PR is often misunderstood and overlooked, but can be such an important part of your successful marketing mix.
What is PR? What isn’t it? And, what can it do for you?
Put simply, it’s telling your story and promoting you, and what you do, through the media.
It’s NOT adverts, paid-for promotions or special offers. It’s not your own newsletter or blog written by you.
It IS stories, features, comment pieces and interview opportunities which are used as editorial content by newspapers, magazines, news websites, radio and TV.
One of the best things about PR is that editorial coverage is free! What’s not to love about that? It is also presented by someone else, so comes with valuable third party endorsement.
And it can give you exposure to a huge and diverse body of readers, listeners or viewers who may not have had any contact with you before. What we hope they’ll do after seeing your story about, say, how you knitted a jumper for a poorly llama or something – is Google you, check out your socials, take a look at your online shop and buy one of your more usable knitted products. Or they’ll recognise you when they’re next searching for something you sell – and think ‘I’ve heard of them, I liked them’. Always a good starting point for business!
So that’s how PR works.
The key to getting it, is to provide the media with a good story. This should include all the facts they need to understand the story, a good quality photograph and good quote from you.
Tip number one, it needs to be interesting.
A lot of our work may be very important and of interest to us and our clients, but is it really ‘interesting’ to others?
Is it a bit quirky or newsworthy or topical? Have you won a notable award? Reached a business landmark? Raised a significant amount for charity in an interesting way? Have you done something really ‘new’? Has something unusual – but nice – happened?
Tip number two, you need to pull together everything the reporter needs.
Write a simple press release, including a quote and a photograph and send it to your target media.
Your target media is the media that your ideal customers, partners or advocates read, watch or listen to. It’s good to have a think about this – and have these contacts close by.
Something to bear in mind with PR is that you can’t sign off your stories – it is not paid for content like an advert. You give them a story and let them run with it. That’s why it’s so important to be clear what you say in your press release email or interview. Don’t say anything you are not happy to see in print.
As I always say, people do business with people they like.
So, if you have a story to tell which really gets across what you are all about and throws light on your business, your talents, values or personality, then send it to the media and share the coverage on your socials.
If you’d like a little help, see Black Bee Creative’s PR packages and get in touch. There are three levels available – a one-off consultation with a PR specialist to get you on your way with DIY PR; the additional delivery of a PR communications toolkit including your own press release template and media lists; and a one-year PR support package through which we’ll work with you to issue four press releases over 12 months.