Crafting your PR strategy: A step-by-step guide to gaining media exposure

 If you're looking to get your business noticed, developing a robust PR strategy is essential. But where do you start?

Step 1: Define Your Positioning Statement Start by crafting a positioning statement—a few sentences that clearly highlight what sets your business apart from the competition. This will be your guiding light in all communications.

Step 2: Set Clear Objectives What do you want your PR efforts to achieve? If you’re a restaurant owner, your goals might include promoting a new menu, boosting your public profile, increasing patronage, and ultimately, growing revenue. Tailor your objectives to reflect the specific outcomes you seek.

Step 3: Identify Your Target Audience and Media Who are your ideal customers? Define them by gender, age, lifestyle, and income. Next, identify the media outlets that will best reach this audience. Compile a targeted list of newspapers, magazines, websites, and broadcast media that align with your market.

Step 4: Research Contacts Find out who is best positioned to tell your story. For a restaurant, this might be the food editor of a local paper. Utilise the 'contact' section on media websites to gather this information effectively.

Step 5: Develop Compelling Story Angles Brainstorm unique angles that make your business newsworthy. Are you launching the city’s first all non-fat, gluten-free dessert menu? Is your clothing store bringing back 70s fashion with a modern twist? Each angle should be engaging and relevant.

Step 6: Craft and Send Your Pitch Write a succinct email pitch to the chosen media contact, highlighting your story's uniqueness and relevance. Keep it to a few paragraphs and include your contact information for easy follow-ups. If applicable, attach a press release for more detailed information.

Step 7: Follow Up After sending your pitch, follow up with a phone call if you haven't heard back in a few days. Persistence is key, but remember, continuously hassling journalists can be counterproductive.

Expanding Your Strategy Remember, a PR strategy isn't just about pushing stories. Consider writing opinion pieces, engaging in public speaking, creating email newsletters, running social media campaigns, blogging on your website, and contributing letters to the editor.

Effective PR is all about telling a compelling story. With the right approach, not only will you enhance your brand's visibility, but you'll also see an uptick in profits.

For more insights on building a successful PR strategy and to learn about our comprehensive services, visit www.jaimieabbott.com.