After you cut through the clutter to get noticed and secure deskside media meetings, the first reaction is often, now what? Don’t worry, you are about one-third of the way to a having a successful deskside media experience.
The next step is to coordinate the meetings. Make sure you have a clear itinerary and remain flexible in case the schedule has a last minute change. Then, start planning your presentation. Here are several components you should consider when planning deskside meetings.
- What does the media already know about my brand? Consider how often media has covered your brand and how well they covered it. If the media has never covered your brand you will want to start from the beginning to tell the whole story about your brand.
- What is the message I want to provide the media? Tell a story about the brand to make the presentation interesting.
- How can I portray my brand’s messaging in a media kit? Think about a creative way to provide a media kit that incorporates brand messaging and is interesting for the editors.
- What do the editors I am meeting with want and need? If editors need product samples, include samples with your media kit. Consider the editors role to make sure everything you bring to your meeting – tangible and intangible -are valuable resources for the editors.
- What’s my back up plan? Have a few “tricks” up your sleeve so to speak. If you prepare to discuss one product and the media is not interested have a few additional ideas in mind to discuss so you can captivate the editors.
- How will I follow up with editors to extend the relationship beyond one meeting? Devise several opportunities for yourself to be prepared to tell an editor that you are happy to follow up and provide something additional. This opens the door to having a great reason to stay in touch with editors.
After you have planned the presentation, ask for a few other people’s opinions. Focusing on a good presentation that provide value to editors is a great way to get media excited and engaged in your brand.