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For Members: How to Get the Most out of ProfNet

ProfNet members often ask for tips on how they can get the most out of their subscription. To that end, we've compiled the following tips, tricks and best practices for using ProfNet to get publicity for your clients/experts:

Update your preferences, so you get the queries you want, when you want them.

You can filter the Opportunities you receive by interest category (e.g., Banking) and subcategory (e.g., Investment Banking). This will ensure you receive only the media leads that fit your area of interest/expertise, saving you valuable time.

You can also change your delivery preferences to get Opportunities as frequently as you want -- every half hour, hour, two hours, six hours, 12 hours or once a day.

Opportunity feeds are available in both HTML and plain text, for easy reading on your PDA (e.g., BlackBerry, Treo, etc.). Choose the option that works best for you.

For assistance in making any of these changes, please contact us at productsupport@prnewswire.com.

Respond to Opportunities Quickly -- and Appropriately.

ProfNet succeeds because our members show a high degree of competency and professional courtesy in their dealings with reporters, which is why we have been trusted by reporters since 1992.

Although it can be tempting to add a reporter to a mailing list or to pitch a story unrelated to the reporter's query, most members know it ultimately works against them. Reporters are often overwhelmed with responses and do not want to be pitched anything that's not directly related to their request.

Please take a moment to review our list of guidelines for interacting with reporters. After logging on to the site, go to https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/Orientation.aspx  and click on "Interactions with Originators" on the left-hand side of the page. (Please note: Failure to abide by these guidelines may result in termination of your ProfNet membership.)

When you reply to a reporter's request for sources, we suggest a standard three-paragraph response:

• The first provides basic contact information: name, title, phone numbers and e-mail addresses, both for the suggested source and for yourself.
• The second provides a summary of the source's relevant credentials.
• The third -- optional, but often pivotal in persuading a reporter to make contact -- summarizes the source's perspective.

Here are some additional tips, shared by ProfNet members who've been successful in getting publicity for their clients:

• Include "ProfNet" in the subject line of your response, so reporters know your e-mail is in direct response to their query, rather than unsolicited e-mail or spam.
• Be quick. Reporters will often go with the first expert(s) that meets their needs.
• Be memorable. Reporters often get inundated with responses. Figure out how yours can stand out, both in the subject line and the body of the e-mail.
• Avoid sending attachments. Instead, provide a link to more information, and make it easy for the reporter to find your contact information and get in touch with you.
• Read postings carefully and follow directions (e.g., if the poster requests use of a specific e-mail subject line, use it).
• Read the query at least two times before answering. Discover what the reporter really wants.
• Give reporters a tasty soundbite. You don’t have to serve up the entire meal, but just enough to whet their appetites.

Get Proactive.

If you have an expert who can discuss a timely news topic, you should be taking advantage of ProfNet's Expert Alerts service, included in full ProfNet memberships.

Expert Alerts are sort of a "reverse Opportunity" -- instead of a reporter asking for an expert, you tell the reporter about an expert who can discuss a topic the reporter might be covering. Past topics have included the government bailouts; swine flu; the presidential election; and health care reform.

For more information, guidelines and sample Alerts: Click Here.

You should also profile your experts in ProfNet's Experts Database. With hundreds of searches done in the Experts Database every week, you could be missing out on additional media exposure if your expert's not listed.

For more information on expert profiles, visit http://info.prnewswire.com/profnet/logincontent/product_info_experts.shtml or contact productsupport@prnewswire.com

Follow ProfNet on twitter to see urgent reporter requests, industry events, and other news and announcements.