Many people mistakenly think that Public Relations is not essential to running a successful business. Whether you are an independent agent, a broker, or rent a desk from someone, understand that you are an entrepreneur who is in business. Your job is to become known. Your competitors may be swinging the PR budget knife. They are the ones that will likely NOT survive this recession. If you have never done PR, it's not a luxury; it's a necessity.
Public relations and marketing are critical in these tough fiscal times.
When you are consistently proactive and visible to mass numbers of people who have buying power, you will not only withstand this difficult cycle but you will thrive.
Countlessprofessionals in real estate and allied fields tell me they are “the best kept secret.” My immediate response is, “You don’t want to be a secret! It’s time to let the cat out of the bag.” It’s almost required that you flaunt and promote your organization, projects, staff, clients, talents, services, and products. In today’s market, it’s a must for success. You can leverage print, radio, and television news, along with social media and the Internet, to accomplish this, without draining your budget.
Here’s the bottom line. You must understand the mindset of reporters so your story will grab their attention. The result is you increase you company’s name recognition, credibility and revenues.
Here are 5 Tips to Help You Get ‘Free Press’:
1- Focus on your area of expertise and how it impacts the public. The overriding questions reporters ask are, “Why should I cover this? Who cares?" You must be able to answer these questions. Journalists receive dozens of pitches and releases daily, most of which are irrelevant to their audiences and are poorly constructed.
2- Pitch with clarity. Write your brief e-mail pitch (ideally 2-4 lines) or press release in a style that is clear, concise and compelling. Spark the interest of the reporter so he’ll be enticed to read more. You must grab their attention with a punchy and timely subject line and headline. You have less than 10 seconds to “WOW” them with your writing.
3- Tell a fabulous story. News is about people. People love great stories. Develop the art of personalizing, packaging, and framing your story with the right elements. Find a person directly involved and impacted by your news. Include a quote from them. Reporters prefer to talk to people who have actually experienced something, not the CEO. Look for the human angle of your story, not the operational end of it.
4- Avoid trying to sell your product or service. As a former radio news reporter, I know the media despises “salesy” language, adjectives, industry jargon, rhetoric and empty words. Fine-tune your journalism skills (or hire a professional to help you http://www.getinfrontcommunications.com/RecessionProofPR/index.htm).
5- Develop relationships with reporters. When you pitch newsworthy stories that are interesting and can help the public, you’ll become a trusted source. Reporters will pay more attention to your pitches and will be willing to quote you as an expert in your field. This will increase your credibility and revenues.
When you decide to be proactive and use PR to increase your name recognition and revenues, your business will prosper, despite the market and the pundits.
Susan Young, the “Virtual PR Coach”, is President of Get in Front Communications and Susan Young Media Relations. Their “Recession-Proof PR” program is for real estate professionals who struggle to get publicity with small budgets and staff. Consulting, training and workshops on proactive public relations, public speaking and media coaching are available. Young publishes a free e-zine The PR Buzz and is the author of Communicating with Confidence: Tips & Techniques for Powerful Business Communication. Visit www.getinfrontcommunications.com and follow Susan’s blog at http://www.getinfrontcommunications.com/motivational_speaker_blog/
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