Have you seen your competitors or community organizations mentioned in the media? Maybe it was a blurb in a local weekly or a mention on broadcast news. Either way, if you are wondering how to get media attention for your organization or business, there are some basic rules to keep in mind.

Provide Quality Content

Content is king! It is important to provide journalists with “news they can use.” Think about what your organization or business is doing that would be timely, relevant and of interest to your target audience and share that with journalists who cover that topic for their readers, viewers or listeners. For example, if you own a nursery, you can share information with the media on the best times of year to plant flowers or what fruits and vegetables are best for the home garden.  Doing this not only gets your name out there, it establishes you as an expert or thought leader in your field. Once you establish yourself as a thought leader, reporters may come back to you when they need information for another story related to your expertise. If you run a nonprofit that supports veterans and their families, be prepared to share what your organization is doing in the community to commemorate Veterans Day.

Be Ready When the Media is Ready

The news is a 24/7 operation. And what’s hot today, won’t matter tomorrow.  That means you need to be available when the media is available and interested.  If you decide to reach out to the media, know that they could contact you at any time. Maybe the reporter just wants to ask one or two questions over the phone. Maybe they prefer to do an on-site interview. Either way, you need to be ready when they are.  So, if you get a call asking for an interview on Thursday at 3 p.m., do everything in your power to be available on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Get your Facts Straight

When it comes time for the interview, make sure that you are giving the reporter the correct information.  It’s okay to have a cheat sheet at the ready, so that you can give the reporter the most up to date information and any relevant statistics. If there is something you don’t know, say so, but don’t leave it at “I don’t know.”  Be sure to get back to the reporter, as soon as possible with the answer.  Reporters appreciate knowing they can count on you for information and timely responses.

Follow Reporters on Social Media

Make a point to follow reporters who cover news about your organization or business on their social media platforms.  Doing so will allow you to learn what they are working on and get to know their likes and dislikes. You can use that information to your advantage when you are pitching news stories to a reporter.  For example, if a reporter mentions that she likes to garden, you can pitch her a story idea about gardening.  One thing I don’t recommend is pitching story ideas via social media. Social media is open to everyone, whereas email and phone are private.  Reporters prefer to respond to pitches privately via email or phone.  So, if you see information on a reporter’s social media feed that relates to a story idea that you have, email it to the reporter, don’t post it on the reporter’s social media feed.

Reporters are always looking for story ideas and for people to interview for stories they are working on. The key is to connect with the right journalists, with the right information that will matter to your target audience.  We can help. Contact us today for a complimentary 15-minute call to discuss what news you may have to share and how to best get noticed!