Like it or not, the press plays a major role in informing and educating people. But the composites industry seems very poor at getting its message across. Is it simply a question of lack of resources?
The composites industry is made up of many small and medium-sized companies. Many do not have resources dedicated to ‘PR’, and many people tell me they just don’t have the time to write information for the press. But I would encourage you to try and make the time. One of the biggest issues in the composites industry is educating people about these materials and their applications, so take the time to promote your company’s activities.
People often ask me how to send in information for publication in Reinforced Plastics, so I’m dedicating this blog to answering that question.
News
Press releases are the traditional way of communicating information to the media. Bigger companies will have marketing and communications specialists to write and distribute these. Smaller companies may not have these dedicated resources, but with a little careful thought and planning you can still produce an effective news release. Here are some issues to consider before you start:
- What is the story you want to tell? Is it actually a good story? Would you want to read about it? Will anyone else want to hear about it?
- Is it current? Old news is not going to get published.
- Who do you want to tell it to? Research the relevant magazines and publications in your target markets. Today, there are also numerous websites and online publications to consider. Taking time to research the correct publications will save you time in the long term.
- Check that these magazines publish the sort of information you want to send. E.g. if a magazine does not have an Appointments section it's not going to publish a story about your new sales manager.
- Check the publication deadlines so that you can time your press release appropriately.
- Check what format the publication prefers to receive press releases and pictures in. (Reinforced Plastics prefers Word documents and jpeg image files.)
- There are also various newswires which will distribute your releases e.g. Businesswire and PR Newswire. Find the ones which are appropriate for you.
So now you have your distribution list. Next, it's time to write the press release ... See Part 2. ♦
Amanda Jacob is the Editor of Reinforced Plastics magazine.