F is for FREELANCERS

Getting hold of good freelance contact details is one of the biggest challenges of PR. As they don't work from the office it's almost impossible to reach them by phone, and of course, most publications will never give out their contact details. However, building a good list of freelancers on your media list is vital. So, how can you do this?

• Listen to the local radio station you are interested in for at least an hour. Find out what they talking about, who the presenter and guests are and identify what they are interested in.
• Make a connection between your business and what they are talking about, and identify a reason for you to be on the show.
• Call the station and talk to the Deputy Editor. Mention you listened to the show, tell them what you do and ask them if you can be on the show.
• You don't tend to have a choice of the slot you get aired on, but the best slots tend to be in the evening after drivetime.

If there's one way to make sure that you get your PR moving, that's to give yourself a deadline. And what bigger deadline could you get that a specific date where you meet the press.

Here's our 7-point guide on inviting press to an event...

 2. Chose a date. You want enough time to be able to organise something different, and yet a date that's close enough to give some urgency.

 3. Find a partner. If there's a venue that you think could do with the publicity, approach them, or buddy up with someone who targets the same market and split the work.