Have a strategy.
Tailor your strategy for each public relations opportunity.
Think about the audience you want to reach and how to create
excitement. An effective part of your strategy should be to
enforce your organization's core messages in
all news releases.
Have a good story.
A news story must have a compelling beginning, middle, and
end. Journalists recognize a strong story within seconds, so tell
your story quickly and succinctly.
Know your audience.
You wouldn't follow up on a potential
business opportunity without knowing something about their
business, so don't call the news media
blindly. Before you pitch to any media outlet, study their work.
Read the publication, watch the show, and listen to the radio
broadcast. Get familiar with the characteristics of the media
outlet you are targeting. Find out about their main audience and
their likes and dislikes. (Internet message boards are good for
this.)
Invest in relationships.
The more you know about the media organization and your
target editor, the better and more confidently you can pitch to
them. Building relationships now
means editors will be more likely to take your call when
you've got an important story to tell. Best of
all, even if they can't offer you coverage on
this particular story, they may refer you to another reporter who
can. As with any relationship, building trust is critical. Keep
your promises, and be on time. Be upfront about what you can and
can't do. You might not be able to do
everything, but reporters will appreciate your honesty.
Think before you speak.
A word of caution: everything
you say to a reporter is on the record, regardless of
disclaimers. You are representing your organization at all times.
The impression that you give has a definite impact on how the
media views your organization.
Monitor your media coverage.
Media coverage shows your success. As a media relations
expert, the end goal is always positive media coverage for your
organization. When your organization is spotlighted in major
media outlets, you bring attention and respect to your
business.
Look for a unique angle.
Look for personal stories that can spur news media
interest. For instance, if a local school board is considering
Linux to save money, focus your story on the human interest
angle. Unusual stories and angles that affect a
media's audience are more likely to get media
coverage than mundane ones.
Know your story inside and out.
Research your story carefully. This allows you to revise your pitch
if the editor has specific needs. You also must be able to answer any questions
that the editor may have.
Be persistent.
There is a fine line between being persistent and annoying,
but if you have a good story and know your audience, it is fine
to make contact attempts until you get feedback from a
reporter.
Follow up.
Many potential leads are lost because public relations
people fail to follow through. If a reporter tells you to call
back another time, make sure you do! Also, if a reporter
doesn't answer your email immediately, do not
assume they are not interested. They might not have had time to
respond to the large volume of emails they receive.
Be creative.
Infusing your media relations plans with innovative
thinking produces stronger, more effective results, so avoid
recycling the same old news releases and fact sheets.
Find information.
Do you sometimes feel like you just
can't write the news release? This blockage
often indicates you don't have enough
information. Do outside research. Interview an industry analyst.
Get another perspective. This investigation can lead to the
information for a great story.
Study and adopt good writing skills.
Use a journalistic approach. Look carefully at how
reputable publications like The New York Times
or The Wall Street Journal
structure a story. What is the lead? What kind of quotes do they
use? Study different types of stories. Features, appointment
announcements, news articles, and opinion pieces can all be
useful in your public relations campaign. Often, you will see the
most important information is in the lead and that the rest of
the story follows. This inverted pyramid style is usually the
best way to organize an article.
Eliminate jargon and techno-speak.
Buzzwords are like bees—they can be
highly irritating. Write with clear language, and avoid
clichés, which are another sign of weak writing.
Expect results.
Media coverage means increased visibility, which
exposes your organization to more prospective customers. The
more people you can reach, the better the impact will be on
your organization.
