Issued May 2017

Loans | Mentoring | Support

FOR
IT
TOOLK
T U P S
PR
A R S S E
T
S SINE
B U
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
INTRODUCTION

Would you like your brand mentioned in the nation’s newspapers?

What about watching your products trend on social media, or having your
voice replayed on broadcast media?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, but you don’t have an endless
marketing budget or have little idea where to start, the Start Up Loans
Company in conjunction with JournoLink, an online PR platform, has put
together this PR handbook with you in mind.

As one of five million small businesses in the UK, you make up the backbone
of the country’s economy.

This short handbook will help you to compete with the country’s multinationals
in managing their PR strategies.

Journalists and commentators genuinely want to hear the small business

perspective just as much as big business comment.

This guide is dedicated to all those whose waking hours are overtaken by
their small businesses, but whose vision and spirit is free from corporate
constraint.

So if you are proud to say, ‘I run my own business’, and want others to
hear, then take control of your PR.
CONTENTS
SECTION ONE
WHAT PR MEANS FOR A SMALL BUSINESS p5

SECTION TWO
THE KEY COMPONENTS OF PR p8

SECTION THREE
THE PR STRATEGY IN 30 MINUTES A WEEK p 11

SECTION FOUR
COURTING THE JOURNALISTS p 16

SECTION FIVE
POSITIONING NEWS RELEASES p 19

SECTION SIX
RESPONDING TO EDITORIAL REQUESTS p 22

SECTION SEVEN
DISTRIBUTING THE NEWS p 24

SECTION EIGHT
THE OUTPUT VALUE p 27

SECTION NINE
GETTING THE BEST OUT OF A MEDIA INTERVIEW p 29

SECTION TEN
WHERE TO GO FOR A HELPING HAND p 32
SECTION ONE
WHAT PR MEANS FOR A SMALL BUSINESS

If you read nothing else in this guide, read this chapter.

It will tell you what PR is all about, and why big corporates spend
hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on getting it right.
//5
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
WHAT IS PR?
The words Public Relations don’t fully explain what PR encompasses. Public Relations implies ‘Customer
Service’. It is much broader. PR is what people say about your brand and your products outside of the
confines of your office or ‘factory gate’. That phrase ‘what people say’ is very important. It is important
because people… your customers… believe what ‘other people’ say far more readily than they believe
what you say. That’s why it should be part of your overall marketing strategy.

Advertising, promotions, and email updates to clients all add to this mix, but third-party endorsements,
in other words what trusted third parties say about you, is more valuable than all of these. When we buy
products online, as many of us do now, we immediately click on ‘reviews’ to see what the truth is about the
product, and we take notice of the comments.

PR hones in on that behaviour. It involves constantly trying to get trusted, independent commentators to
promote your business, your product and your brand. Experts will tell you that positive third-party comments
are three times more effective than advertising in winning customers. Just as a side benefit too, managed
shrewdly, PR is materially cheaper to achieve than simple advertising.

View PR as ‘Personal Recommendations’ as much as ‘Public Relations’.

THERE ARE FOUR KEY COMPONENTS TO PR:

1 Proactively distributing your news through 3 Engaging with social chatter, whether
press releases, trying to entice journalists, through the recognised channels of Twitter,
bloggers and broadcasters to include your Linkedin, Facebook or Instagram, or simply
brand in their articles. by posting a blog, to become part of a real-
time conversation.

2 Responding to journalists’ requests for 4 Ensuring your shop window, i.e. your
spokespeople, comments and case studies website, is alive and current. That’s where
as they compile their stories and need to people check you out; whether it’s those
include real life examples to make their who you want to be writing about you, or
copy interesting. the potential customers who have taken
note of what others have said and are now
on the verge of being convinced.

//6
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
WHY IS PR IMPORTANT FOR A SMALL BUSINESS
Personal recommendations are, by far, the best way to get sales. A good marketing strategy aims to get
satisfied customers to recommend your business to a friend.

Imagine the power of being able to get someone to recommend it to 10,000 friends. That’s what a trusted
journalist with an average readership can do. That’s what a blogger with a decent following can do. Add
two noughts and that’s what a regional radio station can do.

To a big business with a huge marketing spend, affording TV adverts and billboard posters, 10,000 pairs of
eyes reading a newspaper may not be so important. But to a small business without an open cheque book,
the value becomes disproportionately high.

The reach will differ from business to business, and will depend upon the outlet in which the comment is
made.

