Public Relations Primer, Part I: Packaging Your Story for the Media

Imagine you're in the breakfast cereal business. You make the best corn flakes. So do you just back a truck-load of them up to every supermarket, then wait for the customers to buy?

Of course not. Because you understand that packaging smartly ? the right size boxes, the right look ? is integral to selling your product. It's the same with the key technique to publicity success we've been discussing in this column: marketing your knowledge and expertise to the news media for free exposure.

Your knowledge and expertise are just like those corn flakes. Your "box"-what you sell to the media-is your story. Learn how to package, present and deliver your story and you'll become a publicity success. This month and next, we'll lay out the ten basic steps to turning your knowledge and expertise into stories that the media can use-giving you free publicity in the bargain.

Remember, everything you know about your profession is what's going to make the media give you free publicity. If you're a financial planner, you know how to plan for retirement. You know how to fund a college education?.how to buy a house. You know about starting a business. These are things the media, and their audiences, want to know! You just have to slice, dice, and package all this knowledge into boxes of the right size and look, and the media will buy. Here's how we start:

1) Dissect your knowledge (your corn flakes) into many different stories (your boxes). You figure out how it helps single moms, young couples, retired veterans, the recently laid-off-and you develop a different "box" for each one and sell them to the media separately. In this case, less is more-you maximize your visibility by selling a smaller box to more reporters, more often.

2) Connect the world-and the media's-to your story. The media-and the reading public-love trends. If you can fit an otherwise dull story into a hot trend-you've manufactured publicity gold. That's why Wheaties puts those flash-in-the-pan Olympic medalists on their cereal boxes-it's been the same darn Wheaties for 80 years, but they keep it seeming new by making the face on the front of the box the Olympian that everyone's talking about. Think about how the everyday things you are doing for clients fit into the great story of the day. As I write, the big trend is the sinking stock market. Anything you do that you can conceivably package as story and slap "sinking stock market" on the front is something the media will be interested in.

3) Establish the trend. You don't have to go along with the media trends-every once in a while, you'll spot a trend of your own. If you see or hear something you never have before-say, paid leave for people with sick pets-investigate it. Find out what companies are doing it, who's advocating it, what professional association has accepted it. Find some people who are taking off work to care for Fido. You are like a secret agent for reporters-who are too wrapped up in their next deadline to discover things like this.

4) Assemble the pieces. Bring it all to the reporter-the less work she has to do, the more likely it is that she will use your story. Here's what you need:

You-your basic bio and your credentials

Your story

The trend, whether new or old, that the story illuminates Another expert (academic, not a competitor, obviously) or a study

A real life example

Human beings-they will be the conduit for telling the story

5) Reach the media. This is really two steps. First: What publications do you want to be in? A better question is, what audience do you want to be in front of? Would you rather be telling your story to the readers of the local business publication or to the readers of Highlights For Children? The local business publication, of course, and whatever else your potential customers read. Once you target a few publications, read them religiously. Pay special attention to the "bylines"-the names of the reporters writing each story. Soon you will have an idea of what reporter writes about what industry or sector. And when you are ready with your story, you will know who to go to. You'll be working with a small number of reporters, so you'll be able to form relationships. And if you prove yourself as a great interview and resource, that reporter will use you as a source her whole career.

ned steele works with people in professional services who want to build their practice and accelerate their growth. The president of Ned Steele's MediaImpact, he is the author of ned steele To learn more visit ned steele or call 212-243-8383.

