Posts from July 2019
Posted in: Refresh PR 0 Comments
Nailing that pitch
By - 31 July 2019
Pitching to journalists is an essential part of media
relations. You could have the best idea to exist, but if it’s not packaged and
presented effectively, it might never see the light of day, meaning it’s crucial
to get it right the first time.
Pitching can also be daunting at times, and if you work in public
relations, you’re likely to be familiar with that sinking feeling when your bright
ideas go unanswered.
But one should never dwell on this, as when it comes to
pitching, a wide array of approaches can be taken with no set ‘right’ or
‘wrong’ answers, so long as it works! You just have to find what works for you
and run with it.
Here, I’ve shared some my own pitching tips and tricks.
Prepare and research
Before anything else, ensure your idea is relevant to the
platform you’re pitching it to by giving the publication a good read, listen or
watch.
Ask yourself: Is this idea original? Is it right for the
audience? Will it spark a discussion?
Next, make sure you pitch to the correct person. Most
journalists receive hundreds of pitches every day and the last thing they need
is you further clogging-up their inbox with emails that are of no use to them. Find
out which journalists are writing similar pieces to what you’re pitching, or
simply call the editorial team and ask who the best person would be to send
your idea to.
Gorkana is also a great tool for retrieving this
information, and a lifesaver for communications professionals across the globe!
In addition to providing an overview of the media outlet, circulation figures
and all kinds of other useful stuff, publications list their journalists, their
roles, contact details and what they like to write about. You can often find
the pitch preferences of individual journalists too (e.g. ‘email only’).
There’s also no harm in giving the person you’re pitching to
a search on Twitter. A quick scroll down their feed allows you to get a better
idea of their personality, interests and views, which can help inform the way
you approach them. I also, oddly, seem to find it easier to pitch to
journalists if I know what they look like…just me? Thought so.
Timing is also key. Many journalists work unconventional hours,
meaning your pitch could be landing in an unmanned inbox without prior
research. Again, check the website and the journalists’ Twitter to see if they
have been active recently.
Build strong media
relationships
Before going any further, I want to stress that the
indispensable value of meeting journalists in person should never be
overlooked, and should be done wherever possible.
Take them for a coffee and get to know them as a person as
well as a journalist, find out their interests, what makes them tick, and
express your interest in what they do. Basically, become their best mate. It’s
a million times easier to do this in person that it is via email or on the
phone, and they’re much less likely to say no when you’re right in front of
them!
By allowing them to put a face to your name, you’re also much
more likely to receive a response when they see your emails land in their
inbox.
If you can’t meet with a journalist for whatever reason, gaining
their trust and respect is simple; consistently send them good ideas, bring them
to life with quality content, and deliver them on deadline. Trust can also just
as easily be lost by doing the opposite of this.
Be concise
As we’re all well aware, journalists are extremely busy
people who are often working to tight deadlines, meaning you want to occupy as
little of their time as possible whilst still ensuring you get the message
across.
A good start is to remove the likes of “How are you?” or “I
hope you’re well”. While this may seem like the pleasant thing to do, it can
often come across as overly polite, especially if you don’t know one another
very well. Just get straight to the nitty gritty by summarising exactly what
your story is in the first sentence.
Following this, bullet points can often be effective to
summarise your key points, as well as any relevant statics or research to give
credibility to your narrative.
Similarly, when pitching over the phone, it’s a good idea to
draft a brief script to run off to ensure you nail all of your points with conviction
without going off track.
An eye-catching, succinct subject line is also vital. Lead
with a clear indicator so the journalist instantly knows what the piece is
about, such as ‘TECH NEWS:’ or ‘OPINION:’ for example. This can essentially
make or break your pitch, as it can be the difference between the journalist
reading on or discarding it all together.
Finally, before hitting send, look back through the email
and remove anything that doesn’t say something new.
Final quick-fire tips
·
Unless
it’s urgent, always email in the first instance. Research has proven that
the majority of reporters prefer email communication, and this gives you
something in writing to reference when following-up
·
Don’t
give everything away. A pitch should be viewed as tool grab the attention
of journalists, as such, invite a reply by offering additional information such
as accompanying images, access to research or an interview should they express
interest
·
Three is
enough. One email, one follow-up email and one phone call is enough. If at
this point you’re still unsuccessful, draw a line under it and pitch a new idea
Tagged with: PR, PR campaign essential, PR Manchester, Public Relations
Posted in: Refresh PR 0 Comments
Catch 22: Should I consider sponsoring a publication to host my content?
By - 30 July 2019
While we are now a decade (or is it two?) into the digital age, it would be fair to say that the media industry is still grappling with how to monetise itself in the online era.