ASSESSING THE VALUE OF PR FOR A SMALL BUSINESS

Enlisting the services of a PR agency is unlikely to If you don’t have large amounts to spend, then
be an affordable option for a start up. don’t feel you have to. Follow these principles and
you’ll succeed:
Value is generally calculated by comparing the
coverage with the cost of advertising in the specific • Don’t spend a fortune on an expensive
outlet and multiplying it by three. PR agency if you can use an economical
alternative, or a ‘do it yourself’ model
‘Return on Investment’ is the usual phrase used • Treat PR as part of the overall marketing
when assessing value, i.e. how much has been mix, and accept that each part of the mix
spent on fees, and the value of the column inches will deliver value at different times
it achieved. • Recognise the value of independent third-
party endorsement of your brand and
Of course, the truth is that the only real value of PR product as high on the value curve, and
is what it does for sales. spend at least as much time on external PR
as on customer newsletters, advertising
Brand recognition plus a decent product will and sales promotions.
inevitably lead to increased sales, but it can be
difficult to be precise about which marketing activity
led to that increase, and when.
SECTION TWO
THE KEY COMPONENTS OF PR

This section goes through the main elements of PR. These are the
vehicles businesses should use to get their news and comments
into the external world.
Remember: see PR as your external image. How does everyone outside of the business view you? What’s
their perception of your brand and product? What do trusted commentators say about you?

THERE ARE FOUR COMPONENTS TO FOCUS ON:

////// PRESS RELEASES
////// EDITORIAL REQUESTS
////// SOCIAL MEDIA
////// WEBSITE

PRESS RELEASES EDITORIAL REQUESTS

Most people have heard of press releases, but, There is no better time to win the attention of a
equally, most businesses don’t think that they are journalist and entice them to write about you,
big enough to make use of them. In fact, anyone your brand and your product than when they are
can send out a press release. It is easy and fairly actually asking you for comments. They do this
cheap to do. through making ‘editorial requests’.

Press releases are generally the best way to Journalists’ articles are barren without expert
inform journalists and commentators about news, comments, case studies and real-life contexts.
although they do need to be posted in conjunction Newspapers without relevant images and pictures
with social media activity. don’t sell.

Sending out a press release is one thing. The When planning their articles, journalists will often
key, though, is actually getting it picked up ask for input. They use various channels to do this,
by journalists, and to do that it needs to be from requests through Twitter, to more detailed
constructed properly and sent out at the right time ones through dedicated agencies, who distribute
to the right journalists. them to their client base.

The following sections go through these critical There is no certainty that responding to an editorial
disciplines, but for the moment you should view request will lead to media coverage, but there are
press releases as the main tool that you are going a number of rules to follow which will increase the
to use to try and catch the attention of those all- prospects of being chosen from amongst the list
important writers. of businesses that reply.

Section six looks at this winning formula in

more detail.

//9
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is an art in itself, and is dynamic. By its very nature, it is a real-time conversation, and it
moves quickly. Engaging in it successfully means constantly watching what’s ‘trending’.

There are a number of platforms today, but the critical ones to focus on are Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
and Instagram. All involve both sides of a conversation, the writer and the reader, and all are increasingly
important in managing an external image.

Journalists use social media to ask for editorial responses, businesses use social media to promote and
position their brands, and consumers use social media to comment, both positively and negatively, about
their experiences with products.

Social media is awake 24/7; so many larger businesses outsource the management of it to large agencies.
This need not be hugely expensive, but by following some simple rules a business can manage its own
social media strategy, ensuring that it runs its social chatter, rather than the social chatter running it.

WEBSITE
Having a website is an absolute imperative for A business should see its website as its shop
every business. It seems obvious, but is a relatively window, fresh and up-to-date. It is a key part of
recent phenomenon and there are still businesses any PR strategy.
who believe that a website is an expensive
optional extra. It need not be expensive, is not It is fine to celebrate how many hits a website gets,
optional, nor is it an extra. It is a critical part of any but what is more important is how long the visitor
business’s external image. is enticed to stay. That applies both to prospective
customers, and to journalists.
Websites are not only the 21st century
Yellow Pages, but are also the validators and Generally speaking, any journalist looking to
authenticators of a business’s credibility. Not just pick up on a story in a press release, or deciding
a phone number, but a complete pitch for the which editorial request response to use, will look
business too. at the business’s website for further background
and contact details. That further background
Before a business is launched, the website must must include latest news and business updates.
be built and live. If not, the journalist will see the business as
‘uninteresting’.
There are two ways to approach this. It can
either be outsourced, or the business can do it Two absolute musts on a website are comments
themselves using one of the online modular tools from social media, including blogs, and a media
that are now freely available and inexpensive, room with latest news releases.
such as WordPress. As with most things, the
more you spend, the more you get, but a perfectly This all sounds like a lot of work, but it is perfectly
credible website can be built by anyone, with very feasible to have everything automated and run at
little investment. a minimal cost. It is important to make sure both
are integrated into the website from the outset.
But that’s not the end of the story. You must
ensure that it is ‘active’. The vast majority of small Section ten covers where a business can look
business websites have not been touched since for help in getting everything properly set up.
they were first built, and at best are merely a ‘book
cover’. At worst they are out of date.

