A few simple mistakes could be the only thing preventing your brand from getting high profile media coverage.
The good news is, they’re easy to fix.
Here are five of the most common and how you can start getting valuable exposure.
You Aren’t Consuming News
The more news you consume, the better able you’ll be to understand what makes a story.
You’ll start to notice patterns - recurring stories pegged to predictable events or similarities in the way stories are covered.
Spend at least 30 minutes a day actively consuming news. Pay attention which guests / experts appear, what they say, what topics are covered - and think about how you and your business could fit into the next similar story.
You are ‘too busy’:
When opportunity strikes, you have to be ready to go. Your chance might be fleeting, especially in the media world with tight deadlines and limited space. Often, the first person to call or reply to journalists, gets the gig.
Diarise time every day to check the news and remain engaged. Set up Google Alerts (we covered why you need them and how to set them up here [link to blog]) so you’re the first to know when relevant news happens. Each week, make time for brainstorming PR ideas.
You don’t think anybody reads the news anymore:
While newspapers continue to see a decline in readers, people are not losing interest in news. Most people are just shifting to other sources.
Try to vary where you’re getting your news. Look at how similar stories might be covered differently online versus on radio, for example. These growing news sources present more opportunities for you to get your brand out there in different ways.
You don’t know what stories are interesting to which audiences:
Business PR is like any other product - you have to know your customer. If you can’t pinpoint who your key audience is, what they’re interested in, you’ll always struggle to get their attention.
Go back to basics. Build up a picture of who your audience is - age, profession, location, aspirations, family situations, etc. Write it down. That avatar will help you get a feel for where they get their news and what sorts of issues they’re interested in. Now work out where you and your services can add value and insight.
You don’t know who to contact:
Don’t let this lead to paralysis. People end up not trying anyone because you don’t know the specific person to speak to.
Newsrooms change so often that the chances are you’ll never speak to the same person twice, anyway. Just pick up the phone. If you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Don’t be shy, most reporters are desperate for interesting news. You’ll be doing them a favour by getting in touch. Worse case is they say no, but you’ll have made a contact for the future.
And yes, try calling! Don’t rely on emailing journalists if you have a great story, those get lost in inboxes. Call the switchboard and ask for the newsdesk if you don’t have a name and number.
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