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Opinion

A guide to PR ideas for small businesses.

In our guide to PR ideas for small businesses, we're going to educate and arm you with everything you need to know to give your venture the visibility it deserves!

If you run a small business, you’ll probably have seen other companies basking in the glow of great media coverage. Maybe you’ve even thought to yourself: “Lucky devils, I wonder how they managed to achieve that?”

Possibly, there was a bit of luck involved. However, it’s much more likely that the favourable publicity was the result of proactive public relations work as part of their content marketing strategy. 

There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t achieve the same – as long as you understand:

  • What small business PR is and why you need it 
  • What platform is best for small business PR
  • What counts as a news story
  • Where PR story ideas come from
  • How to pitch story ideas successfully

If you want to know the answers to all these questions, read on!

What is small business PR and why do you need it?

PR is essentially embedding, protecting and strengthening your reputation with the people who matter most to you – your customers, your investors, your staff, your partners, your regulators, even your competitors - but with third party credibility.

These audiences already have an opinion about you and your business. For those who deal with you all the time, it will be based on direct experience. 

But there are many others who have little or no contact, especially future customers. Their view of you will be influenced by what they hear about you. So making sure there are enough positive messages about you out there is really important.

The essential element of PR for a small biz is that your quality reputation is talked about by someone other than you! PR works most effectively when other companies people already trust, from magazines to websites and radio shows to local papers, are the ones talking up your offer.

To summarise, PR is your reputation – it’s what makes you stand out from the crowd and gives you a competitive edge as well as boosting relationships with your key stakeholders.

Which platform is best for small business PR?

It’s no secret that traditional media, especially newspapers, have struggled in recent times. Editorial teams are smaller: advertising revenues have dropped as people increasingly go online to get information. 

Not every platform works in the same way so here’s a quick overview:

  • Press – daily or weekly, but their deadlines will differ. In any case, they may post stories online almost immediately. Reporters are under pressure, so make it easy by giving them everything they need, including quotes and photos.
  • Radio – a very reactive medium, which can provide access to substantial audiences. There are constant deadlines throughout the day. Radio newsrooms therefore tend to seek a fast response, and they’ll want an interview. So make sure you’re available!
  • TV – provides high impact and wide exposure. TV news is slower to respond and relies more heavily on advance planning because of the need to film on location. Don’t expect them to respond if you tell them your news on the day you want it to run. TV journalists like case studies because they provide human interest and pictures.
  • Specialist media – don’t overlook business press and trade publications, which may be receptive to stories you can’t place elsewhere. They can be a hugely beneficial part of PR for SMEs by enhancing reputation in target markets.

Journalists are very competitive. Targeting an individual reporter rather than going straight to the news desk can work well, because they like to be able to share something no one else knows.

Once a reporter knows you’re a useful source, they’re much more likely to be receptive the next time you approach them – and they may even start coming to you.

With every journalist, it’s essential to grab their attention before they lose interest. You have to quickly persuade them that they’ll be missing out if they don’t take what you’re offering. 

Let's look at how best to do that.

What counts as a news story?

News falls into a remarkably small number of categories. The more of these category boxes you can tick, the more likely you are to gain media coverage.

  • Events – A lot of things just happen. Extreme weather, wars, royal weddings, sporting events, crime. What can you make happen that will get your business noticed?
  • Human interest – people are interested in people. Is there an interesting backstory which led to you setting up your business? Can you find stories within your own team or customers?
  • Controversy – wherever there’s conflict, there’s a news story. Politics, protests and planning rows are all generally best avoided as a business. The attention you get may not be of the right kind!
  • The unusual – anything out of the ordinary tends to be newsworthy. Journalists are constantly being offered up stories about the average or mundane. Being different makes you stand out. Think about superlatives.  First, biggest, best – can you apply any of them to what you do, as part of the PR for your SME? The unusual can also be fun. Well-organised stunts are great for generating publicity.
  • Pictures – sometimes the image is the main part of the story, such as a building demolition or people in silly costumes. What image can your small biz offer up that someone will want to publish?
  • Topicality – this is the big one. The news media feed off each other. Can you ride the wave of something already in the news? To do so, you often need to act fast because topicality can quickly fade. But sometimes you can plan for it – for example, by commenting on a new Government policy which is relevant to your business. Times of year are topical too. Valentine’s Day, summer holidays, Christmas, Children in Need can all inspire a clever PR initiative.

The number one rule – make sure the story you’re offering is RELEVANT. It must be something that others want to know about, something which answers the “why should I care?” question.

Where do story ideas come from?

Public relations is a creative business. Get into the habit of thinking about opportunities on a regular basis. Ask yourself; “What have we done that’s newsworthy this week?” 