//10
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SECTION THREE
THE PR STRATEGY IN 30 MINUTES A WEEK
Once a strategy is established, just 30 minutes a week can be all it takes to stay on top of your PR. The
strategy itself takes a little longer to put in place, but by following simple guidelines, a workable plan is easy
to create and can be highly effective with minimal spend.

BUILDING YOUR PR PLAN

For each quarter, spread your headings over 3 months, including the following:

ACTIVITY: RESPONSE:
• Launches / proactive news / research / • News release to distribute
case studies • Comment for website only
• Advertising • Social media and blog
• Calendar events

AD HOC:
• Editorial request responses
• Google Alerts / social media prompts

PR PLAN TEMPLATE
Please see below an example of how you could map out a three-month PR cycle.

ACTIVITY
month 1 month 2 month 3
proactive research case calendar proactive research case calendar proactive research
news study event news study event news

product launch
and advertising

RESPONSE

month 1 month 2 month 3

website social website social website social website social website social website social
comment media comment media comment media comment media comment media comment media
post post post post post post

distribute distribute
news news
release release

AD HOC
month 1 month 2 month 3
google
alerts

twitter
prompts
>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>
editorial
request
response

//12
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
RECOMMENDED STORIES TO ISSUE TO MEDIA
Consider issuing press releases to the media when you have natural news related to the following:
• Received a listing for your product(s) with a national retailer.
• An anniversary, first/second year of trading, etc.
• Plans to expand, or announcing an expansion of the business.
• Launched new product(s) or development within the business.
• A major new hire/appointment within the business.
• Hit/exceeded a big target or milestone.
• A strong news hook (i.e. a father and son business to tie into Father’s Day).

ACTIVITY
This has three components, all of which are under your control and can be planned:

1 Any activity that the business has in its plan, whether a launch of a new product through to
engagement in a local charity event, is worthy of an external comment.

Remember that even if it does not get picked up by journalists, it will sit as updated news in the
media section of your website and ultimately keep the site lively and current to any viewers.

Research outputs, top tips and case studies that can be used by journalists in advice pieces are
always in demand.

2 External PR should support any advertising that is planned at the same time. If media
coverage is achieved, it will materially add to the effectiveness of the advertising.

3 Any events or news releases planned by others that can be leveraged by a business for its
own benefit should be.

This could be anything from the release of a government report on a subject that is relevant to
the business, to a seasonal event, for instance Valentine’s Day or the London Marathon, where a
business can link what it does to the event.

The secret is to access a calendar where all the work has been done already in listing the events,
and to get the timing right to coincide with the journalists’ planning cycles. You can use an online
retail marketing calendar as a guide to help your business capitalise on key events.

//13
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
RESPONSE
This section helps you plan your proactive PR placement in advance.
Again, there are three things to focus on:

1 Actual, well thought out press releases. 3 As an alternative to trying to entice

Journalists are wary of businesses that journalists with what is truly ‘news’, many
pump out press releases too frequently with businesses will schedule a series of social
the sole aim of the journalists doing their media blogs.
advertising for them, but for genuine news
that it is reasonable to expect the general These are generally fairly short advice-
public to have an interest in, then they are based articles, or comment pieces, and are
keen to hear about it. posted on the business’ social media feeds,
and into the media room, but not formally
Planning the press release can be done distributed to journalists.
weeks in advance, and can then simply be
held ready to distribute when the time is Blogs are a good way for a business to
right. keep its website updated, and to keep the
business brand in front of commentators.
It should be positioned around, and built
on, anything that a business has identified Bloggers are becoming increasingly
in the ‘activity’ part of the plan. important as a means to achieve trusted
third-party endorsements, and it is not
Every business should be planning uncommon for a journalist to rely on
a press release at least every three recognised bloggers for some of their
months. article content.

Section five goes through how press Every business should plan on writing a
releases should be structured for best blog piece at least monthly.
results.
These need not be long, but should be of
2 The business has to decide whether a piece interest and relevant. Topics for blogs can
of news, comment, response to some data range from ‘Tips on how to grow tomatoes’
being released, or the winning of a contract, to ‘Avoiding wrinkles as the ageing process
is worthy of broad-scale distribution, or sets in’. Simply anything relevant to the
whether it just wants to use it as an update business, which may be of interest.
to the website.

The process is the same, in that the news

comment is written and put into the website
media room, but just not distributed. It
is then available for any visitors to the
website, whether prospective customers
or journalists, to read. Critically, this keeps
the website up-to-date, and retains visitors’
interest.

At least every few weeks, a business

should be posting its latest news and
comment into its media room.

//14
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
AD HOC
The world of news never sleeps, and journalists
are always looking out for new angles to trending
stories. These can be generated in two ways.

