If you throw a great party or grand opening for your business or organization and no one hears about it, is it really great? That’s why you need PR. Public relations (PR) is a vital part of any successful event strategy. Whether you are opening the doors to a new restaurant or retail store, hosting a fundraiser for your favorite cause, announcing a new product or service, celebrating a special milestone in the company or simply promoting a special event like a book signing or workshop – PR can be the differentiator that takes the event beyond the walls of the event itself. It not only helps to share the news before and after, it helps tell the story and leverage the event beyond the actual afternoon or evening.
Benefits of event PR
When you enlist PR as part of your event plan, the campaign should not only help alert people in advance, it should also share the news after the fact. As much as we’d like to have everyone show up, they can’t, and they won’t. But with PR, you can let everyone that didn’t come know that they missed an awesome evening (that’s right – we want to tap into their FOMO). Seriously, post-event news stories, social media posts, and photo spreads let the public know what they’ve missed and educates them about what your company or organization is doing. In some cases, the post-event PR is almost more important than the pre-event PR.
Here are the top three benefits of including PR in your event plan:
- It expands your reach. Through PR we are able to alert more people about your company or organization than just the guests that attend.
- It provides a longer shelf-life. The event may be scheduled for a Saturday afternoon from 3 – 5 PM, but when we secure pre-and post-news coverage via TV, print, social media influencers and guests, the news of an event lives long after the event itself. And consider all those links to your website and social media pages.
- It attracts new customers and fans. Remember FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is real, and people hate to miss out on a good thing. At the same time, you can’t invite everyone and everyone you invite can’t always attend. PR coverage on your grand opening, product launch or any special event entices people that did not attend to go check out your restaurant, website, and social media pages after the fact. It helps attract and convert new customers.
What does event PR include?
There are several elements we create and send out to let the media and the public know about an event. These may include:
- A grabbing headline with a clear tailored message
- A media alert – with the basic who, what, where, when and cost (if any)
- A press release – with more details
- A pitch – personally targeting the right media contacts
- Social media – posts and event pages
- Invite copy, email blasts, copy for signage and/or fliers
The goal here is to raise awareness and attract attention.
The Different Pieces
There are several different pieces that make a successful event. A PR expert can help your company come up with a solid strategy for your event. This would include capturing the mood for your event, writing newsworthy articles for the media, working with the media to give them an inside look of your event, and handling social media. These are all important pieces to the puzzle and having an expert will help put the puzzle together.
The Media Announcement
Creating a specific media announcement for your event is what PR experts generally excel at. The press is always looking for something newsworthy to feature – this includes, print, TV, radio and digital – if the event fits the proper criteria. As PR experts, we use experience and contacts coupled with creativity to present the info about your event to people that will find it newsworthy. When you work with a professional PR team like marketingworx, we will execute a compelling announcement and reach out to our contacts in the press with a pitch or news hook that fits the type of events they cover.
Incorporating Social Media Strategy
We can also help with your social media strategy or manage it for you. This includes tailoring your messages to the platform you’re using and the audience you are trying to reach. For example, you wouldn’t post the same message on Instagram as you would on LinkedIn. Most business owners don’t have the time to even think about that, let alone do it.
Overall, your event is all about building awareness and strengthening your brand. Whether you are building a new business concept, or you have been operating for years, a planned event coupled with a well thought out PR strategy can start you off on the right foot or breathe new life and attract new customers into an existing operation. If you have an event coming up that needs to find its voice, let’s talk!