Listen to Practice PR’s tips on Audioboo: http://boos.audioboo.fm/swf/fullsize_player.swf
Getting press coverage is a very powerful tool for businesses.
Being interviewed for a press article adds a credibility factor that pure paid-for advertising lacks.
While paying is enough to get you an ad in any paper, no money exchanges hands in PR. Media coverage relies on the relevance of your story, your expertise or both. And the reader knows that.
However, unlike advertising, PR is not an exact science. If you are very particular about what you want printed on the page and how, you might prefer to take advertising space instead.
It takes some skill to get press coverage, but there are factors that will increase your chances of getting column inches about your business:
1-Share your stories
First of all, share your stories on a regular basis.
Write clear and concise press releases or notes to journalists on your company’s news. Some might be of interest and some might not but if you don’t share them, you will never know. There is a lot of trial and error in PR, so the more stories you share, the more likely you will be of getting some of them covered.
Having a look at the papers will give you an idea of what type of stories journalists are interested in, see if your company has something that could be newsworthy for example: new jobs, exciting new products or specialist commentary on certain topics.
2-Don’t tell journalists what to write
Approach journalists to let them know about your news but, if they are interested, never tell them what to write or ask them to read their piece before going to print.
Remember, this is not a paid-for advertising piece and the journalist ultimately decides what he or she wants what to write and how to write it.
Your mission is to facilitate communication between your company and the press; your aim is to help journalists, to provide them with material they can use.
3-Keep it genuine
In the digital era, it is very easy to find if something you are claiming is not true so always share genuine and truthful stories.
4-Be flexible
When arranging interview times, remember the journalist decides. Be flexible and adapt.
5-Put a good face
Invest in some good quality shots for you and your company. DIY pictures can work if you are handy with the camera but in general, They tend to be poor quality and don’t look professional, as well as having little chance of being used by the media.
And lastly but not less important:
6-Ditch the sales pitch
Listen to Practice PR’s tips on Audioboo: http://boos.audioboo.fm/swf/fullsize_player.swf
Getting press coverage is a very powerful tool for businesses.
Being interviewed for a press article adds a credibility factor that pure paid-for advertising lacks.
While paying is enough to get you an ad in any paper, no money exchanges hands in PR. Media coverage relies on the relevance of your story, your expertise or both. And the reader knows that.
However, unlike advertising, PR is not an exact science. If you are very particular about what you want printed on the page and how, you might prefer to take advertising space instead.
It takes some skill to get press coverage, but there are factors that will increase your chances of getting column inches about your business:
1-Share your stories
First of all, share your stories on a regular basis.
Write clear and concise press releases or notes to journalists on your company’s news. Some might be of interest and some might not but if you don’t share them, you will never know. There is a lot of trial and error in PR, so the more stories you share, the more likely you will be of getting some of them covered.
Having a look at the papers will give you an idea of what type of stories journalists are interested in, see if your company has something that could be newsworthy for example: new jobs, exciting new products or specialist commentary on certain topics.
2-Don’t tell journalists what to write
Approach journalists to let them know about your news but, if they are interested, never tell them what to write or ask them to read their piece before going to print.
Remember, this is not a paid-for advertising piece and the journalist ultimately decides what he or she wants what to write and how to write it.
Your mission is to facilitate communication between your company and the press; your aim is to help journalists, to provide them with material they can use.
3-Keep it genuine
In the digital era, it is very easy to find if something you are claiming is not true so always share genuine and truthful stories.
4-Be flexible
When arranging interview times, remember the journalist decides. Be flexible and adapt.
5-Put a good face
Invest in some good quality shots for you and your company. DIY pictures can work if you are handy with the camera but in general, They tend to be poor quality and don’t look professional, as well as having little chance of being used by the media.
And lastly but not less important:
6-Ditch the sales pitch