Editorial requests:

As discussed in section two, businesses should

set themselves up on a platform to receive
these from journalists when appropriate.

Section six looks at how to respond to

editorial requests when they arrive.

Pre-empting editorial requests:

Businesses watching the news in their

sector can simply comment on something
trending. They can either post a quick press
release, or simply comment on social media.

This does require the business to be watching

what is going on, and being prepared to
comment quickly. Current news becomes old
news very quickly in the eyes of a journalist,
and commenting when the agenda has moved
on is a waste of time.

Few businesses are keen to have their attention

diverted away from their main day-to-day sales
and cash collection priorities to spend too much
time actively watching for ad hoc news items,
but they can take three simple steps as prompts
without being distracted:
• Set up Google Alerts for key words in the
business sector.
• Follow key sector journalists on social
media, i.e. Twitter.
• Keep an eye on the news, i.e. BBC News
24.

When something relevant appears, simply

comment briefly and quickly, along the lines for
example of ‘XXX, owner of YYY responds to
the Prime Minister’s call for more job creation.
Simplify the process, relieve employment law,
and relax NI reporting if you really want small
businesses engaging’.

The objective is purely to catch the eye of

journalists and get the business’s brand name
into print.

//15
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SECTION FOUR
COURTING THE JOURNALISTS
Start from the angle that all journalists want to or even non-stories simply to help the business
be the one that everyone listens to and takes profile its brand.
notice of.
So respect their position and help them achieve
Their success in their chosen field depends upon what they need to do, at the same time as cleverly
them covering good news stories, preferably positioning the business to win brand profile.
exclusively, and being regarded as trusted, quality
commentators, who know what they are ‘talking’ So, how should a business go about winning over
about. the right commentators?

By their very nature they are impatient for good

stories, but they are equally impatient with people
and businesses that try to get them to cover bad,

CREATING A DISTRIBUTION LIST

Firstly, look beyond the journalist, to the audience you are trying to influence. Which newspapers,
magazines or online outlets do they follow? Whilst not a comprehensive exercise, Google can offer a
shortcut for this simply through an ‘articles on…’ search. Alternatively, choose the top five or six outlets
and research who contributes to them, bearing in mind that they may be freelance.

Most writers will include social media details such as their Twitter address at the end of the article. Follow
them and comment positively on their article. They will take note of a following fan club and with luck will
become a follower themselves. If they do, you have a direct line to your chosen journalists, and if you
specifically want their attention, whenever you issue a press release or comment, use direct messaging.

Frequently their email address will be included in the article too. If not in the article, it may be listed in
the publication elsewhere, with the telephone number.

If no contact details are provided, ‘journalist listing’ services are available which can provide details, but
these come at a price.

The objective is to compile a list of key journalists so that when the business has a news release or
comment to make, there is a ready-made list of recipients to distribute to.

Section eight looks in more detail at building your distribution list.

//17
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
BUILDING MEDIA RELATIONSHIPS
For a select few journalists who will be seen as real value for your business, set up Google Alerts and
periodically retweet and share their articles on social media.

Don’t become a ‘stalker’, but be seen to be taking an interest in what they are writing and periodically
compliment them.

Very occasionally, a direct email or direct mail on Twitter commenting positively pays dividends.

For a journalist who has responded to any approach or comment, if they are local, go as far as inviting
them for a coffee. They are busy and will have both daily and weekly deadlines, so you will have to fall
into their schedule, not them into yours, but they do have downtime, and will be equally keen to develop
their sources of news as you will be to ensure that it’s your business they see as a ‘go-to source’.

Some will reject you, and it’s important not to get despondent. Even just one journalist seeing you as a
regular contributor and spokesperson is a route to free, trusted, brand advertising.

Make sure to keep your list up-to-date. Journalists move around, and if you want them covering you you
are expected to know when they move, and to send them a good luck message.

GETTING THE TIMING RIGHT

Gaining a journalist’s confidence is all about timing. You are there to provide good content. If it is good
content then the journalists will take it. If it is blatantly not good content, but merely a pitch for free
advertising, then they will quickly cross you off their favourites list.

Establish a rule that generic news releases are distributed to a broad list, and only send those that are
genuinely ‘interesting’ to your ‘shot’ list in the first place.

Once a good working relationship has been established with one particular journalist, offering an
‘exclusive’ ahead of any other journalists often secures a good article, but do accept that even if a
journalist takes a release ‘exclusively’, it doesn’t always mean that the editor will print it. If other news,
more important than yours, is trending then that’s what will receive the focus.

Always make a comment on social media too whenever a release is sent out. That will catch the journalists
who use that route to pick up content, as opposed to opening emails or watching news distribution feeds.

