Have you ever heard of the saying, "One person's trash is another person's treasure?" Well, that statement is a true one, but never more so than in the realm of media relations where so many small-business owners find it so difficult to garner media coverage for themselves or their companies. Allow me to illustrate my point below in an actual incident that happened to one of my clients and the lessons we learned from this experience.
One day a new client approached me about getting media coverage for her company. She had tried writing and submitting press releases on her own but with little luck and decided that it was time to contact a media relations company. We made an appointment to meet and we discussed her business and brainstormed about ways in which to secure coverage in a creative and affordable way. During that meeting and subsequent other ones, I became very familiar with her business and learned why she was so successful. But it was in a casual conversation, which had little to do with her business, that I learned about the information that would allow me to secure news coverage for my new client.
This particular client is a visual arts designer and runs a very successful business in the Midwest, but her one true passion since childhood is gymnastics. She participated in the sport as a child. She still follows the sport on television and even incorporates the sport into the name of her company. I learned that she liked to have people take photographs of her performing handstands near historic structures, and that she had done this all around the country.
It was through that conversation that I learned that she even had a photo taken of her performing a handstand just outside of the World Trade Center several years ago. I asked her why she hadn't shared this information with me earlier and she said, "It was such a little thing that I really didn't think it was very important."
In reality, it was that little-known fact that sealed the deal for local newspaper coverage. When I spoke with the reporter, I was able to strategically mention this "little" fact to the reporter and explain that I could supply the actual photo. It mattered less to the reporter that this client was a self-published author and ran a successful business. While all of that information was great, it was the World Trade Center photo that peaked the reporter's interest. In the end, instead of receiving a small blurb in the newspaper, which was what we really expected, she in turn got a front-page story complete with her photo and references to both her business and her love for gymnastics. Plus, this was a very affordable decision because the client could never have afforded an advertisement the size of that article generated.
The point that I'm trying to make is this. Sometimes small-business owners need to depend on the services of communication companies in order to secure media coverage. But whether you are dealing with a big agency or a boutique agency or a freelancer, it's always important to share every detail because sometimes it's the little details, which can make or break a story.
About The Author
Carolyn Davenport-Moncel is president and founder of Mondave Communications, a global marketing and communications firm based in Chicago and Paris, and a subsidiary of MotionTemps, LLC. Contact her at carolyn@motiontemps.com or by phone in the United States at 877.815.0167 or 011.331.4997.9059 in France.
house refresh service Morton Grove ..If you want to know the best way to approach... Read More
PR that really does something positive about the behaviors of... Read More
Sometimes there seems to be no client news worthy of... Read More
It's difficult enough running the day-to-day aspects of a business,... Read More
Think of a triangle. On the left, imagine the story... Read More
Non-news professionals often have a hard time understanding why their... Read More
Excerpted from "Selling Goodness- The Guerrilla PR Guide To Promoting... Read More
The media live by the calendar. Your story pitch might... Read More
The right kind of PR, that is, the kind that... Read More
The call came into my office and the voice on... Read More
The least expensive, most effective way for you to promote... Read More
Public relations is a very important part of the marketing... Read More
Want to get radio interviews and coverage in print publications... Read More
One of the greatest ways to promote your product or... Read More
Something that results in your most important outside audiences doing... Read More
As the year starts to wind down, many businesses and... Read More
For some, public relations works well when their news release... Read More
Have you ever noticed that in communities without big universities,... Read More
As you start getting more media-savvy, you'll find yourself coming... Read More
How to write a press release that generates free publicity... Read More
Yes, and that pressure often comes from a CEO who... Read More
The practice of public relations is often misunderstood, thus overlooked... Read More
The media need you. Need the information and expertise you... Read More
It's hard to imagine a reporter working today who doesn't... Read More
How cool is this? You're a business, non-profit or association... Read More
cleaning service near Mundelein ..Redevelopment is replacing new construction throughout the Greater Boston area,... Read More
The Acai Berry is starting to gain world wide recognition... Read More
Do it by restructuring your business, non-profit or association public... Read More
If a reporter was writing a story about you and... Read More
Always ask, "Is now a good time?"Deadlines in journalism are... Read More
Something that results in your most important outside audiences doing... Read More
Corporations are willing to pay substantial amounts of money to... Read More
What do Monica Lewinsky, Shoshanna Lowenstein, and even Richard Hatch... Read More
Do you want to be quoted by the national press... Read More
What is the true purpose of public relations and how... Read More
For business, non-profit or association managers like yourself, survival pretty... Read More
Business, non-profit and association managers are in a stronger position... Read More
In a media interview, always stick to your main points... Read More
Obviously, it hurts when a promising business project you backed... Read More
Have you fantasized about spreading word of your business on... Read More
I'm what we in the business (the "business" being journalism)... Read More
I mean public relations that presumes from the get-go that... Read More
If you're an online business using public relations (PR) to... Read More
Lights...camera...ACTION.That's what often happens when people think of using media... Read More
The truth is, you CAN attract the support of those... Read More
WHITE NOISEA client recently told me about a fascinating new... Read More
Do small-business owners always have to rely on large PR... Read More
1) Establish Rapport, then get the editor/producer excited.There's not a... Read More
As an entry level position to PR, I found myself... Read More
Maybe it played for Kevin Costner in "Field of Dreams,"... Read More
Public Relations |