Land Your Ultimate Story With Successful Media Relations
Just think what your dream hit is! While nothing inspires more fear and trepidation
in public relations professionals than media relations; it doesnt have to be much complicated. Remember the following tips and soon you can land your ultimate story.
Have a Good Story to Tell:
If you know youre, starting subject, its easier to write about and to branch details from it. Aside from facts and experiences, dont be afraid to dig into what you know emotionally. Grief, love, joy, how to overcome obstacles, fear, these are all things we know and are the universal human experiences at the heart of great stories.
Whether you are writing about a movie, a sitcom, an opera, a book or a news article, etc a good story must have certain elements such as a theme, a hero, and a beginning, middle and end, to make it compelling. Journalists recognize a strong story within few seconds, so learn how to tell yours quickly and expressive. Thats a good storytelling.
Choose the Audience:
You shouldnt call potential clients without knowing something about their business, similarly dont call the media also blindly. Before you pitch any media outlet,
*Study it.
*Read the publication.
*Watch the show.
*Who covers similar topics?
*Are there contributors to storieswhere you have interests such as food, technology or health?
*What format do they prefer?
The answers will be very different depending on based on who you are pitching.
Build a Friendly Relationship:
Start with your local newspaper and the legal trade publications that cover your geographic area. Not only it is easier to build a relationship with local reporters, but the audience will also be more closely aligned with your prospective client base.
Remember, reporters move a lot. Todays local journalist could be tomorrows national correspondent. Even if a reporter remains with a local media outlet, he / she may still freelance for national publications. No matter where the story is appearing, a journalist, especially one working on deadline, is likely to turn to tried and true experts.
Most media outlets now include the reporters e-mail contact information, so send a quick note introducing yourself and letting the reporter know that you liked the piece and also state why you liked it.
Of course, you can also pick up the phone and call the journalist. It is a good way to quickly establish a good understanding, but remember to spend at least 70 percent of the conversation focusing on the piece and the reporter rather than on you and your credentials. If you do choose to make a phone call, follow up with a short e-mail to ensure that the reporter has your contact information.
Pitching is Fun:
When you are just starting out with this, you will never believe this could ever be true. You will imagine the worst, like crabby journalists hanging up on you or worse, cursing you. Then you land your first big story, and suddenly youve got pitching fever. Here are some quick tips to make those calls easier:
1. Start with an effective introduction: like You havent spoken before. Forget the days of pretending to be a reporters best friend. Journalists dont fall for such things and they actually miss the first valuable minutes of your pitch trying to figure out who you are. Be upfront always.
2. Always ask if a reporter is on deadline. If so, find out a good time to call back, and do.
3. Know your story thoroughly i.e. in & out correctly. This allows you to revise your pitch as you hear objections instead of folding instantly. Know enough to pitch other clients, too. Even if your client doesnt fit this time, another may fit in.
4. Keep on trying different approaches. All journalists have personal preferences about how they like to be contacted so try a variety of techniques. Often a brief, compelling paragraph sent via e-mail is an effective yet unobtrusive introduction.
5. Follow-up is an important step to be done. Many potential leads are lost simply because PR people lack to follow through on them. If a reporter tells you to call back another time, make sure you do so. Also, just because a reporter doesnt answer your e-mail immediately, doesnt mean she isnt interested. It could just mean that she hasnt gotten to any of the 150 e-mails received that day. So wait for a reply from the reporter with hope.
6. There is a fine line between being persistent and annoying, but if you truly know your story and your audience, there is no shame in steadfastly making contact attempts until you get the reporter on the phone. Just dont keep on leaving messages.
Adopt Good Writings:
Adopt a journalistic approach. For example look carefully at how reputable publications such as The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal write a story.
*What is the lead?
*What type of quotes do they use?
*Study different types of stories features, executive changes, and news articles.
For the most part, youll see the inverted pyramid style where the most important information is in the lead and the rest of the story flows from there. Say what you want, but say it simply and plainly. Another sign of weak writing is the use of clichs.
Finally, ever feel like you just cant write that press release. This is a blockage, which often indicates you dont have enough information. So do outside research. Interview a customer. Get another perspective. Then youre sure to end up with a solid product that would appeal to any journalist.
Make it Client Lovable:
Despite all the counseling, strategy, partnerships, writing and more, clients want media coverage. Until the industry creates better measurement systems, a full page Business Week story becomes a tangible product that your clients can hold in their hands and show to their boss.
by: Augustine.jo
How To Make Sure Your Social Media Campaign Will Succeed Are You Using The Right Social Media Networks? Leveraged Opportunities With Social Media Analytics Value Of Silver Is Calculated Immediately Easily Through Carat Of Silver How A Pr Firm Can Provide Value Via Social Media? Social Media Expert By Ontimeworker.com Teligistics Helps Companies To Enjoy Complete Tem With Immediate Cost Impact The Immediate Reaction Of The Organic Skin Care Products How To Invest In A Social Media Company That Guarantees A Profit How To Play Wmv Files On The Quicktime Media Player: Pharma Social Media: Harness The Power Things To Do Immediately After A Traffic Accident Cash 2day: Immediate Money To Handle Any Necessity