Marketing feature - attention seeking

Attention seeking?

Approach your target media with the right messages, at the right time, and you can increase your success rate in achieving that sought after free media coverage says marketing specialist Sarah Dyer, founder of Coconut Creatives.

Start with objectives!
Many franchisors have used press releases successfully to communicate their franchise package to their target audience. Before you embark on a press campaign, it is vital to be clear on your objectives, for example raising brand awareness or complementing a franchisee recruitment campaign.

Only if it’s newsworthy
It is very tempting for any business to produce story after story and believe that each and every word is nail-bitingly newsworthy. Occasionally members of the media may not agree and this can result in doing more harm than good. It’s like the boy who cried wolf - they will eventually ignore what you send them if the previous two releases have been poorly written and irrelevant. Every press release should start by considering the target audience for the particular newspaper or magazine that you are approaching: what will help them sell more copies and what will they find interesting?

Don’t think outside the box…  rip the box up!
Editors receive many stories which are similar, in particular stories about gaining new franchisees. If they printed them all then their magazine would sound repetitive and bore the readers. By providing them with fresh, relevant copy that is unique to your business you dramatically increase your chances of achieving much-needed free coverage. Here are just a few ways you can turn an otherwise standard story into a unique one:

• Link a franchisee case study to a latest government whitepaper with interesting statistics
• Stretch the appeal of your franchise package by tying it in with a national news story
• If you have specific franchise zones you wish to sell, find a way of showing demand for your services in that area and show prospective franchisees what they are missing out on
• Think about your suppliers and whether they represent a good story angle
  

If none of the above spark your creativity, set an hour aside with your team (who work in different areas of the business) and hold a brainstorming session for new PR stories. Then ensure you write a plan of action, which includes the time of year best suited to each of the story ideas and to which media types they suit.

Relationships with editors
Editors receive many stories every day, therefore you will have more success if the same person in your organisation manages your media relations and builds up relationships with editors, feature writers and journalists. It is always a good idea to obtain a forward features list so that you know what the editor intends to write about, such as ‘families in franchising’, and you can do the necessary research to get the press release right for that particular issue.

Always ask editors how they want your story such as via email or post, and ensure your story is backed up by available images.

Customisation
A surprising amount of releases are sent out in a generic format to an entire media list. Ensure that your content is relevant: if you are sending out a story to a national newspaper you will want national statistics, if you are concentrating on a certain region you will want regional statistics. If you are time short, it is far better to send less people on your media list a customised release that has more chance of being printed. Care should be taken to ensure you adhere to the house style, which can vary enormously between publications. Check you have the correct tone, type of wording, length of sentences and quantities of images and quotes.


Feature lists and events
Most publications know what they will be concentrating on over the coming months, furthermore the franchise industry has a clear cycle with key events at the same time every year.

Use these as PR milestones to help you plan what to write about. By launching a new franchise on the lead up to a major franchise show, such as October’s National Franchise Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham, you are more likely to ride off the momentum and buzz about franchising in general.

Timing, timing, timing!
It is sometimes worth holding a good story back by a few days or even a few weeks to avoid clashing with major events (like the World Cup final) as there will be more room in the paper for you when there is less going on that will be viewed as more newsworthy.

Measuring return on investment
There are a number of ways that your return on time and investment can be measured. The easiest way is to measure the amount of free editorial space you achieved in any particular publication and compare that space against how much it would cost if it were paid for advertising space. However, if you are sending out press on both a national and regional basis, you will undoubtedly miss a few. This often happens with the regional daily newspapers as they cannot always let you know when they are going to print your piece.

A way around this is to employ a press clippings service. There are many companies that offer this service and they will send you press clippings when you have been featured. However this service can be quite costly and you need to weigh up the value that it holds.

Part of an integrated campaign
PR has a valuable role to play as part of an integrated campaign, which can include online and printed advertising, website development, direct marketing and e-marketing. If you get the press right, you can enhance a campaign from around three to ten times your spend using magazine, national newspapers and online communication channels.