Here are a few ideas that might also help:

  • Share achievements – award wins or new contracts are opportunities to demonstrate your excellence and get media coverage at the same time.
  • Be an expert – offer to write a regular column for your local paper or trade publication. It’s a good way to establish yourself as a thought leader.
  • Introduce something new – new staff, new products, new partnership. Alternatively, simply improving something or doing something differently can be presented as new, if you explain why it matters.
  • Mark time – make the most of significant milestones in your business, such as anniversaries of its formation. Every day and week of the year have pegs attached to them. Look for and exploit the ones which are relevant to what you do.
  • Be an example – offer your business up to the media as a topical case study. This could be the latest figures on local economy or a major new report on business confidence. Or growing the world’s biggest potato.
  • Do surveys – many companies attract significant publicity by surveying their customers or the general public, and then sharing the results. These can be either serious or light-hearted. Humour is  memorable.
  • Be charitable – support a good cause, maybe one that’s relevant in some way to your business. It can be a great way to enthuse your staff too. You will also have a grateful charity or community group saying nice things about you. 
  • Take on a record – record-breaking attempts are always popular, both with journalists and the wider public. Perhaps get them involved. If the record has an obvious connection with your business, so much the better. 
  • Look for requests – did you know that journalists regularly put out appeals on Twitter for contributors to articles they’re writing? Often they’re seeking someone to provide a particular example or angle – and you may be able to provide exactly what they’re looking for! Simply follow @journo_request or search for #journorequest and #prrequest.

How do you pitch your story ideas successfully?

Even a great PR idea or story can fail if it’s not presented correctly. 

Traditionally, the best way to seek media coverage is from a press release. This is still a valuable way of getting across all the right information in one go – as long as it’s done in the right way. 

For a start, assume zero knowledge. Especially as a small or new organisation, the media you’re approaching may never have heard of you or understand the significance or value of what you do. 

Secondly, get their attention immediately. News desks receive hundreds of releases every day, so the journalist has to be hooked by the time they’ve read the headline and first couple of sentences. Otherwise, your release may well end up in the bin. 

On the other hand, if your story’s strong enough, you may be able to achieve more prominent coverage by offering it exclusively to one outlet. You also have to ensure that the release is easy to digest. 

Here’s a simple checklist of things your PR press release should contain:

  1. Your logo at the top, to ensure you get the credit.
  2. The date of the release – but avoid embargoes. Journalists tend to see them as something to be ignored, especially if it means they can publish the story before anyone else.
  3. A catchy title (but not cheesy – unless the release is humorous).
  4. Key facts – who, what, when, where, why, how. 
  5. A top quality accompanying photograph.
  6. An attributable quote – with the name and role of the person giving it.
  7. Contact details for follow-up enquiries, including outside normal office hours. If a reporter can’t get clarification when they want it, they may not run the story. 
  8. Notes to Editors – supporting details to go below the main body of the release, providing background information and context. Give a brief summary of your business history. Statistics are useful, such as details about your turnover and the number of people you employ. 
  9. A layout which enables the release to be scan read. This means short sentences (no more than 25 words) and paragraphs, with sensible line spacing. No release should be longer than two sides of A4.
  10. Avoid all technical jargon and use everyday language. Try reading your release out loud. If it doesn’t flow, it’s not right. (We can help with copywriting).

Successful PR is based on good relationships so get to know the journalists who could be most valuable to you. 

For the same reason, it’s good practice to make a phone call to explain the importance of your story, rather than just emailing a press release and hoping for the best. 

Reaching the right people is where using expert PR agencies can often help, especially if you’re time poor.

At Ketchup, we’re so busy making sure our clients have the marketing support they need to make them newsworthy that we are happy to bring in additional specialist expertise from partners like Arch Communications.

PR is not just about news and press releases

There are other ways you can enhance your reputation through your own channels.

Regular blogs will establish your expertise in your field. You may even want to go a step further and publish free reports or insights via your website. 

At the same time, make sure that you’re sharing any positive feedback or testimonials you’re receiving from customers. 

In all of this, your social media presence is crucial. Your online activity should constantly reflect your brand and reinforce your reputation. This is where signposting positive media coverage can be really helpful. Tag the relevant journalist and publication, and they may even share your posts with their big audiences. 

Finally, remember the importance of planning. Getting a one-off piece of media coverage may not be too difficult. However, that on its own will not do much for your reputation – unless that coverage is universal. 

It’s much better to develop a range of PR opportunities and then schedule them along a timeline, so you can gain more sustained media exposure. 

If you can achieve that, the higher profile of your business can bring real benefits. 

Enhance your marketing

PR can be a valuable element of a wider marketing strategy. 

And marketing strategy is something at which we excel. We consider your specific needs and then put together a comprehensive plan to meet them. For example, press releases played an important role in our support for both Stamford Stone and Belvoir Castle with news coverage bringing them to wider audiences.

If our guide to small business PR ideas has got you excited to boost your exposure and increase sales, get your business in the best shape to maximise PR opportunities by contact our friendly team here or click this link to email us directly.