How to DEVELOP MEDIA PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN

Publicity is the key to announcing your business/talent/skill to the world - and it is FREE. Small Business owners and Entrepreneurs can create and maintain their own do-it-yourself publicity campaign. One well placed interview will increase your business revenue. This article will give you a few tips to get you started with a media campaign that will get results!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Business - Talent - Skill
• Computer
• Press Release
• Telephone
• Email

1. Who Is Your Target? Analyze your business/talent/skill.
   Who is your target market - who enjoys the benefit of what you do? Who are your customers? Who are your potential customers? Think outside the box... who are your indirect customers?
   
   EXAMPLE: In the past in the pharmaceutical industry doctors were the direct customers. However, notice now they market drugs to their indirect customer - the potential patient. By marketing to indirect customer, now patients come to the doctor requesting pharmaceutical drugs based on their perceived symptoms.
2. Read & Watch Media Begin to Read/Watch the media outlets to learn and understand their stories and programming. EXAMPLE: Consider Wall Street Journal vs. New York Times, The View vs. The Today Show, Essence vs. Ebony, CNN vs. FOX News - one outlet has a more liberal perspective the other is more conservative. Always pitch media with their audience/readers in mind.
3. Pick 3 Media Outlets Don't be overwhelmed by the countless media outlets - pick 3. Start with three key media outlets that would provide great exposure for your business, study the media outlets and develop relationship with staff. EXAMPLE: If you create gift baskets consider this select a local media target (community newspaper), a national media outlet (Better Homes & Garden) and a targeted media outlet (Arts & Crafts Home magazine). Remember Step #2 - each pitch will be different for each media outlet based on their audience/reader
4. Develop Key Messages Develop key messages – what are the top 3 to 5 key points that make your company's news unique, interesting and compelling? Inject these message points in EVERY interview and press release.
   
   EXAMPLE: The following are examples of key messages
   Over 10 million sold;
   A Fortune 500 company;
   The nation's largest________;
   The only _______ in the world/nation/city/town;
   The exclusive provider for the White House;
5. Write Your Press Release Write press release. Position the most important information in your press release in the first two paragraphs. Busy media professionals scan a release for relevance or interesting themes and they make quick judgments. It better not be boring or its tossed aside – find an interesting angle.
6. Get media contacts - visit www.INeedPublicity.com
   Media directory series, "PR's Little Black Book" provides media contacts for newspapers, magazines, television, radio and newswires. Each directory also features more in-depth "quick tips" guide to building an ongoing relationship with the media.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't always go after the mass market media - the targeted media outlets are easier to get into.
• Watch what the media is already reporting on? Create an angle on your news so that it aligns with a current events already on the media's radar. EXAMPLE: Its Valentines Day...Troops Are Coming Home...You Own a Restaurant....Do a We LOVE the Troops Discount for Couples! If you are in a town with a military base - get them involved.
• Develop an elevator pitch. Practice a pitch for your business that conveys the nuts & bolts of your business such that people will not only understand it but want more information. Practice (in your head) this "quick fire" pitch such that you can say it and convey it from starting position to the final destination on an elevator. Hence the elevator pitch! Try it. This is especially important in an television interview, you've got to make your interview compelling - quick - there is no time to elaborate and explain.
• Find a holiday to align your business with take the time to think of possible angles/ideas you can create around the holiday and invite the press to help you celebrate the holiday.
• Confirm that you are contacting the right person, before you call or send correspondence to the media Avoid sending mass emails/faxes.
• Don't assume all reporters read email - some still prefer hard copies like faxes.
• Be advised, the media is not a vehicle for your marketing message. Coverage depends on the judgment of the editor, the policies of the media outlet and the other events happening that day, week or month.
• Make sure that all everything the media you share with the media support your key messages. Nothing is “off-the-record” everything they see, read and hear is on the record.