PR budgets probably haven’t been squeezed as much as this since the 2008/9 recession. And with the future marked with more uncertainty, how do you make sure you get as much bang for your buck as possible?
Guaranteed coverage
Knowing what you’re going to get and how much you’ll have to pay for it is very reassuring in uncertain times. That’s what you get with a radio day. For most stories we will guarantee a minimum of 10-12 opportunities for the set fee. (Email hello@shoutcommunications.co.uk for a rate card).
That assumes you have a decent broadcast story – one you sum up in a sentence without drawing breath ideally. To secure regional radio coverage there needs to be some local interest – statistics specific to the area, a case study, a brand that is based there are simple examples of this.
The right sort of spokesperson can also make a difference.
Pay per results
That’s what we offer with television, if commissioned in conjunction with a radio day (or another service). Fantastic when you get it, but television can be high risk. We always say a television slot is never guaranteed until it’s got out on air. Airtime is short in comparison to the competition vying to fill the slots, so paying by results takes the fear away. Really what’s to lose?
Putting it on a plate
Making life easy for the journalist increases the chances of your story getting on air. That means lining all your ducks up in a row: willing and available spokespeople, a peg for the story (a reason for running the story on a particular day) and if you want to be on television, think pictures.
Obviously, journalists prefer to go out and shoot their own footage, but even before the COVID-19 pandemic they were often restricted from doing so by lack of resources. Cutbacks are biting even more, plus add to this the logistical obstacles of social distancing.
That makes B-roll a no brainer. B-roll is 6-8 minutes of roughly edited footage, filmed by agencies like us and distributed to broadcasters free of charge and copyright issues. Choosing between two stories, one with pictures and the other without, a news editor is going to go with the former. Click here for more details about B-roll.
Get better ROI on your video
Having shot your B-roll you may as well get as much out of the rushes as possible. Our suggestion: use the same footage that went into the B-roll but re-edit it into an online video package that can be sold in to websites editorially – and a corporate video on a company’s website, a more branded version for Facebook, shorter clips for Social Media……there are many options that can make the ROI on your video shoot all the more effective.
Make the most of every opportunity
Do this by making sure your spokesperson is media trained to be the best they can be. The perfect spokesperson is willing and available; they’ll have got up early for the breakfast interview and often the reward for that is clips from the interview being replayed throughout the day.
They’ll be enthusiastic and engaging. Ultimately anyone appearing on radio and television is there to entertain the audience. Not funny ha, ha, but entertaining in a way that will keep the audience watching, not flicking over to another station.
Having authority and an opinion is also crucial. It’s boring if everyone agrees! What broadcasters want is a mix of views.
Go off menu
Don’t see the exact package you want for the budget you had in mind? Well, ask what else we can do. We always try to be flexible and never more so than in these difficult times. The team are always happy to have a chat and see what we can do for you.
Email hello@shoutcommunications.co.uk or call 020 7240 7373.
