How to Get Media Coverage for Your Company

If you own a business it can be challenging to get positive stories about your organization in the news. As a former TV news producer, I have a few tips on how to get through to the media.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Email
• Phone
• Manners
• A good pitch

1. Come up with something creative that the media would be interested in. Think about what you would want to see on the news and what you wouldn't. One story I covered as a producer was sent to me from a local car dealership. The owner had given several of his employees $1,000 because they had quit smoking for a year. I thought this was an interesting angle on an employer keeping employees healthy and positive for the public to see.

2. Once you've come up with your unique idea for your company next you'll create a press release. If you do not know what a press release is than visit the additional resources section of this article. But, basically it is an article written about your company and why what you're doing is newsworthy. This should be clear, accurate and provide all of the details a writer or reporter would need about your company and the story itself.

3. Email that press release to the main news tips email address of the media organizations that you are targeting, along with any producers, writers and reporters that you know personally or that you know cover the area that you are pitching. Send the email a few days in advance of your event. If you do not hear anything than follow-up with a phone call. Be respectful of deadlines. If you call at 4:45 pm to a TV newsroom than chances are nobody will talk to you. They are all preparing for the 5:00 pm show. Try giving them a call at 2:30 pm or a time you can imagine would be a bit slower.

4. Be helpful if the media contacts you about something. I recently created a holiday gift guide. This was something that I created based upon new, noteworthy products that I came across that I thought would be of interest to our audience. I contacted these companies, clearly stating what I was working on and what I needed. This was an exceptional opportunity for publicity for these stores. Some of them never got back to me or were completely difficult to work with. They lost out right then on having their product shown to a huge audience.

5. If you're hosting an event, submit a calendar listing. These can go in the community or calendar section of TV Web sites and newspapers. These are free and just another opportunity to get your message out.

Tips & Warnings

• Know who you want to contact before you call or email. If your story is about your company completely going green, than try to get in touch with an environmental writer. Usually you can do some searches and find out who covers what.
• Be friendly, but not informal. This is business and while politeness is appreciated, you are not buddies with these people and should treat them as professionals on the phone and in your emails.
• Keep a list of the people that you contacted and record when you followed up and what they had to say.
• Watch out for what time you call a newsroom.
• Be persistent, but not annoying. It is ok to follow-up, but if someone clearly is not interested in your story, than stop trying to contact them. It will only help you the next time you go for coverage.

[latiness]

on 4/23/2008 You are good!

[Willi493]

on 4/14/2008 good ideas we are publishing a book this month. We will definitely apply some of these tatics. thank you.