Honing In the Media

Public relations professionals have proved to be essential to any
organization. No matter what the product, they’re the ones that get the word out. But how do PR people assure their clients that the product will get coverage? The most obvious way, to pay for an article or advertisement, lies in the realm of advertising departments. So when you’re looking for free exposure of your greatest product and PR gurus dominate your publicity work, look no further than this list of tips:

-Great press releases jump start the process. Knowing how to write effectively and concisely must be a pre-requisite. Without a clear-cut pitch, the release won’t even get a full read-through.

-Research, research, research. Making a targeted media list is imperative to pitch an idea to the correct medium – you never want to send a cooking product press release to a car parts publication. Getting the research done and having the list readily available will save time on any project. Even Misukanis & Odden and CR Ransom from Mosnar Communications recommend this as a preliminary task.

-Events and press tours. Publicizing a product doesn’t have to be a direct pitch to a publication or television station. Organizing an event in town can attract media on its own, and press tours take your pitch on the road. Even Rob Thomson, VP of Communications for Major League Soccer’s Kansas City Wizards arranges a media day to kick off the publicity for an upcoming soccer season.

-Might seem pretty simple, but.. Stay in constant contact with the media outlets that have chosen your pitches in the past. Get to know their style and adapt to it. Fact-check your stories every time and you’ll be known as a legitimate source. Keeping them happy will encourage them to choose your ideas in the future and it may soon turn in to a mutually beneficial relationship.

-Last, but not least: blogging! Yes, even this phenomenon that I have fully embraced for class assignments can be a fabulous tool for generating publicity. Blogs can be a great way to incorporate bells and whistles (who doesn’t love videos and graphics?) to any proposal. Send over a link to your favorite editor or producer and amaze them with your virtual abilities for an extra boost. And the added bonus? Competitors and potential clients can access the blog for free. Even the guys at 101 Public Relations consider this a hot new strategy.

These tips extend to any type of public relations work. Of course when dealing with a particular product or entity, public relations strategies can be extremely specified and go beyond these basics. But for now, hold on to this list – it doesn’t have an expiration date. And don’t forget to keep up with the latest technology and trends: find a new way to get their attention, and they’ll keep coming back for more.