By
Laura Pearson-Smith
Imagine that awful, stomach churning feeling… it’s like no-one has come to your birthday party. It’s standing up to deliver a speech and no-one is listening. It’s the nightmare that wakes events planners in the dead of the night, tears streaming down their face and sweat trickling down their back. It’s the horror of poor event PR!
Being a professional planner requires a range of skills and involves a lot more than just running an event. You need to garner excitement beforehand, get the right people through the door on the day and follow up with coverage showing those unfortunate souls that missed out why they need to be there next time. Knowing how to PR your event is a valuable skill in itself. So how can you get some free coverage?
1. Use your time (wisely)
Outsourcing PR activity can be expensive and your budget is all but spent. Instead, stock up on coffee, roll up your sleeves and get on the phone to speak to media outlets and bloggers yourself. It’s better to target a core 10 outlets and win them over, rather than the shotgun approach of trying to touch everyone but doing so poorly.
Make sure what you are talking about is of interest to your target, otherwise you will be damaging your brand in the long run. Ask yourself, “What is it that is different about what I’m doing?” Are you making it easy for the journalist? Are you providing an interesting image alongside your well written press release? You will be more likely to get published if you do.
2. Use current events
To events marketers, Oreos aren’t just a delicious biscuit, they are a brand that knows how to
take advantage of current events to promote their own product. They show how with just a little effort you could be riding off the back of shared experience to get coverage for yourself. Your campaign can be clever and striking and could even make a great press release in itself!
They are also delicious biscuits.
3. Use social media
Another way to take advantage of what’s going on in the wider world is to pay attention to social media. Use popular hash tags that your audience is interested in and keep your eyes peeled for questions and requests from journalists. They may be using #helpareporterout or #haro. Could you be the expert who could answer that question?
4. Use your advocates
Your advocates are your customers who would provide a brilliant case study or experts that you work closely with who could write a relevant column. It’s time to pull in a few favours so you are offering content of real value with an appealing human interest angle. This is a great opportunity for your partner to get some media coverage for themselves so they should be keen to take part.
5. Use your product
Journos love a freebie so why not give them a free ticket? It is flattering to find out you are a VIP and they will be more inclined to cover your event and do so positively. If you do happen to get some negative coverage you can find out about
how to deal with negative event PR here.
Alternatively, invite them to a pre-event launch for special guests. Here is your chance to meet them and charm their socks off in person. Ask them how they like to receive their press releases. Listen to them carefully and find out what makes them tick. Do they have an editorial calendar so you can create a press release that will fit in with upcoming issues? This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
Good luck and go forth and promo! Click the link to see our course page and
learn more about event PR and planning. 