//18
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SECTION FIVE
POSITIONING NEWS RELEASES
You have about three seconds to capture the interest of a journalist, blogger or broadcast researcher. They
get hundreds of emails and news feeds every day, and yours has to be the one that stands out.

In those three seconds, it has to fulfil a list of key points:

1. The right headline hook

2. A good initial summary
3. Evidence of a quote
4. Some facts
5. A good visual image

A good way to achieve the right initial structure is to use a template approach, from which the journalists
can mentally tick the boxes quickly. Completing this requires a little thought, but should become almost
automatic.

HEADLINE
This is probably the most important piece of the whole exercise. It is the one opportunity to intrigue the
journalist, and is what drives the decision as to whether your release is worthy of more than three seconds’
attention.

You have no more than 15 words to convince the journalist that this is for them.

Focus on four triggers: Timing:

1. Regional angle: If you have been able to convince a journalist to
If you are looking for regional coverage, then take your release as ‘exclusive’, then you need
refer to the area. ‘Kent business sweeps the to tell others that it is ‘embargoed’ until a certain
board at awards evening’ for instance. This will time
immediately catch the eye of local journalists,
but may well miss national coverage. Aside from embargoed releases, you need to
set the time when you want your release to be
2. Subject pick-up: distributed. There is an art to this.
If your focus is your sector or topic, looking for
trade and subject pick-up, then refer specifically Most journalists will not pick up releases at the
to it. ‘Four super foods combine to combat end of the day, and by the following morning
insomnia’ for instance. they are yesterday’s news. Equally, first thing
in the morning they will be trying to clear their
3. Think keywords: email inbox, especially on a Monday morning.
Export, jobs, health, diversity, economy, for If it’s truly ‘breaking news’, then 7am is fine;
instance, or, if it is relevant and not in any way otherwise go for 10am onwards.
open to libel challenge, use a famous person’s
name. Journalists will have different ‘Google Some journalists will have their own target
Alerts’ set up for news stories that they are deadlines too. For instance, for the Sunday
interested in, and will search for releases by papers most journalists will have their columns
key word. scoped out by the previous Wednesday, and
for monthly trade magazines deadlines will
4. Provocation, not boredom: be weeks in advance. Consumer titles tend to
No one will pick up the headline: ‘Travel firm have a three-month lead time.
appoints new Finance Director’, but ‘Money
man adds spice to weekend breaks’ may well If they are your target, then it is worth calling
catch a few eyes. As a general rule, don’t the editorial team and simply asking when the
be offensive and don’t land yourself in court. best time to submit content is.
Beyond that, be as edgy as you can to hook
the reader.

//20
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
CONTENT:
Presentation of this is important as, especially Copywriting services are available for those
online, journalists may just copy and paste the businesses without the time or in-house skills
whole content. themselves.

The content itself is equally important though. There are four critical aspects to include:
1. A teaser:
Provided the journalist has got past the headline, the teaser is what will convince them to go to the
next stage and actually read and use the release. It has to be factual and succinct, telling the journalist
exactly what the release is about with a principal strapline.

2. Including facts, data or research:

What is it that is different? Is it news? Journalists need a reason to put you in their columns, and if there
is nothing new or interesting for them to use, they will move on very quickly and consign your release
to their junk box.

3. A clear story:
You should include four or five clearly set-out paragraphs telling the story, without waffle. These
paragraphs should draw out the key elements that you want the reader to focus on.

Do bear in mind that this is the first time the journalist will have read it, so don’t take for granted that they
will know what you are talking about. Try and distance yourself from what you know and assume that the
reader is completely fresh to the subject and content. Make it clear and well set-out.

4. Quotes:
Journalists are looking to print what experts and commentators have said, and this is the opportunity
to ensure that both you and the business brand get a good name check. Only put in a quote that you
would be happy to have associated with the business, and be quoted in full in the media. Assume that
the journalist will use it word for word.

Try to have at least two quotes. One from the business, and a second from a recognised expert adding
credibility to the release. The more highly recognised they are, the more likely it is that the release will
be picked up. Using a local MP’s name in a release, for example, will often trigger several Google Alerts
that have been set up by journalists, so they will be prompted to read your release.

NOTES FOR EDITORS: CONTACT DETAILS:

> Include a short summary of the business and > If there are no contact details for journalists at
the website details. the end of the release, don’t be surprised if you
> Also list reference details for data and any hear nothing.
research. > Include names, telephone numbers and email
addresses, and be prepared to take a call at
IMAGE: any time convenient to the journalist.
If you are not available, they will move swiftly to
> Adding a strong, good-quality image will entice the next release and business on their to-do list.
a journalist to use your article.
> Make sure this is high resolution, is relevant,
and has the permission of everyone in the
image, and the owner of the image, for it to be
used.
> Try to discreetly include the brand name in the
background.

