Submitted by Sabina Hitchen on | 0 Comments
Just as you may be spring cleaning your home, garden or desk this month, it's essential that different parts of your PR campaign get a once (or twice) over to be sure they're ready to go and "strategically sound" for spring. Use our tips below as a checklist to ensure you do just that!
Your Email Signature:
Let's start out nice and easy. Open an email and check out what your signature says at the bottom. Does it include all of your contact essentials, your website and your social media handles? Does it add that extra something special (and strategic) like a link to your newsletter or scoop on your latest press. Maybe you have a quote that speaks to your personal or professional mantra. Let your signature speak for you long before you actually connect with anyone face-to-face or on the phone!
Media Kit Must-Haves:
Though every media kit is different just as every business is, you’ll want to be sure yours includes these musts, and you should take time this month to be sure they’re up-to-date with current company news, statistics, press and offerings: biography, “About Us” for your company, any relevant press releases (don’t include these just to include them, make sure it’s newsworthy information like product or company launches), linesheets/product lists and of course any product or personal photos (like your own headshot).
Media Targets and Contact Lists:
Don’t just keep going around in circles pitching the same people every month, widen your media outreach net. Spend some focused, strategic time updating your contact list, checking out new possible media targets – even checking out where businesses similar to you or in your niche (or even competitors) have received coverage, as this is a pretty good sign that the people who are writing about them cover your type of story. The goal with this To Do list item is to have you look at your current media outreach and spruce it up for spring. Look at who you’re planning on reaching out to and be sure they’re still the best fit for your business. Study some of the powerful new emerging online magazines and blogs, check out your local press, start thinking of new angles to share your story and new places to share it in! Instead of making this a daunting chore make it a fun challenge for yourself or your team and set out to create a complete and clean list of media contacts with whom you can create new, press-producing relationships!
Need more contact hunting tips & strategies? Check out this podcast!
Update Those Pitches & Images:
The seasons have changed and your pitches better too! If you’ve been using the same pitches and follow-ups for a few months now, it’s time to spruce ‘em up and give them a spring makeover. You’ll want to do the same thing with the images you’re embedding or including in your pitches – even if you have the same offerings, try to create a fresh, new way of displaying them visually. As always, we’re big fans (and not paid to say it!) of Fotor, an app that let you do this from computer or phone quite easily! Want to be sure your pitch is perfectly put together? Be sure to read this before you send it off!
