Setting up a press conference for your brand or business is an efficient way to allow the majority of people to know more about what you do and what solutions you offer to your consumers/customers. A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. It is really not that hard to put one together but everything must be done right in order to get the best results from it. Remember, it is something that will open your business to a lot of questions and if you are not prepared, it can lead to disaster, and all your hard work will be put to waste.
If you are a small business or a start up, doing a press conference maybe the best tool to use, but again, you have to be wary because you might say it is too hard, too time consuming or that your resources are limited. Well, fret not, here are some things that you need to consider and hopefully you can use this as a checklist:
1. Objective – Set your objectives early since this will determine the size of the venue, the number of invited press, etc… Set your KPIs (Key Performance Index) so that you will be able to measure the results of your campaign afterward.
2. Venue – The venue is next; make sure that it is accessible. Be sure there is ample parking and the space is just right depending on the number of your invited guests. Pick a venue that has the technical equipment that you will need. Using the existing equipment will help save you money, but make sure that you do a test run one day before the event to make sure that all the equipment is working properly.
3. Time – The best time to do a press conference is at lunch time on a Monday or Wednesday. Doing it much later may cause some of the reporters to be unavailable. Remember that they have deadlines and reports to write and cover.
4. Invited guests – Make sure that you invite the right guests. You have information to share and the list of press people that you want on your guest list are the ones that would cover that particular content. It should be interesting for them and something that their readers will also find useful and interesting. Tip: Have press release materials prepared way in advance and give copies to all your guests. This will be their source of information aside from the answers that your panel will be discussing during the Q & A.
5. Measure – The measure of success for any press coverage is in the number of write ups you get after a press conference. It will usually take about a week for all the coverage to be out. Monitor and check which press picked up your press releases.
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