//21
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SECTION SIX
RESPONDING TO EDITORIAL REQUESTS
Editorial requests fall into ad hoc work, answering the requests from journalists for case studies and
quotes from spokespeople to add to the articles they are already writing, or at least planning.

There are two great advantages to responding to editorial requests:

1. You don’t have to entice the journalist.

2. They are much quicker and easier to respond to.

You can either manage this yourself, or consider the value of an online subscription package designed for
businesses wanting to receive editorial requests.

Start Up Loan recipients can take advantage of an exclusive offer of 25% off a monthly or
annual subscription to JournoLink and save up to £75 p.a.

Full details are available at

https://www.startuploans.co.uk/business-offers/journolink/

But there are four golden rules to follow when you respond to an editorial request:

1 Be brief, but give the journalist a good reason to follow up with you. Don’t just respond ‘I’m interested
in talking to you’. The journalists may well have several businesses who have responded. They will
first contact those who appear to offer the most. Your objective is to be the first one they contact.
Remember though that they will not read more than a couple of paragraphs, so be relevant and
succinct.

2 Respond quickly. Often the journalist will be working to a tight timeframe, and they are more likely to
look at, and contact, early respondents.

3 Provide good contact details, including a telephone number and email address. Be ready to take
their call or respond to an email at their convenience, not yours. It may well be that you have to get
that order out in the next hour, but by then the journalist may well have moved onto the next business
respondent.

4 Provide a link to a good image in your response. That might just be enough to persuade them that
you are the business they want.

//23
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SECTION SEVEN
DISTRIBUTING THE NEWS
Distributing the news release is the one area where a helping hand is generally needed.

The objective should be that each piece of news or comment will be seen by:
> Trusted media commentators, both sector specific and general
> Existing and potential customers
> Social media audiences.

The release should also be retained for subsequent viewing:

> By keyword search through an established search engine
> On your business website for future viewing.

Distribution therefore breaks down into three channels:

> Traditional journalists
> Customer e-newsletters, and website media room updates
> Social media commentators

1 Traditional journalists

For those businesses with the time and capacity to compile their own journalist lists and to send out
individual or bulk emails, the do-it-yourself solution may work.

For small businesses though, the time spent doing this might be seen as unproductive or unfeasible,
and a distribution service could come in useful.

There are two options:

> Employing a PR Agency to do this as an outsourced service

> Using an online web-based service.

Distribution is a key element of the overall strategy, and the target audience will already have been
defined as part of the overall strategy.

Before pressing the ‘distribute’ button, go through the following press release template checklist to
confirm you have filled all the criteria:

> Headline
> Timing
> Content
> Quotes
> Notes
> Image
> Contact details

//25
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
2 Existing customers 2 Social media commentators

Keeping existing customers informed of For many businesses, the most important
business developments and news is often channel to be engaged in for attracting
ignored, but it is a recognised fact that selling journalists’ attention is Twitter.
to existing satisfied customers is substantially
easier than selling to new ones. You can do this yourself, or choose a release
distribution service that will post your release
Updating existing customers is a very effective on social media channels such as Twitter
way of keeping in touch, and while this can automatically when they send it to regular
be done through periodic newsletters, most journalists. This will ensure that social
businesses find it more efficient simply to email commentators and journalists who lift news
a current or segmented list of customers. from Twitter, and who follow the chosen
distribution service, see your headline and can
It is important, both for existing and potential access the release through a link on the tweet.
customers, to ensure your website is updated
each time a release is distributed. You can either It is also becoming increasingly useful to post
do this yourself, or consider a press release your news across your other social media
distribution service that automatically updates channels such as Facebook and Instagram.
the media room of your website whenever a These are being used more and more in PR
release is ‘posted’ through it. across a growing range of sectors.

Start Up Loan recipients can take advantage of an exclusive offer of 25% off a monthly or
annual subscription to JournoLink and save up to £75 p.a.

Full details are available at

https://www.startuploans.co.uk/business-offers/journolink/

//26
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SECTION EIGHT
THE OUTPUT VALUE
Businesses often obsess about what media Keep track of which journalists are showing an
coverage they get from PR, and how it should be interest in the releases so you can build relations.
valued. Don’t, because there is no easy answer A distribution service can help you to assess
to this. whether the format and content of releases is
catching the eye of journalists, or if the approach
PR is part of an overall marketing mix. It should needs to be reviewed. If it is attracting coverage,
not necessarily be seen as an immediate route stick to the game plan.
to large-scale media coverage, but more an
ongoing tactic to capture the interest of trusted Bear in mind too that print journalism is declining,
journalists and commentators so that, over time, and whilst it might be novel to see the business
the business is seen as a credible contributor to mentioned in a newspaper, there is a growing
the news agenda. For this reason, commit to at value now in online coverage, which can be fairly
least an annual PR strategy. easily tracked through Google Alerts without cost.

