In a competitive world of content and message overload, particularly in the digital space, it takes technique and creativity to deliver quality, relevant content that will stand out to journalists. In this article, davies tanner shares some tips on how to maximise your chances of getting media coverage for your venue.
Know your target
It’s important that you read and know the titles you’re pitching to, so that you can ensure your content will be of interest and is presented in the right way, to the right person.
Research is your best friend; by following what a journalist, publication, podcast or influencer usually talks about, you can understand their style and interests, and then try to tailor your content to be consistent with this.
Combat information overload
Journalists receive a multitude of press releases daily, as well as emails and phone calls from companies and PRs who are pitching story ideas, putting pressure on them to sift through the clutter, whilst constantly looking for new angles that resonate with their readers.
For your story to make it in the press, you must ensure that what you are putting out is timely, relevant to your market’s trends and of high quality. Also, avoid regurgitating others’ opinions and try to make an original point on a topic relevant to your business.
Content is king
With an online world oversaturated with content, from videos and LinkedIn posts to e-newsletters and blogs, it is crucial to ensure that messages land appropriately. For your story to receive attention from journalists and readers it needs to be clear, concise and original. As Conference News Editor, Martin Fullard, said at EventLAB 2019, “If it bores you writing it, it will bore me reading it”.
Content not only comes in the form of press releases; journalists also look at social media feeds – perhaps even more than their emails – as they value opinion as much as news.
Social media should therefore be used with the view that a journalist may be reading your every post, as they are always looking for what is being said about their subject of interest.
To gain recognition post interesting content, share newsworthy stories relevant to your industry and engage in dialogue with others in your industry.
Influencer marketing
It’s not just about just targeting journalists anymore – influencers are increasingly important in propelling your brand messages and reaching your target audiences. Influencer Marketing is a hybrid of old and new marketing tools, taking the idea of the ‘celebrity’ endorsement and placing it into a modern-day content-driven marketing campaign.
Compared with journalists, influencers give brands the opportunity to plug into extended audiences, allowing for more creative and tailored message delivery – especially through video and audio content. The nature of influencer content means they can dive deep into a topic by adding a personal, relatable and authentic viewpoint.
Build relationships
The relationship between heads of venues, journalists and influencers is hugely important when maximising coverage. Relationships with journalists aren’t built by simply sending out emails with press releases. Trust is a key component, and this can be gained by having face-to-face meetings, asking for their opinions, checking in with them and putting in the effort to learn about their audience and what their goals and aspirations are. It should be a two-way street with media and influencers always on the lookout to build relationships with industry players and to expand their resources for stories and overall network.
Collaboration between journalists and businesses looking to promote their profile
can lead to more compelling content and deepen the relationship on both sides. If possible, involve a journalist or influencer in a story from the very beginning stages. Instead of relying on distributing ready-made copy, contact a journalist or influencer and talk them through the desired message and what you’re trying to achieve. This allows you to capitalise on their knowledge and expertise, which will in turn help to angle the story in a way their readership would enjoy, and secure that media coverage.
In our next newsletter article, we will be focusing on crisis communication and how to protect your brand’s reputation in today’s unpredictable world. We invite you to submit your questions at hirespace@daviestanner.com by 10th December 2019. For privacy purposes, we will name organisations when providing answers.
The How to PR Like a Pro Series
Hire Space has partnered with davies tanner to bring practical advice and takeaways on brand communications and PR to its venue members. The series of insightful articles forms part of our monthly newsletter.
With each newsletter, the ‘How to PR Like a Pro’ series will give our venue members the opportunity to get personalised advice on the topics covered in the series of insightful articles by emailing questions to hirespace@daviestanner.com. The articles will cover a range of useful topics, from how to write impactful PR content, to maximising the chances of getting media coverage, to managing your brand’s reputation and crisis communications.
Our previous article focused on how to write strong and compelling PR content. This article leads on from this, with tips on how to maximise trade media coverage for your venue, from building relationships with journalists, providing quality, relevant content, to the use of influencers.
About davies tanner
davies tanner is an independent specialist PR agency dedicated to delivering tailor made, engaging and powerful brand communication strategies and campaigns for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. As specialists in launching and repositioning venues, hotels and destinations, we have strong media contacts and extensive influencer relationships, and are proud to work with some of the most respected, trusted and recognised hotel, venue, restaurant, destination, spa and golf brands across the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. To find out more, visit daviestanner.com or call Andra Miclaus on 01892 619 100.
