Provided courtesy of the Professional Outdoor Media Association
With the Shooting and Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show fast approaching, the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and its members offer the following suggestions for manufacturers, organizations and other show exhibitors eager to increase media coverage.
1. Go digital, but not just with images. CD press kits are less expensive than paper to produce and ship, and they're ultra effective—but only if they're all-inclusive. Don't just put images on CD. Include press releases, company history, timelines, executive listings, media contact information, images, logos, line art, the whole shebang. Also make the info easy to find. Utilize folders for new products, product catalog, company info, contact info, high res images, low res images, logos and line art. Take the extra time when preparing the CD and you'll save a lot of time down the road. When the media has what they need, phone calls, urgent e-mails and overnight mail requests are greatly diminished.
2. Structure new product press releases properly. Provide brief, 100-word, FAB (feature and benefit) summaries of every new product in addition to the standard press release. In the summary, focus on key design elements and technology and their benefits to the end user. On every standard release, include a release date, your PR person's contact info with e-mail address, and complete company information including toll-free telephone number, Web site address and mailing address.
3. Keep the online press room up to date. When media members are facing deadlines and scrambling for company histories, images or new product briefs, save everyone time and increase your odds of coverage. Keep everything the media needs on the company Web site, keep it up to date and make it easy to navigate.
4. Be responsive. The media works on strict deadlines, which often provide just a few days of advance notice. Return e-mails and phone calls promptly, or you'll miss the coverage.
5. Understand deadlines, especially for magazines. Magazines work months in advance. Don't send a holiday gift guide press release to magazine writers in November. They need it in August. To be included in next fall's hunting season coverage, start working with the journalists right now.
6. Reach out to the press. Relationship building is by far the best way to increase editorial coverage. A simple e-mail or phone call from time to time that asks the question, "How can I help you?" can bring amazing results.
7. Keep sales-speak to a minimum. Forget marketing when dealing with the media. Talk issues and trends. Present new statistics, share thoughts on new techniques/tactics, offer opinions on issues of concern. These elements help journalists develop story ideas and become quotable content. Be an expert source, not a salesman.
8. Think journalistically. Sure, every company would like to see a three-page spread or 30-minute show on their company, but this isn't the primary type of content most outdoor media outlets provide. How-to, where-to, when-to story angles. Features on new technologies. These are what the media covers. So, when you talk to journalists, be prepared to help them generate story ideas.
9. Make friends with the media. There's no doubt that friends help friends - intentionally or not. Contacting a person you're comfortable with rather than someone you don't know is human nature. So, step beyond show booths and offices. Find ways to interact with the media socially and in the field. Make friends.
10. Join a professional journalists' organization. Continually keeping your company's name in front of the press corps, having access to journalists' current contact information, showing the media you support them, and garnering face-to-face access to the media are invaluable PR tools.
POMA is the only journalists' organization wholly focused on fishing, shooting, hunting and trapping. POMA has developed a meaningful partnership with the industry to help ensure the future of these traditional outdoor sports. The POMA membership includes individual media members (editors, writers, photographers, broadcasters and publishers) as well as industry firms and organizations, called Corporate Partners. Names like Jim Zumbo, Tom Gresham, J. Wayne Fears, Jay Cassell, The Outdoor Channel, Archery Trade Association, American Sportfishing Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, Browning, Remington, PRADCO and Pure Fishing are a testament to POMA's professional stature.
Visit www.professionaloutdoormedia.org or e-mail admin@professionaloutdoormedia.org.