Regional press coverage- why it’s great for b2b companies
As the majority of our clients operate in the construction and manufacturing sectors, most of the press and online coverage we achieve is in trade journals or blogs that are read by architects, main contractors, developers or homeowners. However, the value of a well-written, well placed regional press release should not be underestimated. Recently, a client of ours in the heating and ventilation sector asked us to write a press release and negotiate it into a number of key regional press titles, to help support their franchise network. Articles appeared in such publications as the South Wales Argus, Bath Echo and the Cornish Times.
No-one and least of all our PR team, could have anticipated the huge response this would have. The client reported that their franchisees were inundated with enquiries from homeowners looking for quotations for ventilation systems – some even said ‘don’t publish anything more yet until we’re better equipped to cope!’ And it wasn’t just telephone enquiries they received either, our client saw an increase in visitors to their website by 55% that month – enabling them to achieve a record number of hits to their site and go over the magic 100,000 hits per month target! Needless to say, their online enquiry levels saw a 28% increase too – all because of some well-placed press releases! If anyone ever doubted it, this just goes to show the power of PR!
If you need any more convincing, here are five reasons why regional press coverage can be really valuable to a construction or manufacturing business:
- It can generate hits to your website- Regional press will often run a story and include a back-link to your website. This is really valuable as regional newspapers are ranked as high authority, so this enhances the credibility of your website and can improve your search engine ranking.
It’s also worth using one or two keywords and phrases in your news stories or articles to boost your SEO when they are published online, but avoid keyword stuffing at all costs!
- Helps you to raise awareness & grow your business - Regular, positive press coverage increases awareness of your business and an article or news story in regional or national press can often lead to new business enquiries. Don’t underestimate the value of a well-placed regional press article in generating enquiries, especially for new businesses. A regular presence in local and regional newspapers – and on their websites – can definitely help to open doors!
- Become known as an industry expert- What we find really works for our clients is when we position them as the authority in their industry through expert opinion columns giving advice, or with thought leadership articles. It’s worth speaking to local, regional and trade press about the availability of opinion or advice columns. Sometimes they may require sponsorship, but if you work with a PR agency like Dragonfly PR we have great relationships with the media and may be able to negotiate inclusion on your behalf free of charge.
- Boost social media- Tweeting or posting news stories and offering exclusives through social media is increasingly becoming a really powerful way to secure positive regional media coverage. It can also help your organisation to engage with journalists and other industry influencers via social media, which can be very worthwhile for your business.
- Build a positive reputation with stakeholders- No matter how big or small your business, you will have a number of stakeholders, whether that be MPs, employees, councillors, people living in the local community, suppliers, customers... the list is endless. However, it can be difficult to retain ongoing communications with each of these groups if budgets are tight. What PR in the regional press can do is to improve community and stakeholder relationships as you can demonstrate how you are a considerate employer, how you contribute to charity, community, the environment or local education. Many of our clients report that this has positive business benefits in terms of making recruitment easier, improving staff morale and motivation and generating positive feedback from influencers to their plants.
Here at Dragonfly PR, we’re experts in managing PR campaigns in the trade, consumer and regional press. For more info visit www.dragonflypr.co.uk or call us on 01709 300130 or email: hello@dragonflypr.co.uk.