PR team
Form a team within your company with representatives from different departments. It doesn’t matter what job they do, as long as they are enthusiastic, interested and have ideas.
Meet once a month and brainstorm ideas that would make a good story for trade press and the local consumer and business media.
Ideas can come from anywhere – new business wins, successes, internal developments, staff achievements, charitable work. Take a great picture to illustrate the story – a story with a strong photo stands a much better chance of being published.
Develop relationships
Compile a list of key target media and make it your goal to develop a relationship with them.
Staff ideas box
Invite suggestions for media stories. Staff will respond enthusiastically if they see their ideas appear in print.
Community work
Apart from fundraising for charities, there are numerous ways in which staff could help, such as helping out with reading at a local school. It doesn’t have to be a big investment in time and every little helps.
The PR benefits will be a feel-good factor among the staff, who will think positively about the company allowing them ‘time off work’ and it provides a good hook to promote your company’s involvement within the local media and on your website.
Internal communications
Ensure systems are in place for staff to communicate effectively with their managers and directors as well as from the top down. If staff are based at different locations, nominate one person from each site to be the internal communications representative. Arrange team building events throughout the year so they have an opportunity to meet.
Staff social committee
Get a few people together who will be responsible for compiling a social calendar for the year.
Networking
Don’t leave it to the same person to attend networking events. Encourage more employees to represent the company. Ensure they are fully briefed and know how to describe the company, its services and/or products.
Keep a chart of who attends which event, contacts they have made and the results. This will develop confidence, promote the company name, develop relationships, gain local knowledge and hopefully generate more business.
Events
Events play a key role in raising a company’s profile, developing and maintaining relationships and delivering key messages about your business. A significant corporate anniversary an office move or a stand at an exhibition are all reasons to hold an event. Be creative so you host one that is memorable for all the right reasons.
Corporate hospitality
Research the interests of potential clients you would like to impress or of the person you want to get to know better and put a programme together throughout the year that is planned and targeted.
Crisis management procedures
Think about your particular business and what could happen that would bring media attention to you. Would it damage your reputation? Is there a procedure in place for notifying the relevant internal and external people at any time of the day or night? Who would deal with the media? Who would be the spokesperson? Are they media trained?
If not, organise it.
For more information, visit www.jardine-michelson.com“