For all this uncertainty around how they make content pay,
there remains a reluctance on behalf of digital publishers to place content
behind paywall. After all that would go against the ancient scriptures which
say, on the internet at least, news should be free. Yet, despite this, the fact
remains that digital ad spend alone is not enough to sustain publications.
In an attempt to escape this catch-22 situation publishers
are frantically looking for other ways to make their business models
economically viable. From awards and trade shows to webinars and networking
events they are leaving no stone unturned.
In this quest one such model that is seemingly gaining
traction is, for want of a better phrase, a hybrid of editorial and paid for
content. For some publications this has meant providing basic content or a
certain number of articles a month for free while placing ‘premium’ content
behind a paywall.
Others, however, have taken a different approach and have
instead turned to ‘sponsored content’ to drive revenue. In this model the
publishers run a certain amount of editorial while charging companies to host
their content on the website. In some instances, this may be articles and other
resources such as whitepapers, in others it may be joining a member scheme that
gives your content priority for editorial slots. The upshot though is the same:
pay us to put your content in front of our audience.
As a result, we are increasingly being asked by clients if they
should consider taking up ‘sponsored content’ options. And as with many things
there is no one-size-fits all answer, it really depends on your individual
requirements.
So, should you be considering sponsored content as an option
for your PR campaign we’ve pulled together a quick pros and cons guide to help
take you through the decision.
The Pros
Guaranteed exposure in key media
Sponsored content guarantees you exposure in key media
titles, meaning that your content is being read by the audience it is intended
to influence. And, after all, if your content isn’t being seen it isn’t
delivering a return for your business.
Added benefits
Sponsored content often comes with other benefits. As an
example, both The Drum and Marketing Week will, for a fee, host your long form
content, such as whitepapers, on their website. The reality is they would never
do this as part of editorial so it is a chance for more of your content to gain
exposure for your brand. What’s more, when you take-up this option, you are
likely to get favourable treatment from the editorial team.
Can provide more trackable insights/leads
Finally, and this applies more to the long form content
reference above as opposed to sponsored articles, you can often obtain more
data and insights from sponsored content than editorial. For example, if you
pay for a publication to host your whitepaper, they will often place this
behind a form fill providing you with a list of potential leads to follow-up
with.
The Cons
It’s not seen the same as editorial
The biggest drawback of sponsored content is that it will be
clearly marked as paid for – and as such be seen as a notch or two below
editorial. With this in mind you have to ask if it is worth paying the money if
people are likely to view it in a dimmer light than the editorial – even though
that might be harder to earn.
Undermines the value of your content
This leads into the second point: it can undermine the value
of your content. And, after you have invested time and resource into producing
something of high quality you have to weigh up if you want to take that risk.
However, this is where you run into your own catch-22: if you don’t pay the
money, there is a chance fewer people will see it anyway, in turn reducing the
value it has to offer.
Paying to produce
This is more a point of principle but nonetheless one worth
making. The honest fact is that the media has a shrinking amount of editorial
resource – and as such they increasingly rely on you to provide quality content
to fill the gaps. So, after spending hours crafting a high-quality article, is
it really fair that the publication will then charge you to print something
that is of value to their readership? It’s certainly one worth pondering.
Uncharted Waters
While, as things currently stand in the media landscape,
good PR should be able to achieve many of things that sponsored content does,
there is no telling where the path to monetisation may lead publications. As
such, if nothing else, as things stand ultimately, at the very least, we’d
advise keeping an open mind.
Tagged with:
Posted in: Refresh PR 0 Comments
PR: is it measuring up?
By Lucy - 29 July 2019
This week on the blog we’re discussing an age-old battle for
PR pros: measurement.
It comes off the back of another study released this month
that told us ‘40% of execs don’t think PR delivers good value’. Unfortunately,
this isn’t a one off; the study is in a similar vein to many others that have
been released over the past few years. Not a good sign for an industry that
already faces an ongoing battle for a slice of the marketing budget.
I’d put my money on the fact that a lot of the confusion around
PR’s value comes from the fact that many PR buyers still aren’t actually sure
what PR delivers in terms of tangible results. And you can see where this
feeling has come from. For years, the value of PR was measured pretty much
solely on AVE – literally how much it would cost to place an advert in the
space you’ve secured editorial coverage in and then multiplied by three or
four, depending on the agency. A bit wishy washy and not exactly an accurate demonstration
of your bang for buck.
Thankfully *most* of the industry has come past the stage of
reporting back results on the AVE of press coverage and the majority of PR
agencies are becoming more switched on when it comes to objective setting and
measurement.
