Do you have a great idea for a story, but no clue how to get it in the news? Are you tired of pitching press releases the news media simply ignores?
After twenty years of beating the street as a TV reporter, I have a scoop for you: the media needs good stories. But most stories are pitched so poorly, they are lost in the blizzard of faxes that blanket every newsroom.
So, here are five steps to increase your chances of getting covered that even some PR pros don't know:
1) BE UNUSUAL
The old adage about "Man bites dog" still holds true. The news doesn't cover what's normal. We cover the abnormal.
PR whiz Carolyn Alvey knew this when she was trying to raise money for a charity several years ago. Instead of holding a garage sale, she sent out a press release announcing a "Celebrity Garage Sale." Everything from Bob Hope's old golf clubs to Roger Staubach's long-neglected neckties were for sale. By making an ordinary garage sale extraordinary, the media was instantly sold on the story.
2) BE VISUAL
Reporters tell stories with pictures. If the pictures aren't there, chances are the reporters won't be either.
Even the most non-visual story can be made visual if you're creative. A dog biscuit business? Boring. A dog birthday party complete with doggie guests and party hats? Now you're barking up the right tree.
That's what Michelle Lamont did to boost her dog biscuit bakery. She began baking huge dog biscuit birthday cakes and inviting the media to cover the parties. She's had reporters hounding her for stories ever since.
3) CHOOSE THE RIGHT REPORTER
Perhaps the most common mistake even some PR pros make is trying to sell a good story to the wrong person. Most reporters have a specialty, like "crime" or "business."
So, seek out the reporter who will have the most to benefit from your story. Start studying the news. Before you call a TV station or try and pitch the paper, become familiar with a reporter's work. Don't try and sell an investigative story to a reporter who covers entertainment.
4) WRITE LIKE A REPORTER
If I were going to send a press release to a reporter, I'd write the kind of headline that a newspaper would run. And I'd make the rest of the release so conversational that a TV anchor could read it right on the air.
Why is this so important? A major market newsroom gets hundreds of press releases every day. Often the decision on whether to cover your story is made in a matter of seconds. Many times that well-crafted sentence in the third paragraph of your press release is never read.
5) WAIT FOR A SLOW NEWS DAY
The holidays are the slowest "news times" of the year. When government offices are closed, so are most of our sources. Take advantage of it.
In fact, take out your calendar and begin circling government holidays. If the government isn't making news, we reporters are scrambling to find something to cover. Pitch even an average story on a day when the media is starving for news, and you're much more likely to get coverage.
There you go. Now you're armed with knowledge that even some well-paid public relations professionals don't practice. If your idea is unique, visual, and pitched to the right person when the supply of news is running thin, you're in!
Jeff Crilley is an Emmy Award Winning Reporter and author of Free Publicity - A TV Reporter Shares the Secrets for Getting Covered on the News. It's available at bookstores everywhere or online at www.jeffcrilley.com
no-contract cleaning service Des Plaines ..Today's issue of Lean Marketing Champions features tips on doing... Read More
The payoff for business, non-profit or association managers can be... Read More
Whenever a recession or volatility threatens the economy, companies immediately... Read More
Taking your ad and turning it into paragraph-style prose is... Read More
Media relations is a great profession.On good days, I earn... Read More
With all due respect to all those stereotypical males out... Read More
Yup -- it's hot and sticky and you don't feel... Read More
Got a huge need for publicity and a tiny publicity... Read More
Would you like to expand the volume of your business?... Read More
Imagine you're the technology reporter at a daily newspaper. You... Read More
A Press Release is a captive story that can be... Read More
The toughest thing about writing a news release is getting... Read More
Because good public relations can alter individual perception and lead... Read More
It can bite you and waste your public relations budget... Read More
To get someone's name in the newspaper or a product... Read More
Be a ResourceThe media people that are likely to want... Read More
School BusesWhen approaching a school bus: Slow down; If the... Read More
Fiercely combative business, non-profit and association managers use every PR... Read More
As a business, non-profit and association manager, how satisfied are... Read More
Let's say you've called a reporter with some ideas for... Read More
Just because a publication is small doesn't mean that getting... Read More
If you are in Australia at the moment, it is... Read More
Are there secrets to gaining media coverage or is it... Read More
I say public relations can be a matter of survival... Read More
When most people think of media relations, they think of... Read More
bathroom cleaning service Lake Forest ..As a business, non-profit or association manager, occasions will arise... Read More
In competing for a piece of business not too long... Read More
The Internet may have opened worlds for businesses and consumers,... Read More
If you leave a star player sitting on the bench,... Read More
And not results you can measure only in terms of... Read More
Relationships are based on trust-not just romantic relationships, or doctor/patient... Read More
You know that getting publicity is vital to the health... Read More
It's not unusual for clients of service providers to insist... Read More
Have you ever gotten one of those letters from your... Read More
Only two media in Spanish speaking countries offer RSS: the... Read More
Can your PR do something positive about the behaviors of... Read More
Reporters, by nature, are curious people.If you can get them... Read More
If you're trying to promote your store, but you don't... Read More
E-mail is becoming the preferred way to receive media releases.... Read More
Financial planners, the first thing to know about reporters is... Read More
Each of us is exposed to people from other cultures... Read More
Just because a publication is small doesn't mean that getting... Read More
I say to business, non-profit and association managers, a key... Read More
For many of us, the word quality is closely related... Read More
When ABC News anchor Peter Jennings announced he had lung... Read More
NOTE: Brad Phillips was a Producer for CNN's The Capital... Read More
The call came into my office and the voice on... Read More
UNDER FIREA friend whose organization is often in the media... Read More
We'd all like reporters to ask us about our career... Read More
Media relations is a great profession.On good days, I earn... Read More
Public Relations |