Unfortunately public relations, or PR for short, is not on the list and, unless you are a savvy media person, there will be so much going on while you get your business established, that PR could end up in your ‘wish list’.
The problem is this – if people don’t know about you, they can’t do business with you. And what’s the best way to get noticed by potential clients without having to spend a fortune? Get your PR strategy right, get in the media and voila!
So, I am going to with share you a little exercise I do every year and find to be really valuable.
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Editorial coverage is free - advertising costs thousands of pounds
The rate for a colour ad on the first full page in the news section of the Sunday Times is around £93,000. A full page ad in the Bristol Evening post will set you back about £4,000.
Editorial coverage gives you credibility and helps build your brand
Despite the bad publicity that the media has had (ironically, reported by the media itself!) surveys show that people still trust magazines, newspapers, broadcast media and increasingly the internet to help them take the right decisions about what to buy and what choices to make. Positive media coverage is far more powerful than most advertisements in getting people to pay attention to your message. How many of us open a magazine and straight away tip the advertising inserts into the recycling?
Media coverage is also really good for your wider brand. It gives employees a boost to see positive coverage of your organisation and it makes customers feel good to be associated with someone who's had a positive mention in the press. It can do wonders for your supply chain too - everyone likes basking in reflected glory
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You are only as good as your press list. You can put together the most fantastic press release, but if the wrong people see it, it's worthless. Putting together a press list is something my clients struggle with because..well..it's boring. But it has to be done, so my suggestion is to get on with it, or delegate it to an assistant, confident teenager or intern.
Here are some suggestions from Paula Gardner that might make it easier.
]]>The use of corporate videos is increasingly seen an important part of a marketing and PR strategy to profile the values, activities and impact of a business.
Some of the best advantages of producing a corporate video include:
- Video is a widely used and easily recognised medium, demonstrated by websites like YouTube who are engaging millions of user a day.
- A recent survey has shown that video has a retention rate of up to 50% - the highest compared to the written word or radio.
- A good video can help customers get a feeling for who you are and what you represent very quickly.
- It is a great way to build trust, with clips such as testimonies and video highlights
- Finally, an easy and effective way to communicate, inspire and motivate potential clients and members of staff.
If you are interested in creating a corporate video, Concrete Films proposes the following plan of action to help you create the video you want.....
]]>If you want your own copy, you can nab one here
E is For ETIQUETTE
PR Etiquette that is. Believe it or not, but there is an acceptable way to approach the press. A lot of it just boils down to old-fashioned good manners, just like any other form of communication, but it's worth just going over the basics.
]]>It's easy to comprehend that PR offers fantastic bang for the buck in a recession. Indeed, if you are doing your own PR your main outlay is time. But PR during a recession is not the same animal as it is during a boom time. Publications will close and there is severe competition for existing coverage. What's more, fear and short-term survival tactics can prompt businesses to conduct their marketing and PR in a way that might even damage their reputation in the long term. Read on for Do Your Own PR's guide to surviving PR during the credit crunch.]]>
1) Don't skip your planning
2) Don't forget the basics
3) Be newsworthy and appropriate
4) Practice
So taking each one in turn, lets look at what you need to do in detail:-
]]>The big thing that puts people off entering these awards is the work that goes into it, but it's important to remember that once you've done the work, a lot of it can be tweaked and tailored to individual awards. One might focus on creativity, another on staff training, but much of the content will be the same. So, here are my top ten suggestions to give you the best chance of getting noticed by the judges.
Read on to find out the steps you should take to be an award winning entrepreneur by Paula Gardner of http://www.doyourownpr.com/ and http://www.divinepublicity.com/ ...
]]>Historically one of the first things many consider reducing during times of economic downturn is the marketing budget. While it is certainly sensible to reassess spending at such times, cutting activity in the wrong areas can have a damaging impact on long-term stability.
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