I blogged recently about one of the most important principles of public/media relations – which is helping a reporter serve his/her audiences with a relevant story and NOT treating the media as if they’re in business to give you free exposure. So, let’s say you’ve managed to catch a reporter’s attention with a timely, well-thought-out pitch. You’re half-way there, but there’s still time to botch this, so listen up. Most important to remember - reporters,editors, and news producers are overworked and have tons of story ideas competing for their attention. If you’re not ready to deliver on your promise of a great story, they’ll drop you fast.
So, here’s your strategy: make it easy for the reporter to do your story. Here are a few hard and fast tips:
- Be available – accommodate the reporter’s timeframe for interviews/visits to your business. Be as flexible about this as you can.
- Offer photos/video/sound – make sure to mention you have “art” available to augment the story. Publications and news stations may want to know what’s available. Your chances of being covered increase if you can offer the public more than one way to access the story - and that happens through visuals and sound.
- Offer customers or clients for interviews – reporters like to put a “face” on a story, so be sure to mention that you have some customers/clients available for interview if the reporter would like. Don’t forget to clear this with the clients first.
- Work with the reporter’s angle – while you should definitely prepare for an interview with your most important messages, bear in mind that the reporter is not intentionally producing a marketing piece about you. The resulting story – since you pitched it – will most likely be positive for you, so don’t try to compel a reporter gush about you. Remember: the reporter doesn’t work for you.
- Keep it real - never speculate, fudge facts or otherwise misrepresent yourself or your business. Don’t break into jail by lying to a reporter. If the interview strays into an area you don’t want go, there are ways to deal with that. I’ll address that in future blog entries.
- Be a resource (not a nuisance) for reporters – a single interview can be the beginning of a great relationship with an MSM contact--that's mainstream media. For example, if you’re an expert in interior design, chances are you’re an expert in running a business or client satisfaction. You also then can be source in business-,lifestyle-, and DIY stories, to name a few. So, make sure to familiarize with all the subjects a reporter covers and figure out how to stay useful. If you’re accessible and credible, you may get more coverage than you bargained for!
