Public relations (PR) offers businesses a powerful yet budget-friendly avenue for generating interest and awareness. By developing compelling PR assets and strategically distributing them, companies can secure valuable media coverage and “free publicity.”
There are three key PR tools businesses should leverage:
- Press releases – Professionally written announcements that showcase newsworthy developments related to your company. Well-crafted releases pique media interest.
- Product merchandising – Strategically highlighting your products through media channels. This boosts visibility and consumer appeal.
- Promotional events – Hosting special events like open houses, demos, or contests. These engage customers directly while attracting media attention.
Implementing these techniques requires a coordinated PR plan tailored to your objectives and target demographic. The goal is securing coverage by media outlets your customers pay attention to – including newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and influential blogs/websites.
To get media outlets interested:
- Draft an attention-grabbing press release addressing issues relevant to your customers – don’t just plug your product. Include an intriguing headline and supporting facts/quotes.
- Summarize the essence of your release in a short media pitch. Emphasize the uniqueness, helpfulness, or timeliness of your news. Make sure the pitch grabs attention to compel the media representative to read it.
- Format the release professionally with the company logo. Lead with the main details and include contact information. Press releases require a dateline with the most crucial information at the top, followed by pertinent facts and figures, and finally concluded with contact details, including who and how.
- Distribute to media channels matching your customer profile – both geographic and interest areas. Follow up personally when possible.
The most effective PR spotlights products or services offering clear consumer benefits – saving money/time, improving daily life, solving problems, etc. Relatable human-interest angles also attract coverage. If you’re able to associate with a celebrity in any way, that provides significant media bait.
“One of the most powerful techniques every business should use is free publicity. As the name implies, there is no cost, just the time and effort required to attract attention to your business.” Jay Abraham
Please get in touch with me to show you how to put together press releases that work! Check out how the pros do it and craft the perfect press releases for your business.