Surefire Ways to Get Exposure in the Media!

Relationships are critical when it comes to gaining exposure in the nation’s most coveted media outlets. If it is done right, PR provides third-party credibility that captures the attention of customers who are already inundated with marketing messages. Try these tips to get the word out about your company.
•    Pick 10 key media targets and get the contacts of the people who cover stories related to your industry.  Find creative newsworthy angles and pitch them regularly. With a daily newspaper it is most likely a reporter covering a specific beat such as business or health care or an editor who would assign the story to a reporter. If it is a weekly newspaper or a monthly magazine, contact the editor. If it is a TV station, contact a specific beat reporter and/or the assignment desk. If it is a radio station, you should contact either the News Director or the producer of a specific talk show. Blogging offer an opportunity to comment and share with online audiences.

•    Journalists, producers and editors prefer to receive news via e-mail like to be able to verify facts on your web sites or through annual reports.  Put your media materials and/or media kit, news releases, etc. in a special, but easy-to-find section on the site and keep it updated.

•    Journalists use search engines to find stories on topics they are covering.  Post press releases online using key words for your product and industry so that the media can find you as a resource.

•    News is not advertising and promotion and what is important for your business or organization may or may not be important or of interest to the media. Newsworthy information drives the media and story idea is benchmarked against news criteria.

•    Compile a video and photo library that showcases whatever it is you are trying to promote. It will make your story more attractive if you can provide visuals for TV segments or Magazines

•    Develop a creative, attention-getting news hook! Why is this news important to anyone beyond your organization or company? Why is the story significant? How many people does it affect? Timeliness and proximity are important for “ hard ” news stories and novelty and impact are important for feature stories.

•    Avoid hyperbole – Editors and reporters can tell whether your company, product or issue is newsworthy. They don’ t need inflated prose or statements to persuade them.
•    The media is its own machine, you can not control what they say or how they say it…but you can help shape it!