• Did I target the reporter correctly?  Actually read what reporters are writing and get to know the publication.  Tracking reporter coverage is the best way you can target reporters effectively.  They notice the difference when your pitch is relevant to their beat and focus, and when isn’t.  Setting up Google alerts and subscribing to RSS feeds are easy ways to keep an eye on what journalists are writing about.  A lack of due diligence is the fastest way to get your email deleted.

• Did I contact the journalist through his or her preferred method?  Do your research.  Journalists and reporters often make it clear on how they want to be contacted.  While it is easy to forget that your pitch is just one of many in an inbox, being respectful of their preferences will get you far.  By making your ideas clear, your recipient will be able to decipher their interest faster.

• Did I market my client’s expertise effectively?  Work with reporters to develop an angle.  Successful correspondence requires creativity and the know-how to market your client’s expertise. Using this formula may spark a reporter to cover something outside of his or her normal beat.

• Have I made an effort to develop a relationship with the media?  Friend, follow, and network genuinely.  Including media relationships in your social media circles is a great way to track what journalists cover, and foster professional connections.

Media relations is an art, not a science.  Always keep in mind that sincerity and due diligence go a long way and will bring you the greatest return on investment with media relations.

To recap:  after being fired from his job on Two and Half Men, Charlie Sheen hit bottom after issuing violent torpedoes of truth at the public while bathing us in #tigerblood, goddesses and other strange twitter phrases that fueled a media feeding frenzy.  In a matter of weeks, Sheen went from being TV’s highest paid actor to D-list sideshow most likely to be featured on Celebrity Rehab.  In the process he lost his kids, his family support, his job and seemingly, his sanity. (To see my NBC10 commentary on the meltdown, click here.”

Fast forward to this month’s Emmy Awards, where Charlie Sheen went prime time to present the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series award – his old category – to Jim Parson’s.  Sheen was visibly humbled, even going so far as to extend his well wishes to his colleagues at Two and a Half Men.  Following the warlock-free presentation, Sheen posed for pictures with his replacement, Ashton Kutcher and tweeted that the premiere without him was “Odd, but cool! So far a ton of laughs!”

The former rock star from Mars then appeared on “The Tonight Show,” and the “Today” show, where he talked about his “manic period” and said that he was mellower now.  “Looking back on it…there’s portions of it I might have amended a bit.  It was just so silly and people took it so seriously and I figured ‘all right, I continue to give the people what they want.”  He’s ditched the goddesses, made inroads with both of his ex-wives, and sees his kids more often.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So which Sheen is the real deal?  Only time will tell.  But the warm reception Sheen’s received proves that words matter, even for mortals with Adonis DNA.  Whether Charlie will be remembered for his erratic behavior or serious comedy chops remains to be seen, but he’s making all the right moves for a comeback.

MediaSync: is a free online reporter resource with a database of more than 500,000 media contacts and 9 million articles and blogs. The site allows PR pros to quickly identify, connect with and track reporters, editors, analysts, bloggers and others in the media/analyst community who are assigned to a specific beat and/or write on specific topics relevant to your marketing activities. If you don’t subscribe to expensive services like Vocus or Cision, this is an alternative. However, it seems you get what you pay for when looking for media relations databases.

TweetStats: is a free application that calculates various stats of your tweets and displays the information in colorful graphs for free. This website only requires a twitter username (no password or profile required) to compute statistics, which makes it very useful when analyzing twitter activity for clients or competition.

EdCals, by CisionPoint: is a site offering free editorial/media calendars from CisionPoint’s database of nearly 500,000 editorial opportunities in North America. Yes FREE! While not the most attractive service out there – who cares? Our intern loves this program because it puts the information in an easy-to-download Excel file too.

MuckRack: Tracks the short messages on Twitter written by the journalists who do the muckraking for major media outlets. Muck Rack makes it easy to follow one line, real time reporting. A great way to skip having to make your own twitter lists.

Prezi: is the zooming presentation editor. Prezi lets you bring your ideas into one space and see how they relate, helping you and your audience connect. Zoom out to see the big picture and zoom in to see details — a bit like web-based maps that have changed how we navigate through map books. A very cool program, if you know how to use it. If not, your presentation will give people motion sickness.

