PR & Media Relations Guide

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2 PR & Media Relations Guide Overview For most small businesses, public relations is one the most effective and cost-effective ways for driving immediate traffic and sales. These opportunities don t usually fall into your lap, but they do come from doing a little homework, which is typically your sole cost for what is usually priceless exposure. There are quite a few variables that factor into securing the front page or a segment on the six o clock news. Ultimately, it s all about nurturing your relationships with the local media. As soon as you demonstrate that you re a reliable resource for information and you ll go the extra mile to ensure their story is the best it can be, you will have taken the first step towards getting a leg up on your competition. To fully capture the power of PR and to learn the art of working with your local media, we ve outlined an easy way to navigate your local media landscape and make PR opportunities work for you and your business. Your Local Media Landscape Whether you live in the big city or in the suburbs, you will always have some form of media that documents the local business community. Here, on the Central Coast, we re fortunate to have a healthy mix of traditional media that covers our business scene: Proximity and inclusion in the San Francisco Bay Area geographic news radius can boost exposure Corporate media ownership boosts exposure where one news story can carry over to an entire media portfolio: - TV: KION (CBS), FOX & Telemundo (Spanish language television) fall under the same ownership - TV: KSBW operates both our local ABC and NBC stations - Newspaper: Monterey Herald, Santa Cruz Sentinel & San Jose Mercury News are within the same newspaper group, for wide coverage that extends into the south Bay Area Additionally, there are a wide range of weekly and monthly printed publications that document cityspecific and culturally-based news and events throughout our community. As technology continues to become more and more user-friendly, there continues to be a growing number of entrepreneurs who use their digital and social media expertise to document local news, events and overall niche areas of interest. In many cases, the interest level of their ventures become news themselves and are covered by traditional media, so it s vitally important to tap into the entire network of media coverage that exists in your community. Three Steps to Attracting Media Coverage Step One: Put Yourself in the Shoes of Local Media Reporters & Writers 1. News desks and reporters are continually looking for stories that stop their readers, listeners, & viewers in their tracks as well as overall content for all forms of media. 2. Reporters are tying regional, national & international stories into local angles, is your business providing services/products to particular customer demographics that tie into these large scale trends? 3. Do you have a customer or client with an awe-inspiring story that you were part of? 4. Is your business going against the grain of traditional business and reaping the benefits of it? 5. Has your business earned an industry or local award, reached a milestone or been involved in a newsworthy, upcoming event or highly-anticipated initiative? 6. Is your industry approaching the summer/tourism season or a particular holiday and you have a product or service that has the WOW factor? Bottom Line: Review what you re already doing, examine what may stand out and strike a reporter s interest. 1 P a g e

3 Step Two: Attract Reporters Attention 1. Traditional press release yes! Traditional delivery no! (see template in Appendix) 2. First, your headline think eblast subject line or Tweet, it has to be eye-catching! 3. Content needs to spell it all out succinctly, making sure to include the critical, statistical elements and quotes that make your story newsworthy. Sometimes coverage comes from your release verbatim if their deadline doesn t allow for a phone call or onsite visit. 4. Delivery Part 1: If you already have a relationship with a specific reporter, send an directly to them with a personal note, imagery, and make sure the release is pasted inside the body of the your attachment may trigger spam controls. 5. Delivery Part 2: For mass releases, it s best to send it via your business account, making sure to bcc all recipients, include an eye catching subject line and a personalized note that borrows the key points of the release you ve pasted into the body of your . You can utilize your eblast service so you can monitor who is opening and what they re doing with your , but beware that these types of s may very well trigger reporters spam controls. 6. Got time? Make a follow up call or send an to those reporters that opened your or ones that you know will be interested to learn more, offering an exciting update to what you ve already sent. 7. Imagery speaks more than 1,000 words, hopefully your coverage will exceed that too! Be sure to include links to great photos/video that depict what s going on and why your story is so powerful. This is yet another benefit to having hired a great photographer for last year s event as your image/video can now be featured. Bottom Line: Use today s technology to communicate with your local media think old school with a digital twist. Step Three: Make the Reporters Glad They Called / Make Their Lives Easier 1. Before you get the first media call/ from a reporter be sure you re ready. 2. Write/type out your top five cues for points you want to get across to them make it conversational, they will immediately know if you re reading. 3. Line up three different contacts/perspectives they can talk to. This might include clients and vendors, but be sure to line up reliable, charismatic customers. Secure three spokespeople who are vendors, customers and/or stakeholders that are media savvy and ask that they be your go-to media partners, who can be a cell phone call away. 4. Offer to provide a media tour filled with great visuals, which paired with your contacts you re providing, you ve now provided a one-stop-shop for your reporter so they don t need to drive across town, let alone the county to get the story from your competitor. Bottom Line: Do the reporter s work for them and make their to do list shorter, they will thank you for it. Prepare For Your Interview In some cases, you may have proactively pitched the media to gain press coverage, but in many cases, the media is looking for a local representative or organization that can share their opinion on the subject at hand. Many times this call will come during the most hectic of times when you re putting out several fires in the workplace. Here are our recommendations for making these PR opportunities work for you: 1. If you ve pitched the media, be sure to develop your list of key points you want to make sure are conveyed during the interview prior to your hitting send as you may not have time to prepare. 2. If the reporter calls you regarding an interview opportunity, ensure that you re informed prior to speaking. Letting them know you will have time to speak with them, but would like to secure an appointment time to 2 P a g e

