public relations

Always Think Like a Reader, Listener or Viewer.

Great stories get attention and can lead to promotions, awards and prestige. That's why the media is always on the lookout for the next great idea. Putting together a great angle is the first step in providing ideas to them.

Your goal should be to think like a reader, listener or viewer of the media. What would interest you when you're reading a newspaper or magazine, listening to the radio or watching TV?

To get you thinking, here are 5 questions to consider:

1. Did you recently launch a new product or service?

2. Can you tie-in with a current trend in business or society?

3. Is your business or organization unusual in any way (such as minority-owned, fifth-generation family business, charity that helps a previously ignored group)?

4. Does your business have information that people always want to know about (such as tax tips or nutrition ideas)?

5. What is the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of your business (what makes it unique from other businesses in the industry?)

The answers to these questions are the starting point for creating solid publicity angles. This will lead to great story ideas, and ultimately terrific media coverage for you.

Improve Your Media Relations Skills

You can have all the facts, know what you want to say, and believe that your message is important to your market, yet never get a single media placement. Could it be the way you are communicating?

Listed below are 5 highly effective tips to improving your communication with the media and efficiently increasing media exposure for your company or client.

1. Know the reporter and the publication before picking up the phone. First, build a targeted media list of the publications that may have an interest in what you’re pitching, and then determine which journalists you should be talking to at those publications.

2. Always know how and when a reporter wants to be contacted. Some reporters want phone calls, others prefer email, and still others want news the old-fashioned way – by snail mail. Contacting reporters inappropriately or at the wrong time – such as on deadline – can lead to damaged relationships.

3. Clarify your message before delivering your pitch. Develop a bulleted “fast facts” sheet, especially for phone pitches, that outlines your key message points. Most reporters are extremely busy and will give you only 30 seconds to make your case. They will not bite on your idea if you don’t offer a convincing argument.

4. It is important to make the reporter’s job as easy as possible. Make sure to provide the most important news in the first paragraph. You should also include the company’s URL, as a reporter will often times visit the company’s Web site before calling back.

5. Never make promises you cannot keep. Nothing will squelch a media relationship faster than if you promise something you cannot deliver. Promise to do your best to get the reporter what they need in advance of their deadline, and always follow through. However, if you won’t be able to come through, let them know as early as possible.

Media relations are critical to an effective public relations plan. It is important to develop a strong understanding of the media and how best to communicate with them. Once you develop these basic – yet key – fundamentals, you will improve message adoption, which in turn will generate better results.