Embracing and exhausting public relations is a certain way to build your brand, your people, and your sales. Best of all, it is free. In today’s world of super abundant media outlets, the opportunities are even greater. Getting started after this read can do more for you than a week of cold calls.
Establish a Plan
Set your objectives and define your tactics. Who, what, where, and when to you want to reach; then, how are you going to get there and who will do it?
Do Your Research
This is really a terrific opportunity for an intern, or simply hire a college student to do the project. Frankly, in a small to medium size company, if it is taken on by an owner or otherwise busy person … it may never get completed. Any member of your company can do it, but outside resources may be better. The goal of your research is to develop a supreme, all inclusive, easily updatable contact list. You want all the details of the media outlet and all the contacts within. Just an e-mail won’t do. Multiple contacts are probable because, within certain outlets, there can be many. People change, so be sure to store this in a contact system such as Outlook or a database that is changeable. Use a contact program from which you can write and address personalized media release. Think ahead, plan.
Scour Your Local Communities
Depth of Contacts
So, you just ran a program with plush animals for a local hospital. The business editor at your local newspaper probably could care less but, if they have someone covering community interest or lifestyle, you want to reach them. You could be a feature story in the Sunday paper. That person will probably be different from business and finance where you will announce a promotion or new hire. Don’t trust anyone to route your release, get it to the right person. Always keep in mind that person may need to filter hundreds of releases in a day or week and distill it down to a precious few. Creativity will get you into the “precious few” pile.
Access to a Full Media Kit
A media kit is a traditional package of materials created to give any interested editor or media outlet more information on your company. It includes financial data, human resource history, founding information, founders’ bios and pictures (people, structures, logos, etc.). It is not an overwhelmingly package of junk, but a tightly organized file for those interested. Dropbox is a good place to file this information and send a link either within your release or upon request. I suggest the link be within every digital release and maybe even a QR code on print releases.
Graphic Excellence
Hey, you are in the graphic business. Be sure your media letterhead, newsletters, etc. are creatively top shelf. Your image is not casual to your business, but critical. Getting a release into the public eye is competitive, unless you have real news like hiring a Russian spy.
To Whom to Release and What
Try to be very specific in directing every release. If you send general releases, the outlet may begin to realize there is no “meat” behind your efforts. Every release should have a direct relationship to the interests of the recipient. Be sure to include a sentence such as this at the end of each release… For details and information, contact... This person should be given the title VP of Public Relations or a similar title. It connotes a larger company and more professional contact. Image is everything, titles are image makers.
What to Release
Achievements, accomplishments, changes, additions, relationships, expertise, and anything that makes news.
Make News, Not Fake News
Take what you can from internal industry sources, add your brand, give them credit, but make it your own. Media is looking for factoids and you can make them... an ABC Enterprises survey indicated that the hot color in corporate apparel is red, spending on corporate wellness programs is up 22%, 8 out of 10 companies plan to give holiday gifts... Even doing it in a graph with a small headline and offering it along with your release increases the chance of pick up.
Tell a Story of Human Interest
Release should be short and sweet but, in many cases, you need to tell a story. Your media outlet wants to inform their readers or listeners, but they also may want to engage and entertain. Write in third person.
People in the News
Charlie Thomas, MAS, was appointed Vice President of Fund Raising for ABC Enterprises fund raising division... When released, share it through LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. Make personnel announcements frequently. People in the news are read by people who can make news and give you business. Certainly, you search for this type of announcement to find new prospects and send a physical card of congratulations on being hired or promoted.
Awards and Accomplishments
Everyone wants to do business with a winner. For a small budget, you can enter awards programs within and outside the industry. Your clients belong to art, marketing, PR, and other network/association groups. Encourage them to submit a program you may have done for awards within their networks. If they do, both you and your contact win. They can add the accomplishment to their resume and they are more inclined to take you with them when they change jobs.
Be Creative, it’s Competitive
I couldn’t even give an educated guess as to how many releases your selected contacts get in a week. Hence, you need to be creative in every contact. Try a "First Contact Campaign" and reinforce it once a year, perhaps during the Holidays. Do a dimensional mailing that will get you noticed and remembered. Then, at the end of the year, remind them you are there. It paves the way for their acceptance of your releases.
Schedule and Execute
There will be no results if there is no effort. Oh so many plans are well intentioned, but set aside when something big comes up to displace it. Hence, this must be assigned to a person within your business. Support that person and consider sending them to a class on PR in a local college or education program.
Small to medium size promotional product companies are vastly understaffed to take on all the needs and functions of the big guy. In public relations, there is an abundance of outside and reasonably priced talent to help. Burden your “advertising” line in your sales and marketing budget (if you have a budget) with these expenses, but you’ll never find a better ROI than PR.
Joel D. Schaffer, MAS is CEO and Founder of Soundline, LLC, the pioneering supplier to the promotional products industry of audio products. Joel has 48 years of promotional product industry experience and proudly heralds “I was a distributor.” He has been on the advisory panel of the business and marketing department of St. John’s University in New York and is frequent speaker at Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He is an industry Advocate and has appeared before the American Bankers Association, American Marketing Association, National Premium Sales Executives, American Booksellers Association and several other major groups. He has been a management consultant to organizations such as The College Board and helped many suppliers enter this industry. He is a frequent contributor to PPB and Counselor magazines. He has facilitated over 200 classes sharing his industry knowledge nationwide. He is known for his cutting humor and enthusiasm in presenting provocative and motivating programs. He is the only person to have received both the Marvin Spike Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award (2011). He is a past director of PPAI and has chaired several PPAI committees and task forces. He is a past Chair of the SAAGNY Foundation, Past President of SAAGNY and a SAAGNY Hall of Fame member. He was cited by ASI as one of the 50 most influential people in the industry.