Publicity is vital to the health of almost any organization, unless of course you run a dairy farm.
Getting your company's name in print creates a cash-cow you can milk for months, but here's what you may not know: reporters delete most of the e-mails that they receive.
In my days as a full-time reporter -- writing for pulications like The Newberg Graphic, PR Week, MSNBC, The Triangle Business Journal, the now defunct Utility Spotlight, the Sandhills Business Times (where I am in the odd situation of being a current staff member while the newspaper is also one of my marketing communications clients), Raleigh's Metro Magazine and The Spectator, which was absorped by the Independent Weekly, where I also wrote, Relix and Jambands.com (to name a few of my favorite experiences) -- I received more e-mail than I could ever read. There were pleas and queries and well thought-out story angles, product samples, press kits, press releases, grovels ... I even received a story pitch through instant messaging one time, years ago, which is stepping way over the line, unless you have an established relationship with that person. But that's another topic for another post.
Hundreds of companies are simultaneously looking for news coverage to help vault their product or service into the public eye, so how do you make your pitch stand on its own as "newsworthy?"
First, take the reporter seriously. Don't laugh. Don't even smirk. You might be surprised at how many people don't extend this basic courtesy to professional reporters. Not all journalists are looking for the next subject to sautee, but they are looking for a new story, and with the daily amount of unsolicited material that makes its way into newsroom In-boxes, it's safe to bet that many legitimate pitches are being trashed before being read. That is, if they indeed finds their way past the spam filters and into a reporter's In-box, but again that's another topic. Right now we're talking about:
Starting a Conversation
It is an interesting sport, as Hemingway once referred to journalism, trying to capture a reporter's attention. You have about 30 words (not seconds, words) to rattle off your pitch over the phone, at which time the reporter says "no thanks," and hangs up, or you get to continue with your schpiel, revealing more detail about the story's angle and why it fits the editorial direction of the publication.
Today, most reporters prefer being pitched via e-mail rather than listening to someone drone on and on about their product or service. A reporter is not likely to jump on your press release, unless your news item involves a multi-million dollar deal, or a significant shuffling of employees, i.e. layoffs or jobs created.
That's OK, though, because if you sent her information that was timely, and focused on the area of news she typically covers, a reporter will appreciate the information and the effort. She may not spend the next several days wondering what valuable nugget you'll send next. In fact, she will most likely move on to more pressing issues, but you've completed a critical step in media relations. You let the reporter know you are available as an expert source when she covers your industry or business niche in an upcoming story.
Now you need to figure out how to:
Stay in their sites
If the reporter doesn't bite at your initial attempt at contact, send her an e-mail the next time she writes an article, complementing her on her coverage of whatever the topic may be. This keeps your name in front of her.
If you managed to get this far without an e-mail response , you can start loading up the heavy ammunition. Go back into the publication's archives and find news stories she wrote that have the potential for a follow up article updating readers on the subject. By reading previous stories, it is possible to learn what types of experts and quotes she will look for in the future.
Write up a press release with comments on a news item affecting your industry. Write "story idea" in the subject line of your message, include salutations and make sure you have double-checked the spelling of the reporter's name. Next, copy and paste your pitch into the body of an e-mail message. Do not send an attachement, unless youb have permission to do so. Make sure to include your contact information on the top of your page. (If a reporter is on deadline and cannot contact you, you have just missed your coverage opportunity.) Follow with no more than three paragraphs that provide more insight into your news story, telling the reporter why this fits into her beat, and how her readers will benefit from the knowledge you can provide.
Avoid being cute, repetitive and the urge to overtly pimp your product or service. If a reporter suspects your sole intention is self-promotion, your story idea will get the axe before she reads the whole paper.
The most important thing to remember is that you are trying to nurture a relationship here, and just like anyone involved in a relationship, reporters appreciate it when you watch out for their interests.
But do yourself a favor. Never try to hug a reporter, even if he seems like he really needs one.
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