SimilarSites.com or SitesLike.com: is a related content engine, displaying a list of related sites for any site that you submit. SimilarSites.com takes past user opinions into account when sorting relevant sites. Each search result has “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” buttons, letting users help us determine a site’s relatedness. As more users search and submit feedback, the results get increasingly accurate. These programs help me widen the range of outlets when pitching… and it is kind of fun to look up the sites you prefer to visit for fun.

SlideShare: is the world’s largest community for sharing presentations. Upload and share on blogs, Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. 50 million people use SlideShare every month for research, sharing ideas, connecting with others, and generating business leads. SlideShare also supports documents, PDFs, and videos. Why didn’t I have this site in college? You can search any topic and find hundreds of presentations –genius.

NewsBasis: is an online service for media professionals and businesses. Companies, agencies, non-Profits and academic Institutions can easily and efficiently promote story ideas to the media and content publishers and respond to their specific requests. This works like HARO  and ProfNet but with in a website with a search function. While interesting to sort through, I tend to find other services are better.

So the question is, given the reluctance of potential clients to hire a firm based on past successes and general campaign ideas alone, how much insight and information do you include in a proposal without giving away too much?

The answer isn’t an easy one and depends greatly on the client you’re pitching, but here are some general rules we try to follow during the proposal writing process at Maven:

-          Provide detailed, measurable objectives. This sets the tone for the proposal and shows that you understand the company well enough to formulate objectives that meet the business goals of the company.

-          Write in terms of outcomes, not outputs. This will allow you to demonstrate what they will receive from a well structured campaign (e.g.  increased traffic to their website, more visibility of executives in trade publications, etc.), while providing more general outputs. Keep in mind that the outcomes are what they’re paying for in the first place.

-          Provide specific ways that the campaign will be measured. For example, if a Twitter campaign is part of the plan, in the measurement section of the proposal give detail about how the campaign will raise the number of followers; increase the “klout” rating; or double retweets by influencers. This way, the client gets a feel for the results you can produce, without divulging all of the firm’s methods.   

-          Insert a statement that says that any ideas presented for consideration by the agency remain at all times the sole property of the agency and can only be implemented by the client in the event of a signed contract. This isn’t a guarantee that your ideas will be protected, but it will hopefully make them think twice before using them. 

Keep in mind that a proposal for services is really an overview and the plan is something that a client should pay for. It’s the first step in the client/agency relationship where trust and rapport are built and if you’re lucky, the beginning of a long-term, symbiotic partnership.

1)      Be sure that the client hears the news from you first. Having them learn about it through a Google alert sent to their in-box, or an email from an old friend is not a good start.

2)      Deliver the news promptly. Let them know what happened right away. If you landed them on The Today Show you would call right away. The same is true when their interview is cut from the front page New York Times article, and in its place is a quote a headshot of their largest competitor.

3)      Pick up the phone. Don’t send an email or worse, a text. They need to hear from you what happened. If all attempts to contact them via phone or in person fail, then, and only then, is it okay to send an email (first explaining that you tried to reach them before sending the email).

4)      Give it to them straight. Don’t try to make the situation sound better than it is. You’re not going to fool them anyway. Be direct and don’t beat around the bush.

5)      Propose your plan of action for dealing with the issue at hand. It’s important that you have this formulated before you call your client. Determine what your next steps are, how you’re going to move forward and if possible, fix the problem. Although it’s likely that your client is going to be pretty pissed, presenting a possible solution can reassure them that you’re a professional who has been through this before. This is not the end of the world.

These steps might need to be adjusted depending on the specific situation and client, but they are good rules to follow. The next time you find yourself procrastinating before sending an e-mail that indirectly delivers the news, stop, get your plan of action together, and pick up the phone.

Fans check their cell phones during a Phillies and Mets game, Sunday, May 1, 2011, in Philadelphia. News broke during the game that Osama bin Laden had been killed. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

It began as a murmur in Citizens Bank Park.  During the ninth inning of last week’s marathon Mets vs. Phillies game, there was a rumbling in the crowd.  (To view video of the moment, scroll to the bottom of this post).  As news of Osama bin Laden’s death spread throughout the ballpark, a chant began rippling through the stadium. Barely audible at first, it spread like wildfire in its volume and intensity:

USA! USA! USA!

Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11 terrorist attacks and public enemy number one, was dead.

