Need Local Media Advice?
Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand has teamed up with Pete Burdon at Franchise Media Training to help you navigate the world of local media marketing.
I’m excited to be launching this regular column for Business Franchise Magazine. Media Matters for Franchisees will focus on how you as a franchisee can get positive stories about your business into the news sections of your local media.
You may recall an article I wrote in the March/April edition of Business Franchise Australia and New Zealand that focused on this topic. This column will look at this in more detail, with each edition focusing on one aspect of local media marketing for franchisees. The articles will be short and sharp, giving you useful advice that you can act on to grow your business. When franchisees think about marketing through local media, most automatically think of paid advertising. There are, however, major opportunities to be part of the news sections of your local media as well. Most people, including franchisees, never consider this as a major part of their local marketing plan.
Many think they have nothing that would be interesting enough to make the news pages, while many also think they need to use the services of expensive public relations companies to get featured. None of this is true, and my regular column will provide you with the tips and tools you need to make the most of these no-cost marketing opportunities. The beauty of adding this to your marketing mix is twofold. Firstly, there are massive lead generation and reputation-building benefits, as when current or potential clients and customers see you in the news, they see you as standing above the competition.
It also creates additional consumer trust, as it is not a paid advertisement and you don’t have control over what’s published. This validation from the editorial staff gives your franchise added credibility. That’s not to say you should avoid local advertising. It can certainly be a worthy place to spend your marketing dollar. By adding this public relations pillar to your local marketing, you can have the best of both worlds and significantly boost your bottom line.
Secondly, this coverage is completely free. Editors and reporters don’t charge when they choose to feature people and businesses in their publications for editorial or news purposes. That means you can add this to your marketing plan without cutting back somewhere else.
These are the reasons the column has been introduced. The knowledge you gain will be valuable and will help you grow your business.
So who am I?
I’m the founder of Franchise Media Training and a former newspaper reporter and government press secretary. That background has shown me what it’s like to be on both sides of any media conversation or relationship. I know what it’s like to be the journalist at the other end of the telephone or email message. I also know what it’s like to be in your shoes and what it’s like to approach media with suggestions for news stories. It can seem daunting, but it really isn’t – as you’ll find out by reading the columns.
Most people make critical mistakes when trying to get their ideas into the news media, but through this regular column I will utilise my years of skills and experience in order to teach you how to avoid those mistakes.
I started Franchise Media Training because I could see the huge untapped potential for both franchisees and franchisors when it comes to promoting themselves through the media, and in turn, what that can do to their bottom lines. The sector is in such an amazing position to attract media publicity for several reasons, and I look forward to exploring those in the issues to come. The column will begin by covering the basics of what franchisees need to know when attracting local media interest, and as the basics are covered we’ll move down deeper into each issue.
The first column will look at how to approach local media. This is one of the most important parts of the process and needs to be done properly. It is simple, but it is vital that you know what to do and how to do it. Relationships with reporters are like other relationships in many ways, but there are some things you need to be aware of to maintain a good working relationship. We’ll cover all of this.
Some things to consider before my next column; what is your relationship like with your local news organisations? How much, if any, contact do you have with local reports, journalists or editors? In that column, I’ll look at how to grow this contact and develop a fruitful relationship that will help you significantly boost your bottom line and standing in the community.
Franchise Media Training prepares franchisees and franchisors to massively grow their sales and bottom lines.
Go to www.FranchiseMediaTraining.com and download the free report, “3 Secrets To Explode Your Franchise Sale and Profits with Free Press.” http://franchisemediatraining.com.