By KEENA ALWAHAIDI
@keenaalwahaidi
Amy Doary, renowned TV and entertainment PR consultant,
hails the power of media outreach. If brands and people focus on it, she says there’s a better sense of credibility and legitimacy.
That also may be why beauty professionals should be inclined to find better links to the media. Doary maintains the idea that PR representation can “position you as an expert and thought leader in your industry.” Having that connection to the media is a dire step many professionals might thank themselves for taking.
“If you establish yourself that way, especially with certain media, and you build those relationships, they’ll call you back for stories that are maybe not about certain mascaras – which is maybe something you talked about – but maybe they’ll be a bigger issue, like sanitary practices of makeup artists, or something similar that maybe just isn’t exactly you talking about your specific skill.”
She highlights that industry professionals can then be called in to speak on larger, wider issues within beauty. The public and the media begins to trust their word and their experiences.
“The thing about PR and publicity is that it gives a lot of structure to your communication. It makes it intentional, and purposeful.”
“Whether it’s you on a panel, or it’s you in a media outlet, maybe it’s a salon owner talking about the state of the hair industry during COVID, or fall hair or nail trends. It spreads awareness for who you are, and if you are your brand, it gives you more exposure all together.”
If you’re still wondering what media representation can do for you and your business, Doary encourages businesses to look at their skills and what they can take advantage of. In the beauty industry, the work is so visual that there’s much to get started with.
Doary says these are the “best kinds of stories” for her.
“9 times out of 10, you’re doing something that makes someone look physically different. If you’re doing an online piece, people can actually see what you’re doing and take tips from it. The beauty industry has lots of visually dynamic people and trends and materials. I’d say definitely take advantage of that.”
And if you don’t know where to start, she points out that the beauty industry essentially paves itself into the arms of media representation. She gives credit to the many stories that lie waiting to be told, year in and year out.
“The beauty industryhas lots of visually dynamic people and trends and materials. I’d say definitely take advantage of that.”
Amy’s 5 PR tips for your business
1. Create good content
“That can be videos online, vlogs, something written on your LinkedIn. If you’re looking to get media coverage, you can put a link to the stuff you’ve created as part of your pitch in an email. It just shows where your mind is on certain topics and that you can articulate things about your industry or a certain subject matter. When you’re booking an interview, people will always search you online. Even if you’re not pitching yourself to a media outlet, if someone just hears of you and wants to talk to you, they will search you and
see what’s out there.
2. Find key messaging for your brand
“Key messaging is sort of like core values. They can be used as talking points. They’re a little more specific than a mission statement. They’re good to have in your back pocket and your key messages can change depending on the project you’re doing, or if you launch a new product or a new salon. That way, when you’re creating your content, it’s good to have those messages in mind. It can be a call to action, or it can just be more awareness. It can hone in on what kind of content you want to put out there. To give an interview example: If someone was going to interview you and you wanted people to remember one thing, what would that one thing be?”
3. Be involved in your community
“Corporate social responsibility is how your brand relates to the community. Whatever makes sense for your brand or you personally as a business owner or entrepreneur. I think it’s important to show your customers and your clients where your head is at. That doesn’t mean a monetary donation.
It just means using your platform, talking about issues, having a conversation, being on a panel. When you show where your business is at in terms of community partnership and advocacy, it helps clients know that they’re not just coming for a haircut – which is great – but also what the salon stands for. It can attract different clients, and it sounds corny, but it can also build a bit of community. It’s good PR.”
4. Start thinking about publicity
“I would encourage people to think about the next year and their business. When are you going to have something interesting that you can talk about? There’s going to be something – there’s going to be your store reopening, a cool photoshoot that you’re doing, there’s going to be a partnership coming up. COVID is an angle in itself, it really is. COVID has taken us all for a ride, let’s take COVID for a ride. The media still want to talk about COVID, they still want to talk to business owners about how it’s affected them, the challenges, how they’ve had triumphs. Think about when there might be a good story idea for some sort of media coverage and then think about pitching it. The worst thing they can do is say no.”
5. Connect with other people in your industry
“You can always create brand-building opportunities yourself. Sometimes it’s easier to do it when you have a few people together. If you have a stylist from Toronto, one from Halifax, one from Calgary, and you promote it in your network, you can have some sort of panel that would talk about the current state of the industry in your community, the trends you see coming up – and invite people to join. It can be for charity, it can be free, you can try to market it and have people pay. If you want to be an expert in your industry and you’re not sure how, grab a couple of friends, get a solid idea and get it out there.”
“The beauty industry has timely milestones. Every year, there’s going to be fall beauty trends. Every year, there’s going to be holiday makeup tricks. There’s already built-in angles for media to want to talk to experts, thought leaders, hairdressers, nails techs, from the beauty industry. There’s a lot to work with.”