*****************************************************************
Message delivered directly to members of the group:
internet_marketing_articleblaster@yahoogroups.com
*****************************************************************
Please consider this free-reprint article written by:
Louise Third
==================
IMPORTANT - Publication/Reprint Terms
- You have permission to publish this article electronically in
free-only publications such as a website or an ezine as long as
the bylines are included.
- You are not allowed to use this article for commercial
purposes. The article should only be reprinted in a publicly
accessible website and not in a members-only commercial site.
- You are not allowed to post/reprint this article in any
sites/publications that contains or supports hate, violence,
porn and warez or any indecent and illegal sites/publications.
- You are not allowed to use this article in UCE (Unsolicited
Commercial Email) or SPAM. This article MUST be distributed in
an opt-in email list only.
- If you distribute this article in an ezine or newsletter, we
ask that you send a copy of the newsletter or ezine that
contains the article to louise[at]integra.gb.com (replace [at]
with @)
- If you post this article in a website/forum/blog, ALL links
MUST be set to hyperlinks and we ask that you send a copy of
the URL where the article is posted to louise[at]integra.gb.com
(replace [at] with @)
- We request that you ask permission from the author if you
want to publish this article in print.
The role of iSnare.com is only to distribute this article as
part of its Article Distribution feature (
http://www.isnare.com/distribution.php ). iSnare.com does NOT
own this article, please respect the author's copyright and
this publication/reprint terms. If you do not agree to any of
these terms, please do not reprint or publish this article.
==================
Article Title: DIY Public Relations
Author: Louise Third
Word Count: 1503
Article URL: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=85306&ca=Marketing
Format: 64cpl
Author's Email Address: louise[at]integra.gb.com (replace [at]
with @)
Easy Publish Tool: http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=85306
================== ARTICLE START ==================
Ever felt aggrieved that other entrepreneurs make the headlines
but you don�t? Louise Third, founder of Integra Communications,
the enterprise PR specialists, says it�s not as tough as it
looks; it just requires planning and the application of some
basic rules.
Kevin and Dawn Hartley, the owners of Mozart�s Restaurant in
Nottingham have tangible evidence that a planned use of PR can
significantly improve sales. The couple, who opened the 40-seat
restaurant in November 2002, decided to take every opportunity
to contact their local press and radio with �news� and comment.
Their opening was marked on Radio Trent FM with champagne and
canap�s and was followed a month later by a 2 hour Christmas
Show broadcast live from the restaurant. BBC Radio Nottingham
carried a Valentine�s recipe on the website and 50,000
listeners enjoyed a live cooking session in association with
the Nottingham Restaurant Awards.
�Our biggest media coverage success came on National No-Smoking
Day in 2004 when we took the decision to announce that Mozart�s
had become Nottingham�s first totally non-smoking restaurant,�
says Head Chef Kevin. �Not only did BBC Radio Nottingham
interview us then, but when the government White Paper on
smoking was published last November, we were bombarded with
requests for interviews.� Kevin and Dawn found themselves on
several local radio stations, and in front of regional TV
cameras. Although the media requests were quite demanding, the
couple made themselves available for interview, thus helping
the journalists complete their work and gaining a profile for
the restaurant. As a direct result of their PR efforts, the
Hartleys have enjoyed a 15% rise in trade.
Inside every small business is a story bursting to get out.
Start with that positive attitude and you will get thinking
creatively about possible media coverage. A clever use of
public relations will help people to understand what you offer,
will gradually build your reputation and keep you at the
forefront of people�s minds � ahead of the competition!
Basic rules
The fact that Kevin and Dawn planned a media campaign as part
of their overall sales strategy brings us to the first rule of
sound public relations:
1. Use PR as an integral part of your marketing plan: once you
have decided the level of sales you need to breakeven and then
to make a profit, identify those who need to know about you and
what you offer. If you have opened a new shop, customers may be
very local but if you specialise they may travel from much
further away. Perhaps you coach senior executives to cope in
stressful conditions: then your potential clients may be the
UK�s FTSE 100 companies or large public corporations. You may
decide to use a combination of direct mail, networking so you
get referrals/recommendations and publicity.
2. Identify what your target customers read, watch and listen
to. This is likely to be a mixture of local, regional and
national papers, trade or professional magazines, local and
national radio stations and TV, not to mention all the �New
Media� options. If it is practical, ask them; if you are
visiting their premises, what publications can you see in
reception? Make a list, find the name of the most relevant
editor or feature writer and call them to see how they would
like to receive your news. The fax machine used to be widely
used to issue press releases; this was then overtaken by email,
but ironically many PR firms are reverting to fax; it can�t be
erased or ignored and is still cheaper than post. Then there�s
the direct call to the journalist or news desk��.if you have a
very strong story. However, be realistic. Don�t set your sights
on regular television coverage, but equally don�t rule it out
(at least regionally).
