Generating PR is an incredibly powerful way of building brand awareness, igniting interest and ultimately driving sales.  It’s powerful because mentions in the press from an independent third party instantly makes the brand message more credible than when the opinion is coming directly from the company.  Perception is reality.

Media exposure is a very effective sales tool for any business, person and product targeting parents and children.  When a positive reference, image, or promotion is made about your product in the press, customers do pay attention.  It’s this media exposure that creates interest around your product.  This interest starts word of mouth and grassroots discussions amongst your target market.  This grassroots activity is responsible for fuelling demand and desirable hype for your products, resulting in booming sales.

Generating PR doesn’t always need to be an expensive exercise either.  If you have the budget, outsourcing a PR campaign can save you the time, enabling you to focus on other areas of the business.

But if you do have limited funds, an internal marketing resources or capabilities, a pr campaign can be executed in-house.

Here is a step by step action plan to improve the effectiveness of your PR campaign:

1. Set your goals for this PR campaign
   1. For example are you looking to drive customers to a special sale, or it this part of your long term brand building strategy?
2. Define your message
   1. In one line, establish what exactly do you want people to know
3. Define your audience
   1. Is it hobby enthusiasts or mums that purchase boutique brands – Be specific
4. Make the release newsworthy
   1. Do not just send your sell sheet or an extract from a brochure.  Consider how the information you provide can translate into an article, not advertisement
5. Have someone else look at your release
   1. Get another opinion or even use some free online tools that assess appropriateness of press releases
6. Target key journalists
   1. Identify journalists that have written about similar topics or products and keep a record of relevant articles and writers for future reference
7. Customise a story
   1. If you have done your research you will be clear about journalist’s personal style and topics they write about.  Propose a story idea that would suit them and would naturally involve your product
8. Send samples, images
   1. Make it easy for the press to publish information about you. Send quality images in user friendly formats ready to go
9. Stand out
   1. Does the product lend itself to being sent out with a novelty approach, i.e. packaging, memorable prop
10. Develop relationships with journalists
    1. When you follow up with journalist write down some personal snippets of the conversation that can be referred to in future conversations with them. This will also help them remember speaking with you