Riverside Chicago charter limousine .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, which flew on Mars in April 2021, became the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on a planet other than Earth.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Thieves who have iPhones can usually detect a hidden AirTag in vehicles they are attempting to steal, and an RFID wallet may not help you.
Genmoji, the latest addition to Apple's Apple Intelligence suite, uses artificial intelligence to generate customized emoji based on text descriptions.
It's easy to find yourself swamped in unread emails. Here are a few simple steps to archiving them and clearing out some of your digital clutter.
Keep your retirement plan safe from data brokers selling your personal information. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to protect yourself and your retirement.
Turo faces scrutiny after tragic incidents involving rented vehicles, raising questions about security measures and regulatory frameworks.
A Chinese company has developed a spherical, 276-pound law enforcement robot that has been chasing down criminals at impressive speeds.
Here are some powerful online sleuthing tricks you can use to check the credibility of a website, see old pictures of places you've lived and even learn more about your neighbors.
Beware scam calls: Avoid unknown numbers and protect your personal information. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about the increasingly common scam.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you crush your New Year's goals with these 12 apps to help you stay on track and succeed.
There are many untapped safeguards and tips you can learn to take your Wi-Fi knowledge to the next level, technology expert Kim Komando shares her tricks.
VPNs ensure privacy; antivirus stops malware. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says both are essential for online security.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson cites a new report that says many people still use weak passwords like "123456," risking their accounts.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a tech support scam used a fake Windows Defender pop-up, tricking the victim to call and download software.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals ways to restore accidentally deleted text messages on your Android phone.
A new study says outdoor security camera apps are among the biggest collectors of user data, including phone numbers, payment details and precise location.
In iOS 18.2 and later, Apple's Mail app enhances email management by automatically sorting messages into distinct categories to help find emails faster.
A virtual private network (VPN) allows computer and smartphone users to mask an IP and create a secure, encrypted connection between a device and the internet.
Android 15's latest feature, Private Space, is like a private vault helping to keep your personal or sensitive apps away from prying eyes.
Cybercriminals have more ways than ever to target teenagers; here are some of the most widespread scams and tricks to watch in order to keep your loved ones safe.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
A humanoid robot named CUE6 has got game. The basketball-playing robot, produced by Toyota, claimed a Guinness World Record for longest shot.
With electronic signatures becoming more common, Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to produce your digital John Hancock for online documents.
Kurt the CyberGuy walks through steps he recommends immediately taking after getting new electronics — like phones or TVs — as gifts this holiday season.

Can Newbies Avoid The Pitfalls?

Yes indeed! If you are a young person who has... Read More

Media Training 101: When 60 Minutes Knocks On Your Door

You never know when 60 Minutes will knock on your... Read More

Can Media Coverage Build An Online Business? You Bet It Can!

As someone with expertise in media relations, I've been asked... Read More

Financial Planners, Follow These Guidelines to Get Free Publicity

Be a ResourceThe media people that are likely to want... Read More

What Does Your Telephone Say About You When You Are Away?

Business to Business relationships come to expect a certain level... Read More

A Guide to Optimizing Public Relations Content

This guide to "SEOing" your PR efforts can help you... Read More

PR tips for business

Question: Why should your business issue a press release? Answer:... Read More

Leveraging Your Reputation - Making PR Work for You

We rely on all kinds of tools and advice to... Read More

PR: The Wildcard Marketing Strategy

What is the true purpose of public relations and how... Read More

Trade Show Tactics Revealed

Being part of a trade show gives small business a... Read More

Nows The Time To Get Christmas Media Coverage

Publicity seekers know that Christmas can provide a bonanza of... Read More

The Key to Great PR

The Key to Great PR is PerseveranceBy Paula Gardner of... Read More

Knowing the Community

You are in business for yourself, but how well do... Read More

Killing Them Softly

The world has woken up to ethical issues in corporate... Read More

Much Ado About A Lot!

I say public relations can be a matter of survival... Read More

PR: Behavior Modification Specialist

While awaiting economic recovery, business needs to attract the attention... Read More

Custom Reasons for Custom Publishing

Once considered the stepchild of the publishing industry, custom publishing... Read More

Life After Press Release Distribution?

A few weeks ago I was participating on an on-line... Read More

Are You Sure You Know What Youre Doing?

Because when it comes to public relations, non-believers can produce... Read More

Anchor Your Relationships

I heard a speaker recently who was talking about how... Read More

Why News Releases Fail

Sorry about my otaku with this issue (otaku = more... Read More

Not Getting the PR Results You Want?

The reason might be this simple: as a business, non-profit... Read More

Media Relations - Ten Essential Tips to Use The Media to Market Your Business

In the 'Age of Scepticism' gaining media coverage is one... Read More

Making Press Releases Work - Creating News Where None Existed

Aren't you tired of hearing how extremely easy it is... Read More

The Truth About Public Relations

The truth is, you CAN attract the support of those... Read More

Lincoln Stretch rentals Lake Villa ..