Today we welcome Jennifer Finke, a long-time PR professional, as our guest blogger. She has run JF Communications for more than five years, and three years ago created thePReparedPublicist.com. Jennifer enjoys working with small, entrepreneurial-minded companies and mompreneurs to help them launch and grow their businesses through the power of public relations (PR). She lives in Denver with her husband and two children.
Many winners of various parenting awards, including the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award®, find that getting the award is only half the challenge. Using the award to get press attention is the next challenge – maybe the bigger challenge – that still lies ahead.
For more than ten year, I have been helping companies promote their products and services. I know that an award – no matter how impressive and nice to have – doesn’t mean reporters will be jumping for joy to write about you. You still have to take the first step. Your award makes a great newsworthy platform for you to begin earning yourself some good PR. Getting press for your company takes hard work and a little creativity. Rare is the opportunity that simply falls into your lap! It can happen, and it is wonderful when it does, but realistically, those moments are few and far between.
The bottom line is that in order to get the publicity, you need to make the news. Here are some simple ways for you to use your Mom’s Choice Award® as a platform to get you and your company some good press:
Write a press release. Within the first week of receiving your award, write a simple press release announcing that you won the Mom’s Choice Award. Post the press release on your website, too. It is always good to show off that your company is making news. Search engines, customers, and media love to see that your company is actively putting itself out there.
Feature your award on your homepage. Congratulations, you now have an award-winning product. So play up the “award-winning” language on your website. Visuals aid in making the association, so include a Mom’s Choice Awards® seal on your website homepage and your blog. Having this seal instills confidence and credibility in your product.
Brainstorm story angles. I know few journalists who will just write about a product winning an award. Spend some time brainstorming how your product fits into a larger picture or trend and see how you can make your award winning product a part of a larger trend story.
Pitch local reporters. Once you come up with the story that connects your award with news, pitch the idea to reporters at your local newspaper and TV stations. Spend some time researching the right reporter – someone who covers your industry or who would enjoy your product himself or herself. Put it together and email them your story idea. Always follow up with a phone call, too. Persistence is key!
Partner with other award winners. Chances are you are not the only Mom’s Choice Awards® winner in your hometown. Identify winners that live in your city or a neighboring one and see if you can come up with a pitch together. The more the merrier and the more likely you’ll get a reporter interested in the story.
Feature yourself. If you have a blog, Twitter page, LinkedIn profile, and/or e-newsletter make sure you write about your award. Your customers will love hearing about it. This is the kind of validation makes them feel even more confident in their choice to use your product.
These are easy, first steps you can take to promote your success. You’ve put in a lot of time and effort to get this far. Now it’s time to get others to take notice. If you want more tips on how to promote your award winning product, website and/or business, please visit me online at www.ThePReparedPublicist.com.
If you have a question for Jennifer, be sure to leave it in the comments. We can answer questions in a future post.
Jennifer Finke is a long-time PR pro and the author of a series of DIY PR eBooks for entrepreneurs. Her latest eBook, “30 Secrets to Promoting Your Online Business for Free,” is available for immediate download at www.thepreparedpublicist.com/ebooks.html.
Jennifer’s Contact and Social Networking Links