4 easy PR steps, from old news to new views for Antiques Dealers

Stop the press! PR Blog #2

If you sell exceptional antiques, fine art, or militaria, you have potentially newsworthy stories. And with a story to tell, you have us on your side to help you tell it.

At the end of our last PR Blog, Are you, in fact, the best PR Manager for your antiques business?, we covered your options for using PR to grow your business.

And we promised we would show you how to create your own antiques Press Release.

And ph9 always deliver on our promises!

Do what you can with what you have, and do it now!

Hopefully, the last blog gave you food for thought, and you plan to use what you already have to reach your goals and a wider audience.

We all know that, while the antiques industry is a unique and lucrative market, it can be hard to stand out from your competition. Outbound marketing is an effective way for antiques dealers to increase their visibility and reach new customers (see our previous blog about the cost of action vs inaction.

ph9 have blogged for a long time about hitting the right notes with your antiques website, specialist online marketplace, advertising, email, and photography. Now is the time to share your hard work. 

So, how do you get started? Because it will take effort to get your stuff in the press!

Here are 4 steps for you to follow to get the right content into your target media.

DIY PR: Step 1

As with any marketing, you need to start with your objective. What do you want to achieve?

• To build or vary your stock?
• To attract more of a specific client?
• To become known as a subject matter expert? 
• To increase your sales?
• To build relationships with local media?
• To help establish trust and build loyalty?

Get really clear on your goal!

Did you try our simplified sample PR brief?

We have boiled it down again to 4 simple tasks:

1. Who do you want to learn about your business?

2. What do you want them to feel and do?

3. Where do you want them to read/ hear/ see you?

4. When do you want them to do this?

You should only create a release when you have this clear plan.

Once you have defined your target audience and why you are talking to them, you can create a media and contact list.

DIY PR Step 2: Media and contacts

You need to choose the media to target and write for its audience. Think carefully about how each media could help you to achieve your objective.

• Local Press
• Local TV
• Local Radio
• Local Trade Bodies (speaking engagements)
• Specialist Publications
• Online Publications
• National Press
• National Radio
• National TV

Writing for a particular slot, column, or section is often a good way of hitting the target.

To send a quality release to 100 outlets, you would have to research 100 outlets

Your new and unique content has to be relevant. If you write a release for the wrong publication or send a generic press release, it will probably go straight into the bin. Don’t waste the editor's time - or yours!

Pick the most relevant and valuable publications and get to know them:

• What is their writing style?
• What is their content? Factual? Feature? Human interest? Fillers?
• What subjects and angles do they want? What do they avoid?
• What is the right section for you?
• Do they want to include photos, videos, competitions or logos?

If you give each publication what it wants, how it wants it, you will make their job easier and give yourself the best chance of success.

It is usually easy to find the department and contact you need online. After that, you can learn about their background and interests. Start with Google and remember to check social media. The more you know about your contact, the more relevant you can make your communications.

Location, Vocation, Creation

Here is an example of targeting:

Say you want to establish credibility and be known as the go-to dealer for British fine art. So, you could target the British Art Journal Magazine.

The website tells you that the magazine wants articles on painting and the graphic arts, sculpture, architecture, the decorative arts, and the history of dress.

You learn that they focus on publishing outstanding original research on British art, with an interest in British art in an international context. They welcome suggestions for reviews of books and exhibitions.

The magazine is published three times each year. The style is very formal and detailed, there are many links to royalty and nobility, and articles are written by experts in their field.

A few clicks of the mouse yield the editor but no email address. You Google "Robin Simon British Art Journal email" and find several other papers he writes for. 

You also find his email address, universities where he has lectured, personal opinions he tweets, and his specialist subjects (William Hogarth, British portraiture 1500-present, cricket art of the 18^th and 19^th centuries).

You know enough to decide if the magazine is right for you and if your content is relevant.

If it is, great! Make the most of every link. If not, move on to a different publication.

DIY PR Step 3: What is your angle?

You are nearly ready to put pen to paper!

Remember the rule of TRUTH? (check our first article if you don't)

Your content must be Topical or Timely, Relevant, Unique, have Tension or Tragedy, and focus on Humans/Heroes.