As President Obama addressed the nation, the news became global instantaneously.  There was no formal announcement about Bin Laden’s death during the game — mobile phones passed the news.  Without the help of technology, players on the field stood perplexed as ESPN continued to narrate the plays as if nothing had happened.  In the age of digital technology, social media scooped mainstream news as networks struggled to confirm reports of Osama’s demise.

The Phillies game is just one of hundreds of examples of the new communications reality in which all leaders – political, spiritual and corporate – are expected to operate.  News travels at the speed of Twitter, and leaders today must be prepared to address questions from the global community in real time.  In the hours and days that have followed Osama’s death, the degree of complexity and years of meticulous planning from every social, political, financial, logistical and, yes, emotional angle, behind this undertaking have started to emerge.

The road has not always been smooth. Information initially released about bin Laden’s death was retracted and corrected, drawing criticism and launching hundreds of stories that threatened to derail public perception of the mission.  The administration has had to negotiate and answer some tough decisions on the on fly, including reports dealing with the legality of the operation, whether to release photos of bin Laden’s body, and the degree to which Pakistan, an important U.S. ally, may have been complicit in harboring a terrorist.  Overall, Obama and his communications staff have handled the diversions with aplomb, keeping the central message focused on America’s success.

As constituents, we expect our political leaders disclose information accurately, efficiently, and with enough foresight to tackle tough issues down the road.  As communicators, we expect them to be eloquent, on message, and forward thinking.  We cannot forget, however, that there are sometimes unknown factors at play.

In today’s social media era, our mistakes are distributed across the globe in the matter of seconds. But so, too, are our great successes.  As the scene in Citizens Bank Park illustrated, the public can share the message faster than traditional media models.  But we still look to leadership to help define what that message is.   In an era of unparalleled scrutiny and access to information, the Administration offers a case study in how to navigate the challenges of this new global reality.

WATCH: Phillies Fans React to bin Laden’s Death

Most people think that evaluation is something that happens at the completion of a campaign. In fact, evaluation should happen at different intervals throughout the year. This way you have the ability to assess the effectiveness and then adjust accordingly, creating an even stronger campaign. In addition, evaluation provides an opportunity for ongoing improvement and helps guide the campaign in a successful direction.

Think about campaign evaluation as a circular process – information is acquired, changes are made based on that information, more information is acquired, more changes are made, and so on. This is a relatively straightforward process, if you’ve built in the appropriate framework for evaluation. If you haven’t, or aren’t sure, here are a few things to consider:

Make sure your objectives are measurable. While a goal is a general outcome expected when a campaign or program is completed, an objective is very specific and based on projected and actual program outcomes. Your campaign objectives should be unambiguous and stated in a clear way that allows you to determine whether they have been met. They should be specific in terms of timeframe and outcome. For example: our objective is to increase the number of hits to our blog 20 percent by December 2011.

Know what you’re measuring and determine the right tool. Surveys can be an excellent way to measure public opinion, consumer sentiment, and awareness, but it is not a one-size-fits all measurement tool. If your objective is to increase web traffic then use a website analytics tool like Google Analytics; if you’re looking to measure awareness you can conduct an online survey; or if your objective is to ensure your key messages are conveyed in your press coverage, then a media analytics program like Vocus or Burrelles Luce may be appropriate.

Determine a benchmark. Inherently, measurement is a comparative tool. To effectively measure the relative success or failure of a campaign, you need to compare to something else. (For example, if your website gets 10,000 unique visitors/month but your biggest competitor gets 40,000, it may be time to adjust your strategy). The most effective comparisons are to the competition and peers over time, however that information isn’t always available. Another benchmark is to compare your results to past performance over a specific time period.

Once you’ve collected all of your data, draw conclusions and adjust. Ideally with each change made, the campaign gets stronger and produces better results. At the end of the day, continuous evaluation of a marketing campaign allows for those who control the marketing dollars to see the real value and return in real, hard numbers and positive results.

Unfortunately for Don, and many other executives out there, sometimes the best story is the one that’s personal. One of the things I love most about my job is trying to find the story – that compelling nugget that will intrigue a reader to finish the article or make an investor visit the website to find out more. Finding the story is an art that I don’t think one can ever perfect. It’s always a work in progress.

