Kickstart PR For Your Business
January has come to a close, and the buzz of ‘new beginnings’ has started to die down. However, if you are like us, you are feeling more determined than ever to achieve your goals and make sure that 2019 is one for the books.
This month is the first full working month of the year, the media are refreshed, and the opportunities are endless. If you are ready to take the steps needed to land your first (or next) big press hit, you’ve come to the right spot.
Here are our top tips to kickstart your PR for 2019.
1. Map out your business objective
Before planning any type of brand exposure, you must first get clear on what you are hoping to achieve. List 2 – 3 key objectives that will help shape the direction of your campaign. Are you looking to drive sales, grow website inquiries, build personal credibility or attract customers/talent?
Everything you do from content creation to the media you target should always link back to these key objectives and will help to shape the direction of your plan.
2. Identify your target audience
You need to get really clear on who your target audience is (versus whom you want them to be). If you are targeting new mothers, go after parenting mags before you aim for the front cover of Vogue. Once you establish precisely who your target audience is, it will make it so much easier to tailor your message and identify the key publications.
You will want to drill down to their key demographics, their location, and their likes and dislikes. Once you know this, you can research what media your audience consumes. A great way to find this out is to google the publications media kit, in there it will have everything you need to know about their audience.
3. Know your media
Before you start frantically pitching to all those publications who recently wrote about a similar brand, sit down and figure out what your goals are for the next 6 – 12 months. What are your ideal publications? What are they writing about? Who are the key players? What stats are they interested in Go to them with a unique story and don’t expect them to cover you just because you are a ‘similar’ brand.
4. Plan your story
Let’s be real, people don’t want to read a story about how awesome you/your business/your products are (that’s what ads are for), BUT everyone wants to hear a story that will help, educate, enlighten or entertain them.
Sit down (with your team if you have one) and brainstorm what types of stories you can tell and how they can be newsworthy. For example: Is it timely/topical? Is it unique/different? Is it local/area specific? Is it bizarre/weird?
Always focus on the needs of the publication, not your own.
5. Consider the timelines
When planning out your year, remember to factor in that each media type works to different timelines (listed below), so plan your activity with these lead times in mind.
Digital Media: 1 – 3 months
Magazines: 3 – 6 months
TV segments: range between 1 month – 3 months
News Media: range between 1 day up to 2 weeks
Radio: range between 1 day to 1 week
Podcasts: 2 – 4 weeks
Blogs/Influencers: 1 week to 1 month
6. Share your story
Now you are clear on who you are trying to reach, what story you are going to tell and what publications you are going to target – the next step is to get writing!
The way you tell the story can make or break the success, so time should be invested in getting this part right. Make sure that it is well-written, timely and newsworthy before sharing with any journalist. If you need some guidance, sign up for our free Ultimate Press Release Guide to get the inside scoop on writing releases and pitches that convert.
7. Measure the success
Measuring the success (or failure) of any PR activity will allow you to optimize any efforts moving forward. If your goal was to drive traffic, measure website visits during the time of the campaign. PR is built on momentum, so don’t give up hope if a particular effort fails – look at it as an opportunity to tweak your approach and nail it the next time!
We can’t wait to hear about how you have incorporated these simple tips into your business to make 2019 your best year yet. For advice, tips or questions – don’t hesitate to drop us a line at hello@thelaunchpr.com.