ideas for more publicity

[jane p]

We have been shortlisted for a national competition where our website and shop will be seen by quite a few online.

Our local press and radio may feature a story. I have told our local business link too. Any other ideas?

Would people be interested in being mentioned on our site too and what would we charge? Or is that not a good idea?

Any ideas would be good!
Thanks.

[ne-it]

Where is your business based?

In terms of charging for publicity, it may be worth your while to consider other forms of reward? The beauty of modern enterprise means you may be able to trade publicity for a host of other rewards bar immediate financial gains and these may prove more fruitful over the long term. For example you may consider trading publicity for consultancy/technical skills or -depending on the scale of your business- freebies and discounts from the suppliers of your inventory and other assets?

Best regards,

Mo.

[jane p]

Worcester. Thanks for your reply.

[publicityheaven]

What's the award for Jane?

[ne-it]

Worcester. Thanks for your reply.

You're welcome and it's a shame you're not based in the North East :-( What's your website address?

[jane p]

What's the award for Jane?

We have been shortlisted for small business of the year. There are 5 of us.

[jane p]

You're welcome and it's a shame you're not based in the North East :-( What's your website address?

no its a shame your not in Worcester ha ha ;) only playing.

Its www.pottersmeats.co.uk (http://www.pottersmeats.co.uk)

[ne-it]

no its a shame your not in Worcester ha ha ;) only playing.

No worries that's cool :-) and nice site.

Interested to know if your meat is locally sourced? And do you create the marinades yourselves? I'm intending on approaching a local enterprise similar to yours to take part in a regional based survey, hence asking where you're based. BTW they're meat retailers/wholesalers and I'm sure they'd be interested in your differentiated product :-)

[publicityheaven]

We have been shortlisted for small business of the year. There are 5 of us.

Assuming the other finalists aren't local, a good PR strategy would be to make it not just about your business, but about your area.

So you tell all your customers they get a free sausage if you win, because it's great news for Worcester.

Put giant posters up in your shop. Take all your local media a platter of free food so they can experience why you're so good you are in the finals.

Splash it all over your website. A win for Potters is a win for Worcester!

Good luck

[ne-it]

Totally agree with Paul Green. You can't go wrong in establishing a robust local support :-)

[Be Known PR]

Working on the assumption that you just sell to local customers and are not yet at the stage of delivering meat around the UK, then I would say you need to make sure you capitalise on the nomination/award with your local media.

The award itself being covered will be a start, but to really make a difference to your profile and business you need more prolonged coverage. I would start by approaching Worcester News, Limeted Edition, Hereford Society etc and try to get them to take regular recipes/tips from you for their food sections. That way you will build up a following.

[jane p]

Thanks i think the Worcester paper may do a story they will be asked anyway. Whats the Limited Edition and Hereford Society etc not heard of them?

Yes its just local people reallywho buy. The website however may get seen by quie a few national people who are looking next week.

[Be Known PR]

You are also in prime self-catering cottage area so maybe look at getting in to local tourist guides as being able to provide holidaymakers with hassle free food they just need to stick on the grill.

[Be Known PR]

Thanks i think the Worcester paper may do a story they will be asked anyway. Whats the Limited Edition and Hereford Society etc not heard of them?

The paper may do a piece on the business but that will just be one piece in one week's paper. If you speak to them about then following that up with ongoing recipe ideas in their food section then you will be getting prolonged coverage so that people don't get a chance to forget about you.

Limeted Edition and Hereford Society are two local lifestyle magazines that get delivered to houses in the wealthy districts of the region. There are probably a number of other local lifestyle magazines you could try as well.

[jane p]

The paper may do a piece on the business but that will just be one piece in one week's paper. If you speak to them about then following that up with ongoing recipe ideas in their food section then you will be getting prolonged coverage so that people don't get a chance to forget about you.

Limeted Edition and Hereford Society are two local lifestyle magazines that get delivered to houses in the wealthy districts of the region. There are probably a number of other local lifestyle magazines you could try as well.

i dont know if they have a food section actually but can check. I contacted the Hereford Society a minute ago to see what they say.

[eventdomain]

I have some experience of Awards shows, and there can be many 'Finalists', but only a few winners of each category eg: 1 winner out of 15 companies...... so that's 14 that lose out on media attention.

Usually its just the Winners that get the press, and 'Finalists' don't hardly get mentioned along side them. So don't count on anything.

