1. Know Your Messages
Identify three short, pertinent ‘messages’ about your brand that will inform your public relations and marketing. Everything you then do should be in line with those messages. This will ensure you are both consistent and true to your brand.
2. Live Up to Brand Values
Be clear and transparent about your product and make sure that your business practices – not just your marketing – lives and breathes your brand values.
3. Distinguish Yourself
‘Be Yourself – everyone else is already taken’. This Oscar Wilde quote rings true for you and your business. Be unusual – in a good way. Think laterally and stand out from the crowd.
4. Build Media List
Research and record details of your key media contacts and log them in order of priority; eg if your company sells gardening products to consumers your top media contacts might be the producer of BBC’s Gardeners World, followed by the editors of the gardening pages of the national newspapers, followed by your ‘trade’ list which will include all relevant magazines, again listed in order of importance to your business. Remember to include the relevant freelance journalists.
5. Understand Journalists
Get to know your target journalists. Find out what they are planning, what they want to know about and how they like to receive the information. Your chances of coverage will be increased by providing quality content in a useful format. Invite those that are interested in visits to events you are holding and offer tours, interviews and photo opportunities. Chat with them about mutual interests – if you promise something to a journalist, deliver! Or let them know you can no longer provide information well before the deadline.
6. PR is more than Editorial
Create integrated public relations programmes that embrace multi-media activity (eg publications, films), community sponsorship, promotions, stakeholder engagement and face to face customer activity. Many of these things can be undertaken at low cost these days. Explore partnering with organisations that can help you reach out to key audiences, for example, Arts & Business and Business in the Community.
7. Speak Out
Offer yourself to speak at events or hold your own and invite journalists and partner companies along. Public speaking isn’t everyone’s favourite pastime but it’s an effective and memorable way of communicating.
8. Share News and Expertise
Write blogs for the company website – If you need ideas to kick-start writing, many business organisations – eg Chambers of Commerce, IoD and LinkedIn groups – offer low-cost or even free training sessions. Once your blog is established, you can also invite guest bloggers to contribute.
9. Social Media Engagement
If your customers are to be found on social media, target the relevant ones and communicate with them regularly. They are an excellent way of reaching a large number of people for free. The critical thing is to be sure that your customers actually use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn etc.
10. Sweet Talk
Lastly, talk to people! Talk to your suppliers, your friends, your relatives, your postman – tell them about the wonderful things your company does. And of course, ask your clients for testimonials – priceless PR!
