By: Angela Raleigh, Senior Account Executive,
Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.
Everyone wants good PR. But behind every successful PR
campaign is a well-thought out plan that is proactive in generating ideas, yet
flexible to be able to respond to change. So where do you start? Here are five
things to consider when putting your PR plan to work:
1. Be true to
your expertise. Journalists want to cover popular and emerging topics,
so publicize your expertise. Bring a new perspective to trending issues and you
can create a win-win scenario. There's no need to come up with your own
brilliant story idea: events already in
the news provide a useful time hook. Identify what you can bring to the
conversation and then you've got a way to piggyback on the story.
2. Keep it simple. Determine
what makes your company or product unique, and say it briefly. Write a catchy
email subject line or news release headline. Messaging must be short and sweet,
as you want to grab the media’s attention.
3. Be selective. Do
your research and target individual magazines and reporters. Look for reporters
that cover your industry and build a relationship with them. Send personalized
emails tailored for both their media outlet and individual beat.
4. Make content sharable. Hands
down, more people use social media networks to get and share news. So when
pitching a story, think about the additional materials you could provide to
enhance your idea. Photos, diagrams, and infographics are highly shareable on
social media networks and are often something that the media doesn’t have time
to create themselves.
5. Be easy to work
with. Be prepared with fact sheets, photos and experts to interview and
become a resource for the media. Help them make their stories happen.
With persistence and planning, good PR is almost always
covered because a good story has been well-told to the right people. Have you coordinated
a successful PR campaign? What worked for you?
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