Tips From The Newsroom - Part 2

So ..... you read my previous post about press release tips from the newsroom. Right?

Oh, you haven't read it yet? Well, go here and I will wait!

OK. Glad to see you back.

Now what?

So I want to give you a few things you can do NOW to help you actually take action.

1. Research
It is really important for you to do this step before doing anything else. You need to know who you need to talk to and what station, show, magazine, newspaper or website  is the right fit for you. Do your research. Getting the right fit will be the best way to ensure success.

There is another part of this step that is really important and that is staying informed. I hear so many people who say they don't watch or listen to the news and that is just crazy to me ( I will have a whole blog post about this coming up soon. Stay tuned for that). You need to know what is happening in the world, in your country, in your community in order to know when you need to get out there and speak up about your product or service. Information is the key here.

2. Make Contact
This is obviously an important step and can really be the one people fear the most. It is important for you to make contact with someone in the newsroom, at the show or website you are interested in. This step is easier now than ever before. Hit Twitter or Facebook and start searching and then make contact. Just send a short hello, short and sweet.

3. Build A Relationship
This step is where you move beyond hello. Start up a conversation on Twitter or Facebook. Introduce yourself and ask if you can email them sometime at work. Work at building a relationship so that when you do send something like a press release or want to set up an interview you can do it with some ease because you know each other.

4. Do Something... NOW!
This step kind of speaks for itself really! It is important to take those contacts and relationships and do something with them. Send the press release. Make the phone call. Offer yourself up for an interview on a particular topic, issue or product. Just do it!

5. Follow Up
This is just as important as all the other steps. There is no point in making contacts and building relationships in the media industry if all you are going to do is one hit. Make sure you follow up. Send a note to thank them for their time. Make sure to say you would love to connect again, could you send them emails from time to time. Don't let the connection die. Follow Up



Let me know how you do! Connect with me, build a relationship and follow up!

Press Release Tips .... from the newsroom

So you have a great company, product, service or story and you want to share it with the world. And you think you want to send out press releases to all the news organizations all across the city. How do you get noticed? How do you make it past the pile of press releases, emails and stories?

You have to think outside the box a bit. By that I mean you need to make sure you are making yourself  stand out, making sure your release stands out.

Here are just five tips I think might help....

1. Keep it simple
Don't send a two page, dense news release. I likely won't have time to read it, nor will I have the interest. Keep it simple and brief (especially if it is first contact. Send me a longer release once I am interested).

2. Write a great headline and/or opening sentence
Think about what is great about your product, service, company and tell me about it right off the top so I don't have to go searching for it.

3. Give it a HOOK
The best way for me to notice your product, service, company or story is make me care about it. To do that hook it to something happening in the news. For example, March break is approaching and that means lots of families will be traveling with kids on vacation AND you have a service, book or blog that focuses on travel or traveling with kids, so send me a quick release on some news-you-can-use tips on how to travel stress free.

4. Keep in touch BUT don't be a pest
Keep in mind that in my case our newsroom is a busy place and the news is always changing so I might not have time to get in touch on a Wednesday but maybe I will on Friday. So make sure you keep in touch with a quick email, maybe say you will check in with my on Thursday night for a quick phone call.

5. Try, and try ... and then try again.
 Just remember if you are reaching out to a busy newsroom  you might get bumped for news of the day if your story is something that can wait. Don't get discouraged. Sometimes the timing isn't right but if you keep in touch with me I will likely find time and room for it again soon. If I liked it the first time I will like it later.


***disclaimer: These tips are from my own experiences and my own opinions. There are lots of newsrooms and lots of different media outlets that have different criteria for story selection. Sometimes ( well actually a lot of the time) how we choose stories is completely personal and specifically tailored to the show and station we work for so what isn't right for me, could be perfect for someone else.