As an event professional, you have likely spent a great deal of time getting publicity for the events that you produce. Planners are so focused delivering R.O.I. for the clients that they often forget to work on their own businesses—and of course, getting publicity isn’t always easy. Here are six strategic steps to help you get publicity for your event business.
1. Determine your goals.
Before spending time on reaching out to the media, establish concrete marketing goals. Start by figuring out who your target audience is, then find the magazine, TV station, or blog that reaches those same people.
2. Find the story.
To be featured in the media, you need to tell an engaging story. Journalists always look for something new, interesting, and unique. Don’t tell them about your website update. Instead, share a valuable news announcement, a growing trend, or a human interest story that will grab their readers.
3. Determine your expertise.
One of the easiest ways to get publicity is to offer journalists your expertise. They often interview experts for stories, so once you determine all the areas of your experience, you can offer them your knowledge.
4. Invest in relationships.
Before approaching any journalist, read what they write and only pitch them if they cover your topic. Once you find a reporter interested in your story ideas, invest in building a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship by becoming a helpful source. That way, they will be featuring you for years to come.
5. Pitch wisely.
Email your story idea to the right journalist and make it well-targeted, informative, courteous, and concise. If you don’t hear back right away, don’t take it personally. No one has more of a flooded inbox than reporters. To make sure they see your story idea, follow up after a week.
6. Stay on top of it.
When a journalist gets back to you, your job is to respond quickly. There is nothing they hate more than slow or lack of response. They work on tight deadlines, so even if you need some time to get back to them, always tell them when they could expect it.
Watch an Event Leadership Institute video on Defining Your PR Goals. To view the full Event Leadership Institute course Getting Publicity For Your Event Business, log into your account, or click here to learn more.
Disclosure: BizBash is an investor in the Event Leadership Institute.
