Emma from www.betsandbobs.co.uk and Lyndsey from www.whatyousow.co.uk share PR tips and their experience with the Brighton Etsy group of designer makers.
9. Your tool kit
Blog
content
plan
Passion
&
Persuasion
Social
media
content
plan
Product
samples
Press
release
Good
quality
images
10. • Does
it
have
a
purpose?
• Are
you
sharing
something
different?
• Do
you
have
the
6me?
• Commit
to
it
and
post
regularly
• Work
with
other
influen6al
bloggers
11. • Start
a
conversa6on
• Build
an
on-‐going
rela6onship
• Crowd
sourcing
–
involve
your
fans
12. Feb
Week
1
News
(E.g
new
trends,
seasonal
styles,
naAonal
news
relevant
to
your
product/
service)
Deals/
comps/
other
news
Regular
feature
(e.g.
Tuesday
Trend
Watch/
Follow
Friday
–
this
gives
fans
something
to
become
familiar
with
and
look
forward
to)
Anecdote
(This
could
be
something
that’s
happened
to
you/
you’re
working
on
–
something
to
relate
to)
Crowd
source/
debate/
conversaAon
starter
Feb
Week
2
Feb
Week
3
Feb
Week
4
13. • Think
about
your
key
messages
• Strongest
points
in
intro
• Topical
hook
for
story
15. • Think
about
stock
levels
• Be
realis6c
about
media
samples
• Choose
a
‘hero’
product
to
focus
on
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. The facts
PR
CAN:
• Create
media
coverage
in
a
cost
effecAve
way
• Reach
hard-‐to-‐reach
decision
makers/
consumers
• Create
a
trusted
third
party
endorsement
(peer
to
peer)
(vs.
adverAsements
which
come
from
a
company/brand)
PR
CAN’T:
•
Guarantee
coverage
&
Aming
-‐
the
news
agenda
dictates
•
Provide
approval
-‐
unlike
adverAsing
the
message
is
not
paid
for
so
therefore
cannot
be
completely
controlled
•
Provide
explicit
branding
-‐
clever
routes/stories
are
needed
to
subtly
weave
branding
into
a
story.
21. Things to remember:
Talk
to
others
Tell
a
story
Make
sure
the
stock
you
are
pitching
is
available
Be
paAent:
coverage
can
someAmes
take
months
Create
a
strong
press
release:
key
words
for
SEO
Write
features:
group
products
together,
work
with
others,
3
of
the
best
etc
• Think
about
seasonal
giT
guides
• Don’t
forget
about
local/
regional
media
•
•
•
•
•
•
25. Effective PR can :
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Increase
awareness
of
your
brand
Help
you
to
sell
your
products
Develop
valuable
relaAonships
with
key
influencers
Build
backlinks
to
your
website
&
improve
search
rankings
Direct
new
followers
to
your
social
media
profiles
Build
social
proof
Help
spread
the
word
about
new
products
and
events
Save
money
vs
tradiAonal
adverAsing
26. The What You Sow PR approach:
• IniAal
contact
–
send
something
special
in
the
post
• Call
-‐
“I’ve
got
a
product
that
will
be
of
real
interest
to
your
readers.
Do
you
have
a
few
minutes
to
talk
about
it?”
• Email
immediately!
Busy
journalists
will
forget
about
you
the
moment
you
hang
up
the
phone.
• Follow
up
regularly
-‐
this
is
a
relaAonship
you’re
building
27. The kind of responses you should be aiming for:
Hi
Lyndsey,
we
did
receive
your
lovely
liVle
press
pack
and
the
company
has
been
put
forward
as
one
of
our
‘go
to’
companies
when
looking
for
products
to
feature
editorially.
Thank
you
for
calling
earlier,
as
I
menAoned,
Both
the
editor
and
myself
love
the
website,
we
just
need
to
ensure
that
we
have
relevant
features
in
place
first.
We
always
do
two
‘Garden
Buy’
features
each
month,
so
if
you
have
any
Ap
offs
of
one
of
your
products
that
are
selling
extremely
well,
I’d
always
be
keen
to
hear
from
you.
