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Ken!
Minor PR Story Starters
by John Jantsch
Use the following questions to help you brainstorm for potential PR topics. One of the surest ways to get more media coverage is to get some media coverage. Start small, but be consistent. It is a good practice to attempt to get some form of coverage every month. The more successful you are in terms of sheer volume of coverage, the easier it is to get full-length feature coverage. Is that Oprah on the phone!
- Have there been any personnel changes, promotions or additions in your firm?
- Have you taken on a new partner?
- Are you planning to expand your operations?
- Have you landed a significant new project or customer?
- Are you conducting educational seminars?
- Have employees completed industry apprenticeship or certification?
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Are you planning to speak at a professional organization's meeting?
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Have you, or anyone on your staff, received an award in your industry?
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Has a trade association cited you for excellence?
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Have you, or any of your staff, been elected to serve on the board of directors for another company or volunteer organization?
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Has your company sponsored a charitable fundraising event in the community?
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Are you doing anything that is a new trend in your industry?
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Are you mentoring other businesses owners or students?
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Does your business have a high number of women or minorities in management positions?
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Have you supported one or more of your employees through an unusual crisis?
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Do you offer any unusual employee benefits or incentives?
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Have you solved a problem in your industry?
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Is your marketing unique?
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Have you started a new department or business?
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Have you significantly expanded your current services?
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Have you moved to new or larger offices or substantially renovated your offices?
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Have you become a new dealer for a name brand product?
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Has your company been in business for 5, 10, 15, 25 or 50 years?
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Have you discovered new ways to use technology in your business?
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Have you discovered new ways to market your products or services?
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Have you increased your sales since last year? Is that unusual for your industry in today's economy?
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What's the income trend in your industry? Are you following the trend or breaking out of the mold?
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Do you have a strong opinion on a local situation or community problem? Can you offer a solution? For example, a construction company might devise a way to organize left-over construction job site materials to benefit an organization that repairs homes for low-income residents.
The Story Beyond the Story
If possible, you should always try to plan stories that may create other stories. In other words, look at your story idea as a series of news releases.
Let's say that you have donated your firm's services to paint the local senior center. While the donation itself is a wonderful thing to do, you can get the most mileage from a PR standpoint if you announce the arrangement; announce the painting day activity; and plan a little get-together at the center to "reopen" with a fresh coat of paint. (Pictures are great here.)
The idea is to keep the presses
rolling. In some cases you may actually get two or three follow-up
stories, but the main point is to change your thinking about how to
create stories in general.
~ ~ ~
John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and
author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small
Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson - due out
in the fall of 2006
He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business
marketing system. You can find more information by visiting
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/