I've seen websites where award finalists, claim they won the category and the shiny award, but on checking didn't win at all. Very tough to win these things as the competition is really up there, so being a finalist or 'nominated' - and knowing what I know, mmmm, I doubt you'll get much from it.

[papverpoppies]

I have some experience of Awards shows, and there can be many 'Finalists', but only a few winners of each category eg: 1 winner out of 15 companies...... so that's 14 that lose out on media attention.

Usually its just the Winners that get the press, and 'Finalists' don't hardly get mentioned along side them. So don't count on anything.

I've seen websites where award finalists, claim they won the category and the shiny award, but on checking didn't win at all. Very tough to win these things as the competition is really up there, so being a finalist or 'nominated' - and knowing what I know, mmmm, I doubt you'll get much from it.

That is one way of looking at it - but out of the tens of thousands of businesses , its better than a BIG FAT NOTHING!

They wont win, if they adopt that attitude, and any publicity they can drum up, for a local business - has to be good.

Give it a go Jane, glass half full, instead of half empty!;)

Poppy

[saxondale]

it helps if you`ve heard of the org. making the award mind

[eventdomain]

They wont win, if they adopt that attitude


You make it sound like..........

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-GkwIRbLw8


but its a lot tougher than that, I assure you.

[jane p]

That is one way of looking at it - but out of the tens of thousands of businesses , its better than a BIG FAT NOTHING!

They wont win, if they adopt that attitude, and any publicity they can drum up, for a local business - has to be good.

Give it a go Jane, glass half full, instead of half empty!;)

Poppy

thanks i totally agree. Every shortlisted person has lots of publicity on this. The one with the most votes wins but even if you dont win its all good fun, exciting, and your business gets publicity and gets its name out there!

You can generate as much publicity as you wish.

[dan_1985]

I have some experience of Awards shows, and there can be many 'Finalists', but only a few winners of each category eg: 1 winner out of 15 companies...... so that's 14 that lose out on media attention.

Usually its just the Winners that get the press, and 'Finalists' don't hardly get mentioned along side them. So don't count on anything.

I've seen websites where award finalists, claim they won the category and the shiny award, but on checking didn't win at all. Very tough to win these things as the competition is really up there, so being a finalist or 'nominated' - and knowing what I know, mmmm, I doubt you'll get much from it.


As they say, it's not the winning, but the taking part that counts.

The fact that they have got to the final gives them a great story for the local press, and even if they don't win they should still be able to get plenty of press coverage out of the story.

And if they do win - which they stand as much chance of doing as the rest of the nominees - then great!

[eventdomain]

The fact that they have got to the final gives them a great story for the local press, and even if they don't win they should still be able to get plenty of press coverage out of the story.


You're wrong about this, the media don't do stories on the 'Finalists' - only the Winners. No Media is guaranteed, even as a winner, you might just get 1 piece out of it - locally.

The winners get the coverage bcos the press will turn up on the evening to do a photo shoot - bcos they won and it makes a better story.

The only way Finalists will get media attention, is if they contact the press themselves - I assure you the local press will not chase you down for being a Finalist.

[dan_1985]

You're wrong about this, the media don't do stories on the 'Finalists' - only the Winners. No Media is guaranteed, even as a winner, you might just get 1 piece out of it - locally.

The winners get the coverage bcos the press will turn up on the evening to do a photo shoot - bcos they won and it makes a better story.

The only way Finalists will get media attention, is if they contact the press themselves - I assure you the local press will not chase you down for being a Finalist.

No company should expect the press to chase them down, it is a given that as a small company you have to contact the press yourselves if you are to have any hope of getting some media coverage. But I do PR for a small company and I know that this is a story that would interest the local press, provided they go about it in the right way.

[Be Known PR]

You're wrong about this, the media don't do stories on the 'Finalists' - only the Winners. No Media is guaranteed, even as a winner, you might just get 1 piece out of it - locally.

The winners get the coverage bcos the press will turn up on the evening to do a photo shoot - bcos they won and it makes a better story.

The only way Finalists will get media attention, is if they contact the press themselves - I assure you the local press will not chase you down for being a Finalist.

I actually think that Dan is correct, being a finalist IS enough of a story to be able to be used for getting local coverage.

You are correct that no media going to the event will cover the finalists, but the local papers love success stories of local businesses and people.

