|
PR Leads Publicity Articles
Creating PR on Slow Days
By Dan Janal
Your Fearless PR Leader
PR Leads
www.prleads.com
Usually public relations professionals have two goals in mind when leveraging media and pr for a client: Raise the client's visibility and enhance their business goals. What happens if there is no real hard company news?
Here are some suggestions on how to use your time and finances more effectively and efficiently when your company doesn't have anything newsworthy to report:
Rethink press releases: Drafting and receiving approvals for press releases can be extremely time consuming. Too often they end up on a website where the media may never see it unless they are already familiar with the company. Instead, you should prepare a brief bio of your company with a list of "hot topics" the CEO or a manager, or yourself can discuss on the record. Send these out to producers and reporters with a short note asking them to add your expert to their Rolodex.
Op-eds/articles: If you or your company has expertise on a specific subject, try drafting an op-ed article that targets your specific audience. Perhaps, an editor would be interested in featuring a regular column from you or your company.
Speaking Opportunities: Research upcoming seminars, workshops, and conferences for your target audience. Draft speaker proposals and submit them to conference organizers that might benefit from your client's expertise. There are books in the library with a complete listing of trade and community organizations that may be useful when completing this task.
Roundtable discussions: Initiate a roundtable or teach a one-day seminar, perhaps for free. This provides an opportunity to present valuable information to potential and current clients. It will also endow you with the chance to garner some new business and reap the benefits of event publicity.
Update your media list: In the forever-changing journalism industry, reporters, editors and producers constantly shift positions resulting in a media list that may be outdated six months after you had created it. Use the downtime, to research and update your media list, so when it becomes a busy press time, your company will be prepared. You should also be researching various mainstream publications, as well as, editorial calendars for local, regional and national magazines.
Desk-side visits: If your company can offer insight on a story that a reporter is currently working on, the journalist will make time to meet with you or someone within your organization. Find a handful of key journalists that cover your industry regularly, and those you would like to get to know your company better. This is an effective way to build credibility and have your organization become quoted in key articles.
Host regular lunches for reporters: These lunches are designed to introduce a specific reporter to a company and provide you with an opportunity to present some current and upcoming communications messages, activities or products.
Third party opportunities: Become aware with what's happening in the news everyday. Your mornings should be spent watching the news, reading newspapers, magazines and various industry related publications. Third party opportunities offer a perfect opportunity for your company to receive press and to communicate your organization's goals, objectives and messages to your target audience. For example, if you represent a community organization that can discuss the signs and symptoms of depression and how your organization can help those suffering from depression after a teenager commits suicide, you will want to make sure all of the major dailies and networks in your area have a backgrounder on your company.
Community work: An easy way to gain quick exposure is to provide a community service. Along with receiving necessary publicity, this allows your company to be known as a good corporate citizen among peer companies. Examples would include sponsoring a charitable event, donate funds or resources to nonprofit community organizations, begin a scholarship fund, or help someone within your community who is in desperate need.
This article can be reprinted if the following information is printed:
By Daniel Janal, dan@prleads.com, http://www.prleads.com
PR Leads founder Daniel Janal is the author of numerous books, including "Dan Janal’s Guide to Marketing on the Internet.”
|
