By Bill Arnovich, Media Relations Specialist

Most Public Relations Firms realize the abundance of issues in any industry work lends itself to PR client speaking opportunities at many available venues.

Speaking engagements are a uniquely effective strategic marketing and PR tool, IF a few important criteria are met. Effective public speaking builds your credibility and confidence in a particular subject matter, exuding competence and conviction to prospective customers. Here are several important considerations:

• Invitations to speak should be evaluated based on the opportunities they offer the organization to communicate with key audiences. Invitations, then, are prioritized and assigned to appropriate individuals in your organization, or declined if they appear to offer little value.

• Speaking opportunities are solicited before audiences upon whom the success of your organization depends.

• Recognize that every speaking opportunity is different.

• Every audience is different.

• Commit to prepare and practice all presentations.

The benefits to those executives or subject matter experts who speak and the companies they represent are many. Networking opportunities with the people who attend the presentation often leads directly or eventually to new clients. Another benefit is that press people are often in attendance at conferences or trade shows. They only target a select few so button holing to meet and attend the presentation before and after will be vital.

Mainstream media is losing it’s luster and PR firms are scrambling, fumbling in some cases, to reach out to the influential blogerati in the hopes to capture shifts in audience information consumption. OMB recently published a blogger relations guide as well as a long list of what not to do when pitching blogs. Here’s an exceprt:

• Don’t pitch irrelevant stories
• Don’t send emails to anonymous recipients. Use a name.
• Don’t send blanket solicitations to bloggers in the same general industry.
• Don’t embargo an announcement for more than a few days.
• Don’t demand to be covered as if you’re gods gift to the blogosphere.
• Don’t insult the blogger, even as a joke, especially if you don’t know them.
• Don’t lie or make promises you can’t keep.
• Don’t send story ideas that are about as exciting as mall music.
• Don’t send a regular pitch with a press release to a blogger.
• Don’t use traditional media relations tactics with bloggers, but rather, make an effort to connect with them individually.
• Don’t play bloggers like a numbers game.
• Don’t be rude and not thank the blogger for covering your news.