If you’re an entrepreneur, SMB or startup, a press release can especially be a powerful tool.  When written and implemented correctly, a great press release (or press release program) can propel a company to the local, regional or national spotlight, at a relatively low cost. 

​However, not all press releases are the same and you shouldn’t use a one-size fits all approach.  The writer’s experience, knowledge and intuition for what will resonate with the media all play an important part.

Before you even start a press release, here are some important questions to consider: 

• Is your topic newsworthy – would the media be interested? 
• Do you know how to write a press release to gain the attention of the media?
• Do you know how to get the release in the hands of the right media?  A fee-based wire service helps – we recommend these services to most of our clients – but it is only one component in reaching the right media.
• When should you send the release to your media targets?  Many media – including daily newspapers and TV – have deadlines in advance of the publication and airdate.  

Although it is almost the end of the year, there is still time to think about public relations for your 2019 Q1 tradeshows and events, such as CES which begins in less than a month. 

CES is one of the largest tradeshows in the country and is home to more than 4,500 exhibitors showcasing the latest and greatest consumer technologies from 3D printers, AR/VR and gaming to drones and self-driving technology.  It can be overwhelming to say the least, especially for startups and entrepreneurs.  For them, PR and media outreach are often left until just days before the show or event (if they even think of it at all).  Many of these events are also great opportunities to obtain media coverage, so not starting your PR outreach soon enough can result in missed media opportunities.  However, there is still time to utilize these PR tips to make the most of your presence at CES and other Q1 shows and events:

• Identify what is new and different.  What do you have in your exhibit that will excite the media?  Think about new products, exciting trends and the like.
• Know to whom you should be talking.   At shows such as CES, direct outreach to the media is a must if you want coverage.  For some, making sure that show management and show PR know what is new and different is a more effective way to go. 
• Make sure you have someone who has the skills to pitch your company to the media.   If you’re going to reach out to the media directly, make sure you have someone with the expertise to pitch your story to the media.  This is the most beneficial tip, especially for the last minute.  If you don’t or are unsure, think about contacting outside resources for help or for a consultation.

Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to making the most of your PR presence at your upcoming shows and events!

Fall is just around the corner and for many businesses, it is a time for planning and moving forward and PR is one of the most cost-effective tools you can use to help promote your business.  Even if you do not have a big budget; there is a lot you can do with the smallest of financial outlays utilizing PR.

Here are just a few tips to consider:

• New products or services.  If your company makes a product or offers a service, have you ever formally announced this to the media?  If not, consider looking at PR to unveil your new product or service offering to the press.
• Fall or holiday promotions.  Are there any seasonal or holiday tie-ins with your business that you can promote through PR?  Even if you are a business-to-business company, there are often milestones that tie in with your business that you can promote through a news release or other media outreach.
• Partnerships and customers.  Do you have partnerships or a name recognizable to customers that you can publicize?  Many businesses do, but often overlook this avenue.   Press releases on partnerships, as well as articles on customers and how they are using your products are just a couple of ways that you can promote these through PR.

Like many entrepreneurs, SMBs and startups, your time may be short to implement these on your own.  Hiring someone fulltime or hiring a traditional agency (which can often cost thousands, if not tens of thousands, a month, depending on your industry and focus) is not in the reach for many.  There are boutique agencies and solo practitioners that can offer you advice at startup budgets and you can often get much more senior level professionals by going this route.  However, even with this don’t simply go for the cheapest price.  Look for an agency or professional with a repeatable track record on getting things done.

The first question you may have is what are editorial and media calendars?  They are calendars of planned articles, theme issues and stories published by the media to help advertisers with their ad planning.  This leads to the next question; how do you utilize these for public relations, especially for young emerging companies or SMBs hungry for media exposure?  One of the key elements is finding out when media are planning stories relevant to your company or market and reaching out to the reporters, editors and writers with your story or product for possible editorial consideration.
 
However, using the calendars for PR is time intensive (something many entrepreneurs, SMBs and startups are short on) and also requires a very specific skill set and knowledge.  Investing the time and resources will payoff for the startup or SMB trying to gain media exposure, by tying in with articles, features and stories already planned by the media.
 