In
the
meanAme,
I’ve
fallen
in
love
with
the
Orla
Kiely
plant
pot
and
the
sprout
bookmark,
so
I’ll
be
pinning
and
facebooking
them
shortly.
it
really
was
appreciated
and
I’ll
certainly
do
all
I
can
to
help
Once
again,
thank
you
for
sending
the
press
pack
over,
promote
such
‘lovely
things
for
the
garden.’
Kind
Regards,
Siobhan
Hi
Lyndsey
Thanks
for
sending
this
over...
what
a
brilliant
idea...
we’d
love
to
give
What
You
Sow
a
plug
Yes,
–
if
we’re
out
in
April,
presumably
this
will
be
good
Aming?
Any
images
or
addiAonal
info
you
can
send
will
be
great
and
I’ll
be
in
touch
in
a
few
weeks
for
a
few
more
details...
your
tweets
etc
Thanks
again
for
thinking
of
the
magazine
and
are
much
appreciated...
All
the
best
Cinead
Dear
Lyndsey,
How
very
nice
to
hear
from
you,
and
SO
nice
to
have
some
feedback
on
the
response
to
the
column,
which
I
rarely
get!
I'm
delighted
to
hear
that
it
brought
in
some
new
orders
and
new
visitors
to
the
site.
hopefully
Keep
me
posted
on
any
new
products
and
I
can
feature
you
again!
Constance
x
28. Top 10 actionable tips:
1. Be
the
most
charming,
most
polite
version
of
yourself.
Always.
2. Buy
and
read
the
publicaAons
you
are
pitching
to
-‐
have
a
good
mix.
Be
prepared
to
spend
a
lot
of
Ame
on
research
3. Always
write
to
a
specific
person
4. Proof
read
your
press
release
5. Don’t
be
afraid
to
call
them
–
but
NEVER
on
a
deadline
6. Have
stunning
photography
7. Make
journalists
feel
delighted
to
hear
from
you
–
always
thank
them
for
coverage
8. When
someone’s
rude
to
you,
don’t
take
it
personally.
9. Never
bank
on
a
PR
feature
having
a
direct
effect
on
sales
volume.
But
also
make
sure
you
have
enough
stock
if
it
does.
10. Maintain
a
library
of
press
features
on
your
website
with
clear
details
of
how
to
get
in
touch
with
you.
Emma – introductionLyndsey – introductionEmma – intro about what I’m going to cover off
Essentially it’s all about reputation. Seeding your story out to your target market – either directly (social media) or through a third party (journalist)
Sounds like a simple question. A good reputation = more fans, right? It’s more than that. Although it’s something you can’t control to some extent, it tells your brand story. It’s not like above the line, paid for activity where you pop an advert in a magazine, it’s about building brand messages and developing true brand advocates that do the advertising for you, with your story coming from other people.
Take it back to the basicsAn endless topicNo one size fits all
What’s unique, different about you?
1. What’s your USP? What makes you stand out from everyone else? USE THIS! 2. How do you want people to perceive your BRAND? That’s your story – E.g. Ethical, fair trade, handmade – Lyndsey’s products are ‘thoughtfully sourced’ 3. How are you going to tell the story? Which channels are you going to use to reach your target audience?