Our client base is diverse and the variety of stories that I get to tell on a daily basis ensures that I am never bored. It also means that I need ways to keep my creative juices flowing. I always start with a few basic questions:

- What’s different about this product/service/company/CEO that makes it the exception, not the rule?
- Is there a customer whose life/business has been transformed because of the product or service?
- What’s unique about the CEO?
- How does the current economy play into the business?
- How does the business play into the current economy?
- What industry statistics are available for analysis purposes?

From here there are dozens of other questions to be asked and answered, but it’s usually at this point that the story (or sometimes lack thereof) starts to become apparent. The most important element to keep in mind is that it’s compelling. And the most compelling angle may in fact be a little personal.

The 2011 Edelman Trust Barometer unveiled some surprising shifts regarding who we rely on for credible company information.  After several years of looking to peers in social networks for trusted corporate information, the pendulum of trust is swinging back toward CEOs.

According to the survey, CEOs now rank among the top credible spokespeople globally – a striking reversal from two years ago when they were in the bottom two.  Conversely, “a person like me” dropped four points globally since 2009, replacing CEOs in the bottom rungs.  Perhaps more surprisingly, trust amongst peers as spokespersons has dropped precipitously among 35-46 year olds since 2006 (68 percent to 31 percent).

Wait – how did this happen? Since when do we as red-blooded American Tweeters and Jersey Shore voyeurs come to value the words of corporate CEOs over our Facebook network?

Maybe we’ve started to crave more meaningful information from our online networks.  Steve Rubel of Edelman Digital shed some light on the results in a recent blog post, and I share his sentiment:

As more of us join social networks, there’s been devaluation in the entire concept of “friendship.” A separate survey found that people don’t know 20 percent of their Facebook friends. Consider that “unfriend” was Oxford’s word of the year for 2009.

The fact is, CEOs and corporate spokespersons have had to change the way they communicate to earn trust in today’s digital age.  Transparency and accessibility are more important than ever before.  In fact, about 90 percent of those surveyed want to hear CEOs communicate transparently (there it is again) and frequently during a crisis, and want to hear about efforts to protect customers and employees. Gone are the days when CEOs could hide behind a corporate veil of carefully controlled messaging.

For those of you hoping to abandon the social media ship and return to traditional PR outreach, I have some bad news. While people want to hear from your CEO, they also want to access information about your company from a variety of news sources and search engines, some you can’t control, and some you can.  We’ve learned a lot about how to respond, track and create networks online that help us deliver company news while engaging customers and target audiences.  Consumers want to be active participants in the discussion, and this is not likely to change anytime soon.

The report finds that repetition and consistency across a number is the key, but only if you’ve established a relationship with consumers.  Companies that ignore angry customers or clients online do so at their peril: according to survey, positive information must be seen 4-5 times before it’s accepted as truth, while negative information about a distrusted company is believed after only 1-2 repetitions.

Here’s a very simple graphic that demonstrates how the model of trust as shifted over the years.

Today, transparency is the foundation that trust is built on. As corporate communicators, our challenge is not only to earn it, but keep it.

“I don’t see much sense in that,” said Rabbit. “No,” said Pooh humbly, “there isn’t. But there was going to be when I began it. It’s just that something happened to it along the way.” -Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh

So often, once a communications campaign is created, we, as PR practitioners, switch to autopilot. Instead, we need to constantly observe, measure and adjust campaigns to ensure that they’re as effective as possible.

“Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it.” - Winnie the Pooh, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book

The objectives of a communications campaign must reflect and support those of the company. If you don’t know what the goals and objectives are for the company, how can you possibly create a successful campaign?

“Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” - Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book

Sometimes the best response is no response. It’s not always necessary to release a statement or divulge details. Sometimes it’s much more beneficial to sit back and listen to what others have to say.

“I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words bother me.” - Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh

Avoid jargon. If you can say it with fewer or shorter words, do.

“I used to believe in forever, but forever’s too good to be true.” - Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh’s Most Grand Adventure

All client relationships come to an end. It’s nothing personal (usually), it’s just a fact of business. It is the naive who believe that it will last forever.

I’ll end with a personal favorite:

“You can’t stay in your corner of the forest, waiting for others to come to you; you have to go to them sometimes.” – Piglet, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book

New business is out there, but it’s not necessarily going to come and find you. Get out and make it happen!