In these uncertain and economically challenging times, it can be all too easy to simply either cut down or cut out communications in a bid to reduce costs. Don’t ! This could be a quick way of actually going out of business.
It’s often said that when things get difficult, the first thing facing the axe is the marketing budget. Granted, cost savings are an important part of good business stewardship but remember not to cut off your information pipeline to the outside world and critically, your target audiences. Silence is most certainly not golden when it comes to business !
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, was quoted as saying “If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on PR.”
Maintaining and developing a company’s profile is inextricably linked to its long term success and should be a fundamental part of any business plan. Each and every member of the team should be familiar with the key messages of the business and these should be reflected in your communications strategy. Yes, you need a strategy !
Knowing what to say, when to say it, how to say it and who to say it to will play a valuable role in steering a business through the bad times, as well as the good. Time spent thinking of innovative and complementary ways of raising your profile and standing out from the rest will help you develop and strengthen your market position.
Do you know where your customers come from? Are you aware of what’s being said about you? In this digital age, having a credible and positive reputation online is just as important as having good links with your local paper or trade press. PR organisations and the media have a symbiotic relationship. Each needs the other and it’s the responsibility of PR professionals both in-house and in consultancy to secure media coverage but in a way that upholds the reputation of the business they represent.
By following a few simple guidelines in communicating your messages via the media, this relationship can be a harmonious and rewarding one but incurring the wrath of editors is to be avoided as it can be very difficult to retrieve. In other words, do not simply spam people’s inboxes with irrelevant material.
Above all, you must have something new or different to say, perhaps even controversial.
“Blogs Widgets launches new brand of widget” is not likely to leap out at a news editor.
“New widget will save manufacturing industry £5 million a year claims Blogs Widgets” is much more likely to provoke interest.
Journalists require material that’s relevant to their readers so it’s critical that you tailor the content of a news release to the audience. A headline must promise something that’s of the moment, new, or dramatic but ensure that any claims made can be substantiated through credible research. Be as bold as you can in the wording but remain pragmatic. The most compelling stories are rarely the product of just a news release.
The first paragraph needs to capture the essence of your story in no more than three sentences. It needs to be a distillation of the whole content but exercise brevity here. Keep the momentum and desire to read on.
Having ‘hooked’ the reader, it’s important to cover the Five Ws – Who, What, Where, When, and Why.
Including quotes from relevant people, not just the CEO, also brings your story to life. If quoted, this person should be made available for interview should the media request it. Be mindful of the timing of the release as it’s no good issuing it just as the boss is going on vacation, or worse, about to leave the business!
It’s good practice to put yourself in the reporter’s shoes prior to sending out your news. Why should they read it? What questions might they ask if they need more information? Prepare a list of possible questions and prepare bullet-points that can be used as an aide memoire in response. Answer any as best you can but if you don’t know, always commit to finding out and calling the journalist back.
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (www.cipr.co.uk) provides a range of courses on writing which professionals might find useful.