4 talk as your day is quite hectic. This will ensure you have ample time to prepare. Here are the questions you need to be ready: - What is the topic? - What is the reporter s story angle? - What is the nature of the story? - What is their deadline? - How long will it take? - Are there any visuals or complimentary interviews that you can help arrange for them? - Can you help them with providing a location for their remote broadcast? - Will it be live, live-on-tape, or edited? - When and where will it take place? - Who else is the reporter talking to? - When will the story air or be published? 3. At the same time, you should also conduct a little bit of research on the reporter if you re not already aware of their style of reporting, reputation and overall mode of operating. 4. If being conducted in person, always plan to meet the reporter with always being early to the meeting place. 5. Choose and/or arrange for at least two locations, where the optimal backdrop is in place to align with the message and story you want to be told. 6. Double check your appearance making sure your optimal logo and attire are in place and clearly visible. Media Opportunity, But Media Isn t Present? Many times, newsworthy opportunities occur without much notice. As a business owner, you need to remember that the opportunity to secure media attention still exists. Whether it s traditional media or non-traditional in the form of social media or via strategic partners, there is always a chance to broadcast the great news. The following steps will ensure you have the content to drive the exposure you deserve: 1. Document your experience, opportunity or newsworthy event - Devote a staff member or hire a professional - Create a shot list of all the different images that need to be documented - Gather testimonials and contact information for follow up with those attendees or stakeholders that have potential for being a secondary spokesperson. 2. Develop a press release to distribute to traditional media while including links to the videos and images from your newsworthy experience. 3. Share your experience on social media and distribute to strategic partners and your business stakeholders. Rules of the Road 1. Stating off the record does not secure your anonymity. 2. Instead of stating no comment, using a reply such as What I can tell you is and reverting back to your points that you want to ensure get across during the interview are recommended. 3. Be cognizant of your casual, but honest conversation leading up to the official interview, this information can be easily utilized in the segment s voice over, referenced and asked of you during the interview as well as added to news anchors commentary. 4. The interview doesn t officially end until the reporter has completely left the property as photographs, interviews with passersby and video footage can still be taken. It s advised to accompany your reporter to their car or parking lot whenever possible. 5. When asked a difficult question, pause and think it through rather than rambling until you figure out what you d like to say. Your answer will be much more powerful. 3 P a g e

5 6. Never state your opinion without backing it up with documented facts. 7. Avoid controversial topics, your choice of words can instantly take an interview from positive to negative. Always remain positive in your communication and express your passion for the issue or subject. 8. Watch or read the media piece that is published or aired and follow up with the reporter to thank them for their time and remind them of your being a resource for future news stories that can help provide the various elements to their stories. 9. If you don t know the answer or are given a controversial questions, never lie or give your opinion/theory. Instead, state, What I can tell you is and segue back to your main points. 10. When you receive a call or message from a reporter or producer, respond in a timely manner (within two hours) as they may be on a tight deadline. Many times 3:30pm is the deadline for many reporters, for both newspaper and television when it comes to tomorrow s paper or today s 6 o clock news. 11. Keep answers short and simple and always try to break your messaging into 15 to 20 second sound bites. Very rarely do edited newscast segments allow for more than 2 sentences before another visual or angle to the story is shown. 12. Never express anger, raise your voice or respond in a confrontational tone. 13. Be prepared with intriguing statistics, factoids, inside information most people wouldn t know, this could very well become the lead into your story and attract the attention you re looking for. 14. At the end of the interview, you may be asked if there s anything you d like to add. Take this opportunity hammer home your key takeaway(s) to your message. 15. ALWAYS inform your staff of your media policy regarding who is approved to speak with the media. Having a new employee speak on your behalf because they were the first person the reporter came into contact with will many times not work in your favor. 4 P a g e

6 PR Opportunity Planning Guide Goal: Strategy: Message Points: Tactics: Social/Digital Media: Print Media: Television: Stakeholders/Partners: Industry Publications: Target Media/Reporters Social/Digital Media: Print Media: Television: Stakeholders/Partners: Industry Publications: 5 P a g e

7 Appendix Press Release Template Business Logo Name, Title address Phone number For Immediate Release: / / EYE-CATCHING HEADLINE (ALL CAPS THINK OF SUBJECT LINES THAT MAKE YOU CLICK OPEN) Sub-headline that states critical detail including launch date or celebrity appearance (italics) City, State: State the key details of who, what, why, when and where. This first paragraph should be captivating and full of information that drives the reporter to want to learn more. In subsequent paragraphs, be sure to include key statistics, notable achievements and quotes from the key stakeholders. It is recommended to include three total paragraphs that are succinct, yet chock full of notable facts. This information should include a short bulleted list or table to break up the copy-heavy nature of the press release. About Business Name: This small paragraph describes the overall nature of your business and the key information relating to industry, ranking, stature as well as contact information and website url. # # # 6 P a g e