H!
May 17, 2015
Hello!
What is pr?
Why is IT IMPORTANT?
(NB: No ‘one size fits all’ approach)
$ink about…
What’s your
What’s your
How Are
you
going to
Your approach Website/
Online Shop
Other retailers
Blog
Social media Media RelaAons
Events
CollaboraAons
Your tool kit Blog content
plan
Social media content plan
Press release
Good quality images
Product samples
Passion & Persuasion
• Does it have a purpose? • Are you sharing something different?
• Do you have the 6me?
• Commit to it and post regularly • Work with other influen6al bloggers
• Start a conversa6on • Build an on-‐going rela6onship
• Crowd sourcing – involve your fans
Feb Week 1 Feb Week 2 Feb Week 3 Feb Week 4
News (E.g new trends, seasonal styles, naAonal news relevant to your product/service)
Deals/ comps/ other news
Regular feature (e.g. Tuesday Trend Watch/ Follow Friday – this gives fans something to become familiar with and look forward to)
Anecdote (This could be something that’s happened to you/ you’re working on – something to relate to)
Crowd source/ debate/ conversaAon starter
• Think about your key messages • Strongest points in intro • Topical hook for story
Good quality
images
Individual & group shots
See your products on the page
• Think about stock levels • Be realis6c about media samples
• Choose a ‘hero’ product to focus on
$e facts
PR CAN: • Create media coverage in a cost effecAve way • Reach hard-‐to-‐reach decision makers/ consumers • Create a trusted third party endorsement (peer to peer)
(vs. adverAsements which come from a company/brand)
PR CAN’T: • Guarantee coverage & Aming -‐ the news agenda dictates • Provide approval -‐ unlike adverAsing the message is not paid for so therefore cannot be completely controlled • Provide explicit branding -‐ clever routes/stories are needed to subtly weave branding into a story.
$ings to remember:
• Talk to others • Tell a story • Make sure the stock you are pitching is available • Be paAent: coverage can someAmes take months • Create a strong press release: key words for SEO • Write features: group products together, work with
others, 3 of the best etc • Think about seasonal giT guides • Don’t forget about local/ regional media
Source: www.sigmawebmarketing.com
What mak0 people buy?
• Increase awareness of your brand • Help you to sell your products • Develop valuable relaAonships with key influencers • Build backlinks to your website & improve search
rankings • Direct new followers to your social media profiles • Build social proof • Help spread the word about new products and
events • Save money vs tradiAonal adverAsing
Effective PR can :
• IniAal contact – send something special in the post • Call -‐ “I’ve got a product that will be of real interest to your readers. Do
you have a few minutes to talk about it?” • Email immediately! Busy journalists will forget about you the moment you
hang up the phone. • Follow up regularly -‐ this is a relaAonship you’re building
$e What You Sow PR approach:
Hi Lyndsey,
Thank you for calling earlier, as I menAoned, we did receive your lovely liVle press pack and the company has been put forward as one of our ‘go to’ companies when looking for products to feature editorially. Both the editor and myself love the website, we just need to ensure that we have relevant features in place first. We always do two ‘Garden Buy’ features each month, so if you have any Ap offs of one of your products that are selling extremely well, I’d always be keen to hear from you. In the meanAme, I’ve fallen in love with the Orla Kiely plant pot and the sprout bookmark, so I’ll be pinning and facebooking them shortly.
Once again, thank you for sending the press pack over, it really was appreciated and I’ll certainly do all I can to help promote such ‘lovely things for the garden.’ Kind Regards, Siobhan
Dear Lyndsey,
How very nice to hear from you, and SO nice to have some feedback on the response to the column, which I rarely get! I'm delighted to hear that it brought in some new orders and new visitors to the site.
Keep me posted on any new products and hopefully I can feature you again! Constance x
Hi Lyndsey Thanks for sending this over... what a brilliant idea...
Yes, we’d love to give What You Sow a plug – if we’re out in April, presumably this will be good Aming? Any images or addiAonal info you can send will be great and I’ll be in touch in a few weeks for a few more details...
Thanks again for thinking of the magazine and your tweets etc are much appreciated... All the best Cinead
$e kind of r0pons0 you should be aiming for:
Top 10 actionable tips: 1. Be the most charming, most polite version of yourself. Always. 2. Buy and read the publicaAons you are pitching to -‐ have a good
mix. Be prepared to spend a lot of Ame on research 3. Always write to a specific person 4. Proof read your press release 5. Don’t be afraid to call them – but NEVER on a deadline 6. Have stunning photography 7. Make journalists feel delighted to hear from you – always thank
them for coverage 8. When someone’s rude to you, don’t take it personally. 9. Never bank on a PR feature having a direct effect on sales
volume. But also make sure you have enough stock if it does. 10. Maintain a library of press features on your website with clear
details of how to get in touch with you.
Recommendations:
The PR Masterclass By Alex Singleton
The 15 essenAal markeAng masterclasses by Dee Blick
Use4l links
• hVp://www.forbes.com: interesAng arAcles about trends. Keep on top & use as hooks to talk to media
• hVp://www.thedesigntrust.co.uk • www.mashable.com : online markeAng Aps • hVp://www.smarta.com/advice/sales-‐and-‐
markeAng/pr/public-‐relaAons-‐(pr)-‐for-‐businesses-‐the-‐basics/
• www.journalisted.com: journo database • �#brightonhour – Monday 8.30pm • #journorequest
$anks for l5tening!
Contact Emma (aka BeVy):
Any qu0tions?
/betsandbobs /betsandbobs /beqyoh
Contact Lyndsey:
/whatyousowshop /whatyousow /whatyousow