Local Call Number: 0845 47 47 486 |
Local Call Number: 0845 47 47 486 |
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PR is all about building a relationship with your potential customers. Done successfully it builds your brand and creates widespread awareness of your business that boosts sales.
Here are 10 simple steps a small business can use to create a buzz for your products or services: 1. Make sure your product or service is ready This is essential before you even start thinking about PR. First, make sure what you have to offer meets your customer’s needs. Second, you need to make sure your product or service is ready to roll out and that you have all the systems in place to deliver the product or service to your customers. As the whole point of PR is to drive customer interest and demand, there is nothing worse than your product or service not being available when your PR coverage appears. Not only will you miss out on sales, even worse, you’ll lose credibility and drive customers to your competitors! 2. Know your target market
Successful PR is all about reaching the right people with the right message. If you fail to understand your target market and the media outlets they use, implementing the rest of your PR actions will be pointless. There is no point getting into the Financial Times when your customers are more likely to read The Sun, or use the Internet if your target audience is unlikely to have access to the Web.
3. Learn about your chosen media outlets before you contact them
In defining your target market, you will need to know what media they read, what radio programmes they listen to, what TV programmes they watch and what websites they visit. Take time to find out about the media outlets you are targeting. You need to get a feel for the type of story each media outlet is looking for so you can maximise the chance of your story being used. 4. Keep your message simple, clear and concise The centre of your PR campaign is your message. And in the case of PR, less is more. Make sure it's clear, concise and brief. If your message can't be summed up in a few sentences, it's too complicated and editors won't read it.
If you’re going to send additional information or material to support your story make sure it focuses on answering the questions editors are likely to ask. Make sure you provide things like photographs in the right format so they can easily be used.
5. Getting media coverage
Getting newspaper coverage or a radio mention of your new product or service can go a long way towards creating a buzz about your business. Target both local and national press and radio, as well as your industry’s trade publications. However, remember you are writing for two different audiences, so the way you present your story will need to reflect this and may require two versions of a press release or article.
The best way to get media coverage is to focus on stories that are hot topics, like current events, breaking news or the latest scandals and tie your business in with them. Every journalist is looking for a different angle on the story of the day.
Try to think of a way to present your story with a fresh angle, particularly with a human interest link and associate it with your business or product. If using local media always look for a local spin on your story. 6. Develop relationships with your local media
Your relationship with journalists is very important and is the basis of your interaction with the media. These relationships take time to develop, and this time should be viewed as a long-term investment. Contrary to belief, journalists are not interested in being wined and dined, but they are interested in sources they can turn to for stories, information or opinions about news worthy items. If you have not yet established a relationship with the local press, read your local newspapers and magazines and listen to your local radio station. Find out the names of the journalists who cover your specific topic. Most newspapers and magazines have an online version which is great to check out the types of articles written by each journalist. Give them a call and introduce yourself. Journalists are constantly looking for news and this is a great way to start a relationship with them. Things that are likely to be of interest would include when your business gets a significant new customer, moves office, wins a business or community award, or takes on a new employee. Take time to call the appropriate journalist and let them know. Sure, you may not always get coverage, but you have nothing to lose by cultivating these relationships.
7. Become an expert - write a feature article Write an article for your local newspaper or trade publication on a subject that relates to you or your business. Don’t try too hard to sell, instead try to inform and educate the readers of that publication. Ideally you want both journalists and their readers to view you as a reliable expert on a particular subject. Do that and you may well find that journalists will turn to you for comment and opinions on other people’s stories too! 8. Start a Blog
A blog is a great way for you to promote your business in the eyes of your customers, your industry and the media. Like feature articles it can show that you are a leading authority on various subjects in your industry and is another way you can engage with your customers and build relationships with potential business partners.
Not only that, but businesses that actively use blogs as part of their marketing strategy discover that these drive more visitors to their website and that a blog is a powerful way to positively influence website visitors before they even click on their website, leading to a higher conversion rate from online enquiries to sales.
9. Public Speaking and Presentations
This isn’t for the faint hearted, but if you feel confident consider offering to give talks or teach classes about your profession or business to local groups, such as the Chamber of Commerce, or at networking events, seminars, workshops, industry trade shows and conferences. 10. Persistence is the key for a successful PR campaign Persistence is the single most important factor when it comes to making your PR campaign a success. If you have a good plan, and devote enough time and energy to carrying out that plan, you will obtain a great deal of positive publicity for your business - at very little cost, and in many cases for free. What I can do for you
Having looked at the above points you may feel you need some help. So here are some of the areas I can assist you with when it comes to PR:
To discuss how I can help you develop an effective PR campaign to promote your business, ring me now on 0845 47 47 486 for a free, no obligation meeting.
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Finding the right marketing solutions for your business is what I do best. With many areas of online marketing and offline marketing to choose from, not every area of marketing will be suitable or will work for your business. That's why marketing planning is an essential step before we get to the solutions.
Here are the main areas where I can help you find the online marketing solutions and / or offline marketing solutions you need to grow your business:
Online Marketing:
Offline Marketing:
In addition, you need to consider the management of the all important information you hold about your customers. This is what Data Management is all about. How not to do PR!
PR is a great tool for promoting your business. However, like most things, done wrong it can be a bit of a disaster.
Here's a spoof video from YouTube by comedians Clarke & Dawe showing how it shouldn't be done. Enjoy! |
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