How to Prepare for Your First Press Trip as a blogger or journalist

Congratulations you’ve booked your first press trip as a blogger or journalist and are ready to write all about it when you get back but what do you actually need to do whilst you are there? These top tips will help you get the most out of the experience, make sure you have everything you need when you come to do the work, and most importantly, manage to enjoy yourself whilst you are there too.

Words: Terri Brown – www.thestrawberryfountain.com

Know what is expected of you

Make sure you have clear guidelines or expectations from the PR or attraction. Check your original emails and make a note of exactly what coverage they want and when. It may be that they want pre-event coverage, live Instagram stories whilst you’re there or a post-visit review to go live by a certain date. Also, make sure you know if there are any specific features they want to cover, for example, if it is a theme park you may have been invited due to a new ride, a restaurant might want you to focus on their vegan menu or accommodation might want coverage on their accessibility. If there is a specific reason for the trip make sure you familiarise yourself with it whilst there so you can discuss it in detail. Also, make sure you know exactly what your press trip includes. Entry tickets, parking, food, drink, gift bags. Every press trip will be different and most just offer entry tickets but if they want you to write about something specific like the quality of the food then ask them to cover the cost of this too. There is nothing more embarrassing than thinking something is included and finding out you need to pay extra on the day

Plan your coverage

Before your trip do some keyword searches and see what people want to know about where you are going and make a list of these questions. Consider the things that you would want to know and add them to your list. One of my most popular reviews appears when people search can I take my dog to…… Even if you do not include all this information in your review you may want to create additional content covering other aspects of the attraction at a later date, especially if it is a new place and the competition for coverage is low.

Alongside your list of review, points make a list of any specific photos you want to include and try and get these done as early into your trip as you can, especially if you want yourself or family members in the pictures. Leave it too late and you might find the kids are covered in ice cream or the photo spots are so busy you can’t get the shots you want without loads of other people’s kids in the background.

Be sure to take this list with you.

What to take

When it comes to packing for your trip ensure sure you have your tickets or press invite to hand. Printed off is always better but if not take a screenshot just in case there is no wifi and you can’t open your emails. Also, make a note of the press contact and their phone number just in case there is an issue on the day.

Make sure your phone is fully charged and take a battery pack if you can. The last thing you want is your phone or camera running out of battery halfway through the trip.

Enjoy the day

Now you know what is expected of you, you have a list of things you want to check out and photos you want to take, it’s time to enjoy the day. In order to do this, I recommend that you allocate a set amount of time when you arrive to take the photos you need and assess the place from a reviewer’s point of view. It may be that you do this alone and let your family go off and explore whilst you work. Once you are happy you have the main photos and key points you need to try and relax and rejoin your group. Then, throughout the day take photos of things you find interesting that you might forget like opening hours, special event posters or activities that your children loved the most, this will act as a reminder when you come to write it up later.

Likewise use the notes or voice recorder on your phone to record things you want to remember like particularly good or bad service in the gift shop, top tips for where to park or things you took with you that were useful or that you wish you had taken. Don’t try and draft the post just quick snippets of information will be enough to remind you when you get home.

Other than that try and relax. Press trips can be absolutely amazing or really stressful depending on how you approach them. It took me a lot of press trips before I truly start relaxing and actually enjoying them. I spent so many of them stressed about the upcoming work, reminding my kids that this was a work event and to calm down, be quiet, don’t do this and don’t do that until I realised that that wasn’t the best way to write a review. By experiencing the day as you would have done had you paid for your trip you are more likely to be able to write an informative post that will actually help your readers get the most out of their trip as you will genuinely discover any issues that other families may have that you can point out as well as any nice surprises that you weren’t expecting.

And one last point – if you do get home and have found you have forgotten to get a picture of something you really wanted to include, or can’t remember the name of a certain ride then email your contact and ask them. They won’t mind at all, most have stock pictures you can use and they are more likely to want a factually correct article than one with bits missing as you forgot the name so left it out.

Enjoy your trip-you can find an example of one of my previous press trips here.