Marketing Tips

How Public Relations Can Boost Your IMTS Success

If you overlook the public relations opportunities that are available as part of your participation in IMTS, you are leaving money on the table. Here are some tips to make this component of your IMTS integrated marketing program a major success.

Public relations is a broadly used term. For our purposes, let's focus on publicity and media relations. Simply put, this means using the trade press to carry positive stories about your company or your products and cultivating a good relationship with editors who cover your company and products.

Publicity differs from advertising - you do not pay for it, which makes it very cost-effective. Your only expenses are generally phone calls and mailings to the media. Publicity has greater credibility with readers because of the implied third party endorsement of your products and services.

Planning Your Program

A well rounded program should include press releases and photos/illustrations on IMTS.com, press releases submitted to key publications for pre-IMTS and post-IMTS issues, press kits available to editors in the Media Center at IMTS and personal meetings with editors during IMTS.

The Elements of a Good Press Release

Make sure it is well-written. Accurate, correctly spelled and well-organized press releases will gain far more attention than those that are not. A good proofreader is worth his or her weight in gold.

A good press release is a one- to three-page document that features news about your company, products or services and is written in the style of a news story.

Here are a few questions to help get started.

• What's new or unique about this?
• Why would readers (your prospects) be interested?
• What problem does it solve?

Use a good headline that announces what the press release is about. Follow that with a strong "lead" paragraph that highlights what is new or different. Short sentences and paragraphs are two other keys to success. In fact, a short press release has more impact than one that goes on and on and includes off-topic information. Be sure to include photos of your product, or offer to provide them.

Be sure to include contact information so that if an editor has a question or wants to conduct an interview, he or she can reach you.

Elements of Good Media Relations

Establish a relationship, especially with the editors of your "key" publications. Make sure they know you and your company and that you are available as a resource at any time.

If you are sending press releases electronically, find out whether editors prefer them as an MS Word document or a .pdf file. Sending the preferred format saves the editor time and gives you a better chance that the press release will be used.

Keep your list of media contacts updated. Today, you can find much of the contact information you need on the internet at the publications' website. Click here for a list of key contacts for IMTS. For the best results, update your list before you send a new press release.

Press Conferences

IMTS Show Management will maintain a list of exhibitor news conferences to minimize conflicts and overlap. The schedule will be posted in the online Media Center and in the onsite Media Center during IMTS. To add your press conference to the master calendar contact Mary Uhrina at 630-240-3139 or clearlywrite@sbcglobal.net.

Exhibitors must make their own arrangements for a press conference (audio visual, catering, invitations/follow-up etc.). All the forms are in your E-Kit. Login and search by "Category" in the E-Kit Forms area. If you will require a room at McCormick Place, use the Meeting Room Request Form (100+ people) in the E-Kit to reserve your room.

More Press Tips

Your IMTS 2008 Press Kit
Virtual Media Center
The Pros and Cons of Press Conferences at IMTS
Add press releases in your Online E-Kit

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