with raising their profiles and increasing their sales (surely everyone wants this at the moment), tell them about www.tallypr.co.uk and we will all be celebrating!

So everyone have a happy, positive 2011, let’s hope it’s a great one for us all.

Pick up the paper, turn on the TV and plug into the internet and it’s full of tales of doom and gloom. So, I for one was pleased when Prince William finally popped THE question to Kate Middleton and the global media went into good-news over drive!

In a bold, 21^st century move by the Monarchy, social media was used to announce the long awaited engagement via Facebook and Twitter, and a simultaneous traditional announcement was made by Clarence House. The status update was issued at 11am and by 3pm more than 4,650 people ‘liked’ it.

The following media frenzy was impressive and within hours news stories, documentaries, souvenir pull-outs and wedding memorabilia were being rolled out and there seems there is no end in sight.

The media will be looking for comment, ideas and products and much more between now and the BIG day. Response Source is already crammed with requests for ideas and case studies, with more bound to follow. It will however be down to quick-witted, reactive PRs to strut their stuff and place their clients at the forefront of the media and, dare I say it, capitalise on ‘Waity Katie’ finally becoming ‘Queen Catherine’.

At Tally PR we will be working hard to ensure we know where the party’s at and who’s on the list as this is a once in a lifetime media opportunity!

I’ve also taken the plunge and started to actively network in the local area, which has proved to be really interesting and very worthwhile. My first experience was with the Women in Business Network group for Marlow (www.wibn.co.uk ). The meeting was pretty structured and formal but this turned out to be a real benefit as I was very nervous about going. What I really loved was the welcoming, diverse group of professional women who meet up once a month to talk about their successes, findings and support one another on an ongoing basis. I was sold on the idea within the first hour and am now waiting for my membership to arrive.

With a spring in my step and confidence on the rise, I went to try out Business Biscotti (www.businessbiscotti.co.uk), a more informal drop-in session that is open to everyone. This was a little more daunting as you go with business cards and a smile and just have to ‘get in there’ and mingle. Saying that, I saw some familiar faces, met some really great people, considered some new ideas and enjoyed the gorgeous surroundings of Dansefield House and a cup of coffee.

As a result of the two sessions I not only made some helpful, local connections but have also been able to set up four meetings, which is fantastic and I’ll be back for more.

Tally PR (previously Tally Communications) is very proud to announce our new name and website.  

Based in Buckinghamshire, we’re an approachable, enthusiastic, honest PR consultancy that specialises in the lifestyle sectors.

We offer a comprehensive range of services to small businesses who think PR is ‘just for the big boys’. If it’s done right, PR can work for pretty much any company and is a cost effective way of communicating with your target audience.

We don’t take ourselves seriously; we’re fun, approachable and always offer an outstanding service to clients and the media.

Why not take a look around the new site, see what we’re about, what we do and who we do it for? If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch for a chat and we’ll be more than happy to help you.

Many thanks for looking, Natalie