3. Find the �news�. Be ruthless and think like a journalist,
otherwise your release will get tossed in the bin. The
journalist will be looking for things their readers will find
interesting, amusing or useful. Here are a few ideas, but there
are as many permutations as there are businesses:
� a significant new contract
� launch of a survey / report
� a new appointment
� sponsorship of a local charity / event
� welcome or condemn new policy/proposals
� claim first/last/biggest/latest (but avoid best!)
� launch a campaign / involve a celebrity
� letters to the Editor
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I helped a client, Linda
Russell, to launch a new shop in north-Nottinghamshire. Not
that newsworthy you may think, but this was no ordinary shop
and Linda is no ordinary lady. Having recovered from breast
cancer and reconstructive surgery at the age of 31, Linda
launched �Perfect Fit�, an online service selling the latest
designs and styles of lingerie for women with post-operative
needs. The shop would allow Linda to display her stock, provide
a professional fitting service and offer a sanctuary for women
to meet and talk. We issued a pre-opening media release with
the headline, �Linda�s Perfect Fit helps Breast Cancer �blues��
and linked the launch to Breast Cancer Awareness month by
including a quote and useful statistics from the regional
Cancer Research UK representative. This small campaign had all
the necessary �hooks� for media coverage and gave the
journalists what they needed. As a result Linda received full
page and editorial coverage in the main regional press, feature
and interview slots on local radio and a phone-in on BBC Radio
Nottingham. Timing, planning and sensitive delivery was all it
took.
4. Write the media release. Although you want to encourage the
journalists to use your story, this is not a sales pitch, so
avoid gushing praise of yourself and your product. Here are
some basic guidelines:
� Cover the facts in the first paragraph including who, what,
why, when, where and how as clearly as you can.
� The second paragraph should build on the first and carry any
significant facts
� Include a quote; this adds personality and endorsement to the
story
� Use Notes at the end to carry background information which
reporters can use for research. Remember to include a contact
name and number.
� Choose a simple, attention-grabbing headline which
re-enforces the overall message
� Type MEDIA RELEASE at the top, date it and indicate when the
information can be published.
� Use A4 paper, 1.5 line-spacing, wide margins and type
� ENDS to indicate you have finished.
� Limit your release to one page if possible, two at the most.
Short, informative and interesting goes down well with busy
reporters.
� A well constructed, high resolution (300 dpi) photo can turn
a mediocre story into the one that gets coverage.
� Proof-read the release before it goes out. Then get someone
else to do it again. It�s amazzing what you can misss��
5. The follow-up. So far so good, but now comes the tricky bit:
you need to check that the right person has got your release and
if so, talk to them about the chances of it being used. Always
assume the journalist or editor is busy and ask if they are
free to talk. Be prepared as they may have additional questions
and may need convincing of the strength of your story. Don�t say
anything you wouldn�t want reported if it sounds as though they
are interviewing you. Radio stations will either pre-record an
interview in person or over the phone, or ask you into the
studio, again to pre-record or go live. Check that you know
exactly what to expect; it is not unreasonable to ask what the
questions might be.
Kevin Hartley of Mozart�s Restaurant has learned a great deal
from the experience and has no doubt that working with the
media is good for business. �You need to make yourself
media-friendly; that means being very flexible so they can meet
their deadlines. You need to build a list of contacts at the
local radio, press and TV offices and be bold enough to pick up
the phone when you have some news. We now seem to be in their
database, so journalists wanting a restaurateur to comment on
something seem to ring me.� It just goes to show how even the
smallest business can make headlines .
Finally, as media relations is a commercial activity you should
try to measure the effect any exposure has had. It can be as
simple as monitoring phones calls and website hits in the
period immediately following the coverage. If you convert these
into sales, all the better. If people are more aware of you,
introductions become that much easier. Stick at it and you will
be amazed how a little effort can go along way.
Mozart�s Restaurant: www.mozarts.co.uk
Perfect Fit: www.perfectfit-online.co.uk
About The Author: Louise Third is a Partner in Integra
Communications http://www.integracommunications.co.uk Alongside
the agency, Louise provides a coaching service, giving PR
guidance to smaller businesses who might not be able to afford
an agency but are prepared to do the legwork themselves.
Please use the HTML version of this article at:
http://www.isnare.com/html.php?aid=85306
================== ARTICLE END ==================
For more free-reprint articles by Louise Third please visit:
http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Louise+Third
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet_marketing_articleblaster/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet_marketing_articleblaster/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:internet_marketing_articleblaster-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:internet_marketing_articleblaster-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
internet_marketing_articleblaster-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
No comments:
Post a Comment