What makes good PR?

PR – start by becoming your company’s roving reporter When asked what makes good PR (public relations), I usually give a simple answer – good stories. The media love them, so my tip for this month is to put on a journalist’s hat and discover what’s happening in your organisation. Find an angle and hook ‘em in Think up, down and around a story to find a unique angle. I use an NLP technique called ‘chunking’ to help me do this. For example, a story about new packaging is unlikely to get coverage. A celebrity-designed box or a process using NASA technology will probably have more interest. Make them interesting It sounds obvious to ensure your stories are interesting, but it is so often overlooked. Ask your trusted friends and colleagues for their honest opinion. If you are still not sure, give me a ring on +44 (0)1283 808460 to see what I think! The best media stories have one or more of the following elements: Is the story are topical and timely Is the story relevant to the readers /viewers/listeners of your target media? Is the angle unusual, or better still, unique? Is there an element of controversy? Journalists like – need – tension to make an interesting news story Is there plenty of human interest with people who can tell their story like it is and with impact? Stories to look out for Look out for awards, charity events, celebrity visits and anniversaries. Find triumph over adversity stories; good versus evil; major milestones or issues linked to something in the news. Stories about the first, last, biggest, smallest, most, least and best of all, unique always go down well.  Mix business with pleasure Feel free to mix business with pleasure. If someone in your organisation is trying to raise £1,000 for a charity, consider making it your corporate charity of the year and raise £10k. Hold events to support them, and help to issue photos to the press afterwards with a write up: ‘Mrs Smith, a worker at XYZ company has been astonished at the generosity of her co-workers to help raise this fantastic amount’. Happy reporting! Sookias Media helps businesses increase awareness, leads and sales. Through consulting, training and marketing we help them understand and use a range of marketing techniques including press releases, public relations (PR), digital PR, social media as well as more traditional marketing tools such as newsletters, eshots and direct mail.  For a no-obligation, impartial chat about how marketing and PR can improve your sales pipeline, call Hannah on +44 (0)1283 808460 or email hello@sookiasmedia.com.