So, you want to be on TV? On the radio?
In the newspaper?…Sure you do.
Show of hands — who doesn't want to see their company and its products or services on TV or in the newspaper? What, no hands raised? That's because no matter what product you sell or service you offer, you want to see a story about it in the newspaper or on television. After all, there were many stories about the newest edition of Microsoft's operating system software, so it must be a piece of cake to get the media to write a story about your company. Right?
We've lost track of the number of times a client — either current or potential — has come to us and said, "So, I expect you to get me on Oprah, the network evening news, of course on all of the local TV news broadcasts, the front page of the newspaper, oh and don't forget, interviewed on all the major radio stations. You can do that, can't you?"
Obviously, this is an exaggeration, but in truth, it's actually fairly close to what some clients expect. One of the things we spend a lot of time on is managing client's expectations and working with them to develop a successful — and achievable — media relations plan.
"So, you want to be on Oprah, etc., etc., etc.," we state. "What is it that your company does?"
"We make widgets."
"OK. Anything special about those widgets?"
"Well, no, not exactly."
"How many other companies in the city make widgets?"
"Oh, 'bout 50. But even if Oprah isn't interested, you can get us featured on our local TV news, right?"
"Hmm."
Now that "Hmm" doesn't mean "No." It does mean that we have work to do.
First and foremost, we need to determine what makes your company — and/or your widgets — unique. Maybe it's not really your widgets that are unique. But, you have a revolutionary new manufacturing process to make your widgets and you can produce them four times as fast as your competitors. Or, maybe you're a family-run business and the fifth generation is getting ready to take over. Or, you've developed a widget that is a key component in the next space shuttle mission.
Again, we exaggerate, but you get the point. And while you may not have "hit it out of the ballpark" unique widgets, you probably do have something that separates you from your competitors…something that makes the people who read or see a story about your widgets say "Ah, ha!" as opposed to "Ho, hum." The idea is to find "the hook" that makes people sit up and take notice.
Maybe your widgets really aren't unique and there's nothing you can do to make them that way. However, maybe you are the story. One good way to get the interest of reporters is to be an "expert" in the field. Good media relations can position you as an industry expert; that is, someone they call when something new happens in the field of widgets and they want an unbiased, expert opinion.
You also need to determine who your true audience is and how best to reach them. Sure, maybe your mother would be pleased as punch if you were on the nightly news, and tell all her friends to watch, but are they going to buy your product or service? However, if your widget can be used in airplanes, then the most beneficial place for your information may be an article in the trade magazine, Aircraft Maintenance Technology.
So, to recap, when developing your public relations campaign, you need to think about:
- What makes your product or service unique?
- Are you an expert in the industry?
- Who is your target audience?
- What is the best way to reach them?
However, this just scratches the surface of developing a good PR campaign so stay tuned for more information in future issues of NewsWise.
Working with the media can be an intimidating process – but it doesn't have to be. If you'd like help developing your public relations program, call us for a complimentary one-hour consultation
