The Media is “Looking for News” – Give them what they Want!
The media are (constantly) on the lookout for new, interesting and exciting (news) stories. What this means to you is that the media is entirely approachable. All you need to do is learn how to present “your news” to them.
The Four Key Steps to Obtaining Free Publicity
So how do you go about getting media coverage? It all starts with an angle, followed by a smartly and properly written press release, targeting the right media as a potential outlet for your story and then pitching them your story idea. That’s it. Your PR game plan consists of four key steps; Angle/Story idea, Press Release, Target Appropriate Media, and Pitching Skills.
Creating Your Media Story
How do you start getting free publicity? There are a few ways. The media coverage can be about you, your company, your product, your service, or your industry. It can be consumer-oriented or business-to-business related for trade magazines. Regardless however, the questions below will serve as triggers for the things you need to think about, and answer, that can serve as the basis of a press release you can use to pitch a potential story to the media.
Disclaimer: Here’s what this Article Will do, and what it will not Do
This article will not teach you “how to” write a press release. There is not enough space to do that. There are literally hundreds of books both off line and online that can assist you in this area, some for free, others not. What this column will do for you immediately is provide you with the critical thinking that expands your world from a marketing point of view that will allow you to begin the process of understanding what’s involved in creating a proper PR storyline that can help you potentially obtain free media coverage. So let’s begin.
- Have you earned any special achievements, awards, certificates, designations, etc?
- Have you emerged as a “sales leader” in your organization?
- Have you overcome any “obstacles” personal and/or professional to achieve the accomplishments or status that you have earned?
- Do you have any “inside or secret techniques” you can share with consumers or colleagues about your product or service that provides useful or valuable tips?
- How would you document your rise to success – overcoming obstacles, if any, to become a premier player (in whatever niche you might specialize in). This applies to “your success” either within your sales organization or your industry at large.
- Case studies and Teaching Opportunities – what secrets and/or tips can you share that that would be helpful and/or informative to others? This can be consumers or industry-specific.
The PR bottom Line
Maybe you’re special, maybe you’re not. If you can answer these questions, either any single one of them, or any combination of them, in a press release format, with a word count not to exceed 500, you have a shot at obtaining the media holy grail – FREE PRESS coverage.
Working from this list you can craft a press release that could potentially be of interest to your local and/or industry trade journals, possibly even your daily newspaper or even magazines. Remember, the media are always looking for news. If you package, present and pitch your information the right way, you may very well find yourself in the media spotlight. That’s good for you, and your business. And best of all, it’s free.
Jeff Mustard, The PR Cowboy, is a veteran, award-winning publicist who has wrangled millions of dollars in free publicity for clients. He can be reached through his company: www.TheBambooAgency.com, email, jeff@thebambooagency.com or at: 954-801-8263
