Network News: Emma Trimble, the PR Press Pro
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A trusted network…
Emma Trimble has been coming to meals with 9others in Manchester since 2023 (London soon I hope Emma!). That was not long after a chain of connections that went, Andy → Dan → Matthew → Emma → Laura…
…you see back at the end of 2022 Laura, founder of Seep1, was looking for some freelance PR help so I asked Andy, who asked Dan, who introduced Emma….
That’s how these things go.
Since then Emma has done terrific work for Laura and Seep including many appearances in national and trade press — plus, I hope you all tuned in to see Laura on Dragons' Den back in January of this year!
So when Emma asked if she could share a few PR hints and press tips in the 9others newsletter it was an easy ‘yes’ as this is just the kind of thing we like to send to you…
Over to Emma…
PR can sometimes seem like a dark art. How do some people land coverage all the time and other founders don't seem to get anywhere?
It can be frustrating, right? You have an amazing business, you absolutely love it, but it’s just not getting picked up.
In this week’s Network News from 9others I wanted to share some tips that I hope you’ll find useful and a few things that I’ve worked on that have got amazing results for the founders.
Who, What, Where?
The main thing you have to get right is that you must tell the right stories in the right way.
Now, this isn't as tricky as it might sound…
Start by thinking about who you want to know about the news, so who — exactly — is going to read it?
Then think about what you want to share. It has to be a story — what’s exciting to you might not be to the press — so that’s your angle here?
Then think about where you want this news to land to reach that audience — remember that regional or trade press can get better results for your business, even though your ego might want to appear in the nationals!
You should be reading your target titles regularly so you understand what type of stories they cover and get a feel for how to write yours.
I've had clients tell me that they've had new business enquiries off the back of coverage in their key trade title, The Grocer, and others who've seen products sell out after national press coverage. So it's worth spending time looking at your target press list.
The Press Release
When it comes to actually writing your press release, it needs to be very factual and simply written. The opening paragraph must communicate that who, what and where.
The beginning of your press release needs to tell your story in a couple of simple sentences and can be the hardest bit to get right. This often will be the only part a journalist will read before deciding if it's of interest to them so it's worth spending the time getting it right.
Then the rest of the press release looks at the why and how of the story — so, why the story is interesting and how it all goes together with the target press.
And here is the news…
Always write in the third person and in a news style tone which is factual — imagine it being read on the news. Avoid over explaining and using lots of adjectives or adverbs. If something is truly amazing or groundbreaking then it can be said in a factual way rather than giving your story a fluffy feel.
Good talking points for your target press could be:
Is it a first for the industry?
Is it an innovative piece of software that will solve a common problem?
Is it the opposite of the conventional approach?
Try to show why it is fantastic rather than just saying it's fantastic.
Quotable
A quote is essential and adds colour to the story but don't ever start it with “We are delighted to...”. That’s just is too obvious — of course you’re delighted.
Instead try to think of a point of difference that adds to the story and offers a unique take on what you are launching or announcing. If you have data and stats for the story then always include one within the quote as this makes it more likely that the journalist will keep it in the final copy.
Pro pics
Always offer imagery to go with the story, professionally shot and with key people in to bring the story to life. If the news is about a new deal that's been done for example, then having the deal makers shake hands isn't the best image and can mean it gets dropped. Could they be standing back to back, or together in front of a head office or in the factory, something that looks a bit different and will make it interesting enough to get included. If you're going for online coverage then images always need to be landscape but if you're going for print then offering the same shot in a landscape and portrait means you have more chance of it being included, depending on what space the journalist has available.
And video?
Video is always great but it can be costly to produce so only include it if you have a story that can be explained in more detail or offers a unique take on the news.
When Laura, a great client and founder of eco cleaning brand, Seep, told me she was going to be appearing on the latest series of Dragons’ Den, I knew this was a game charger.
However just because it was big news for Laura we still had to work out what on the show would make the story stand out. Not easy when she was filmed for an hour and had no idea what would make the final edit!
Then we had to go through the basics I mentioned above to decide who we wanted to know about Seep and where to find them.
Ultimately we decided it was the people who might buy the eco friendly cleaning products. So to achieve the goal we offered something to a number of key journalists that not everyone had — interview time with Laura to get the back story and the real insights about what it was like to appear on the Den. This meant we maximised the coverage opportunities and many weeks later we’re still getting enquiries from new titles who have seen her interviews from that time.
Useful? Want to ask more?
I hope you found that useful. Getting in the right press can have a huge impact and I’d love to help you out if you have questions or want to run your plan by me. I’ve been doing this for 20+ years, have ‘big agency’ experience but now I’m freelance I can give a personal touch, and I love making a difference.
Thank you.
Talk to Emma
If the above sounds interesting have a look through the following links and chat to Emma to see if she can help:
🤝 Connect with Emma on LinkedIn here.
📬 You can email Emma on emma@oysterprandcommunications.co.uk
🔗 Read more on Emma’s website here.
Founders Focus
“It’s become more useful having done this for a few weeks — very helpful getting into the mindset of what is the most valuable thing I can invest the next hour on”
This week was session number five of Founders Focus, a new membership program from 9others.
Founders Focus is a space for you to carve out time to work on the hard things that really matter.
What does it do?
Founders Focus keeps you focused, accountable and connected.
Who it’s for?
Founders Focus will suit Solo Founders, Remote (Co) Founders, and Freelancers, CxOs and Side Hustlers.
FAQs?
Read more and check out the FAQs on the 9others Notion, here.
We hope you’ll join us.
Upcoming meals with 9others
Wednesday 26th March — London — details and signup here.
Tuesday 8th April — Manchester — details and signup here.
Wednesday 30th April — London — details and signup here.
Matthew has been a happy investor in Seep since 2021 😇