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Public Relations

Partner Your Small Business with The Right Media

Partner Your Small Business with The Right Media

Developing a great relationship with editors and reporters is tricky. The average reporter receives dozens of daily emails from companies hoping to promote their products. You can still build a great relationship with media professionals to receive free publicity, but you must take the right approach. To create a win-win partnership, focus on the proper media outlets and professionals.

Look for individual reporters who cover topics and issues relevant to your company. Read their stories and become familiar with their interests. Get a feel for the angles they take. Most reporters will only write about new products with real news. Your goal is to become a reliable source for quotes, background information, opinions, or even breaking news.

Contacting Journalists:

  • Information sent to journalists who don’t cover that subject will be ignored.
  • A non-targeted "pitch" will be ignored. Refrain from sending the same information to hundreds of journalists. Do your homework and tailor your message to the individual journalist and their media outlet.
  • Journalists might find you. Ensure you’re listed on your company website and other industry sites.
  • Focusing on what your product does will not get a response. Show how your product solves a customer’s problem, and you may provide an excellent angle for a story.

Make the Approach

Getting mentioned in the news or the right publication is great for public relations and marketing. Media coverage confers legitimacy and prestige upon your company and your products. Take the time to finesse your approach to reporters, editors, and other media sources. Follow these steps:

Step One: Tailor Your Message. Read the publication you want to use. Identify the right reporter and create a unique pitch. One size does not fit all. Demonstrate that you know the publication and the reporter’s work by mentioning similar articles. If you can’t find a way to tailor your message, you’re pitching the wrong reporter or media source.

Step Two: Make the Reporter’s Job Easier. Don’t just describe your product, service, or news – show how it fits into a larger context. Help the reporter understand market trends or consumer trends. Provide context for how your story is relevant to a broad audience. Provide facts and figures that make subsequent research easier.

Step Three: Show How the Other Half Lives. A great story has depth and balance. Help the reporter understand how customers can or do use your product. Offer to set up customer interviews. Provide case studies if you have them. The more information you can provide, the easier the reporter’s job. Reporters are busy, so making their jobs easier boosts the odds of success.

Step Four: Save the Attachments for Later. Most people don’t open attachments from people they don’t know. Provide enough information in the body of your email to attract interest. Once the reporter responds, you can send other materials.

Step Five: Follow-up. Only contact a responsive reporter. If one does, follow up on any commitments you make to provide further information. This will help ease the workload and deliver value for the reporter.

Plant the Seeds

You can become a valuable media contact even if you don’t have compelling news to share. Reporters need sources for information, reactions, or opinions about their topics. Do your homework and find the right media outlets and journalists; then send your contact information and a brief list of subjects where you can provide knowledge or insight.

Journalists need good sources, and making it easier to find you will work in your favor. The relationship you establish today could turn into valuable press down the road.

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