To prove value, the most effective PR measurement metrics need
to be data-driven. Yes, the more vanity focused metrics, such as opportunities
to see, key media infiltration, social engagement or positive sentiment, can
still be hugely important, but it’s the harder metrics which make it much
easier to show value. Whether that’s digital metrics such as website visitors
and conversions, goal completions, or backlinks, or even more tangible,
revenue-focused measures such as the generation of qualified leads or enquiries
through PR.
Evaluation is something we take seriously at Refresh. In fact,
one of the CIPR awards we were shortlisted for a couple of weeks ago was a
success largely because of how well we could attribute tangible results of the
campaign to the client. For this campaign, we were able to demonstrate to the
client the value of every penny of their marketing budget spend, by reporting
on a number of data-first metrics; perhaps most notably exactly how many leads
were generated directly though the PR (which their sales team could then follow
up on). Happy client, happy us.
Tagged with: B2B PR agency Manchester , PR, PR agencies Manchester, PR Agency Manchester, PR campaign essential, PR Manchester, Public Relations
Posted in: Refresh PR 0 Comments
Is it okay to post on social media once a week?
By Ella - 26 July 2019
We’ve all heard the saying ’quality over quantity’, and it’s
a phrase
that is undoubtedly accurate in many situations, but does it apply to social
media strategies?
To kick start a social media campaign, many would be likely to Google
‘how often should I post on social media?’ and then read through pages of
advice forums, blogs and studies, and then stick to what the research has told
you. However, prior to this research stage, a good social media campaign
firstly thinks about what it wants to achieve, who the campaign should target
to achieve the objectives, and which channels are best to achieve this.
Once all of this is decided, it’s important to think about how much
time can be dedicated to social media. Many companies have full teams of people
focused on social media, which gives an indication of how much time and effort the
company can invest into its campaigns! However, if your resource means you can
only commit to one social media post a week, don’t set yourself up for failure
by pretending you’ll be able to post ten times.
Once you’ve researched, planned and begun to execute your campaign,
the hard work doesn’t stop, and the question about the right level of posting
for your business might still not be answered. Keeping an eye on social media
analytics is the crucial next step in finding the answer. Looking into which of
your posts perform well, and at what time, over a sustained period of time
gives an invaluable insight into your social media campaign and its audience’s
habbits. This can clearly highlight what is and isn’t working, and will help you
understand what works well for you, whether that is one post a week or five
posts a day.
In an ideal world, analytics would prove that your hard work and
planning has paid off and you are doing exactly what you should be. However, this
doesn’t mean you are in the clear. Social media algorithms and consumer
behaviour is constantly evolving, so what works today is unlikely to still be
guaranteed in a year’s time, so analysis is an ongoing adventure!
For many people and businesses there is a fine line between
‘spamming’ social media channels and posting enough content to keep followers
engaged. But there is no right answer! As long as you know your audience and
your content is consistent, quality and engaging, then your audience will be
excited to see it and will keep the online conversations flowing. For us, the key
things to remember are to research, plan, keep an eye on social media analytics
and last but not least, don’t be afraid to adapt accordingly.
To learn more about how Refresh PR can help you with your social
media strategy, get in touch with us here.
Tagged with: B2B PR agency Manchester , PR, PR agencies Manchester, PR Agency Manchester, PR campaign essential, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter
Posted in: Refresh PR 0 Comments
Paddy Power’s latest PR campaign gets people talking again
By Jake - 19 July 2019
Paddy Power is certainly not averse to controversial PR and
its latest campaign has once again got plenty of people talking. After
announcing a sponsorship deal with the bookmaker, Huddersfield Town FC released
images of the club's supposed new kit for the upcoming season featuring the
Paddy Power logo splashed across the shirt in a sash-style design.
It didn’t go down well with football fans and sparked
outrage across social media with many describing it as the worst kit they’d
ever seen. Paddy Power issued a press release saying that it “didn’t want to
get into shirt sponsorship just to do the same as everyone else" and
Huddersfield even wore the contentious kit for a friendly match against
Rochdale.
The sponsorship certainly got people talking before, as many
people suspected, Paddy Power eventually confirmed it was in fact a stunt.
Huddersfield’s shirt will, in fact, bear no sponsor this season as part of
Paddy Power’s ‘#SaveOurShirt’ campaign. The bookmaker released another
statement saying “As a sponsor, we know our place, and it’s not on your shirt.”,
calling on other sponsors to join the campaign to give something back to the
fans.
Was it worth it?
The aim of the stunt was to get people in Paddy Power’s
target audience talking about the bookmaker and it certainly achieved that. It
was trending on Twitter in the UK when the shirt was first released and again
when it was confirmed as a stunt. It also gained a huge amount of coverage,
with not just sporting publications, but almost all of the national newspapers
running the story, making it a major talking point up and down the country.