It’s useful to track your coverage, which you Online mentions have the added benefit of
can either do yourself or by subscribing to a full enhancing a business’s SEO (Search Engine
news cutting service, although these can be Optimisation), and increasing its ranking on key
disproportionately expensive for start ups. search engines.

SO, IN SUMMARY:
> If you have marketing spend available, consider carefully where best to use it.

> Track which journalists are showing an interest in you and build relationships with them.
> Commit to an ongoing PR plan, set out for the year ahead.

> Find the most economical service possible to help you in the key areas, and spend equally on advertising,
PR and customer emails to deliver your overall marketing plan.

Start Up Loan recipients can take advantage of an exclusive offer of 25% off a monthly or
annual subscription to JournoLink and save up to £75 p.a.

Full details are available at

https://www.startuploans.co.uk/business-offers/journolink/

//28
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SECTION NINE
GETTING THE BEST OUT OF A MEDIA INTERVIEW
When you see people performing well when being interviewed on the news, don’t assume they are just
good at it, most have been coached by an expert. There is no reason why every small business owner
cannot be just as effective, and in many cases more effective.

There are two things to remember:

1. Make this your moment of fame and impact. It’s your show, and make sure you run it.
2. The interviewer is actually under greater pressure than you. It’s an interviewer’s job to create a good
broadcast, and to do that he or she needs a good, interesting and engaging interviewee. It’s your job
therefore to help the interviewer get a good output, whether that’s in print, online, on
the radio, or on the television.

So, at the same time as taking every opportunity to get over your message and mentioning your brand, you
should be working hard to help the interviewer create a good outcome from their perspective too.

Your preparation should have four distinct elements:

AGENDA
• Write down why you are doing the interview. You must have a very clear objective. What do you
want to achieve?
• Is this to promote your brand, or protect it? Or are you there as an expert in your field to add
comments to trending news?
• This will dictate how you position yourself. Whether you will be in ‘sales’ mode or ‘apologetic’ mode.
Whether you will lead the conversation, or whether you will allow the journalist to.
• In simple terms, what would be a good outcome for you from the interview? That’s what you have
to plan for.

AUDIENCE
• Who is your audience? It is important that you position what you are saying to the people who will
be listening to you, or reading about you.
• What is their level of understanding of your product and area? Don’t assume they know as much
about it as you. If they do then use acronyms and technical phrases, but if they don’t, you need to
keep things in plain English and avoid complexities.
• Think about the difference between a Radio 4 audience and a local radio station audience, or a
reader of The Times compared to a reader of a local newspaper. Each has a different reason for
listening and reading, and each expects something different.
• Have a picture in your mind of who you are talking to, and do your best to maintain a conversation
with that image in mind.
• The success of your interview and the impact you create will depend on how well you adapt to your
audience.

MESSAGING
• See the interview as your opportunity to get your message over to your audience.
• Plan what message you want to land, and ideally break this down into no more than three points.
• At the outset of the interview, make these three points very briefly so that everyone knows what you
are talking about.
• Then, as the interview progresses, concentrate on each point one by one, filling out the facts and
detail of each one as you go.
• At the end of the interview, reinforce your three points and your message.
• Work out what quote you would like to see in the paper, or be taken as a sound bite in an interview,
and say it several times.
• For a print interview, it often helps to have your preferred quote written out to give directly to the
journalist. They will appreciate having your exact words as much as you will seeing them in the
article.
• Have a good quality, high-resolution picture ready to provide to a print journalist too.

//30
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
APPROACH
• Having thought about your agenda, your
audience and your messaging, now reflect
on the overall approach you are going to
take.
• Think what you should wear to create the
right impression.
• Think about the tone of your voice and the
speed of your delivery.
• As a basic test, put yourself in the position
of the audience. How would you expect to
see the interviewee (i.e. you) performing?
• Make sure you have practised the way you
want to deliver your three key points and
your message. It is absolutely true that
‘practice makes perfect’, and those who
you see and hear getting their messages
over well will have put plenty of work in to
prepare.

A FEW FINAL TIPS

• If there is a camera nearby, assume it is
on you.
• If there is a microphone around, assume it
is switched on.
• There is no such thing as an ‘off-the-record’
conversation with a journalist. In other
words, don’t get caught out unexpectedly.
• If you are on the television, being
interviewed direct to camera, however
weird it feels, talk directly to the lens.
The audience will then see you speaking
directly to them, not an anonymous person
to your left or right.
• There is nothing worse than seeing a TV
interviewee looking away from a camera.
It makes them look disinterested, and the
likely result is always the same - the loss of
the audience’s attention.
• If your interview is ‘local’, make sure you
position yourself as ‘local’ too. Find out
the name of the interviewer, and use it
conversationally even if you are not sitting
in front of them.
• Enjoy the experience. If you feel
uncomfortable, that will come through, in
print as much as it will on the television or
the radio.
• Always remember that the interviewer
is under greater pressure than you. And
however you perform, everyone will say
you did brilliantly.