Is Etsy your only online channel? Will you have your own website too, telling your story?Will you be approaching local retailers to sell your products – art on the wall of venues, cards on the shelf – all ways to get your product into the hands of the consumer – but think about marginsBlog – How much time have your got to dedicate to building your brand awareness. Is it an integral part? Don’t write a blog for the sake of having a blog. It’s a commitment. Post regularly or any followers you have will lose interest – draw up a content plan and be strict with yourself. Make sure you have time. If you don’t work with someone that does. Build a relationship with influential bloggers in your region/ area of craftSocial media – again, don’t have a Facebook page for the sake of it – it’s hard to create a valuable community. Think about what you have to share and how you will share it. Twitter is the easier option – retweet other peoples content, share interesting images, facts, news, products etcMedia relations- local and national journalists need content for newspapers, magazines and websites. Think about what your story is and why it would be of interest to them. Draw up a list of key target publications, meet with them for coffee, talk to them. Make sure you choose your target slots in the publication and make their job easy. Always use topical news hooks as a reason to talk to them e.g. trends, new techniques, new materials. Provide them with the content as they need it. THINK ABOUT LEAD TIMES – monthly titles can write their content up to 4 months aheadEvents – Showcasing your work a markets, fairs and events (evenings parties etc too) all helps to get your name out there. It’s an invaluable opportunity to have a one to one chat with your target audience – MAXIMISE IT. Interact with people. You are the face of your brand, you are the first impression. Think about open houses – remember, CHRISTMAS IN JULY – start talking to journalists now about Christmas. ALWAYS WORK AHEAD. In January, plan your year’s approach.Collaborations – Work with other local designers to share the load. Swap skills, mentor each other in different areas. Events – exhibition, fair etc – save costs where you can with the same impact/ reach
Examplecollab
Think about which channels you are going to use to reach your target audience
2. Blog content planDoes it have a purpose? Don’t start one just because you think you should. It’s one way content so it may be more valuable to have a strong Facebook page where you can engage with your fans rather than broadcastDoes it share something different/ new?Think of a quirky topic/ spin/ angle/ viewYou need to stand out – content that people will want to read and shareWhat are you good at?Do you have time to update it regularly? (at least once a week)What type of blog are you going to have?Tumblr: imagesBlogspot/ wordpress: copy & imagesGET GOOGLE ANALYTICS and you can see which content is interesting – Lyndsey has a good blog, she can share some tipsGuest blogging??
Create a conversationThe important thing to remember is that Facebook and Twitter are platforms for conversations, not Q&AsTwo way engagement- ask their opinionThink about building an ongoing relationshipWhat are they going to gain from liking your page?What information/ content can you share with them?Your Facebook page is your personalityPost regularly, but don’t bombardFacebook isn’t all about selling, it’s about involving people in your brandVisual posts encourage shares, increasing brand awareness, but should be relevantMake your fans feel importantCrowd sourcing (e.g. Asking them which design/colour/style they like the most)
Think about 1: The value of the content to the user and to the organisation.2: The cost of sourcing, creating, publishing and maintaining that content.Wealth/ amount of content depends on your time. It’s two way, you need to be there.New product images, industry trends, industry news, seasonal news, special offers, giveaways, product development questions, anecdotes. Don’t live by your plan though – need to be in real time
Writing a press release - What do you want them to know?Imagine journalists will only read the first few lines/para – who, what, where, when, howWhat’s the call to action?Expert quotes – easily transferable into copyBe creativeFeatureTopical news hook – national events, celeb stories, trends
SEE YOUR PRODUCT ON THE PAGEIf journalists want to feature your product, they will need a hi-res image (at least 1MB)Look at the magazine/ website/ blog you want to be featured on and imagine it on the page. If you can’t see it fitting, they won’t use itthis can be as simple as the background colour, although if they really want it they will call in a sample and shoot it themselvesIf photography is your strength, it’s useful to have product shots (white background) as well as lifestyle shots (showing them in context)
Be prepared for product demandAs with images, getting the physical product into the hands of a journalist is key – then the product will sell itself onto their pagesBe prepared to provide journalists with samplesThink about cost to youChoose hero products to focus on in the rangeThink about different focuses – one product for print, one for online etcWhat can you realistically afford?You will need to include product samples in your budget
Remember that you are selling you – your passion will sell itself
Talking to journalists can be daunting, but they are normal peoplePassion & persuasion = winning combo
You might get a journalist that sounds like this – but everyone has their off days. find common ground – go and see them for a coffee. Put features together for themTalking to journalists can be daunting if you’re new to it BUT you’re selling what you’re passionate about, so use your passion to persuadeTop tips:Read the magazine/ website you are pitching toFind the slot that your product will fitDon’t be afraid to call and ask who looks after a particular feature (you’ll be wasting both yours and their time pitching to the wrong person)Write down three bullet points you want them to remember after the call (NEVER read off a script)Get a thick skin (even the nice journalists have bad days)Don’t waste time with small talk, unless you know them. Think of a seasonal/ topical hook to get their interest Call before 9am or after 11am (key meetings are usually in between)
Work together in the Brighton Etsy team, talk to people, come up with feature ideas – help each other, post on each other’s blogs. Find out what works for you
Be realistic about what you can achieve – one step at a time – maximise everything you do – use one message across all channels