PR, Media Relations + Press Releases 101

Transcription

1 PR, Media Relations + Press Releases 101

2 Introduction: Kristen Levine Kristen Levine Senior Vice President, FWV Fetching & PetPR.com Kristen Levine started her pet industry career when she took a PR coordinator job at the SPCA of Tampa Bay over 20 years ago. After 15 years in that role, she was inspired to start her own agency -- Fetching Communications -- dedicating services specifically to the pet and veterinary marketplace. In 2014, Kristen acquired PetPR.com, a news distribution platform for the pet and vet space and it became a popular service used by hundreds of pet businesses around the globe -- from startups to giant brands! Last year, French West Vaughan acquired both Fetching Communications and PetPR.com to broaden their agency offerings to the pet world. Today, Kristen spends half her time serving leading her PR team at Fetching, and the other half of her time building her influencer business, Pet Living with Kristen Levine.

3 What is Public Relations? According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), public relations is about influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key audience across a myriad of platforms in order to shape the public perception of an organization. Public relations also encompasses the following: Building, managing and protecting the reputation of a business or organization. Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes and issues that might impact your business. Policy decisions, courses of action and the organization s social or citizenship responsibilities. Managing communications to inform a public understanding necessary for business success. Overseeing the creation of content to drive customer engagement and generate leads.

4 How are PR and Marketing different? Public Relations: influencing, engaging and building a relationship with key audience across a myriad of platforms in order to shape the public perception of an organization. Marketing: The action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising What s the difference?: Marketing is focused on promoting and selling a specific product, whereas PR is focused on maintaining a positive reputation for a company as a whole.

5 10 of the Most Common PR Categories: 1. Earned Media Relations 2. Influencer Relations 3. Content and Inbound Marketing 4. Social Media Content & Community Management 5. Community Relations 6. Crisis Management 7. Risk Management 8. Event Management / Planning 9. Internal Communications 10. Search Engine Optimization

6 What is Media Relations, and why is it important? The terms media relations and public relations are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. What is Media Relations?: Media Relations is a strategy used by public relations professionals. It involves working with media for the purpose of informing the public of an organization's mission, news, policies and practices in a positive, consistent and credible manner. Typically, this means coordinating directly with the people responsible for producing the news and features in the mass media. For you, this means: sharing information about an event, special guest appearance, new product announcements, trade show attendance, company announcements, awards, etc. Why is it important?: Media relations increases brand awareness and maintains or improves reputation. It also helps your brand connect on a personal level with your customers / audience.

7 How do we reach the media? Press Release: What is it? A press release is a short, compelling news announcement that is sent to targeted members of the media. Why do I send it? The goal of a press release is to pique the interest of a journalist or publication. Also, a press release serves as a way to provide journalists with the information they need to share information about your news with their audience. What does it include? Logo Media Contact Information Headline and sub-headline Dateline (city and state) Body (the information you re sharing) Quote Boilerplate (information about your company) ### (indicates the end of your press release)

8 How to determine if your news is newsworthy? News-worthy: noteworthy as news; topical. Does your press release fit into one of the following categories? If so, it is news-worthy: Timely (is it happening now or soon into the future?) Significant (does it affect people?) Proximity (does it affect your local area?) Prominence (do you have a well-known spokesperson?) Human Interest (are you sharing a story that a large number of people will be able to relate to?)

9 What content to include in a press release? When writing a press release, you ll want to think about and address the following questions: Who? Who is making the announcement? What? What news is being announced? Where? Where is this happening? When? Press releases typically go out the same day as the announcement, so writing, COMPANY today announced is a best practice. Why? Why is this happening or did this happen? This is where you should provide information about context, the industry landscape. Also, address the question of why should the reader/journalist will care.

