How to Use Events to Get Press Coverage

Special Events Are an Easy Way to Become the Local News

Apr 4, 2009

In this difficult economy, business owners can't just open the door and expect customers to walk on in. They must work hard at building awareness.

One of the quickest ways to build awareness is to get a story in the local newspaper. There are many ways to earn media coverage, and one of the best is to plan a special event. Businesses can host contests, anniversary celebrations, or carnivals related to a certain holiday. Whatever the event is, though, it must be related to the type of business and it must be something that hasn’t been done before.

Plan Events that Are Related to the Product or Service

If the primary target audience for a business is children, like a toy store, then maybe a free children’s safety fair is the way to go. Arrange for the local police department to do an ID station, the fire department to host a fire safety presentation, and the local hospital to do a first aid demonstration. The more local organizations there are to partner with, the more likely the event will get noticed by the press. Spa owners may want to sponsor a relaxation fair with free 10-minute massages, samples of products, and tastes of relaxing teas. Organize the event, write a simple press release and send it to the local newspapers, radio, and TV stations two weeks in advance. Follow up with a phone call to increase the odds of capturing the reporter's attention.

Match Events With a Timely Holiday to Be More "Newsy"

Gift ideas at Christmastime are not unusual. But, there are many other holiday opportunities throughout the year to match up with your product or service. Joan Stewart, otherwise known as The Publicity Hound, has many suggestions how businesses can earn media attention. For example, Stewart recommends that bookstore owners sponsor programs that tie into holidays like Mother's Day.

Pair Events With Donations to Maximize Press Potential

Certain special events can generate more interest among the local media than others. For instance, an event that involves a charitable donation automatically becomes more newsworthy. Donations are also a wonderful way to show customers that a business is community-minded. The best way to choose a charitable organization or project is to read the local paper and see what’s going on in the neighborhood. There will be many stories about schools, non-profit organizations, and families that may be in need of help.

Once a cause has been identified, decide how to help. A percentage of sales made on a particular day or week is one way to help, but there are others. Owners of an ice cream parlor may decide to work with a local school to offer an ice cream party for the class that reads the most books. Pizzerias can offer a free slice to customers who bring in 5 non-perishable items to donate to the local food pantry.

One final thing to remember -- businesses that choose to host a community event, or sponsor a charitable project, must do it because they want to be charitable. Press coverage is not like advertising; there is never an absolute guarantee that a great feature story will come out of an event. But, business owners will increase their chances of getting some press attention, while building loyalty among existing customers, and adding new customers to the bottom line. In this economy, every bit of attention helps.

The copyright of the article How to Use Events to Get Press Coverage in Marketing/PR is owned by Tricia Krietzberg. Permission to republish How to Use Events to Get Press Coverage in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.