//31
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
SECTION TEN
WHERE TO GO FOR A HELPING HAND
Most businesses will need help in at least some areas of PR. Choosing which depends on existing in-
house skills, time, and budget.

This guide has been put together by the Start Up Loans Company in conjunction with JournoLink, which is
an online platform to help small businesses in those areas where they need that help.

JournoLink provides help with all the key aspects of managing your PR, from prompts on when and how
to issue news content, to distributing that content to a whole range of journalists and bloggers, monitoring
who is showing an interest in you, letting you know when journalists are looking for specific input and
spokespeople for articles they are writing, and matching your content with the journalists most likely to
cover you. Moreover, it has been built with the small business budget in mind.

//33
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
START UP LOAN RECIPIENTS CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER OF 25% OFF A MONTHLY
OR ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO JOURNOLINK
AND SAVE UP TO £75 P.A.

OFFER DETAILS A subscription to JournoLink includes:

JournoLink is the online PR (Public Relations) • Go-to Directory of business profiles for
Platform for small businesses to manage their journalists to search and discover small
PR and get in the local and national media. businesses.
JournoLink is offering Start Up Loan recipients • Send your Press Release to a database
25% off their subscription either paid monthly of more than 6,000 journalists all tagged
or annually. That means you could have an all- by industry and location so the right people
round PR solution for as little as £150 for the are hearing your news.
year. • SME Events Calendar research all the
The subscription to JournoLink’s services key dates in your business calendar, when
include: to apply for awards and attend networking
• Premium Directory Listing events.
• Complete Access to PR Toolkit • PR Top Tips and Knowledge Centre
• Events & Awards Calendar offering in-depth articles on writing a press
• Enhanced Press Release Writing release, press releases, using social media
• Discounted Professional Services and more.
• Editorial Requests sent via email allow
By redeeming this offer you will be able to send journalists looking for specific quotes or
press releases, answer editorial requests, view comment to contact targeted businesses.
your business calendar and learn about PR all • A Media Room, filled with all of your
from one easy to use online portal. previously distributed press releases, can
be directly linked to your business website
as a widget or plug-in.
COMPANY DETAILS
JournoLink is an online PR toolkit that helps you If you’re a small business looking to grow you
get your business in the media. Whether you should be harnessing the power of PR and
want to promote your product launch, announce JournoLink can help!
your crowd funding campaign or comment
on the latest industry stats, you can do it all Disclaimer
You understand that in providing details of corporate offers The Start
through JournoLink. They have local, national Up Loans Company is not endorsing any company, products or
and broadcast journalists from a broad range of services other than its own and that you will be solely responsible for
deciding whether to use or take up any of the products or services
industry sectors waiting to hear from you. offered by any of the companies detailed here.

Full details are available at

https://www.startuploans.co.uk/business-offers/journolink/

//34
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
START UP
LOANS Need finance and support for your
start up? Start Up Loans could help.
The Start Up Loans scheme is a Government-backed initiative, created to help support start up business
owners to access the funding and support they need in order to start or grow their own business in the UK.

Since its launch in 2012, the scheme has provided over £300 million of funding and supported more than
45,000 great business ideas.

Read below for more information about the scheme.

Borrow £500 – £25,000 Free post-loan support and mentoring

Fixed interest rate of 6% p.a. Free templates and guides

1 - 5 year loan repayment term No application or set-up fees

Unsecured, personal loan for business No early repayment fees

purposes

Free application support Exclusive business offers

“Mentoring was a brilliant element to the loan “Start Up Loans give you the cash and the
itself. Having a mentor through the start up business support to make it work, it’s a
process really helped.” complete package that can’t be beaten.”

David O’Neal, Shortcuts Children’s Salon Meriel Kehoe, Claudi & Fin

Ready to get started?

Register your interest today by visiting our website www.startuploans.co.uk and completing our short
online form.

Looking for more information?

For more information about the Start Up Loans scheme, please visit our website or call our Customer
Service team.

Web: www.startuploans.co.uk
Tel: 0344 264 2600 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, excluding bank holidays).

Loans are strictly for 18s and over. Personal loans for business use only. Finance is subject to status.
Terms and conditions apply.

//35
PR TOOLKIT FOR START UP BUSINESSES
www.startuploans.co.uk
 Loans | Mentoring | Support

HAVE A QUESTION? GET IN TOUCH

BY EMAIL OR PHONE:
E: [email protected]
T: 0344 264 2600
(Mon to Fri 9.00am-6.00pm)

www.startuploans.co.uk