Exhibitor Magazine "12 Steps to Press Success" Features Interview on Karen Thomas, Thomas Public Relations

By Lena Valenty, Exhibitor Magazine

12 Steps to Press Success

Add prowess to your public-relations strategy with these 12 simple steps from three PR pros, and you'll woo even the most jaded industry journalists.

Exhibiting at a trade show is a lot like going on a blind date. Your booth has mere minutes to make a lasting first impression on whoever decides to give it a chance. To be more appealing to your target audience, you’ve carefully accessorized your space with graphics, key messages, and a particular aesthetic that represents — and accentuates — your company’s best features. You want to appear interesting, but not overeager. Confident, but not pompous. Potential suitors include attractive prospects such as buyers and distributors, but don’t overlook the person that, at first glance, may not seem like your type — the journalist.

Sure, his or her badge color isn’t quite what you’re looking for, but don’t let that negligible turnoff cloud your judgment. Journalists, though perhaps not as glamorous as buyers or distributors, have the potential to catapult your company from Plain Jane mundane to Press Princess. And all you have to do is primp and preen your exhibit program a bit to confidently court those members of the media. To help you get started, we’ve compiled 12 steps that require little more than your time and some thoughtful planning.

Find your audience
The first step in informing the media about your company’s presence at an upcoming trade show is not as simple as crafting a generic “come visit us at booth 555” e-mail and hitting “send.” Before you blast out a press release announcing show-related news to every journalist in your Rolodex, you have to do some legwork. According to Karen Thomas, president of Thomas Public Relations Inc. based in Melville, NY, requesting a list of preregistered press attendees from show management is a good place to start. “Research the people on the press list and visit the publications’ and media outlets’ websites to determine your key press targets,” she says. Look for titles such as “editor in chief,” “editor,” or “writer.” Then search for those people’s bylines (using a search engine such as Google) to find past articles and published works and figure out if their beat aligns with your company’s products or services.

“Use social media to not only build relationships with your current clients and prospects, but also with journalists,” Thomas says. “By having a social-media presence, you are increasing your company’s exposure, thereby increasing the chance that members of the press will catch wind of your company’s plans for the show.” Though social media is an easy way to reach out to the masses, Thomas stresses the importance of communicating with your targeted list of journalists via personal e-mail correspondence as well.

Book interviews
Distributing press releases, maintaining e-mail contact with targeted journalists, and having a social-media presence are all part of a strategy to get members of the media to your exhibit. It’s unlikely that press will request interviews out of the blue — unless there is already a lot of buzz about your product or company. So be proactive, and start booking press appointments several weeks in advance of the show.

But even if you offer coffee or lunch, be prepared for no-shows and rescheduling. “Missed meetings happen — and a lot of times, writers and editors will stop by the booth outside of their scheduled time,” Thomas says. “So, it’s important to be flexible from the get-go, and ask for cell-phone numbers so you can touch base with journalists during the show in case they don’t show up, or need to reschedule on the fly.”

Prepare your exhibit
If you decide to offer a gift, Thomas suggests picking something useful — and lightweight. “In my experience, journalists appreciate pens and notepads, but absolutely love USB drives loaded with all the company and product information they need,” she says. “They also like free product samples, and although some vendors request the product back, I say let the journalists keep it. You never know when they’ll have an opportunity to write about your product.”

If you don’t have a quiet area in your exhibit, off-site meetings (such as at a restaurant over breakfast or lunch) are often a welcome alternative. Plus, they can be scheduled around the exhibit-hall hours, reducing the risk of time conflicts and missed appointments. Another option is to host meetings in the show’s pressroom, which most shows will allow.

Whether you conduct the interview in your exhibit, the pressroom, or off site, be succinct in communicating your content, make it applicable to that publication’s readers, and don’t keep anyone waiting.
http://www.exhibitoronline.com/exhibitormagazine/apr11/media-relations-12-steps-to-press-success.asp

 

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