PR is for life not just for Christmas

Dear Lovely Business Owner,

PR is for life not just for Christmas

I know many of you are wrapping up your 2017, reviewing you progress and results- me too!

I have heard from many of you too that you have put together your launches and offers for this festive season and for January 2018 and beyond!

Me too!

Here’s a few nuggets about PR to support you during this festive season and beyond!!

With PR, like Christmas there are times to plan for it and times to be in the moment

You  know this with your Christmas Shopping, some people need a lot more thought for their presents and you cannot just wing it in the supermarkets on Christmas Eve! You know who and what I am talking about!  This can be likened with PR to the need to research carefully your pitch. For example ensuring that you are showing that you have consumed their media, and spent time researching what they might be looking for, and acknowledging that you understand their audience, instead of just enthusiastically pinging off an email, without the care, which will most of the time just be ignored! Sad but true, as it is like spam to them!

Time to plan for it are for magazine features, ie who plan 3 to 6 months in advance typically! Again with Christmas, you might have a particular present you need to pre-order to avoiding missing out on presenting it to that person on the big day, the same thing is relevant for presenting story ideas to the media. For example: presenting a Summer pitch ie for June, in February is typically too late for the monthlies! Yes really.

Time to be spontaneous and in the moment, are when a news story breaks and you
just go with the moment- this is called Newsjacking!

This is, Newsjacking when you need to pick up the phone to the media and give them your take on a situation. Not a time to hide behind a screen. It’s time for big knickers but potential big wins though!! It’s  a superpower!!

Time to plan for it is for a television show, unless it’s a hot story of the moment, it is good to pitch them 4-6 even 8 weeks ahead!

This is what I call; channelling our ‘inner Virgo, ie getting very organised, and focussed on details and forward-planning and holding yourself accountable to a plan, and following through. For example: once you have carefully researched a pitch for a publication, it is your job to follow up, and follow up and FOLLOW UP, as the media will rarely chase you!

Time to be spontaneous, 24/7 on Twitter there is something called #journorequest where journalists and tv producers from all over the world post their last minute call outs for features!

You have to respond v fast to be considered though, as this is their last resort option, as they have exhausted mostly all of their other options! Often with Twitter requests, it is not just speed, it can be willingness for you to drop your client work, and be on a radio or tv show too in a matter of hours!

Talk about needing to be spontaneous! Yes really, the news happens in the moment, which is why sometimes the media requires instant responses!

Time to plan; sending out carefully researched pitches to media that you would love to featured in, as they are looking for you! ie making sure you have consumed their media, have a personalised pitch acknowledging that you have consumed their media, ie I love.. this piece you wrote because…

then offering a story idea or feature idea for a specific section of their media, and THEN, ie afterwards introducing yourself in a few sentences, no more as it’s about how you can help them not how great you are, it’s PR, whilst being a part of marketing, it is not exactly the same!!

Want more help and insights? Well…. I’d a wonderful Christmas deal for you…

Drum Roll please..

Love Carrie x #spiritualPR