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Have you
ever wondered why your competitors always seem to have their name
in the papers, or get talked about on the radio? And have you
ever wondered how you can join them?
Jane Smith,
Director of Northants-based PR consultancy LE16 Communications,
lets you in on a few secrets. "Believe it or not, whatever line
of business you're in, you're sure to have a story to tell," says
Jane. "But how do you go about getting it across to a wider audience?"
The answer, she says, is simple: public relations.
"Public relations
- or PR - can win you free editorial coverage in your local paper
or on your local TV or radio station without incurring the sometimes
huge costs associated with advertising," Jane adds. "Or you may
be looking to target specialist trade publications or, if your
story is strong enough, even national media.
"Either way,
here are LE16's top 10 tips for getting your message out there
so that potential customers sit up and take notice:
| 1. |
Find
out what your potential customers or the people you want to
reach are reading. What programmes do they watch or listen
to? Which websites do they visit? These are the media you
need to target. |
| 2, |
Find
out as much as you can about your target media. Buy the
newspaper, listen to the radio station and visit the website.
Check out the type of news and features that each carries,
how often they publish, length and style of articles etc.
This will help you to tailor your own stories to match. |
| 3. |
So
what have you got to say? Without wishing to state the
obvious, a news story needs to be something new - eg. a new
product/service launch, new client, office move/expansion,
new appointment, sponsorship. If there's nothing new happening
within your business, think about providing an 'advice' article.
If you do this, you'll need to think like a customer and work
out what advice you can give that will help them improve their
own business - and tell it in their language, without technical
jargon. |
| 4. |
Tell
your story clearly and concisely in a Press Release. You'll
need to sum up the main points of your story in one or two
sentences at the start of your Release. This will enable the
journalist to quickly identify whether or not it is of interest
to their publication. If it takes too long to dig the story
out, it will probably go straight in the bin! |
| 5. |
Include
a quote from a key company spokesperson. And, if possible,
a quote from a customer or influential opinion former to endorse
what you're saying. Quotes should provide a different dimension
to the information in the body of your Press Release, not
repeat it. |
| 6. |
If you
have any good quality photos, attach those as well.
If you haven't, consider getting some taken |
| 7. |
Find
out who to speak to - there's usually a list of editorial
contacts printed in newspapers and magazines, or call the
main number and ask for the Newsdesk (this goes for TV and
radio as well). |
| 8. |
Ring
them up first - journalists are busy people so you'll
need to tell them your story in about 15 seconds! If the journalist
is interested, they'll give you their e-mail address (or,
less often these days, fax number). |
| 9. |
Then
all you need to do is send your Press Release across
and keep your eyes (and ears) peeled. Unless absolutely necessary,
try to avoid calling a journalist to ask if they've used your
story. If you're wanting them to provide you with free editorial,
it's not unreasonable for them to expect you to buy the newspaper
to find out if it's gone in! |
| 10. |
Finally,
be realistic and remember that free editorial is not advertising.
Journalists are unlikely to use your story word-for-word and
may shorten it, combine it with other news or not use it at
all, depending on what other news is around on the day. And,
if they do use your story, don't forget to say thank you! |
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