Getting The Word Out - The Importance of Press Releases

Article by Remodelers Advantage

It is rarely a matter of chance when a business is written up in the press. More often than not, the business contacted the publication and planted the seed of the story idea. A press release, for instance, is a publicity generator. It tells the press contacts about some development in your company that you hope is newsworthy enough to garner a mention. Press releases about such events usually yield consistent, if frequently small, coverage in local newspapers and community magazines. Before-and-after project profiles and photos have a great track record for garnering media space.

Publicity isn't solely about sending press releases. Some design/build remodelers agree to write a regular column about remodeling for the local newspaper; that exposure can bring in a steady stream of leads.

Your marketing plan should include a strategy for achieving local publicity. What will you need? Number one: writing ability or access to someone who has that skill. (see below-how to find outside help) Number two: Good, professional photography of your projects. Three: Attractive story ideas, such as how to pick a remodeler, new trends in kitchen design, the transformation of a ranch house or great backyard decks.

Does your metropolitan paper feature a home section? If so, contact the editor or writer whose name appears as a byline on stories in the section. Work to "sell" you story idea. Offer to provide professional photos and to provide technical information for the article. The local "penny saver," or free neighborhood tabloid, probably is eager for good photos and written material. If there are papers that target the specific neighborhoods where you work, they can be excellent lead sources.

Getting your article in print launches -- but does not complete -- its publicity potential. With permission from the copyright holder, reprint the article and use it as a handout at home shows. Insert copies of the reprint in your presentation book and in the information packet you give to prospects. Make sure the reprint carries the legend, "As featured in Hometown Gazette," at the top or on the front cover. And don't forget to enlarge the reprint and frame it on your office wall.

Stories about your company are not direct referrals, but they have the power of third-party endorsements. The flow of leads they stimulate is less predictable, though, than the flow produced by advertising. That means your publicity efforts should continue year-round.

Publicity Out and About

Home shows and ads in home show programs can be great lead machines or a waste of time, depending on local conditions. Do some research, interview the owners of similar businesses who have marketed at home shows and assess the cost to determine if this is an investment worth making. Remodelers who do spec remodeling (a small but growing group) say that open houses and private tours of the properties currently on the market are fertile ground for other remodeling jobs. Prospects who visit an open house usually are discontented with their present homes. If the open house doesn't meet their needs, you may be able to turn their home into a great, new space that does. Why not set up a display in the spec house to sell services to prospects who are not going to buy that house? The display should be similar to -- or part of -- what you use in your home show booth. Include brochures, fliers and, yes, article reprints about your company.

Prize-winning Photography

Project photos by professional architectural photographers can push you into the winner's column in design competitions , by showing your projects to best advantage. Likewise, good photos of completed projects can be the ticket to inclusion of your work in magazines, newspapers and books. They also showcase your company's good work in company brochures, ads and flyers.

But professional photography does not come cheap. Day rates in your area may be as much as $1,500 or more. If possible, arrange for the fee to cover all uses you may want to make of the photos. Don't forget to track your remodeling jobs with "before" and "during" photos. In most cases these do not need to be shot professionally. Publicity is a wonderful addition to any marketing program and, while it may not generate immediate leads, can have a major impact on your company's position in the marketplace and the public's perception of the services and value you offer.