New PR workshop aims to show small businesses how to get in the press

York PR experts Jo Leatham and Linda Harrison have released tickets for a new in-person PR workshop in York to help small businesses to get featured in the media.

In Pitch The Press Like A Pro, being held at Patch on 17th September, Jo and Linda will use their 50+ years of media experience to share practical skills on how to find and send story ideas to journalists.

During the session, which is limited to just eight spaces, each business owner will also get the chance to send their email pitch with a story idea about their business to a regional journalist in Yorkshire. A ‘pitch’ is basically a summary of a story idea which you send to journalists.

Linda, a former regional and national newspaper journalist who now helps Yorkshire businesses to get into the media, said: “If you run a small business, PR is a brilliant way to get publicity for free. It builds credibility and trust and gets people talking about your business, and can have a huge impact. And once you understand how to pitch story ideas to journalists, you can keep using it again and again to keep your business front of mind.

“Getting featured regularly in newspapers, magazines, online, or on the radio or TV, immediately makes you stand out from the crowd. We’re really excited to be launching this unique event in York. Just bring your laptop, and we’ll bring the expert knowledge – and cake.”

Jo, who has over 30-years’ experience in PR and specialises in connecting businesses with journalists, added: “While most people we speak to value the benefits of PR in terms of boosting visibility, increasing customer loyalty and attracting new clients, some don’t fully understand how the media works.

"In this workshop, we will share real examples of pitches that we’ve used successfully to land press coverage and will delve into each business to seek out newsworthy stories that will spark interest with journalists.”
The workshop will be relaxed, practical and interactive. It’s suitable for any business owner, even if you have no previous PR experience.

Linda and Jo, who also run the popular Meet The Media speed networking events in York, will explain how the media works – and how to use PR as part of your growth strategy. They’ll share their time-saving hacks for finding great story angles, and help you to gain the skills and confidence to pitch journalists. There’ll also be lots of time to connect with the other local business owners.

York entrepreneur Laura Howlette, founder of Serenity Home Staging, previously joined Linda and Jo’s Meet The Media event. As a direct result, she went on to secure a fabulous three-page feature about her home staging business in a glossy Yorkshire lifestyle magazine. She then signed up two new clients who contacted her after reading the magazine feature.
Pitch The Press Like A Pro takes place at Patch, York, on Wednesday, 17th September, from 10am to 1pm.

Early bird tickets for the half-day PR workshop are £90 plus Eventbrite fee, and include refreshments and cake. Early bird tickets are only available until 30th August - tickets then go up to £125 plus Eventbrite fee.

Tickets are available through Eventbrite.