I thought the beginning of the new year might be a good time to go over some basics of PR and how they might help your business.
STRATEGIZE
PR is built on strategy. There is no one size that fits all. But get a couple of super creative PR professionals together in one room and you will quickly see that no matter how “ordinary” your product or service offering, there are hundreds of ways to render it unique.
So how do you come up with newsworthy news to begin with? Well, sometimes things fall into your lap — and your job is simply to recognize them. Maybe a well-known marathon runner has been a customer of yours for a while now and loves your shop so much that he agrees to sign his hot new biography there. And perhaps you decide that you will discount all your running shoes by 40 percent for the occasion. Maybe you can offer discounts on new footwear to anyone who brings in old but wearable footwear for the needy. Now you are not only generating a story but you are doing something really good for your community. PR is helping you to make a difference.
KEEPING A GOOD EYE OUT
Generating stories and sending out press releases is one way to do PR but it is not the only way. Just as the PR savvy business person is always looking for angles that will be of interest to producers and editors, producers and editors are always looking for “experts” to help them tell their stories. By January, editors already know what kinds of stories they will be doing throughout the year. By getting the leg up on the competition, you can have your expert information ready for them just as they need it.
DON’T SHY AWAY FROM BYLINES
Sometimes the story is not about your company but about you or one of your employees. Maybe your company’s VP has been invited to appear on “Dancing With The Stars.” That is fodder for a press release, even if your company only gets a small mention at the bottom. Branding means never having to say you are sorry for showing up in too small a font size. It is all about showing up, PERIOD.
DO IT YOURSELF
News is all around you. Blog it, Tweet it, FB it ... start your own e-newsletter! Start posting your own news and begin serious networking with the people you most want to know about it. You will surprised to see how many of your blogs and Tweets get picked up and passed around on the Internet. Social media can be the perfect channel for your expert tips and information.
Have questions? Need help getting started? That is what we are here for. Give us a call!
June Bisel
BBGG Advertising and Public Relations
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