Marketing Strategies for a Tough Market: Garnering Free Publicity

One of the strategies for marketing in a tough economic environment, is to get as much free publicity as possible. And, one of the essential components of your public relations plan is your media kit so this tip will give you a checklist of things to include in your updated media kit:

Company Backgrounder
Usually one page, back to back, this backgrounder helps a reporter understand what you do, what you sell and who are the leaders. You can also cover the "history" of your company as well as listing some of your important customers.

Key Bios
Profile the company management with one paragraph of information on each key person.

Current Press Release(s)
These releases should be "newsworthy" and "interesting". Topics can include new product innovations/announcements, partnerships with other companies, major investments in the company, major personnel hired.

Photography
If you need to "see" your product to understand it, or your product is "sold by it's packaging", then by all means, include a photo. But, most kits are using the Internet to help them furnish the media with lots of photo choices and just adding thumbnails and web addresses to the printed media kit.

Brochure or Catalog
If you have a full line of products, include your catalog. If you have one or two products, include a brochure or sell sheet on each.

Success Stories/Testimonials
Nothing interests the media more than actual case studies of what is working in schools across the country and if you have a success story to tell, be sure to include it in your media kit.

FAQ's
Include a fact sheet (or, as we now call it, a "Frequently asked Question" sheet. Ask the questions you think the media would ask or be interested in and answer those questions in writing. Media people often use this to outline an interview with your management.

CD-ROM
Include product demos, photos, videos, and other interesting files on a CD-ROM with a link to your web site for more information.

And don't forget the outside "packaging". Remember to spend some time on designing your press kit folder so the initial impression is the one you want to convey. And don't forget the business card with all your company information and the person you want the media to contact if they have any questions.

Remember, media kits are a great start to a publicity plan but developing personal relationships with the education press is the key to keeping your company in front of your prospects!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This article was written by Carol Ann Waugh, President of Xcellent Marketing, a marketing and new business development firm specializing in the educational and library market. Xcellent Marketing offers a variety of marketing services to help publishers increase their revenues and profits from identifying new markets, providing critiques of web sites and marketing communications such as direct mail, catalogs, advertisements, etc. as well as developing effective traditional as well as Internet-based marketing plans. Carol can be reached at (303) 388-5215 or at cwaugh@xcellentmarketing.com.