You need an angle, and you need to try and make it unique and unusual. Think about less obvious subjects like:

• A celebrity client
• Featuring on a TV show
• Any auctions or special events
• Human interest stories: someone who has been reunited with something from their childhood
• An employee who went out of their way to help someone or raise money for charity
• Employee life events such as an award or long service
• New employees with unusual backgrounds or stories
• Company successes: sales, profits, expansion

Your main message should be introduced subtly along the way. Even if you want the release to be about you and your success, you will get a better result if you give news editors what they want. And no one wants a load of self-important puff.
 

Stick to the facts

It goes without saying that your release needs to be factually correct.

Each press release must also be factually complete. A news editor is unlikely to contact you if vital details are missing.

DIY PR Step 4: Writing your Antiques Press Release

1. Start with a clear title that outlines what the story is about. You want the journalist to be able to decide quickly if this is relevant to them. No puns, please.
2. Your introduction should expand on your title and fill in the extra facts.
3. Use the third person and avoid using you or your. You are writing to the journalist. 
4. Stick to the facts and use quotes for personal opinions. Quotes should sound natural and conversational.
5. Provide first names and surnames of everyone involved, job titles, who they work for (full company name and address), age and home location in human stories, dates, times, places and maps for events.

Press Release layout templates

These editable templates pull it all together. Download by clicking on the links below:-

sample-pr-brief.docx

press-release-template.docx

• If an embargo is needed (i.e., the date and time from when the release can be used), put it at the top.
• Use a precise heading (not a fluffy one), stating what you are offering and for which section.
• Put a note at the end about opportunities for photos and or interviews.
• Use 12pt Helvetica, justified, double-spaced.
• Ask someone to proofread it or use Grammarly.
• Include your company name and contact numbers.
• Include Notes to the editor at the end of your release. This is a standard section to explain who you are, what you do, how long you have been doing it, where you are based, key achievements and any ‘extras’ offered with the release.

Typical ‘extras’ include:

• Photos. These should be captioned from left to right, with first names and surnames, and job titles (if necessary)
• Competition prizes
• Reader offers and promotions
• An open day or event with people available for interviews and picture.

Sending your press release

Now you have your press release neatly typed up and ready to go!

You already know the right person to send it to and their contact details.

Best practise? Give them a call or send an email to tip them off that you are sending them an exclusive (and why their readers/ viewers will want to know about it).

Ask them what they need, when and how. Then send a tailored email with your release and other assets like your logo or pictures.
 

What to do after you send the release

Don’t ring to see if they have got it. If you have sent it, they have received it. Don’t be a nuisance.

Don’t pressurise them into using it. Don’t be a nuisance.

Google or set up a Google alert on the main names or details in the release. They won’t always tell you if they have used your story.

If they use it, make sure you thank them! (But don’t ask them to send you a cutting! i.e., don’t be a nuisance).

So, there you have it!

The hard part of creating your story is done. Here are 3 bonus ways you could make more of it!

1. Write a blog!

As discussed in a previous blog post, blogs are great for SEO. Obviously, we only do this to help our clients ;). So selfless.

Your blog can help you to stand out and establish authority. Building rapport creates trust, and trust creates business relationships, leading to sales. Win-win!

If you are on our medium or large plan, you can add a blog section to your website at no additional cost. It costs just £16 per month to upgrade from the small plan.

With a medium/ large plan, you can publish as many blogs or releases as you like in the News/ Blog and Press sections. And if you are often featured in the press, your website Press section is a great way to display your exposure.

If you are often featured in the press, your website Press section is a great way to display your exposure.

2. Share on your social media channels

If the media have published it, re-share it and tag them. You can also share a snippet and link to the full release in the blog section of your website.

Just make sure you leave out anything you have offered as an exclusive.
 

3. Share your news on email

If you have been working on your contact list, let them know where you have been featured. Include an extract or summary in your email and direct them to your website to read more.
 

We're here to help you get started. We specialise in creating websites that are tailored to your business needs. We can also guide you through joining antiques marketplaces and help you set up and manage online advertising campaigns. 

Contact us today to learn more and start taking action towards growing your business.