Garnering publicity (PR in short) for your general contractor company can be very easy if you just take the time to write a simple press release. In most major newspapers in the country, you will find a business or real estate section and in most cases, these publications want to know about new projects that are happening throughout their county. If you land a new contract and it is substantial, let it be known. Your steps to gaining publicity are very simple.
First you can go online to see if the publication has a website. Here you will normally find guidelines on how to submit a press release as well as to what e-mail address you should send it. Most of the time, the guidelines will tell you requirements like the format and word count as well as any specifications for photo submissions being sent with the story. To be on the safe side, you may want to call the publication and confirm that the contact person is still valid. Sometimes an editor moves on and the website is not updated right away so it is a good idea to check. Usually the person that answers the phone can verify this information but if not, ask to speak to the real estate or business editor, which ever section applies to the publication you are trying to get the publicity. If it is not perfectly clear what type of stories the publication will use, ask the editor if they accept press releases about new construction projects. Find out if they have any requirements, such as the contract value must be $2 million or more.
Your next step is to gather all the important facts about your project such as; the physical address of the project, what company awarded you the contract, what is the value of the contract, the number of square feet and a description of the project. For example, if you are building an apartment building, you need to mention the square feet of the project, number of units, a range of the size of the units, such as 2- and 3-bedroom units, the number of stories in the building and any additional features that are part of your contract. Include things like the construction of underground parking, a computer learning center, a separate laundry facility or any other facts worth mentioning. If your project will be LEED certified (The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System), make sure to mention it in your story.
Start your press release with a title that is catchy like “John Doe Company Lands $10 Million Contract for Innovative Apartment Building in San Diego.” Next, start your first paragraph by naming your company and its location; “San Diego based John Doe Company was recently awarded…” continue writing the first paragraph mentioning all the hard facts. Do not waste your time writing fluff copy, it will get edited out.
Don’t forget to mention the construction team in your last paragraph. Name the project manager, superintendent, architect, engineer and landscape designer and anyone that you feel plays an important part in the building of the project. By naming others in your story, you are not taking away from your glory but gaining friends in the industry that will surely think of you when someone asks them for a referral of a general contractor.
Finally, if you can get your hands on a rendering of what the building will look like when completed, by all means include it along with your article; it is very easy to add it as an attachment along with your Word document. The publication usually wants you to include a photo caption to run under your photo if they choose to use it. You can include it at the end of your press release clearly labeled “Photo Caption.” The photo caption should be brief and be sure to mention your company name. If you are at a loss for how to write one, review the section of the paper you are targeting and read the captions to get ideas. Remember to also send out a press release when the project is completed along with a good quality photo.
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