Integra Communications' PR coaching service is designed for small and growing businesses that need to raise their media profile but are not in a position to appoint a professional PR company. Personal guidance is given over a six month period to help companies construct and deliver creative PR campaigns and be confident to continue their media activity once the six months is over.

A PR coaching service assumes that you are going to undertake the media legwork yourself. However, if you aren't a PR professional it is likely that you will need guidance to:

• Set your goals and agree realistic objectives

Who do you want to reach? What do they read? What other media might you try?

• Identify news and creative ideas which gain coverage

What makes news? How can I manufacture news? Where are the industry/seasonal cycles?

• Edit and review your written work to give it impact

How do I get my news releases noticed? What makes a good news release?

• Find and develop contacts in your chosen print or broadcast media

Where should I send my news release? How can I be sure its been noticed? How can I encourage journalists to feature my news regularly?

Integra Communications founding partner Louise Third has spent her career since 1983 in enterprise. From early campaigning days for Project North East and Shell Livewire UK, Louise went on to pilot the STEP programme for student placements in small firms, developed the Livewire Business Growth Challenge and piloted a Young Entrepreneur Growth programme in South Yorkshire. She was Chairman of the Judges for the Yorkshire TV show 'Enterprize' and spent much of the '90s in UK-wide research, consultancy and policy advising on enterprise.

In 2001 Louise founded Integra Communications with husband Andrew Third in order to increase the volume and depth of UK media coverage of small firms. The firm handles public relations and media communications for several national business support organisations as well as private sector clients. Daily contact with national and regional journalists, combined with a significant writing workload enables the staff to empathise with those who want to handle their own PR. For this reason, and responding to a growing demand, Louise established the PR Coaching programme.

Louise is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, the Institute of Business Advisers, the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She sits on the ACCA Small Business Committee and is editor of the national journal for professionals working with smes, Business Adviser.

Some PR coaches argue that PR agencies are unnecessary in all situations. This is nonsense. A professional PR agency will typically bring skills and experience that makes their services valuable to those with reasonable marketing and PR budgets. These skills will include strong creative writing , an understanding of the priorities of particular news media and journalists, a good reputation with journalists with whom they are dealing every day and the experience of having handled numerous similar clients and situations.

However, employing an agency has to be whole hearted and for the long term. If you don't have the budgets that will pay for at least two days agency time per month for a full year, then the "do your own" route is the alternative until you do. PR coaching allows you to spend your time fruitfully. It is our experience that time is the resource that is at a premium in most small and growing businesses and PR coaching ensures that you derive maximum benefit from the time allocated to PR effort.

We will ask you to commit to the six month course of coaching which will involve around three hours of coach time per month, about half of which will be one to one contact. The charge for each month is £500 plus VAT but watch out for special offers , either advertised on this site or at events that the Integra Communications team attend.

If you want to explore the option of PR coaching more closely give Louise Third a call on 0115 906 1377. Louise will be able to answer questions that you might have and ask you the questions about your PR plans that you perhaps have not yet considered.

Alternatively email us at pr@integra.gb.com

If you want to find out more about Integra Communications visit our main site at www.integracommunications.co.uk