I’ve worked in marketing and PR for a number of years and have been very successful getting media coverage for myself and my clients in outlets targeted to their key audiences. I also work on the other side of the aisle as a business journalist so I have the opportunity to see both the good and the bad of media pitches.
It’s a question we hear frequently and, fortunately, one that we never tire of answering: “How can I get media coverage?”
Businesses of many kinds recognize the value that getting their name in the news can hold. After all, it’s a third-party, non-biased, source of information about them, their organizations, products and services that, if positive, can generate goodwill and business. Fortunately, it’s not really that difficult to get great media exposure. The process, though, is quite a bit different than it was years ago. (more…)
Many of the clients we work with are interested in getting media coverage to help establish themselves as thought leaders and build their reputations in a variety of fields. The good news is that it’s much easier these days to get coverage than it used to be, although the PR landscape has changed considerably since the days of sending out news releases via snail mail, calling reporters, and having limited outlets for exposure.
Companies of all types and sizes understand that media coverage can be a great way to get their names in front of audiences of all types. Today’s massive media market means ample opportunity to do just that. And, the good news these days is that you don’t need to hire an expensive PR firm or publicist to get the exposure you’re looking for (although we do offer those services at a very reasonable rate). You may also be interested in our book, 21st Century Secrets to Effective PR, which offers our own tips as well as tips and best practices from many other PR practitioners.Thought leadership is something we talk about a lot, and for good reason: it can be a great marketing vehicle—if done correctly.Because content marketing is so prevalent these days, creating and disseminating content across a wide range of channels (traditional and digital) is more cost-effective than ever before. And people are hungry for useful, relevant content.
What’s the most important thing that any business person should know about working with the media? Relationships matter! I’ve been working with the media for a number of years–both as one of them in my role as a business journalist and on the other side of the relationship as a PR professional. Because I’ve had a foot in both camps for so long, I don’t have the same level of fear or anxiety about working with the media as many often do. I don’t view the media as “the enemy” but as an ally in most cases. I need the media to help me get important messages out to various audiences. The goal:
I list them in order from most impactful, to least. And, while advertising certainly plays an important role for many organizations, media exposure is more credible. Why? Because media coverage represents somebody else talking about you, versus you talking about yourself. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on traditional advertising to get results these days. In fact, there are multiple opportunities for even the smallest of organizations to make an impact. For those seeking to boost awareness, preference and demand for their products and services without investing large amounts of money in paid advertising, the steps are: (more…)
Pew’s recently released analysis of the state of the news media appears, upon first analysis, to be nothing but dismal. The report indicates that newspaper newsroom cutbacks left the industry down 30 percent since its peak in 2000–actually below 40,000 full-time employees for the first time since 1978! Instead of news as we know it, most of these “news” outlets are focused on reporting sports, weather and traffic. Even CNN’s news packages are down nearly half according to the report.
But, for businesses, business professionals and would-be thought leaders there’s a silver lining here. (more…)
There was a long, lengthy and actually quite interesting (for communication nerds like me, anyway…) discussion in a LinkedIn group recently about the proper terminology for a commonly used communication tool designed to generate interest from the media — is it a “press” release, a “news” release, a “media” release or something else? Truth be told, it probably doesn’t matter what we call it — what really matters, pointed out the pragmatists in the group — is whether or not the desired results are achieved. And that created an entirely separate discussion! Regardless of what you call it, is the practice of sending out self-proclaiming statements via “snail” mail or, now, email, a thing of the past? Are there better, more effective, means of generating media attention? The answer–yes, and no… (more…)
Like many writers/PR people, I have been fortunate to have experience in both worlds. As a freelance writer for a number of years I often turn to PR professionals and publicists for assistance in finding sources. And I learn a lot from them about what works and what doesn’t in terms of providing journalists (me, in this case) with useful information. I use the things I learn with my “freelancer writer hat” on when I’m attempting to generate PR/media coverage for my business or my clients.
I’ve learned a lot from the bad examples I see from over-zealous, inexperienced and annoying PR people or “experts.” (more…)
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