In the white noise of today’s digital marketplace in Ireland – where clicks and conversions have come to define your success – is there really a place for good old-fashioned PR skills when trying to build your brand?
Not only is there still a place for them; they’re actually an essential weapon in your marketing armoury if you want to reach a wider audience than your social media platforms provide you with.
If you’re a busy MD or business-owner trying to keep on top of sales, procurement, manufacturing, HR and the myriad other issues that confront you every day of the week, public relations may come down the list of must-dos each week – unless you’ve got your own in-house marketers or PR people. A lot of small and medium enterprises don’t.
But if you’ve ever flicked through an industry magazine or browsed a news website and spotted one of your competitors featuring in all their glory after they’ve signed a new deal or announced a new investment, you may well find yourself asking: “How did they get that?” The answer is simple. They’ve understood the importance of positive news coverage and gone after it quicker than an avalanche down a mountain.
Many companies forsake having a proper communications plan and just make it up as they go along. They might seek out a bit of publicity when they’ve won an award or sponsored a local event, but the rest of the time it tends to be disjointed and sporadic. A case of “who’s got the time anymore?”
But actually making time for it can reap big dividends – once you’ve got something worth saying.
Here are some key tips for securing valuable news coverage:
Have a strategy
It’s worth having even a basic communications strategy, so get one down on paper – whether it’s a short-term, project-focused one or a longer-term, organisational goal.
It should include defining who your audience is, what you want to say to them and how you plan to say it.
Write down the aims of your comms strategy. These should include ensuring your target audience understands what your company does, what its vision and mission is and to clearly demonstrate the effectiveness and success of its work.
Your communications with customers, potential customers and the wider public should ultimately help to establish your company’s credibility and boost awareness of your organisation.
Know who you want to talk to
Create a database of media outlets which you consider relevant to your plans. Think about the audience you want to talk to – be strategic in your thinking.
Know which websites and news outlets are likely to be interested in what you have to say and make contact with journalists working there to let them know you have a story which may interest them.
Make sure your news is newsworthy
Having a sense of what makes news is invaluable here. Simply writing a press release lauding the different aspects of your company’s latest product simply isn’t going to cut it. You can do that on your own social media platforms and website anyway.
Your news has got to be significant at some level. The chances are if it involves an investment, expansion, clinching a big new contract, the creation of new jobs or a landmark anniversary, at least some media outlets are likely to be interested.
Start out with the local media (press and broadcast) and dip a toe in the water with the nationals and see whether there is any interest. Also consider magazines or online sites specific to your sector or industry – they will often be happy to give you coverage.
Sometimes reaching out to bloggers writing on topics relevant to your business or sector may produce better results than trying to convince journalists in the mainstream media you have a story, so don’t exclude this category.
Pitching your story
So, you’ve written your press release. What next?
Some people can be intimidated by the notion of pitching their story to hard-nosed journalists and editors. But, honestly, if your story has some kind of news value, you’ll often find yourself pushing an open door.
The easiest way to pitch is via email. In fact, it’s how most of it is done these days.
However, do not be tempted to use a scattergun approach and send out a mass email to every journalist in the country. Seek to get your message into media outlets that your target audience frequents. It has a much better chance of landing successfully than a generic pitch to all and sundry.
If you don’t get a response, don’t be too disheartened. Not every story gets used every time. Follow up with a further email within a couple of days or even a phone call to see if there is any interest in them carrying your press release. If it’s a ‘no’, thank them for their time and move on.
If you’ve got a decent story to tell, someone somewhere will recognise it as such and run it.
Posted 10th April 2019