Remember, leveraging editorial and media calendars is time consuming, but the benefits are worth it.  Not only does it help you build relationships and awareness with the media (even if you’re not included in the story), but you gain inclusion in an article or story that you wouldn’t have been in otherwise.  For most entrepreneurs, SMBs and startups, that is a good thing.

For many entrepreneurs, SMBs and startups, TV is the ideal medium for coverage, but not always accessible if they don’t know where to begin.  BYPR’s track record in getting startups and smaller companies (as well as larger clients) covered by TV, ranging from local news to national broadcast media including ABC News and The Discovery Channel, is impressive.  But as with all public relations, it is important to make sure that it fits your goals and objectives.
 
A few areas to consider are:

• What are your goals and objectives for reaching out to TV? 
• Do you have something visual to show on TV? 
• Do you know how to package and propose a story to them?  Do you know who to contact, how to contact them and at what times of day? 

 
For so many entrepreneurs, startups and SMBs, no matter how experienced they are in media, their main focus is on running their businesses.  Generating media coverage is time intensive.  For many, sourcing from an outside agency, such as BYPR, is the best way to go.

​BYPR’s specialty is emerging and startup companies and our structure reflects that, including costs.  One of our unique qualities in the PR industry is our consultative package.  This includes working with our clients to develop ways they can implement and execute part or all of their own PR, with expert guidance by BYPR.  We have different levels of service for the package, but the overall objective is to help give companies – particularly smaller startups and emerging businesses – access to senior level PR counsel, at prices that fit their budget.

With the start of summer, many people will be taking extended breaks from their businesses, either going on a long vacation or enjoying some relaxing days at the beach.  While this is highly recommended, summer also marks the start of the perfect timing to your PR planning.
 
Magazines and longer lead news outlets typically are putting together their holiday gift guides now with year-end round up/year in review issues and their 2017 editorial calendars not far behind, so summer is the ideal time to get your public relations plans and goals for the fall, winter and beyond, started now. 
 
BYPR has several approaches to this time of year to help companies have a successful PR plan.  One of the most important factors is making sure your PR agency is on some type of ongoing, regular relationship such as a retainer that includes regular monthly media outreach as well as general strategy and planning, in addition to project-specific media relations such as new product announcements or corporate news.  This approach solidifies that opportunities such as holiday gift guides, editorial calendars, upcoming events and much more, are never missed.

 When a client comes to us with their product or service they want to promote through public relations, there are many factors that brought them to BYPR over larger PR agencies.  
 
While we serve startups really well, we also service larger companies that like to use boutique agencies and consultants for personal service, expertise and cost savings.  Sometimes it takes a little more work on their end, usually just to find the resources in this bracket, but the results and senior level counsel they receive from us is usually well worth it.
 
When evalutating an agency, here are some questions to ask.  If there is media follow-up, who does it?   Are they given talking points for the follow-up calls?  What exactly does the account supervisor do on the account?  With larger agencies these important day-to-day activities can easily fall through the cracks or get passed on to a junior level associate who may not have the expertise to handle these situations.  Here are a few tips to our processes that we have found highly effective and a key feature as to why our clients choose BYPR:
 
1. We put the senior professionals on the day-to-day direct serving of our clients’ accounts, backed by our network of support professionals behind the scenes, instead of following the standard agency model of putting less senior professionals on the daily servicing, with input by senior staff.
2. In particular, at BYPR senior professionals do the planning, writing and media follow-up.  That is why we get great results for our clients – many of whom are emerging companies or startups.  It is not uncommon for our clients to get coverage in top national media outlets such as re/code, GeekWire, Fortune and many more!
3. Costs.  Many of our startup clients are priced out of obtaining professional PR counsel because of the cost of many standard agencies.  At BYPR, we have a streamlined business model that allows us to service these clients at prices to fit their budget. 
4.  Personal service.  At the same time, we also service larger organizations that value the personal service, availability and cost effectiveness that our business model provides.