Public Relations for Growth Companies. Joy Schoffler Principal

Transcription

1 Public Relations for Growth Companies Joy Schoffler Principal

2 What You Will Learn 2

3 Merriam Webster { } Public Relations noun The activity or job of providing information about a particular person or organization to the public so that people will regard that person or organization in a favorable way 3

4 What Is PR? Earned media, NOT advertising Story telling, NOT sales pitching 3 rd party validation, NOT self-promotion

5 Validation Stories written by the press are said to be 5 times more credible than other type of marketing or advertising you can buy.

6 Why Does PR Matter? When you stand out, others notice. Investor dollars Mainstream press Expert reputation Speaking engagements Analyst interest Writing opportunities Partnership opportunities Customers acquisition Better terms with suppliers Creates backlinks to increase SEO

7 First Things First Who is your target audience? (It can t be EVERYONE) Does your messaging convey relevance to your audience? Is your website professional and up-to-date? Have you established a social media presence? Have you identified your company spokesperson?

8 Social Branding Do your social profiles look professional? Possible first impression to investors and customers Complete all information Fully brand everything you can Facebook fan pages Twitter backgrounds LinkedIn company banners Google + banners

9 PR Terms Earned Media Press Release vs. Pitch Exclusive & Embargo Byline / Op-Ed Campaign Copy Hard News 9

10 Company Overview Elevator pitch Highlight caliber of leadership and unique value proposition How is it used? On website Speaking applications Sharing with the media 10

11 What to Highlight in Your Bio A bio should position you as an expert in your role and in your industry Have you got years on your competition? Does it matter? Include leadership and accomplishments Repurpose your resume Metrics and keywords Keep it to one page Use an active voice

12 NAME s personal background: Education, Degrees, City of Anatomy of a Bio NAME currently serves as ROLE at COMPANY, one line to describe company. Scope of responsibility or more detail about company. Prior to COMPANY, NAME did X, Y and Z. Be sure to mention key leadership positions and tie to what NAME currently does. Speak to NAMES s relevant expertise to current role: most prestigious speaking engagements, authorship, media hits, awards, board positions, etc. NAME s personal background: Education, Degrees, City of Residence

13 What Makes Something Newsworthy? Human Interest Does it appeal to the emotions in some way? Timing Is it happening now? Is it a trend? Is it new or different? Proximity Is it relative to reader s locations? Prominence Significance How many people does it affect? Are well-known people or companies involved? 13

14 Think Like a Reporter He s seeing things in a new way. How about you?

15 Pitch Perfect Common pitch types/topics we use Funding/acquisition/other hard news announcement Trend piece: how does client fit into a larger economic or societal trend? Thought leadership through op-eds/contributing articles Tips-based pitches Questions to ask to know if you have a solid pitch Is this new news, or at least a new angle/update on old news? Do you have sources to back up claims? Is this something fit for Tier 1, trade or low-tier media? How can you change it to attract the type of outlet you want? Will the resulting objectives meet your needs?

16 Media Training 101 Nothing is ever off the record Treat interviews like a friendly conversation Know your key messages and stick to them It s okay to pause after you are asked a question to collect your thoughts

17 Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader Speak at and attend tradeshows and conferences Go to community business networking events Maintaining a personal blog/active LinkedIn Contributing content to other outlets Join associations for your industry Accept board positions

18 What Do Investors Look for? Solid management team Previous accomplishments/exits Previous media coverage Client roster Digital presence Website or blog Social media profiles Quality of search results

19 How to Amplify Your News Let your target customers and investors know about your coverage Add press mentions to your website Integrate them into your marketing material Have an excerpt with a link to the story on your company blog your database about the mention Share through social media Mention the Twitter handle of the publication where the story is Thank people for sharing your article and mentioning your company

20 Leveraging Social Media Why It Matters SEO Customer service Lead generation Customer loyalty Reputation management ROI Reach journalists

21 Partnering with Larger Organizations When you re not the biggest fish in the sea... Always insist to deal with their PR team directly Play by their rules Over-communicate Get everything approved Be responsive, yet patient

22 How to Choose the Right PR Firm for You Good PR Firm Aligns PR campaigns with your business objectives Sets clear and reasonable expectations Has subject matter experts on staff Can point to specific media/industry relationships and recent placements Subpar PR Firm Promises everything without a clear plan to deliver Is overly generalist: Jack of all trades, master of nothing Offers too many services for the size of the company Size of team relative to client load