As the saying goes, all publicity is good publicity. Jeff Korhan, CLP, ASLA, president of Treemendous Landscape Co., Plainfield, Ill., explained the virtues of public relations during his presentation “Marketing Beyond Products and Services,” at the Professional Landcare Network Specialty Symposium in Milwaukee on Aug. 5. “It’s nice to tell your customers what you do,” Korhan said, “but it’s better to get other people to say it for you.”
The former corporate marketing executive shared these tips for getting press coverage, or what he called “a third-party endorsement” from the local paper:
- Send a press kit to the local paper (most reporters’ and editors’ contact information can be found on the newspaper’s Web site). A press kit is an informational packet that includes press releases and general information about your company. It’s a way to establish yourself as a local landscaping expert. “It may get thrown out, but it may register with someone,” Korhan said. “You may have to resend it every year.”
- It’s essential, Korhan says, to let a reporter know that you’re available anytime. Give them your cell phone number, and make it a point to promptly return phone calls and e-mails. “These people have deadlines,” he says. You never know when a reporter will need a last-minute landscaping or small-business source.
- Send press releases periodically to give updates on current events or any awards your company wins. Treemendous received coverage following a press release and letter to the editor Korhan submitted about giving his Hispanic employees the day off for the May 1 immigration rallies.
- Also, never underestimate the value of a gift. Although Korhan pointed out journalists aren’t supposed to accept gifts with more than a nominal value, he sometimes personally delivers press releases accompanied by plants to reporters’ offices. This method has helped Treemendous get some ink after winning several local and national awards.
- Finally, ask the writer if you may check your quotes for factual accuracy before the story goes to press. “Not everybody will agree, and some may be downright offended, but most of them want to be accurate,” Korhan said.