Being a finalist creates the introduction and the initial hook to get the journalist interested, be it to back a campaign to get the public voting or to start talking to Jane to see about general ongoing activity as I have previously suggested.

The only way you are going to get ahead in business is to think positively and aim for the stars. If you take a defeatist attitude then a more hungry competitor will beat you to the customers.

That is not to say you shouldn't be realistic, but in this case using the position as a finalist to get local media coverage is realistic.....and I say this from the experience of having done it on numerous occassions for clients in the past!

[papverpoppies]

You're wrong about this, the media don't do stories on the 'Finalists' - only the Winners. No Media is guaranteed, even as a winner, you might just get 1 piece out of it - locally.

The winners get the coverage bcos the press will turn up on the evening to do a photo shoot - bcos they won and it makes a better story.

The only way Finalists will get media attention, is if they contact the press themselves - I assure you the local press will not chase you down for being a Finalist.

Well not sure what World you live in (rather a defeatest one) by the sound of it.

Any local company who has been short listed for some sort of award, even gets featured on our regional TV - as well as local press, so why paint such a negative attitude.

You cannot know for sure how the local press will or will not react.

And, as Jane said herself, she is enjoying being chosen and going to give it all she has!

I dont think she is asking for a feature spread in Hello Magazine, Homes and Garden, or Gordon Ramsey paying a visit.

Not worth anyone ever taking part in anything, if we all adopt the attitude only 'Winners' get the publicity - maybe they do - maybe they don't!
Sure, everyone loves a winner, but for there to be a 'winner' there also has to be runners up!

Jane is any of your meat sourced locally, do you happen to know any of the farms who supply you. If so, there is a good publicity angle there, home reared meat in your produce - could even perhaps do interviews with said farmers.

I hope you win, but if you do not, its all been good for the business, and I hope you can build on it.

I also think you are so right, when you say - you are having fun as well.

Go for it Gal;)
Poppy

[jane p]

You're wrong about this, the media don't do stories on the 'Finalists' - only the Winners. No Media is guaranteed, even as a winner, you might just get 1 piece out of it - locally.

The winners get the coverage bcos the press will turn up on the evening to do a photo shoot - bcos they won and it makes a better story.

The only way Finalists will get media attention, is if they contact the press themselves - I assure you the local press will not chase you down for being a Finalist.

just to put you straight the competition runners ARE contacting the press for us. Each finalist should be in their local paper to drum up some support for their town. I am contacting a few people of my own too.

[rojertwose]

If you made some product and you want to publish it so many ways to publish it like:I think..

1)Internet
2)Advertising on TV,Newspaper,and local and International News through
3)personal marketing
4)door to door Marketing
5)meeting through
ETC...
Thanks..

[jane p]

Well not sure what World you live in (rather a defeatest one) by the sound of it.

Any local company who has been short listed for some sort of award, even gets featured on our regional TV - as well as local press, so why paint such a negative attitude.

You cannot know for sure how the local press will or will not react.

And, as Jane said herself, she is enjoying being chosen and going to give it all she has!

I dont think she is asking for a feature spread in Hello Magazine, Homes and Garden, or Gordon Ramsey paying a visit.

Not worth anyone ever taking part in anything, if we all adopt the attitude only 'Winners' get the publicity - maybe they do - maybe they don't!
Sure, everyone loves a winner, but for there to be a 'winner' there also has to be runners up!

Jane is any of your meat sourced locally, do you happen to know any of the farms who supply you. If so, there is a good publicity angle there, home reared meat in your produce - could even perhaps do interviews with said farmers.

I hope you win, but if you do not, its all been good for the business, and I hope you can build on it.

I also think you are so right, when you say - you are having fun as well.

Go for it Gal;)
Poppy

spot on. your right.

[eventdomain]

You cannot know for sure how the local press will or will not react.



Actually, I can. I've been featured in the press myself and had my company mentioned, so know exactly what happens.

But that's bcos I went the right way about it, unfortunately, the press reacts differently to 'Events', so the same exposure I and others got, won't apply to all. Not to say attending events is a bad idea (far from it), but it's just how I view things and the experience I've had with these methods.

I recently attended an awards event, got into the final 13 (beating hundreds of others who didn't get chosen), and on checking the organisers website found only the winners got a mention, and that was just the company names - and we aren't talking proper articles here.

