Posts Tagged ‘pr for small companies’

Learning to Leverage Media Coverage: Part One - With Current Clients

Posted By Stacey and Regina, Your PR Pilots on March 25th, 2010

Have you ever been in a doctor’s office and, as you approached the counter, you noticed a framed clip from a magazine in which the doctor has appeared because of his or her expertise or services?  It’s always impressive.  Even as a current client, it’s a nice “reminder” that your doctor is competent, skilled, worthy of your business…or whatever other positive thoughts you associate with the media coverage.

The article may also feature a procedure you did not know your doctor offered. This may help a doctor “upsell” you into a service that you didn’t even realize you needed, until you got to the office!

And this is just one way in which media coverage can be leveraged to enhance your profile and credibility among your existing client base.  You may come up with more on your own, but here are a few good ways to get started making “positive noise” with your media coverage so that clients want to continue using your services - and recommend you to others.

  • Send a mailer to your database touting the coverage.  We saw an example of this recently where a homeowners insurance company mailed a postcard to its clients mentioning that a very high profile magazine ranked them THE best.  Any need to look around for a new insurance company when you are already with the best? Nope.
  • For coverage in magazines, enlarge and frame your clips to hang in your office, store, showroom, etc.  Or you can simply frame the magazine covers, which also looks very impressive.
  • Email your clients or database about upcoming media coverage so they can watch your appearance “live” on TV, or know what newspaper or magazine to pick up.
  • Use your coverage to entice clients to come in, thus making you some “found” money.  For example, make an offer in which anyone who brings in a clip of your recent media coverage gets a discount on your products or services for a limited time.

Reaching For Gold: Training For PR Glory

Posted By Stacey and Regina, Your PR Pilots on February 19th, 2010

The world’s top elite athletes have gathered together to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Even the most-ambivalent sports fans can admire the athleticism, dedication and hard work that each athlete endures in order to make it to that level of competition.

Now, everyone knows that you do not just roll out of bed one morning, show up on the slopes, and suddenly become an Olympian. It requires training, practice and coaching.

This is true of many circumstances in life, and the same principles can be applied to your PR campaign. When clients come to us and say they want to be on Oprah, this is a worthwhile goal. An appearance on Oprah can skyrocket a business from a one-man-shop to a multi-million dollar level. In fact, there’s a special on CNBC called “The Oprah Effect,” which details this exact phenomenon. But the truth of the matter is, most businesses are not ready to be on Oprah, or even other national media outlets. They require training, practice and coaching.

When starting your PR campaign, keep your end goal in mind. That said, start with getting some media practice under your belt. If you’ve never done live television, it can be a very daunting task when the lights go on and you’re expected to deliver your messages in a 2-3 minute segment. In soundbites. With someone asking you questions that may or may not be related to the message you ultimately want to promote. Start with pitching print interviews, which are less intimidating, and can quickly get you up-to-speed on the techniques journalists use to get their story. Then graduate to radio, and then local TV. As you become more comfortable with dealing with the media, you will get closer and closer to “the gold.

And if you need support, check out our Jet Set Pick.