All businesses and brands, big and small, have the ability to get exposure in the press and consequently receive a form of free advertising. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the owner of a local corner shop or the CEO of a mega multinational business, if you have something newsworthy that could be of interest to a local or national audience, the chance for free press coverage exists!
Here’s a list of tips to help ensure your small business or SME receive its fair share of press coverage but befor eyou do, have a look at our own press releases:
Prepare a Press Pack
This is a collection of information, provided alongside your press release, that will help the journalist get an idea of who you are, what fields you have expertise in, and the key people at your organisation.
Although what kind of information you provide will vary from industry to industry, it’s normally a good idea to include the following, all written in a particular format:
- Notes to Editors - a summary of your business and what it does
- The Press Release - the actual press release itself
- Assignments – a bullet point list of what your business could comment on e.g. inflation, manufacturing activity
- Key People – some background information on the most influential figures at your business
Establish Contacts
Look around for the media sources and reporters that you want to build a relationship with. A good way to do this is to visit their websites and have a look for names of editors and content writers and their contact details.
If you’re not sure who or where to target, then have a look through directories of local newspapers, national newspapers and trade publications that you might find relevant. Within all publications will be names, addresses and email addresses of business correspondents within that particular journal.
Make sure you also get a hold of the statistics that shows what kind of people will view the particular media source, to see if your target market(s) is likely to be exposed to the press release. This is called a "Media Pack" and can easily be obtained.
Another way to build your contacts list is to locate key personnel on social media sites such as Twitter. This can help create an effective, speedy channel of communication which is heavily utilised by journalists to break news stories quickly.
Celebrate Major Company Events
Ensure that major company events get the treatment they deserve by writing press releases about the events and sending it to the relevant media contacts. These are the most likely press release to get published, as journalists like these kinds of stories that generally interest in the public.
Examples of company events could include such things as product releases, new offices opened, awards won or record profits recorded.
Just make sure you don’t bombard your contacts with press releases about events that aren’t particularly significant... such as a new delivery of stationery!
Use Social Media Effectively
As you start to see success from press releases, you’ll need to ensure that your brand is easy to find on social media sites. This way, it’s easy for reporters to be able to find you and keep updated with your latest news.
Once you build your reputation with media outlets, they may start to come to you for comments on breaking new stories in your area or industry. This is a sure sign your PR strategy is working well!
Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn are your friends. Keep them updated, proactive and social and you’re onto a winner!
Knowledge for Small Business and Large Enterprises
At Skipton Business Finance, our business finance facilities, such as our UK-leading Invoice Factoring and Invoice Discounting solutions, grow in line with your business.
We are pioneers in not just providing factoring and invoice discounting to businesses up and down the country, but also in helping our clients grow and become better.
That's why we have a dedicated section of our website that focuses on offering free knowledge on a range of topics that you may find helpful for your business.