What is there to talk about?

 

#SillySeasonPR #5

What is there to talk about? #SillySeasonPR

What is there to talk about?

We’ve looked at what we want to achieve and who we want to target, but what do we have to talk about? What is news?

News is likely to be: new, different, changing, topical, useful, significant, interesting, exciting, entertaining plus a lot more.

If it just repeats old information and adds nothing new, why would anyone want to publish it?

What are you doing?

What news do you have? Think what’s happening in your business that is interesting to talk about, such as:

  • New product/service launch
  • Winning awards
  • Opening new premises
  • Employing more people
  • Starting apprenticeships
  • Hosting events
  • Exhibiting
  • Supporting community groups
  • Gaining accreditations
  • New appointments

These are common topics, but there are always more.

Are any of these linked to the summer, the weather, school holidays, anything that is happening now? Have you anything planned that will link in with future events/seasons that you can prepare your PR for now?

You could be doing something that you always do, such as manufacturing designer wellington boots and experience a surge in demand if torrential rains arrive in August (I hope they don’t). You could be producing a cricket-themed accessory that is ideal for cricket fans attending international tournaments over the summer. You would need to get press releases out about these fast before the summer flashes past.

If you’re gearing up for sales in the autumn or winter, now is the time to be preparing your PR, even if we don’t want to think about how many days are left before Christmas. The other days I saw an advert for electric heaters in a magazine when we haven’t turned our heating on for months, but the advertiser was taking the opportunity to plant the idea in the mind of anyone planning new heating or redecoration.

Do it now!

Don’t think too long or put off thinking about it at all, because opportunities flash past. If you have won a 2015 award, it is only five months until 2016 and it will start to sound out of date. Talk about in now to get maximum exposure.

Remember, opportunities pass at speed. Grab them while they’re there. I’m late publishing this tip because I got a call from a radio station one morning at 8.40am, while walking our dog, asking if I could give a live interview at 9.20am. I had to hurriedly re-arrange my schedule to take advantage of this, making notes of comments relevant to the topic so that I could reel them off on-air.

Take action

Identifying what you can talk about that is relevant and newsworthy is your tyour #SillySeason PR task #5. Good luck and do ask any questions you have.

Tomorrow: Don’t delay – check your PR deadlines today

Use the content and tips in our videos and posts below to boost your business.

 

Speak to journalists

If you are unsure whether your press release is relevant or of interest, call a journalist you want to send it to and ask them.

Some will appreciate being asked rather than being bombarded with irrelevant press releases. Some might not be helpful or appreciate your call as, just like any profession, everyone is different. As long as you don’t hassle journalists and they’re not nearing a deadline, many will be accessible. After all, talking to people to get news is a big part of their job.

When preparing my own weekly news pages for our local newspaper, I am quite happy for people to call me. Some are very timid when they have really interesting stories, while others are sometimes over-enthusiastic about a story that is more interesting to them than anyone else. I try to be helpful and give a realistic view on the merits of each story. I’ll help to tease out a good story to make it into an interesting article.

What if you get an abrupt ‘no’? Don’t give up. If you think they’ll answer you, ask why a journalist does not think your story is interesting or suitable for their publication. Use this to improve your next press release.

If you show you have interesting or relevant news, you could become a useful source for journalists: the person they call when they want comment.

Building relationships with journalists is an important part of public relations. See it as an essential part of business similar to talking to your accountant.

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