Brilliant PR
Create a PR sensation, whatever your budget, whatever your business
Written by the features editor of the leading UK weekly for PR
professionals, PRWeekand featuring contributions from journalists, PR professionals and
small business owners, this book shows you how to successfully use PR to promote yourself
and your business.
Coveringevery aspect of public relations, from identifying your compelling proposition,
pitching a story and writing a press release, through to mastering social media and
executing a good campaign, it is packed full of insider stories, sample press releases and
examples of good PR, so you’ll find out how to make a winning impact.
Brilliant Outcomes :
- Learn how to present yourself or your business to the public
- Understand the elements of a PR campaign and how to pitch to the media
- Find out how to manage a crisis
- Discover the power of social networking and how to get noticed online
Cathy Wallace is features editor of PRWeek, the leading title for the UK PR
industry. Prior to PRWeek she worked for a range of daily and weekly newspapers and
magazines, and first cut her teeth as a trainee reporter on a local newspaper more than
seven years ago.
Table of Contents
Introduction: what is PR?
A brief introduction to public relations, how it works and the benefits it can bring to
businesses and individuals.
First things first: identifying your USPs
What are the key messages you want to get out there? Discover what it is that makes
your business different: is it the product or service you offer, your pricing structure,
excellent customer service, the personal touch? And how will you package your USP, key
messages, logo and branding into a consistent format and preparing your business for wider
scrutiny and exposure?
Essential background: understanding the media
What are the different media outlets – local, regional and national press, local,
regional and national radio, regional and national TV, trade press, consumer magazines,
bloggers, social networking websites and wider online media. How does each sector of the
media work and how do you choose which media outlets to target? Understand what
journalists really want and how to develop relationships with key media contacts.
Telling stories: how to create a good news story or feature
How do you find the right person to pitch to and how do you prepare a complete package
to make the journalists’ life as easy as possible (making them more likely to run your
story)?. How do you find a ‘news angle’ for them and write a basic press release. This
chapter also includes dos and don’ts, and a list of top tips from journalists on what
they look for in a pitch.
The campaign: successful strategies for consistent and ongoing media coverage
Includes experiential and stunt-based PR; competitions and promotional initiatives;
targeting trade press; raising your personal profile; generating quality coverage through
ongoing initiatives and news hooks. Advice on ideas generation from a PR professional.
Getting the media ‘on your side’. When to be careful of over-exposure and pushing too
hard, and how to avoid souring ongoing relationships.
Your online presence: websites, copy, blogs, networking and much more!
How to generate a presence online through blogging, social networking and sharing
content. Blogger relations and how to build online networks.
Crisis management: dealing with negative stories, factual inaccuracies and
other problems
Develop strategies to deal with negative publicity and ways to turn it into a positive
outcome.
Conclusion: next steps
Take your PR to the next level including: negotiating exclusives, incorporating
advertising and other marketing initiatives, expanding your remit, when to take on a PR
agency and how to choose one that will service your needs the best.
Glossary/jargon busting:
A guide to some of the oft-used terminology in media and PR, and how to both avoid, and
see through, it.
168 pages, Paperback