10 steps to greater PR coverage

May 14, 2015

It’s a known fact that businesses who actively engage in marketing and strategic communication tactics are more likely to grow. With its ability to shape perceptions and build credibility, PR is a cornerstone of all marketing endeavours and will result in more sales and better profit margins.

But how can you secure the PR coverage you need? Journalists receive hundreds of press releases every day, so you need to be able to cut through the noise and deliver the quality content they’re looking for.

The Purplex PR team works with journalists on a daily basis and we have created 10 tips that will help you enjoy greater PR coverage:

1. 1. Exclusive scoops: Journalists want their publication to stand out from the competition, and an exclusive scoop is one of the best ways of doing this. An exclusive will grab the editor’s attention and give your story more coverage. However be mindful you can’t run the same story in other titles – if you say its exclusive, you need to keep it exclusive!

1. 1. 100% of journalists love a good statistic: Journalists are notorious for hating ‘PR puff’ and will always prefer facts, statistics and research over a ‘salesy’ press releases. If you haven’t got access to any interesting facts and figures create some; for instance you could send out a survey and publish the results in your trade media. Purplex regularly help our clients with industry reports and it’s a great way of securing authoritative PR coverage.

1. 1. News: Anything that is ‘new’ and relevant to their readers is gold dust to any journalist. However try not to release news that you have already mentioned elsewhere (on your website or social media for example).  Remember this is pretty black and white for those working in the media; it’s either new or it isn’t.

1. 1. Photography: Every journalist wants their magazine to look great, but many don’t have the budget to hire a professional photographer in-house. Supply stunning photography with your media releases and you’ll quickly see better results.

1. 1. Don’t be boring – find interesting angles and be creative: As I mentioned in the introductory paragraph, editors receive hundreds of press releases every day and if your content is bland and boring it’s likely to end up on the cutting room floor. Take time to think about who is reading the publication and the sorts of stories that are likely to interest them. Rather than circulating the same story to lots of different magazines, try tailoring each release for each publication. This may be a little more time consuming but the greater PR coverage will be worth the extra effort.

1. 1. Celebrity endorsements: Let’s face it, the media love celebrities and readers will pay more attention to a story if it includes a famous face. You may not personally know any celebrities, but tap into your friends and business contacts and you’ll be surprised who knows who. If you have the budget, it would also be worth hiring a celebrity for a media event. MPs are often willing to oblige so keep them in mind.

1. 1. Human interest: Every good story has an element of human interest at its core. “Company A launches new product” is a run of the mill story but “MD of Company A overcomes adversity to launch new product” will grab headlines.

1. 1. Be topical: Take whatever’s in the news today and see if there is an angle relating to your business. You can piggyback off everything from political news to sporting events and light-hearted entertainment. If it’s current and popular, it is sure to be of interest to journalists.

1. 1. Respond fast: Editorial teams are smaller than ever and the modern journalist is under pressure to edit and create excellent quality content in a very short space of time. Help journalists meet their deadlines by supplying the information they need you’ll be rewarded.

1. Schmooze the editors:At the end of the day, PR is all about relationship building. If you’re friends with a journalist, they’re more likely to read your emails, take your calls and run your stories. Take the journalist out for lunch, buy them a few drinks and stay in close contact. I can’t guarantee schmoozing alone will get you on the front pages, but it’s a good place to start!

Need help with the above?

The Purplex PR team pen the press releases, articles and features that raise your profile, catapult your reputation and shape opinion, positioning you as a leader in your field and ahead of your competitors.

Our team of journalists operate across B2B and B2C markets have links with multiple publications including regional and national newspapers and trade magazines in various sectors.

Contact us and we can discuss how we can use PR to help your business grow.

This entry was posted in PR