It's been a while since I sat in a newsroom of any description. It's not that I don't still write and submit articles, I do that all the time - it's just that since I moved across into PR - I've been able to be more creative in telling the stories of those brands and entrepreneurs that I work with.
So on Friday, I thought it would be a good idea to go along to a workshop to find out the current do's and don'ts in the Journalistic world.
And it turns out, they're much the same as they always were - but with one or two additions.
Have you ever done something that makes people around you ask why you have done it?
Of course you have because you're running your own business. Chances are, at least one person that you care for has asked you at some point why you're doing what you are.
I get this all the time.
Last week for instance, I flew to LA for 48 hours so I could attend a conference and I turned around and came straight back home.
When one of my friends was asked where I'd gone, she jokingly said I'd joined a cult.
Running your own business can be a real rollercoaster ride. One minute things are going swimmingly, and the next you're served a curve ball, that if you let it, can really set you back.
Take my first ever PR stunt for instance. There I was, six weeks into my new job at a creative PR agency, on a train to Blackpool. The idea was to have a large-scale sand drawing of a Monsters Inc. character on the beach with the infamous tower in the background. I'd spent 13 years working as a Journalist, so had no clue how to make everything piece together. You could say I was well and truly out of my depth….
Do you remember the moment when you first met your best friend/friends?
I know I do - I'm lucky enough to have a few incredibly special ladies in my life who I would class as all being the best.
So why am I telling you this?
Well, when it comes to PR it's all about relationship building and getting to know Journalists and freelancers and bloggers. Because the more you get to know them, the more likely they are to want to pitch you in to their Editor or to help you by writing your story.
I remember standing in my kitchen looking out of the window. It was October 2016 and I had butterflies. In short, I was scared.
I'd made the decision to self-publish my first children's picture book and I felt clueless about how to let people know what I'd created.
All of those 'what if' questions were whirling around my head. What if no one liked it, what if it didn't sell, but more importantly what if I couldn't find a publicist to help me with PR?
I remember when it came to bringing out my first children’s book. I searched high and low for a PR expert who could help me get more visible, and make those all-important parents aware of my story and the messages it contained.
I reasoned, that even though I had several years PR experience under my belt, I’d never publicised a book before and so surely it was better to work with those who had.
If you’re just starting to secure some PR for you and your business the likelihood is that you will need to start small before you land some bigger coverage.
I often suggest for those at the start of their journey to aim for lesser known titles and then build up your body of work until you’re able to secure larger, national publications.
As a small business owner if you’re looking to leverage awareness around what you do - should you write and distribute a press release? My answer to this would be probably not.
A press release by its very nature is to announce news and unless you have a book coming out, or have won an award or something similar, it’s best to keep approaching Journalists separately with potential feature ideas.
One of the things that seems to hold business owners like yourself back from getting publicity is not knowing where to look for Journalist contact details.
It’s almost as if this, coupled with the fear of putting your story out there, derails any attempts that you make in this area of getting visible.
The thing is, it’s not nearly as difficult as you think it is to find details of most Journalists/Editors.
So if you get approached and asked for a comment and PR is part of your visibility strategy, please find a way to be able to write a quote or speak to them straight away.
I get that life can be busy, but getting yourself and your business known requires you to make the most of any opportunities that come your way.
I get asked a lot what is the best way to maximise any PR opportunities that come your way.
There are the obvious things like posting on social media, but your audience and potential clients should be left in no doubt that you have secured coverage somewhere. Because let’s face it, you will have already done your research and know the media they like to consume, whether that be radio, podcasts, magazines, TV or online, or a combination of all of them.
Journalists get inundated with emails - some of them receive up to 800 a day, so if you really want to stand out from everyone else you need to think what would make them stop scrolling and click on yours. A catchy subject line is always a great starting point.
Then, instead of waffling about who you are and what you do - try and think about what they’re looking for. When I trained as a Journalist we were always told to write a story with the key components of Who, What, When, Why and to offer How further down if it was relevant.
You already know that PR can help improve your brand’s awareness levels, attract more opportunities and if done correctly, can get you in front of your ideal clients. But knowing where to start and how, can often be a real stumbling block.
It can also be a really big thing to even contemplate putting yourself ‘out there’ and trying to get your story featured.
There have been so many times over the years when I’ve been asked whether there would be a guarantee of coverage for a PR story that I’ve devised or overseen. The answer is always the same. There are never any guarantees, but when you get it right, the results can surpass even your own expectations.
Since starting to work with us, our retained clients are seeing their businesses and themselves appearing in national and international titles.
Sometimes though, we might help someone with a PR Strategy Session and they decide they would like to look after their own PR. Armed with their story, which is written for them, and suggestions of feature ideas and top PR Tips, they’re in a great position to be able to do this.
We are, of course, always here afterwards to offer advice if they get stuck.
The overwhelming feedback that we get here at NJRPR is that business owners like yourself, know they want more media presence but they don’t know where to begin.
What then happens is that they make an approach to a Journalist at a publication they would like to be featured in, and then they don’t hear back. So they give up trying.
What if I was to tell you that Journalists get hundreds, and I mean literally hundreds of emails every day?
Now that your website has been designed and you’re looking to become more visible, it’s worth taking a moment to think about your key messaging.
Why? Because knowing what you want to get across, means that every contact that a potential customer has with you has a consistent look and feel. It is also really helpful when it comes to media interviews.
Have a think about your business. Have you defined your brand values and beliefs? Are you placing yourself at the centre of your business, so your potential clients can connect with you? And most importantly of all, have you defined your story?
