| Turn knowledge into publicity:use what you know for pr success |
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By Yvonne Buchanan, Real-World PR
Public relations is all about communicating. So what do you communicate, and to whom? I’ll give you the same answer a novelist friend of mine was given by her agent: write what you know. To translate this to PR: Communicate what you know. What do you know? What field are you in? You come to work every day, put in your time, read the trade publications, stay current on industry trends. Hey, guess what? You’re an expert. How you leverage this expertise depends on your own comfort level and skills. It’s important that you choose avenues that work for you. Following are a few options. Bylined Articles. Bylined articles are articles you submit that (hopefully) appear in a publication with your name listed as author. The trade publications, your local business paper, alumni magazines, all of these are excellent vehicles to approach with bylined articles. To save time, you may want to send a letter describing an idea you have for an article and see who bites, rather than writing the whole article that may or may not be printed. To increase inspire ideas for topics and increase the chance that your idea will be accepted, get a copy of the publication’s editorial calendar. This lists all the major themes the publication will be covering for the next several issues (often planned a year or more in advance). Pitch your idea (a relevant, industry-specific, cutting-edge topic that meets their theme) prior to the deadline and you’ll have the editor in the palm of your hand: “I was just thinking we needed an article on that. How did they know?” And before you submit a complete article, get a copy of the publication’s writer’s guidelines. This document details the magazine’s word count restrictions, topic taboos, and often provides readership demographics.The editorial calendar tells you what to write in your article. The writer’s guidelines tell you how to write your article. Now all you need to do is write the article. If writing’s not your forté, have an assistant write the article for you with your byline (you are the industry expert after all). This is common practice. Just make sure you contribute the content; let your assistant worry about the grammar. Speaking Opportunities. If you enjoy public speaking, or can at least get through a speech without drenching your underwear, think of three to six topics you would be comfortable speaking on (these should be germane to your business). Then approach trade associations, radio talk shows and clubs that have guest speakers. Present them with your list of topics, and available dates, and you may soon get a call. Public speaking opportunities help establish you as an industry authority. Be sure the group you’re working with gives you and your company mention in any press releases, brochures or other documents they create to publicize the event. Special Reports. Has your business done a survey recently that brought results others might be interested in reading? Turn it into a report, then send a press release announcing the report’s availability. (You may be surprised to learn how many people are interested in the proper way to seed their lawn.) Media Relations. Identify reporters who cover the industry you are familiar with. Form relationships with these reporters by providing them copies of hard-to-find reports, trade association news, and other industry information that may not be readily available. You’re not only making the reporter’s job easier by providing valuable information, you’re again establishing yourself as an industry authority. Don’t be surprised if you’re called on for a quote or an interview. When looking for ways to turn your industry knowledge into public relations opportunities, forget the old adage: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Sometimes it really is what you know. Need help implementing a new sales or marketing program? We've got two suggestions:
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