The initial stunt gained Paddy Power the desired exposure
but the fact it has backed it up with a campaign that will appeal to football
fans, one of its main target audiences, is a smart move. Whilst the stunt got
people talking, almost all of the publicity was negative, whereas the ‘#SaveOurShirt’
campaign highlights a key issue that many fans are passionate about. This will
not only result in even more coverage but also get its target audience back
onside, putting the bookmaker front of mind.
The power of PR
Whilst the company’s logo will not feature on the
Huddersfield’s shirt this season, Paddy Power has almost certainly gained more
media coverage and overall exposure in its target audience from its ‘non
sponsorship’ of a team in the Championship than any of the 10 bookmakers
sponsoring Premier League teams will get throughout the season. When you
consider that shirt sponsorship is considerably more costly in the Premier
League than in the second tier, it helps to demonstrate the impact that a well
thought out PR campaign can have.
Getting our clients front of mind through clever campaigns
targeting their target audiences is exactly what we do at Refresh so it’s great
to see Paddy Power pulling off a campaign like this, highlighting the power of
PR once again.
Tagged with: Lifestyle, Manchester, Marketing, PR
Posted in: Refresh PR 0 Comments
Double recognition for Refresh PR in CIPR Awards
By Laura Mashiter - 18 July 2019
The Refresh PR team is pleased to announce we have received
two shortlists in the CIPR North West PRide Awards for Best Business and Corporate Communications
Campaign and Best Integrated Campaign of the Year categories. The nominations
are for our work with Eurocell and the Heating Installer Awards, respectively.
The CIPR North West PRide Awards celebrate outstanding communications
campaigns and recognise PR activity that makes a positive impact on the
businesses involved.
Laura Mashiter, our MD, said: “When we were submitting our
award entries for both campaigns and looking at the results we had achieved, we
knew they were both high quality entries and deserved recognition.
“Our work with Eurocell involved market research, a
roundtable, the drafting of a forward-thinking whitepaper and a hard-working
press office, and the outcome made a real impact on Eurocell and its business.
In six months alone, the whitepaper achieved over 750 downloads and generated
significant sales leads for Eurocell, which they are now converting.
“The Heating Installer Awards, which is owned and managed by
Refresh PR, has grown each year by mammoth proportions. We now use events,
video, social media, press office and get on-the-ground with installers to
become THE awards tradespeople want to enter - creating mass brand exposure for
our sponsors at the same time.”
The Refresh PR team has over seven decades of PR experience
in both the built environment and tech sectors and experienced record growth in
2018/19, with 2019/2020 looking to be even bigger.
Tagged with: B2B PR agency Manchester , Built Environment, Manchester, North West , PR, PR agencies Manchester, PR Agency Manchester, PR event, PR Manchester, PRide Awards, Public Relations
Posted in: Refresh PR 0 Comments
Refresh PR sees a digital future
By - 11 July 2019
At Refresh we passionately believe in investing in developing
the future workforce and helping talented youngsters acquire skills and
experience. And we don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk as we
demonstrated with the launch of our grad scheme last October.
Building on this we have now gone one step further by signing up
to become a Digital Ambassador as part of Manchester Digital’s Digital Future
initiative, a scheme that is asking businesses in the region to help bridge the
digital skills gap by signing by passing on their expertise to young people. In
this role we will provide advice and introductory training to youngsters across
the North West on developing and implementing digital PR campaigns and
strategies.
As an agency we are already seeing a growing demand for a
more digital approach to PR and marketing and we passionately believe that our
knowledge in this area can help young people consider a career in the field and
provide them with skills that will generally aide them when they enter the
workforce.
The Digital Futures programme aims to encourage more
young people across GM to pursue a digital career and support educators to
deliver relevant curriculum and careers guidance.
The scheme was launched following the findings of the
independent trade body’s 2019 Skills Audit, which
revealed that almost a third of digital businesses in the region had
turned work away over the past year as a result of not being able to find the
right talent to fulfil it.
Businesses already signed up to support the Digital
Futures campaign include AutoTrader, On the Beach, Sainsbury’s, The Co-Op, NHS
Salford Royal Hospital and Sigma. In total Manchester Digital aims to have 250
GM businesses on board by May 2020, through the GMCA-supported campaign.
We’ll share details on our first Digital Ambassador
training session in due course!
Tagged with: B2B PR agency Manchester , creatiive agency Manchester, Creative Agency, Manchester, Marketing, North West , PR, PR agencies Manchester, Public Relations North West, Social Media