Public Relations or PR as it is known for short, is one of the most powerful elements of the marketing mix, yet it is often overlooked by sign businesses or dismissed as too expensive. Local publications are a great way to promote your business and unlike advertising, editorial coverage is free. People are ten times more likely to remember your name if is mentioned in an interesting editorial piece than in an advert.
If you want to guarantee exposure for your business there’s no option but to pay for an advert. Editorial content is edited and published at the discretion of the editor and may not get used – even if the journalist sounded keen at the time.
The golden rule for editorial is that it cannot be a thinly disguised advertisement for your company or its services. You can still get across what your company does within an interesting story without adding you are offering a 15 percent discount this week.
Submitting a story to local or trade media is relatively simple and you don’t need to hire a PR consultant to do it for you. The days when papers had an army of reporters and photographers scouring their area for news is long gone. Instead these outlets rely heavily on material that is sent in to them, choosing the best and most interesting to post online and fill the editorial spaces in the publication around the paid for advertisements.
So how what makes a good story and how do you get it in to your target media? Understanding what sort of story is relevant to which outlet is the key factor here. Have a look at your local papers and trade magazines to see the kind of stories they run.
Understanding what sort of story is relevant to which outlet is the key factor here. Have a look at your local papers and trade magazines to see the kind of stories they run”
Number one is a really good photograph, followed closely by interesting subject matter. Most of us have smart phones which double as high-quality cameras. For online coverage, a digital image is essential, and chances of coverage in a print publication increase significantly if you can provide an eye-catching high-resolution picture file.
The difference between a trade publication and a local newspaper is the audience they are aiming at. Trade publications are produced for a specific industry sector or market. Signlink for example is the leading publication for the sign industry and covers stories that will be of interest to people involved within this field. Local newspapers contain general human-interest stories and news about people and places within a specific geographic area. If you are looking at a Leeds newspaper you will never read about somebody complaining about a pothole in Bracknell!
For local papers think ‘would the person across the road find this interesting?’ The man in the street might want to read about your business raising money for a local charity, but he is unlikely to be the least bit bothered about your sales manager taking on a new job role.
Happy smiling faces in a photo speak volumes for you and your business. If the image is good, a news editor is more likely to find a way to use the story because readers generally always look at the pictures first.
Trade media want to know about what’s going on in your business. They want to hear about interesting case studies, new contracts, interesting product applications and what you and your staff are doing. Remember the human-interest stories you send to a local newspaper will be equally as relevant for Signlink.
You have identified a story of interest so what then? Before you make contact get something ready to send to the journalist as soon as you have finished the conversation so you can strike while the iron is hot. Write down all the story details answering the five W’s – who, what, when, where and why – and sometimes the one H – how. By doing this you ensure the main facts and figures are correct as you won’t be able to see what story has been written until it appears. Don’t get too hung up on producing a ‘proper’ press release or trying to write great prose – the journalist can do that.
Now all you have to do is telephone the publication and ask to speak with the news desk. When you get through always ask if this is convenient moment to tell them about your story. If they are not on deadline they will be happy to listen to a brief synopsis of your and if they are interested in the story will invite you to send over your photograph and information.
There’s nothing to fear about engaging with the media as long as your facts are correct and you never say anything you wouldn’t like to see in print. Avoid making jokes against your company or products as they could be taken out of context and damage your reputation.
Next time you think you might have an interesting story give it a go! Build your confidence by approaching a trade publication such as Signlink first—the editorial teams are friendly and approachable and always happy to hear from sign-makers and printers.
Lindsay Jones is the owner and managing director of LJPR Ltd, a PR consultancy with a specialist B2B and franchising divisions. She is a trained journalist and is one of very few PR practitioners to hold a Master’s degree in Public Relations. She has lectured at the University of Gloucestershire and has written several authoritative articles on PR. She has worked with both Fastsigns and Signarama.
If you have an interesting story or a view on this news, then please e-mail
news@signlink.co.uk
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