How to get Great PR for your Network Club

Or How to make the press work for you

©Paul Johnstone

Like any other networking group, forging good relationships with your local press takes work and commitment. Oh and a little effort.

Just as in all other aspects of networking, it is the trust based relationships that work best. Your key press contacts need to know, trust and hopefully like you.

The following 7 steps will help you forge great relationships with your local press.

1. Do your homework. What are the important business publications in your area? What do your business colleagues read? Your goal is to be in the major newspapers and key business and community magazines.

2. Get your foot in the door. Ask your colleagues in your networking group and at your company who they know at these organizations Better yet, ask an advertising / PR professional from your networking group to help you. This provides great exposure for them and a superb learning experience for you.

3. Research the web. Most publications have informative web sites. Identify the business editors and main business writers. A word of caution here: Before you make contact with them read their publication.

4. Make contact. There are two schools of thought here, either call or send an email. Both have strengths and weaknesses. The Phone call: This can be hit and miss but it will get you a conversation with the person you are trying to reach. Email, congratulating them on a particular article you enjoyed (beware not to appear to fawning). Let them know you would appreciate their advice on how to get the best information about your group to them. Let them take you through the process. You will have started developing a professional relationship, because you have asked them to help you make their jobs easier. In these tight economic times all journals/ periodicals have lost staff. They are looking for good material and realize you want to make their jobs easier, don’t we all?

5. Write a release that stands out. This is the time you have to start thinking like a reader. Keep this with you all the time you are writing. Readers want things that interest them, and not what interest you. Put your time to good use. It is important you know what your story is about. Understand why it will be important to the reader. Now the killer part, make sure the important information is at the start of the piece. This is what will draw readers into your article. Finally keep at it, where PR is concerned persistence often pays dividends.

6. Remember your manners and say Thank You. Once you have had a piece published thank them. This is simple good manners but so many people forget to do this. And it will repay you in spades further down the line. An additional offer to provide any support they might need, not necessarily related to your group. This is simple networking in support of business colleagues. Your thanks combined with an offer of help should help cement the relationship. Then finally stay in touch with your new media contacts on a regular basis. Ask them if you can provide them another story. All that will raise your profile with them.

7. Share stories. During your regular networking you will find literally hundreds of stories from other members. These could be your way in to more media coverage.

Helping Real people do Real Business through Real Networking