PR TIMES AFRICA PR TIMES AFRICA Magazine june 2015 | Page 6

relations professional whose job
it is to come up with story ideas
for his or her clients. A public
relations professional can work
with you as a retailer to find a
variety of avenues to keep you
constantly in the news.
Everything your retail business
does can be turned into news if
pitched correctly, from a grand
opening or five-year
anniversary, to a new product
launch or special events you
may be holding.
You may not be doubling the
size of your business, nor may
you be changing the face of the
baby-retailing world with your
business, but that doesn't mean
that your shop does not have
many newsworthy things to
publicize. Sometimes the
smallest item can make the
news, including new hires and
promotions within your business
and even awards received.
fundraising event for a local
charity, particularly one that
relates to infants. Perhaps you
are changing the hours of your
store to better accommodate
working mothers. This, if
pitched to the media correctly,
could lead to a greater trend
piece about women juggling
motherhood and careers with
you as a key source. It is
important to keep in mind,
however, that nothing is
guaranteed in public relations.
Just because you sent out a news
release does not mean the media
is necessarily going to cover it.
Remember, however, that you
want to get your name on the
Rolodex of as many media
members as possible. That way,
when they need a source for a
story about the baby retail
business, they can turn to you.
An effective way to grab the
media attention is to create
news. Plan an event that will
trigger interest, such as a
seminar for new mothers. Invite
a local celebrity to talk about her
own experience with
motherhood. Hold a special PR as a Sales Tool
Use public relations to increase
your sales. Being able to show
your customers that the media
recognizes your baby retail store
as a viable, strong business is
key to them wanting to shop at
your store on a regular basis. By
frequently keeping your name in
the news, you are showing that
the media recognizes you as a
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1ST EDITION
business worth writing about.
The benefits of this type of
publicity can really enhance
your other marketing efforts.
When you have received the
publicity you were looking for,
don't be shy about it. Boast
about it and let your customers
know that your business was
featured in magazines,
newspapers, and on television
and radio shows they may not
even know about. Use the
articles as tools to sell yourself
to your customers by displaying
them at the checkout counter or
show the video of a television
interview during a special
promotion. It will get your
customers talking about you.
Public relations is also a great
way to tell your customers about
special events or promotions at
your store, and it can be done
without paying a single penny to
the news outlet of your choice.
You may have to hire a public
relations professional to assist
you with your public relations
campaign, but newspapers, TV
and radio stations do not charge
for news stories. Not only does
this save your retail business
money in advertising costs, but
it lends credibility to your
business as media
representatives recognize you as
an expert.
The purpose of publicity and/or
hiring a public relations