How to Get Press Coverage for Your Company's Events

Publicity can play a big part in the success of any good marketing/advertising campaign, even without hiring a professional PR firm. Often, do-it-yourself is the way to go for small businesses or entrepreneurs. You are the perfect person to tell the media about your company, its history, its upcoming events and newsworthy team members.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Blank Invitations
• Thank-you Greeting Cards
• Fax Machines
• Laser Printers
• Computers
• Word Processors

1. Plan your event carefully and make all of the necessary arrangements well in advance of the actual date; you want this event to go off without a hitch.
2. Begin your media blitz by compiling a list of people who you would like to attend your event. Include friends, customers and, most importantly, the local and trade press who may cover the event.
3. Send a formal invitation to all the primary media contacts, and their editors, on your list. This is a nice gesture and may lend an extra air of credibility to your media event.
4. Fax a secondary press release, company information and another invitation to your primary press contacts. Exclude the editors this time. If you haven't hooked them yet, chances are a 10-page fax won't do it, but it could give the beat reporter enough information to do a small story, even if she is not planning to attend your event.
5. Enlist the help of your office coworkers for a telephone blitz the day after your fax hits. Call your primary press contacts and ask if they plan to attend and/or write a story, or if you can provide any additional background information.
6. Double-check your arrangements at least two days before the event and print any additional name badges you may need.
7. Greet guests as they arrive; make sure they have the proper name badges and are directed to the area where the action will take place. Again, offer to provide any additional information your press contacts may need for a story.
8. Follow up after the event by sending thank-you notes to everyone, even before you know who wrote a great story. Timely follow-up is absolutely key to getting press coverage for your event.
9. Scan each media outlet for stories about your company event, but don't get your hopes up for the front page. Be satisfied and happy with whatever coverage you receive and remember, it was free.

Tips & Warnings

• Include company brochures, sell sheets and a press kit with your press release. It might be the push that puts your release on the top of the pile.
• If you can't foot the bill to have formal invitations printed, then settle for elegant blank invitation cards and a laser printer. Include all the pertinent information (who, what, when, where, why) and be sure to ask for an RSVP.
• Hire your own photographer for the event to make certain you get the shots you want to see in the local paper. After the event, offer the photos to the people who attended or include a couple of great shots with each thank-you note.
• Avoid merely staging a photo op with the president of your company in order to get some press coverage. It must be a real event with real news value or the next time, the press will remember you pulled its proverbial leg.