Radio

Radio interviews or call-in shows can provide another good PR opportunity. Contact the producers and find out what they have planned and if they are looking to interview any experts. You could suggest a call-in programme where listeners call in with questions that you answer live on air. Have a listen to some of the different radio stations and some of their live shows. This exercise might stimulate some ideas.

People care about what’s important to them – things that will improve their life, improve their business, make money, save money, entertain them, fulfil them and protect them. Public relations will work for you as long as you keep your focus on what will benefit people’s lives or businesses the most.

Attract The Press Yourself

If you are creative you can think about a high profile stunt or competition you could run in your local market area that would attract some press attention.

Create Your Own Pr Machine – Special Response C...

CREATE YOUR OWN PR MACHINE – SPECIAL RESPONSE CHECKLIST

• Consider your PR goals – what do you want to achieve?
• Consider the resources you have to manage your PR. Who can research the opportunities? Who can write articles? Who can take responsibility for placing them?
• What are the publications that your target audience read?
• What are the websites that they use?
• Where do they go to find out about potential suppliers in your marketplace?
• Where would you like to see your articles published?
• Consider what you could write about that would offer value to your target audience.
• How could you title or angle your articles to gain the attention of your target audience? ‘How to’ titles or lists of tips are popular ways to get readers’attention with the promise of value.
• How could you package the articles in a series?
• How could you position yourself as the expert? Make sure that you promote yourself well as the author of the article or participant in the PR exercise. Mention your position, organisation, qualifications (if relevant) and say something that refers to your expertise in the subject that you are referring to.
• How could you capitalise on any PR opportunity you get?
• Have you got any good ideas for an effective PR stunt?

How To Use This Information

To make this work, you will need to take some time out to plan properly and investigate your PR campaign. You will also need to measure and monitor your return on investment: this will be the value you place on your own time. To do this well takes as much focus and thought as any other element of your business marketing plan. Once you have got the PR machine running and are happily generating a good return you will be glad that you took action.

58 Writing And Delivering Press Releases

What Is A Press Release?

A press release is a short, concise description of a potentially newsworthy story about your business. This is sent out to a selection of newspapers, magazines, and TV or radio stations to stimulate the interest of an editor or journalist in writing a full piece about it. The goal of a press release is to ‘sell’ your story. A press release can contain information about products, services, events, trends or almost anything.

Why Are Press Releases Important?

Getting your press releases regularly accepted by all types of media outlets will give your business a free and very powerful marketing opportunity. Your potential customers, who read the press, watch TV and listen to their local radio stations could be influenced by your presence and your story. As a press release is read as someone else writing about your business, it will have more power than an advertisement which is produced internally. Press releases will certainly, over time, build your profile within your marketplace. If you can get into the national press you will benefit from the high coverage, as well as building credibility through association with the publication that publishes you.