Eight easy steps to getting covered in your local press

Rainbow Room International's owners Alan and Linda Stewart list their eight tips for using the local press to raise the profile of your salon.

1. Establish relationships with the correct contacts

It’s important when reaching out to local press that you are contacting the right person. If you are contacting the publication with lifestyle or beauty news, make sure you’re not going to the sports editor. Once you have found the right contacts, make them your go-to when sending news to that publication and try to establish a great relationship with that individual journalist.

2. Ensure your news is newsworthy

When reaching out to local press with news from your salon, it’s so important the news you are sending is newsworthy as otherwise it won’t be featured. Ensure you have an angle for your story or the news you are sending is exciting and something they will want to publish. If you’ve done something charitable this always goes down particularly well with local journalists.

3. Get involved with competitions

Competitions are a great way to get involved with local press and are different from editorial pieces. As an example, at Rainbow Room International we regularly hold competitions with our local press when we have new stylists to help build their columns.

4. Participate in some advertising

Budgeting for some advertising in your local press is extremely beneficial. It creates brand recognition and also shows the publication you are supporting them, which in return, the publication will most likely contact you first with upcoming editorial pieces. If you don’t have a budget, ask your local press to keep you updated with any last-minute deals that you may be able to get involved with.

5. Offer press appointments

Press appointments are the perfect way to build relationships with your local press. Invite them into your salon for a complimentary appointment and show them why your salon is different and why they should write about you in their publication. Many publications also do reviews so if you’re inviting them into your salon for a complimentary appointment there’s a good chance they will review the service and your salon

6. Organise events and invite your local press

Create events that will help you to shout about your salon and its offerings. You can invite local press and bloggers. Network with them during the event, build relationships and provide them with content to publish the news on your event in their publication or platform straight afterwards. Use these events to give journalists the opportunity to speak to you – the salon owner in more detail and get any information or comments they may require from you as this will help to develop a long-term relationship.

7. Offer yourself and the team for interviews

A simple way of getting extra editorial for your salon is to offer yourself or a member of your team for interviews as and when a journalist needs someone to provide a comment. You are the expert and as an expert you will often be asked to provide your opinion on trends or hair related features. This is particularly beneficial to do when sending out a newsworthy piece and may entice the journalist to create a bigger story for the publication.

8. Invest in a PR agency

Spending time reaching out to local press can be timely, therefore, we work with a PR agency to make sure we are regularly in contact with our local press and providing them with the latest news from Rainbow Room International. Journalists receive so many emails each day, so a PR agency can send news out on your behalf and chase them up to get you the best coverage.