If people don’t read or know about something, did it even happen? American Homebrewers Association members are always up to something newsworthy, from creating a new beer to hosting fun events and taking part in community activities. These happenings deserve to be highlighted and read about, whether on social media, in local news, or both.
For those of you who do not have a strong media presence, it’s never too late to start building relationships with reporters. Look to local media members who often cover community events or beer-related news, and invite them to join you at your events or even out for a beer to get to know them and discuss the stories they’re working on. Then see if they would be interested in including your company’s news in any upcoming articles.
These additional media tips will help you further your public relations efforts for maximum coverage.
- Be Prepared: Make sure to have your spokesperson ready, and put together talking points for them to revert to when speaking with media. It’s best to identify three main talking points that they can revert back to. Additionally, it’s always best practice to make sure they are ready and prepared for any media opportunities.
- Keep Materials Concise: Make sure when sending an email or writing a press release or pitch to the media that your materials are short and to the point, with only key information being involved. Think about it this way: when reading through online articles or emails, you are most likely to read through short articles or listicles instead of long-winded pieces.
- Be Persistent: Don’t be afraid to do multiple rounds of follow-up. Most coverage tends to be generated from two to three rounds of follow up. If you don’t hear back from reporters after sending an email, make sure to follow up via a phone call.
- Post-Event Coverage: Even if media did not attend your event, you can still generate post-event coverage for it. During the event, make sure to take pictures and write up captions to send to press outlets because this is easy pre-packaged content for media to include in their publications.
- Crediting: Make sure you always ask the reporter to include your website information in their piece. For online coverage, it’s important to make sure you request that the editor include a hyperlink back to your webpage to help increase search engine optimization (SEO).
- AHA Events: Make sure to take advantage of AHA events. These are great opportunities to connect with media and homebrewers and further your public relations efforts.
Public relations is paramount for spreading brand awareness and building a buzz around your shop. By following the above tactics, you will help maximize your shop’s success. Always remember that you are the expert in your field and that you have a story to tell. Public relations materials are simply the props to help tell your story.
Alexandra Kofsky is an account executive at The Rosen Group and serves as media relations consultant for the American Homebrewers Association. The Rosen Group (www.rosengrouppr.com) is a full-service public relations firm that provides its diverse group of entrepreneurial clients with innovative ideas, trustworthy counsel, and results-driven campaigns that encompass media relations, special events, social media, and collateral materials.
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