What sets The Happy Guy Marketing apart: Our experience with the media has taught us what it needs to make news. We build a strategy to market your business and your website by making you part of the news.
Media relations is not about convincing the media to deliver your story. It is about giving the media a story they want to deliver or helping them improve their story their way, and making it obvious to them that your message is part of the story they want to deliver.
We begin by evaluating your small business, your strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. We look at every angle. For example, even a story about how you hired the top graduate in the field can help your business. The story might be about him, but the message is that you have more skilled people than the competition.
“The media are always looking for a new angle. There can be no substitute for creativity when building a media relations plan.”
We operate using the following principles:
- The media are there to deliver news, not to give free publicity.
- Whatever we do to help deliver news will be well-received.
- We respect the media as much as our clients.
- Like politics, all news is local.
- News is first and foremost about people.
- A media relations strategy is most effective in combination with other forms of online and offline marketing.
Our chief focus is enhancing your credibility. Depending on the nature of your business, that might lead to direct sales or simply increase the value of your brand.
Amazingly, very few online businesses think to promote themselves offline. In fact, one of the best ways to get targeted traffic to a website is to have your URL published in a newspaper or magazine story, flashed across a TV screen or reported on the radio. Especially if it is accompanied with a few words about what people can pick up for free at your website.
What we do for you
We assemble a creative and effective media relations strategy, including timelines and integration with other marketing efforts.
We can prepare materials, such as news releases, media kits, online materials, etc., depending on your needs. We do not believe in creating extra paper just so we can say “Look at what we’ve done, aren’t we impressive media relations consultants!”, but sometimes these materials are helpful.
One thing we will NOT do is contact the media on your behalf or speak to the media on your topic. The media like open and honest communication from the source. While PR agencies are part of the landscape, your success is a lot more likely if the media do not feel “gamed”.
We would be pleased to assemble a media relations plan that supports your other marketing efforts and builds your business.
Want help with your media relations plan?
If you need a media relations plan, contact The Happy Guy Marketing for a free quote. The more details you provide, the better we can serve you.
