Why right now is the time for entrepreneurs and small businesses to hit the journalists….a FOUR POINT PLAN for businesses to follow.

Research that JournoLink did during lockdown highlighted that small businesses were more than twice as active in trying to get media coverage than they were pre lockdown, and that, interestingly, female entrepreneurs and freelancers accounted for around 60% of the activity. Leisure, health, food and drink, and retail were the sectors that were the busiest.

Journalists interested in 'pivoters'

During the lockdowns JournoLink invited businesses to share with journalists how they have pivoted their businesses to survive the Covid-19 crisis. The vast majority covered how they had found a way or continuing to run the business in a virtual and remote way, through innovation, lateral thinking and sheer determination to survive. Journalists were constantly interested and are as keen now to hear and write about the survival stories. Local media is always open to celebrating successes in their areas.

So, now, as the lockdown eases, the opportunity is wide open to continue this trend.

Independent reviewers are sales triggers

The last year has driven us all to make our buying decisions based on independent trusted third-party advice. 19 out of 20 of us now rely on reviews and recommendations. Journalists and bloggers are so important now in providing those reviews and recommendations.

Four Point Plan

The FOUR POINT PLAN that all businesses should be working to right now are:

Share your passion

Believe in your brand and share your passion with your target market in every way you can. In short, turbo charge your marketing efforts, across your social, email outreach, advertising, and at the top of the list reach out to journalists to add their recommendations to what you do.

Hook your audience

Make your PR stories so compelling that journalists won’t be able to resist using your business for their articles, and your target buying community will talk about you….both in social chat and the pub gardens. Add a good image for journalists and bloggers. Good quality pictures are important for most social media and are often the difference too between journalists picking up stories and ignoring them.

Use tools

Take all the help you can through the PR tools that are available to you, so that you can manage your PR on a tight budget. Make the most of network groups and social streams, but also use platforms like JournoLink, where there are loads of more tips and blogs to ensure that you are hitting the right journalists, at the right time, in the right way, and can see who is showing an interest in you.

Be time smart

Be smart with your time. Most businesses will spend too much time on their marketing, or conversely do none at all as they fire fight their re-opening issues. Dedicate at least an hour a week, at a specific time and day, to action external outreach and make sure that you don’t miss critical opportunities simply by ‘not getting round to it’.

For more help with your PR contact the JournoLink team at sales@journolink.com