Coordinated by The Creative Company, Michelle Hanley and Kristin Uttech, of Shelter From The Storm Ministries, spoke with NBC15's Gabriella Rusk on the Weekend Morning Show. Watch the interview HERE.
Is your business getting attention from the media?
What can you do differently to get more coverage? There aren’t simple answers to these questions, and they could be different on any given day.
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Timing is everything. In most cases, reporters wake up every day looking for a story. Most stories are not planned several days ahead, and even more rarely, weeks in advance (unless it’s a special report.) First, you’ll want the news organization to know about your event or story. If it’s an event, send out your initial press release just one week prior. That way assignment editors will put it on their calendars as they look ahead. If you send it too soon it could get lost in translation. Then you’ll want to follow up with a phone call or email on the day of your event or the day before. If it’s a story that doesn’t have a time stamp, think about how it could be relevant to the “news of the day.” For example: say you are pitching a new sustainable effort or product, wait until a relevant day like Earth Day to email your pitch.
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Can’t emphasize this enough: think about the news of the day. Is it a bad weather day? If so, news agencies will be focusing on the weather. If you have a story that can be used as a “sidebar” to the “news of the day,” they will want to talk to you. But if you’re trying to pitch a dinner gala when a winter storm is wreaking havoc on the area, your story unfortunately will get overlooked.
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Sidebar: There are ways around this. Producers don’t want to fill every minute of their entire newscast with the “news of the day.” If they can’t send a reporter/photographer to your event, take pictures or videos and send it to them with information. Journalists work in stressful “go-go-go” environments, and anytime you can make their lives easier they will appreciate it.
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Be persistent, but not annoying. If you find that the media isn’t running your stories, it not be that you have bad ideas, but you may be pitching it wrong. Don’t continue to call the newsroom. You want a good relationship with the press. Take a minute to think about what you’re pitching, and rework it to be more appealing.
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Think about digital. Priority on content for print and television news is greatly placed on digital. Will your pitch make for a catchy online article? Will it get clicks on social media? Ask yourself those questions while writing to the press.
The Creative Company recently executed a successful media campaign for Shelter from the Storm Ministries “Hearts for the Homeless” gala and was able to get at least 3 interviews on several different local newscasts.
Do you want to know more about how The Creative Company can help your business/organization stand out to the press?