By Adam Kress
After 15 years in media, I made the jump to public relations with Ubiquity Public Relations about six months ago. It’s been a fascinating ride, and more than a little educational to see things from the other side of the media equation.
I’ve also been in PR long enough now to start picking up on how some clients can fall short when it comes to media relations. My background touches print, online, TV and radio, so I have a pretty good idea of what today’s media is looking for in terms of stories. These tips below will give you better insight into how the media operates, and how your company can get more coverage as a result.
1. You and your story are only a small part of a reporter’s day
It’s easy for clients working with a PR firm to lose sight of the bigger picture when it comes to where their company ranks on a reporter’s priority list. After all, while a marketing director is full engulfed every day in how to grow his company, a business reporter might be looking at a handful of companies each day, and dozens per month.
The thing to remember here is that while your job revolves solely around your company, a reporter’s job revolves around something different every day. Reporters often say the variety they experience from day to day is their favorite part of their job. With that in mind, understand that your company will always be much more important to you than it is to a reporter. How do you overcome that? Give the reporter a story so compelling they have to pay attention.
2. Obsessing over your press release is a waste of time
Revisions, revisions and more revisions. They may seem critically important as you and your PR firm are crafting a press release, but I promise you the reporter isn’t going to be paying any attention to whether your company is “market-leading” or “an industry leader.”
The reporter is interested only in the news value of what you are distributing. If it’s relevant to their coverage area and significant within an industry, the odds are good you’ll get some attention. Clients are apt to waste a ton of time in the process of making sure a press release matches every single piece of their marketing message. In reality, they should be focused on making their announcement truly newsworthy.
3. Speed and efficiency are the keys to happiness
Let’s say your release is out and a reporter is interested in your story. I’ll give you a little insight into reporter deadlines these days. The deadline is now. As soon as their story is done, it gets edited and is posted...