Tips and Tricks to Maximize Your Exposure This Season From Mfa, Ltd. PR and Marketing
While many of us in the business of snow are anxiously awaiting the first opportunity to buckle or lace up our boots, the brink of the winter season also brings many opportunities to maximize PR efforts and broaden exposure for your brand or shop – ultimately driving sales and getting consumers through the shop door.
We know what you might be thinking – you don’t have time for PR! That’s why we’ve curated a short list of 4 tips and tricks to ramp up your media relations and social media efforts this season…guaranteed to take no more than one hour of your valuable time.
Befriend your local media
In the world of PR, you can never have too many media friends! Share some love with your local media by offering an exclusive media discount, hosting a happy hour to kick off the season, or offering a preview party when new gear launches or hits the store floor. These small and manageable efforts will go a long way in ensuring that local media are thinking of and including your shop or brand this season.
Wondering where to start on tracking the right journalists down? Take a look at who covered anything snow related last year in your local paper and broadcast outlets. Then, give them a call or direct message them on social media. Your note should concisely summarize what sets you apart and what’s new this year (new product line or a trend that’s hot in your area are nice attention-grabbers).
Leverage social media
It’s easy to push social content down the to-do list in the midst of the busy season, but investing just 30 minutes a week into elevating your brand via social can result in a far more significant ROI than you might anticipate. Develop a hashtag and grow equity in it; Share any press coverage, being sure to tag the media outlet; And plan scheduled posts surrounding launches, new apparel/gear, and upcoming events.
If you’re looking to have some fun with social, launch a contest among your network, encouraging them to post a picture utilizing your brand/shop/resort’s hashtag. Check out below how our friends at Paragon Sports constantly grow their brand on social through the hashtag #ParagonSports, hosting events at their shop, and showcasing trending apparel.
Media Mailing
Have extra demo gear or samples? Perfect! Take a few minutes of your day to gift a select group of 4-5 target media with buzzworthy gear for the upcoming season. This will not only help in building relationships with high priority media, but will also insert your brand into the conversation as the snow starts falling.
Calendar Management
The easiest and simplest way to keep on media’s radar is sending a friendly reminder around timely news and events. Create a PR and communications calendar, making note of newsworthy moments (launches, openings, etc.) and stick to it by maintaining a steady distribution of media outreach through email reminders. With seasonal shops opening their doors, 2017 gear hitting the shelfs, and the countdown to opening day at the local resort in everyone’s calendars, this is the optimal time to secure meaningful coverage for the season ahead.
The bottom line is that, just like the rest of your business, relationship building goes a long way! With some planned effort, you will see your investment pay off with a broader audience…and sales.
We’ll leave you with a few examples to get your media and social outreach started. Happy pitching and posting.
Example pitch note for local media:
Hi [insert name] –
We’re ramping up for winter here at [insert shop/brand], and wanted to check in and see if you’re currently working on any upcoming winter stories?
With 2017 gear hitting the shelves, we’d love for you to stop by to see some of the exclusive deals and products that [insert shop/brand] has in store for the season. In case you don’t have time to stop by the shop, we’ve included a brief snapshot of things to look forward to for the 16/17 season below:
- [Bullet out products/news/trends/launch dates, etc.]
Those are just a few highlights – there’s much more to look forward to as the lifts start turning and snow starts falling this season. Let us know if you have any questions!
Think snow!
Mfa, Ltd Marketing and Public Relations is the PR agency of record for SIA. You can find more information about the agency at www.mfaltd.com or give us a ring at 212-528-1691. We’ll have a chance to meet or re-connect at the Snow Show in January.
