Public Relations for Business 7
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
What about video news releases? Are they practical for small businesses to send out?
If you are a very small business, the answer is probably no. TV newsrooms still get and read conventional news releases and will send their own reporter out to shoot a story if the story is sufficiently newsworthy and if it requires footage. However if you have a video demo available on your website, be sure to include that information in press releases you send the media.
What is a press kit and do I need one?
A press kit (also known as a media kit) is a packet containing information about your company and its products or services. The purpose of the packet is to make it easy for reporters or others to find facts about you. It also makes it easy for you to respond to "send me something" inquiries.
From a practical point of view, whether or not you need a press kit will depend on how polished an image your customers or the media expect your type of business to present. If you are a small, one- or two-person operation, only sell locally, or get most of your business from word-of-mouth recommendations, you probably won't benefit by putting together a full-blown press kit. But as your business grows, or if your type of business requires you to present a polished, expensive "face" to the media and others, you may benefit by having press kits on hand and ready to pop in the mail.
What goes into a press kit?
The materials are generally enclosed in a good quality pocket folder. Often the name of the business is printed on the folder, but if you need to keep costs down, you might consider having stickers printed with your company name and applying the stickers to quality off-the-shelf folders. This "trick" works so effectively that many large corporations use it for press kits they hand out at trade shows. A brightly colored glossy folder with a professionally printed label works well.
Inside the folder you would put whichever of these items is appropriate for your business:
- an overview of the product or service
- current press release(s) about your products and services
- fact sheets with product specifications
- explanations of the technology involved if it is not widely understood
- photos of the product in use
- examples of how to use the product
- photos of what the purchaser will be able to produce using the product or service
- explanations of how to use the product if warranted
- company history
- testimonials
- copies of past publicity
- frequently asked questions and the answers
- background information about the principals if appropriate
- photo of the principal if appropriate
- your business card
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
