If you want the media to give your business coverage, you have to know what stories would interest them.
With our years of experience of media relations – from the journalists side of the fence, we know that these ideas should tempt the most hard-nosed news editor:
Do you have a celebrity visiting?
If it’s Barack Obama – or an A or B lister – that might make the national press. If it’s the minister responsible for your field of business, that’s a good story for the trade press. Your local MP or a minor celeb would certainly grace the pages of your local paper.
Are you publishing any newsworthy statistics?
Financial results will certainly be of interest to the business pages – and if you’re BP or BA probably the front pages – while other statistics can also spark stories. For example, when estate agents publish their figures for house-price and house sales that always makes the news.
Have you made any new discoveries or released a new product?
Take inspiration from Apple – anything they produce generates a media frenzy and there’s no reason why your new product can’t get coverage too. I can’t quite promise the blanket coverage of the iPad, and it’s important to make sure you’re targeting the right media. So, if you’ve got a revolutionary product which will allow people to wash their clothes in cold water, then the green press and the women’s pages would be good places to start.
What about human interest?
A client who’s had amazing benefits from using your products – great for the lifestyle pages or woman’s magazines, the retirement of your oldest member of staff – a good solid local paper story
Pegs and hooks
Link your stories to events happening nationwide. For example, time the launch of eco products to Fair Trade Week, a gym could offer post-Christmas and New Year tips on exercise, the hypnotherapist might offer the case study of someone who has given up smoking using hypnotherapy to a woman’s magazine to coincide with National No Smoking Day
If you would like support with your media relations, or would like us to run a media relations training course for your team, call us on 020 8332 6200 or email on info@roughhouse.co.uk.
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Great commonsense points Ann that we all need reminding of. When you’re doing the day to day running of your business it’s easy to overlook some gems of stories. I must publicise the fact that we’ve just created a site for Big Brother winner Nadia Almada – thanks for the article.
Thankyou! I’ve just looked at the new site – very swish. Celebrities will always help you promote stories, so well worth publicising it!