How to Advance Your Trade PR Efforts

1. Look at the analytics—what works (statistically)?
   • Numbers never lie, so why not start with the truest of truths—ANALYTICS! Whether you are analyzing the success of recent pitch messaging or determining press release dates that tend to receive the most pick-up, it’s important to face the facts when making plans for the year ahead. After uncovering what is really working for your brand, you can continue to capitalize on those efforts and extend their success. No reason to reinvent the wheel if you can build on what’s already working!
2. Think outside the box
   • The DMA PR team recently hit some major home-runs of our own with consumer media placements, and we firmly believe that PR professionals everywhere could learn a thing or two (or three) about how best to pitch the trade vs. the way we approach consumer media. Think to yourself, “How can I make this more compelling and exciting for this audience?” As an industry, it seems that we can sometimes be timid about saying “too much, too soon.” In some cases, it is worse to say nothing and let others own your news.  Tell your story—all of it, struggles included! People love a good story. (link to hero’s journey Core post)
3. Build new and nurture existing relationships
   • Public relations, whether aimed at trade or consumer publications, is ALL about the relationships (HELLO, the word is in our job titles!). From tradeshows and conferences to that simple, “Checking in!” email, there are so many opportunities to build and foster relationships with trade editors. For instance, the next time you’re at a tradeshow, take an editor out for coffee, or drop a quick email to ask how they are doing and see whether they are working on anything you can help them with. Know this: media professionals very much appreciate a willingness to get to know them and their beat, coupled with a clear intent to be helpful first. This type of relationship-building is one of the foundations of successful PR, and it’s sure to help your brand excel in PR in 2020.
4. Understand what is “newsworthy” for press releases.
   • Editors and journalist are bombarded with hundreds (quite literally) of emails daily. Before you begin writing a press release to add to their already over-full inboxes, ask yourself, “Is this really newsworthy?” Of course, we all can get stuck in the mindset that everything we do is newsworthy (because it is to us!), but consider first why it would be newsworthy to the outlet. While it can be important to send releases about new hires or promotions, think hard about what that information means to the media and whether covering it benefits them.

Of course, the above is just a snapshot of what you can do to enrich your trade public relations efforts in 2020. Check out these other useful resources as you head into planning for the new year:

• Prepare for success by engaging in team goal-setting
• Learn how to craft strategic emails specifically for the trade audience.
• Elevate consumer media wins to the trade in order to strengthen your retailer relationships.

Hungry for more? Leave us a comment below or reach out to us on Twitter @TheCoreBlog!

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