Using the power of PR to support your event

Organising an event of any scale is a challenge. Between booking the venue, deciding on a theme and organising suppliers there’s the added pressure of promotion and making sure people show up. Cue the nerves!

If you’ve been tasked with convincing people that your event is ‘where it’s at’, a targeted media relations campaign should be part of your promotion toolkit. Last month, Elevate executed a media campaign for a community organisation in the lead up to their first ever fun run event. We secured 20 media stories throughout the campaign, achieved a reach of over 1,750,000 and coordinated coverage across ABC Radio Brisbane, Quest Newspapers and The Gold Coast Sun.

So how did we do it and how can you use the power of PR to support your event marketing efforts? It all comes down to having the right elements to convince journalists that your story is worth a run.

The right hook

Before you pick up the phone or send your first email to a journalist, think about the news value. There are seven news values that journalists use to determine if a story is ‘newsworthy’ so it’s important to highlight these where you can. But the right hook is nothing if it’s sent to the wrong journalist so make sure you know which journalist to approach. For example, if your event is local, then it should be sent to local journalists if its business-focused then it should be pitched to business writers and if it’s a social event or fundraiser then it’s best to approach the lifestyle journalists.

The right case studies

Often journalists look for the ‘human element’ and enjoy speaking with a case study who supports your cause. So, if your event is a competition then last year’s winner would be a good case study, if your event is a fundraiser for youth counselling, then it’s likely journalists will ask to speak to someone who has experienced the program. Remember a case study can also act as a third-party advocate and convince the audience that they should attend the event.

The right vision

Almost every journalist today is required to include a photo or video package with their story (even radio journalists are uploading stories online with a quick pic). Give yourself the best possible chance of coverage by including a relevant image (at least 1MG) or let the journalist know that they can take their own photos or video and suggest a time and place.

The right timing

Regardless of which journalist or publication you pitch to, they have a deadline and are working fast to satisfy the 24 hours news cycle. Make sure you time your campaign just right to have stories published in time for people to purchase tickets – too early and journalists won’t be interested, too late and you won’t have enough time to get your ducks in a row before the deadline. Remember that the journalist is not interested in your agenda to increase ticket sales or attendance, they’re interested in the news and that is what you need to sell to them!

While media coverage alone is not the answer to event promotion and ticket sales, a well-executed campaign can expand your reach and FOMO (the fear of missing out) will do the rest. If you have an upcoming event and are looking for PR support, call the Elevate team today on 3180 3666!