For any small business wanting to get noticed the power of TV, radio and print is invaluable in getting your name out to thousands of people in a short amount of time.  But for many small businesses this exposure is elusive and they are left wondering why their competitors keep getting all the luck!  If that’s you, we’re here to change all of that and help you get your name in lights with these three little secrets:

  1. Editorial calendar

If you want to be featured in the media you first need to understand how the media works – just like fashion, the media has seasons, magazines have the longest lead time usually. Publications such as Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Cleo which are produced monthly are planned months and months in advance.  There’s no point pitching your Christmas hamper to them in November because you would’ve well and truly missed the boat on that one. Knowing this information can help you plan your PR strategy. TV ad radio and newspapers have their own editorial calendars too. Keeping this in mind when planning what to send will help you improve your chances of being featured.

  1. Do your homework

Writing press releases, sending emails, posting out products, all takes valuable time and money and you are wasting both if you haven’t bothered to do your homework BEFORE you begin. You’d never dream of sending a cloth nappy sample to a fishing magazine but just emailing everyone on a media list is the same thing, you’ll end up in the spam folder. You’re far better off being strategic and targeted. Think about which type of publications you want to be featured in and then learn more about them – who is the editor, the journalists, the producer, the reporters? What sort of stories do they talk about and most importantly who is talking about products or services like yours?

  1. Build a relationship

It’s not what you know but who you know. If you’ve heard this phrase before it’s because in some cases it’s true. If I’m honest, I’m more likely to feature someone on the blog who has been nice to me in the past than someone who just emails out of the blue.  This can be frustrating for those just starting out but the good news is that there are ways to get on the good side of journalists and reporters. My first advice is to identify a publication you specifically want to work with and find out the journalist’s name. Using their name is not just polite, it’s essential. I don’t know about you but if I get an email from someone and they can’t be bothered using my name I’m a lot less likely to read it. This one little thing can set you apart from the hundreds of people who pitch every day. If you are fortunate enough to be picked up by the media always follow up with a thank you email, so you can build that relationship further.

If you loved these tips you’ll be excited to know that the new round of Johanna Baker-Dowdell’s Make Me A Star PR program starts soon! Johanna is our PR guru and is the reason our AusMumpreneur Awards have been featured on SunriseToday Show Australia,Today Tonight and in newspapers and magazines all over Australia! She is the real deal and will be revealing even more secrets to how to be noticed by the media! This program is a great way for you to get your PR strategy all organised so you can hit the ground running for 2015! Program starts on 17 November.
The Make Me a Star program includes six one-hour online learning sessions.

  • Session 1: PR groundwork and planning
  • Session 2: Media Lists and Media Releases
  • Session 3: Pitching to the Media and PR Writing
  • Session 4: Editorial Calendars and PR Opportunities
  • Session 5: Social Media and Brand YOU
  • Session 6: Your PR Strategy

 

Sign up for the course here:
https://ausmumpreneur.com/make-me-a-star-e-course/