It’s not what you think!
As you try to contact the media for your small business PR efforts, several four-letter words probably come to mind. After all, you send out your press release and try to contact various reporters to give your pitch. Then, you just hear crickets. It’s enough to make you want to shout several, negative words that we all know!
Well, instead of getting frustrated, there is a positive four-letter word you need to keep in mind when doing your public relations. It’s FAST.
And this word is important for several reasons:
- Reporters have tight deadlines.
- Competitors want the same media coverage you are going after.
- News gets posted online to a worldwide audience as soon as it happens.
What does this mean for your small business PR activities?
To start, you need to cater to the needs of media members. If they are producing a story about a particular news item with a specific deadline, you have to get them the information they need within their cut-off time. It’s simple. Get them what they need when they need it, or you simply don’t get the story.
And, you need to remember that you are not the only one reaching out to media members. There are hundreds of PR professionals, administrative assistants, business owners, interns, marketing people, and more sending reporters and producers story-pitches via email, social media, phone, messenger, and more.
If you discover that a particular media venue is doing an upcoming story on a particular topic relevant to your business, you have to be one of the first people to respond to the appropriate reporter at that venue. Plus, you’ve got to provide relevant, valuable information to that media venue’s target audience. If you’re not the first person to do this, your chances of getting in that specific story decrease significantly.
Finally, news happens fast. When media members get a story idea, they conduct interviews, create the article or broadcast and post the information quickly… even within minutes! They are on a race against the competition as well, and as soon as their story is ready, it will go live.
With this in mind, you have to act fast and be ready at all times.
Know what’s going on in your industry, look at trends, watch pertinent news stories, and be aware of your current environment. This way, you will get a feel for what the media wants to cover now… and in the near future. Then, you can provide valuable facts, ideas, interviews, and more to media members quickly and easily.
For successful small business public relations, speed is of the essence. If you can’t act fast, find an expert who can do the work for you. Otherwise, your competition will rule the airways, online and off.
Ready? Set. Go!
For more small business PR tips, check out the Simplify Your Small Business Podcast here.
Meet THE Small Business PR Expert – Melanie Rembrandt
Melanie Rembrandt is the founder and CEO of Rembrandt Communications, LLC where she helps businesses boost sales, awareness and credibility via public relations and content marketing strategy.
Known as THE Small Business PR Expert, Melanie earned this title through many years of in-the-trenches hard work, sweat and tears. She has helped small business owners, non-profits, Fortune 500s, and celebrities like Robert and Kim Kiyosaki of The Rich Dad Company, Dan Kennedy, Joe Tremaine, Samantha DeBianchi, Michael Rooney, Christy Curtis Buss, Judie Aronson, and more reach their goals.
Today, Melanie is the official, PR expert for Smallbiz America, Little PINK Book and American Writers & Artists Inc, where she is on their Board of Advisors to advise and teach new copywriters. She is the author of thousands of articles and “Secrets of Becoming a Publicist,” (AWAI Publishing), “Simple Publicity” (1Win Press), “7 Steps to Successful Public Relations (StartupNation), and “Dance Class Etiquette” (1Win Press). Melanie also hosts the SmallBiz America Radio Podcast, “Simplify Your Small Business,” and has a regular column in B2B News Network, Little PINK Book and others.
Melanie and her team are here to help! To find out more and get your free information, visit www.rembrandtwrites.com.