“Advertising you pay for, but public relations you pray for.”Using the media to promote your business for free!
What is a press trip? A press trip is a visit made to your establishment by a member of the
media - an editor, staff writer, freelance travel writer or
journalist. These visits are also called "media visits" or
"familiarisation (FAM) trips/visits". Writers are hosted by the
venue, either on a complimentary or reduced rate basis.
How does my business benefit from hosting a press trip?
Publications are always on the look out for news, articles and stories to write about. Make sure your business features in the news by harnessing the power of the media to gain valuable free promotion through editorial. Keeping the media up-to-date with what's going on at your business by issuing regular press releases will increase your chances of editorial coverage.
An article written by a travel writer can do wonders for promoting your
business or service from a personal perspective. A travel
writer's opinion is generally viewed with greater credibility than an
advertisement, which tends to be viewed with a degree of scepticism by
the public.
A writer who has sampled some of chef's creations can write with far
greater understanding than a writer who has simply perused the menu.
Likewise, the writer who has experienced the comfort of your
establishment or the excitement of your attraction for him/herself is
in a better position to write an enthusiastic piece based on firsthand
knowledge.
How else does my business benefit?Firstly, businesses featured in our guides benefit from our high search engine ranking. Our Editor specialises in writing for the web and has considerable SEO experience. Additionally, our guides are trusted by our readers and features are far more comprehensive and informative than an entry (paid for or free) in a directory-style site or brochure. 'Yorkshire-Escapes' currently receives more than double the monthly traffic of the official YTB visitor site, so for those businesses who don't have a website, or whose website doesn't rank very well, our features allow Internet users searching for your establishment to find you. And for those who have websites that do rank well, we provide an independent credibility boost.
Secondly, by being independent, we are able to feature many, many excellent small businesses who, for whatever reason, miss out on paying to take part in "official" publicity and marketing drives just because they choose not to pay the 'membership' fee of local and regional Tourist Boards. Put simply, we choose who we feature; we don't care whether you're a Tourist Board member or not.
Our Editor is always happy to put on her "Web Master and SEO" hat and chat to business owners about how to develop their own websites, how to improve the search engine ranking of existing websites, how to get noticed by the media and more.
What does it cost to host a press trip?
In terms of cold, hard cash, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. You should never, ever be asked to pay a fee in exchange for editorial coverage, although a good host should sometimes be prepared to reimburse the writer's reasonable travel expenses - train or bus fare, or petrol costs.
Obviously for accommodation providers, pubs and restaurants there are small in-house costs incurred in hosting a writer - laundering a set of sheets and the physical costs of ingredients used in meals, but the minimal cost incurred in hosting a travel writer on a complimentary
or reduced rate basis can reap huge rewards. The return from a
successful press trip can generate more publicity than you could hope
to buy in terms of advertising.
Enjoy the experience of having a writer or group of writers show an
interest in your business. Building up a good relationship with a
writer can lead to many years of positive (and free!) publicity.
Advert v Press TripAdvertising serves a very useful purpose, as you have total control
over how the ad reads and over when and where it appears. While you
have no direct control over what an editorial article says about your business,
you should not be frightened of allowing a qualified travel writer to
experience what you have to offer, and of course, you DO have direct control over how your business is presented to the writer.
When you host a writer, every event and moment during the trip will
make an impression on them ... from the friendliness of the staff,
to the bed being comfortable, to the taste of dinner.
Consider thisIt can cost hundreds, if not thousands of pounds to place an advert in
the printed press. This lasts for one issue until it becomes chip-wrap or is
recycled. How long does it take your business to recoup this outlay?
By contrast, the minimal outlay your business incurs in hosting a
travel writer will be recouped from the first few guests who book or
visit as a result of reading the article. Online articles have the
additional benefit of being available globally, on a permanent basis,
24/7.
Who is likely to visit my business?
This varies. Large establishments can afford to hire a PR company who
will often organise group press-trips, where several journalists will
be invited by a cooperative of attractions and accommodation establishments to visit
at one time. In these instances, the PR company is responsible for
checking the writer's credentials, and spouses/partners are not normally
accepted on group trips unless the spouse/partner is a professional photographer accompanying the writer.
Smaller establishments are often unable to attract writers, simply
because they either don't know how to contact a writer and/or they don't have the budget to engage a PR agent to promote their business. If you are contacted by a travel writer, you should seriously
consider the positive publicity which can be generated by hosting them. Alternatively, you can take a pro-active approach and contact a writer or quality publication such as Escapes Travel Guides yourself, inviting them to visit.
If Escapes Travel Guides visits you, you can expect the editor or a senior writer, who will usually be accompanied by a photographer.
I'm an accommodation provider. How long should I host a writer for?
There's no hard and fast rule - it's entirely up to you and what you feel comfortable with. As a guideline however, many large hotel groups offer, in return for published coverage, one night's complimentary accommodation for local journalists - eg London-London, two nights for regional journalists - eg London-York, and a maximum of three nights for international writers - eg London-Paris. Subsequent nights are usually charged at a "media rate" ie at cost.
Meals (other than breakfast) are at the discretion of the establishment, but if these cannot be supplied on a complimentary basis, they are generally supplied at cost. However, if food is to be a key focus or main feature of the article, at least one dinner and/or luncheon is normally complimentary.
I'm a restaurant/pub. How should I host a writer?If food is to be a key focus or main feature of the article, meals are normally complimentary. Alcoholic drinks (beer or wine, etc) should be supplied entirely at the discretion of the establishment.
Working with Freelance Writers
Hosting a freelance writerIf you are approached by a freelance writer as opposed to the editor or senior staff writer of a publication, be sure to check them out first!
Make
sure the writer has a record of producing good quality work that gets
published, and that they (preferably) have an existing assignment to cover your establishment/area.
If you are happy to host them, make sure you clearly
establish with the writer what is complimentary (room, meals, soft drinks,
etc), and what, if anything, the writer is expected to pay for (usually alcohol).
Determine up front whether the writer's spouse/partner/children is/are
to accompany them, or whether the writer travels with a photographer.
There can be benefits to allowing a spouse/partner to accompany a writer. An individual writer who experiences your destination with their
partner is more likely to write an enthusiastic piece, as they will
have experienced what you have to offer as they would do were they to
visit as a regular guest. Children are generally not included, UNLESS the writer is writing a
family oriented piece for a family publication, is writing an article where children are the primary focus, or of course, your
business is specifically aimed at children. In such instances, the
return can far outweigh your investment in hosting the writer and
his/her family.
Finally... Be Patient!You may have to wait a while to see the results of hosting a freelance writer, particularly if the article is to be published in the printed medium. It
can take many months for an article to appear in print – so another advantage of gaining coverage in a good online publication is 1. articles can be published quickly, and 2. there's always room for another story, so items don't get "pulled".
Caveat! Newspaper and magazine editors are renowned for pulling a
freelance's piece at the last minute, usually because something more topical has come in. If this happens, don't blame the writer, as
it is not their fault. Deadlines shift, publication dates can change,
editors change! A good writer will always have an alternative market for your story. |
