Public Relations Techniques — Ways To Get Your New Business Covered In The Media
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008From ancient slave-owners to present-day owners of small-business, everyone wants to advertise their businesses in the right way. So, how can you bring yourself to the front page when there’s so much competition around? When you are starting a franchise business, some PR-techniques should be carefully planned beforehand and then meticulously followed. To help you in this regard, here are some pointers:
• First and foremost, make sure your store/office/service is ready when you go for press-release.
• Research your targeted customers. Ensure that you know which TV channels or which papers cover your target-audience. Also, don’t forget to invite the local media, as it’s quite important that you get in touch with the journalists who deal with related businesses. For example, the local cable channel that hosts a popular home improvement show can be an effective media for advertising when you are starting a franchise of handyman services.
• Make a detailed plan of what you want the media people to hear. There are thousands of businesses that are starting everyday. So, make sure that you have a compelling story that the media will find interesting to cover. Highlight the specialty of your business as well as the benefits the customers are going to enjoy when they choose you. It’s also necessary to have photographs or samples of works that can be submitted to the media. For example, when you are starting a franchise of a Mexican QSR-chain, make sure some of the fingers-licking foods are there for the media-people to taste!
• Things become easier when you join hands with a top franchise having a national chain or a famous international franchise. Then the media will be automatically alerted (thanks to the brand-name of your franchisor) and you will get the required media coverage. On the other hand, when you have opted for an emerging franchise opportunity, you can call a meeting of the press along with the franchisor and highlight the achievements and services of the chain in the parent location.
• Make yourself available to the media. In your website, keep a separate section for the press. Also, designate a person to whom they can talk to when they need information on your business. Writing blogs can be another effective way of attracting online media.
• Don’t sit idle after sending just a press-release to your local media. Always keep in touch with them. If you want your local radio-station to cover your business, contact the talk show producers who can interview you. Present your story as an interesting one, so that they find it gripping enough to be talked about in their show. If they are non-responsive in the beginning, (they, after all, get so many notices from up-coming franchises), be persistent. Submit alerts and tips related to your business regularly before you are selected. Create the right impression once they select you and be sure that you will be called for more such interviews.