10 News You Can Announce via a Press Release Milestone reached: years in business, years at location, umber of products sold Receipt of an industry award or nomination Local event participation and/or sponsorship Contest promotion New product or service launch Campaign launch New addition to existing product or product line Charitable causes: donations to charities, recognition of charity, tie-in charitable cause to product purchases Trade show exhibit Industry speaking engagement Survey or market research results Personnel promotion or appointment Special holiday or seasonal product or service promotion Visit the PetPR.com Treat Jar for a free downloadable checklist

11 Who should receive your press release? The audience for your press release will depend on your company, product, service, industry, location, etc., but the most common audiences include: Industry trade media (pet and/or veterinary) Local media: o TV o Radio o City newspapers o Community newspapers Local influencers Animal shelters Who to contact at your local newspaper or TV/Radio Station?: Visit the outlet s website or call their office to find the contact information for the following individuals: Print: editors (features, lifestyle, community, events / calendar, business, pets/animals, etc.) TV & Radio: TV news directors, assignment news, general newsroom

12 How to send your press release Once you ve developed your media list, you can send your press release to your contacts via . Best Practices: Don t include the press release as an attachment. This may cause your to end up in spam. Instead, send the press release in the body of the with the proper formatting. Write a concise 1-2 paragraph introduction (pitch) to the journalist to explain your news and persuade them to continue reading your press release. Personalize your pitch with the journalists name and customize your information based on what the journalist has written about previously. If sending to a large media list, use a free tool such as MailChimp to track opens and clicks. Include links to resources where the journalist can find additional information.

13 Media pitch example Here is an example of a media pitch that would go along with a press release announcing a brand s attendance at a pet industry trade show: Hi [CONTACT FIRST NAME], [BRAND] will showcase [#] of its newest products and accessories at [TRADE SHOW] from [MONTH / DAY]. Within the exhibit booth, [BRAND] will display [COMPELLING INFORMATION ABOUT ITEMS IN THE BOOTH]. [BRAND] will also unveil its latest innovations in [SECOND BLURB OF COMPELLING INFORMATION]. To arrange a media interview with a representative from [BRAND] at [TRADE SHOW]: Please me directly at [ ] and provide information about the product(s) and or topics you are looking to discuss, and your availability (time/date). I will get back to you with the confirmed time, location and the [BRAND] representative you'll be speaking with. [BRAND] booth: [BOOTH #] If you would like images or additional information about the products listed below, please feel free to me as well. We look forward to seeing you there! Thank you! [NAME]

14 Free media tools Help a Reporter Out (HARO) Check your inbox three times a day (5:35 a.m., 12:35 p.m. and 5:35 p.m. ET), Monday through Friday. Look out for source requests from jourliats relevant to you or your client s industry, expertise or personal experience. Event Listing: Search for free event listing websites in your local area and submit your news. MailChimp: Send distributions to a large media list for free. Track opens, click and more. SimilarWeb.com: Check the average number of monthly website visitors for most news and blog websites. Canva: Create free graphics to accompany your press release. Grammarly: Grammarly makes sure everything you type is clear, effective and mistakefree. Google Alerts: Sign up to receive alerts to track mentions of your brand / company in the news.

15 How to follow up about your news A few days after you send your press release to the media via , it s time to follow up. You don t want to bother the journalists, but it is common to send a polite to check in to see if they have received the press release and ask if they need any additional information. Depending on your comfort level, you can also call the journalist to follow up. You can usually call the outlet s main phone number and ask to be transferred to that journalist s desk. If they pick up the phone, politely share the information included in your press release and mention that you sent it to them on (Date). If a journalist doesn t answer your call, you may leave them a message and either provide information within the voic , or ask them to call you back. Remember, always be courteous. And don t assume that all journalists are open to receiving pitches via phone. If they don t answer your call or respond to your voic , consider moving on to another media contact. Many prefer to communicate via and will call you directly if they have any questions.

16 What to do with your media coverage You ve shared your news with the media and a journalists writes a story about your brand or product what s next? Now it s time to get the most out of that media coverage! Here are a few ways to repurpose your company s news articles: Social media Online media page or newsroom Blog posts Client communications Newsletters (print or e-newsletters) Project or business proposals Office display Share with retailers Online / social advertisements Award entries

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18 Thank you!