All they got was this kind of thing (minus the photograph): http://www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk/about/-/asset_publisher/M29s/content/previous-winners-of-the-national-business-awards;jsessionid=ED8F4A01DA9D00912B01396A4E8DDCFB ?redirect=%2Fabout

and the poor 165 Finalists got bugger all :D

Okay the above, is a kind of mention I suppose - but its not like they got a proper press article in the Evening Standard.... See, even the winners above only got a tiny mention, unless your a massive company and/or constantly feature in the major press or something - this is pretty normal, even though the event attended might be hugely popular - it means little I'm afraid. Also the organisers 'build up/sell' the Event as 'Great networking opportunity' sadly, event networking is hard bcos its impossible to meet everyone.

I think we must of only met 4 people/companies and struck up a half-decent conversation with. By the time you sit down for dinner at allocated tables (maybe 10 per table), dinner is served, then the awards finish - everyone buggers off home, so you don't get to 'network' like you think you will.

Like I said - this is based on much experience. Listen, good luck with your press mention, okay.

[Be Known PR]

Actually, I can. I've been featured in the press myself and had my company mentioned, so know exactly what happens.

I know we are going round in circles here, but so as not to put others off of entering awards, here are my final thoughts on the benefits of entering awards from a PR perspective as someone who has spend ten years doing this for clients and set up plently of local press coverage for them on the back of it:

Media coverage
Provided you go about it in the right way and are pro-active, being shortlisted for an award CAN be a leverage for local media coverage. In order for this to happen you need to think creatively about what you can offer your local media.

Getting on the shotlist is not necessarily news in itself (winning is) but it is enough to act as an introduction and get your foot in the door for you to be able to suggest other ideas for coverage. Such as, in this instance, recipe provision and cooking tips. If (again as is the case in this instance) the awards relies on votes from the public, then be a finalist in a national competition will sometimes spur a local paper to get behind a local business to encourage readers to vote.

Customer Trust
Being shortlisted for an award is an achievement in itself and is worth shouting about on your own website or in your shop window etc, because it increases the trust that new and persepctive clients will have in you. If they are dithering between which businesses to give their custom to, then knowing that one has been acclaimed for what they do can sway the decision their way.

Staff Morale
The fact that you, and more importantly your staff, are being recognised for their work is a huge morale boost, especially if you show your gratitude to staff and make it clear that it is their doing.

[localman]

Make sure you put in place ways to capture the visitors info for later follow up

Localman

[jane p]

better than the x factor

live at last!

http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/sponsored-surveys/1095597/local-legends-2009-have-your-say.thtml

[jane p]

any ideas about making any money from our site while the number of views is high while the comp is running all through January!

[jane p]

we won!:p:)

[papverpoppies]

we won!:p:)


Big congratulations....

Well Done:):D:p


Poppy

[dan_1985]

we won!:p:)

Congratulations! Maybe eventdomain will stop being so negative now!!

Make sure you make the most of this opportunity to get lots of press coverage!! Also perhaps give something back to the customers who voted for you, with maybe a small celebration event or some freebies for them? An event would be even more reason for the local press to give you extra coverage.

[Be Known PR]

Congratulation, you must be chuffed.

Make sure you speak to your local press. Start by trying to get them to do a news piece about your victory, possibly with a profile of the business. Once they have done that go back to the journalist to say thanks and ask them if they would be interested in running a weekly/fortnightly/monthly recipe section as this will give you prolonged coverage. Suggest that the recipes could be time sensitive so that you will look at meat that is in season and what to do with it, hearty casserole ideas for winter, bbq tips for summer etc etc.

[jane p]

[quote=dan_1985;1124728]Congratulations! Maybe eventdomain will stop being so negative now!!

prpbably wont be back on now!

[lullabybabies]

Congratulations! I tend to use PR web for this type of news.

[Muktistudios]

Hi Jane,

You can go for Viral Marketing as well.

[jane p]

Congratulation, you must be chuffed.

Make sure you speak to your local press. Start by trying to get them to do a news piece about your victory, possibly with a profile of the business. Once they have done that go back to the journalist to say thanks and ask them if they would be interested in running a weekly/fortnightly/monthly recipe section as this will give you prolonged coverage. Suggest that the recipes could be time sensitive so that you will look at meat that is in season and what to do with it, hearty casserole ideas for winter, bbq tips for summer etc etc.

the comp hosts are going to tell the media so they do a follow up story!