8 Tips to Help You Get Free & Positive Media Attention

People are always asking me how they can get local news media to cover their businesses. From new product launches, press conferences and company events, nearly all businesses, non-profits and artists are looking for free, positive press coverage. But how do you get the news media to pay attention? After spending nearly a decade as a reporter and producer for newspaper, radio and TV I’ve learned a few tricks of the trade.

So here are a few simple tips for generating more media attention.




THE MORE LEG WORK YOU DO THE BETTER:

It’s a simple premise. Local media outlets are understaffed, under budget and on tight deadlines. The more of the story you can write for them the better. That’s why it’s so important to have a good press release. Spending time writing interesting and compelling press releases can pay major dividends. That means including the traditional “who, what, when, where and why,” but it also means pitching creative, visual and unusual story ideas.

OFFER UP UNUSUAL ANGLES:

What makes your event, idea or product different from the rest? If you don’t answer that question in your pitch, then don’t expect much exposure. Reporters and producers don’t have the time or the manpower to research your company or cause.

As a TV news writer I was constantly writing stories minutes before they went on air. We rarely had more than a few minutes to sift through a stack of daily press releases. So your pitch should include as much information as possible while offering up a few different angles.

Most local TV stations put on several different shows per day. Morning shows, midday news, an afternoon show and the late night news at 11. That’s a lot of airtime to fill. You’ve got a better chance of getting your event covered if it’s something an outlet can tweak, to change things up from broadcast to broadcast. Your goal is to offer up lots of fresh content so they can present it across a broad spectrum of viewers.

Reporters are also under increasing pressure to bring fresh content to the station’s website, as well as facebook and Twitter pages. Don’t be shy about telling the media outlets how your event will benefit their viewers, readers and listeners at home. Spell it out for them.

KNOW WHO YOU’RE PITCHING TO:

All media outlets are different in some way. Familiarize yourself with their styles, so you can tailor your pitches in the most effective way possible. Get a feel for their reporting staff, so you can target specific reporters that cover the kind of stories you’re trying sell.

Be ready with different information for different outlets so they’re not all left reporting the same story. Local markets are very competitive. Sometimes a station might even pass on a story just because another outlet ran it first, or had the same sound bite. Offer up as much variety as you can, so everyone can get a piece of the pie.



MAKE IT VISUAL:

This one is pretty simple. TV news is a visual medium. The more visually interesting your event is, the more coverage you can expect. Find a way to make it exciting and visual, just make sure it’s relevant to the story. It doesn’t necessarily mean hiring a clown to ride a unicycle at a cancer benefit, but if you think you can pull it off tastefully and without detracting from your message then I say go for it.

BE PREPARED:

Okay, You’ve made your pitch and the media is interested. This is where you can really make a difference in the kind of coverage you’ll get.

It’s up to you and your organization to be accessible and prepared for the media. Be ready to offer up any background info quickly and efficiently. Be ready with web links, company video, and most importantly, an interesting message. Offer up clients or customers that can give testimonials about how your product/organization has made a difference in their lives. News outlets always want to hear from real people. And their viewers don’t really care about sound bites from company PR honks.

Maybe most important, be ready to meet with the media before your event. Reporters are on tight deadlines to file their stories and often they have to cover multiple events in the same day. They don’t have time to sit around while you roll out a whole program with multiple speakers. It’s incredibly boring and makes for bad TV. It’s that simple. Meet with the media before your event starts and get your message across early. That way they can shoot a few minutes of video and move on to the next story.

SPEAK IN SOUND BITES:

I know it’s tough to get your point across with just a few sentences, but you’ve got less than 15 seconds to do it. That’s just the way it is. TV news media really only work with three types of story formats. A story without sound will run 25-30 seconds. A story with a sound bite maxes out at 45 to 50 seconds and reporters are told to keep their packages around 1:30. That’s not a lot of time, so it’s vitally important that you stay on message.

Here’s the good news. If you’re prepared with three or four good sound bites, you’re much more likely to see your story run multiple times. Here’s how it works.

I worked on a morning show that runs for five and a half hours. That works out to five separate shows with five different producers. Using new sound bites is the easiest way for those producers to freshen up the story from hour to hour. If they can keep it fresh, they’ll keep running the story.

Here’s the downside. They don’t have time to sift through ten minutes of video to find the good sound bites. Know what you want to say before the interview starts and use those nuggets at the front of the interview. That way the reporters and producers can easily find and log them.

FIND THE CONFLICT (Optional but Recommended):



This tip is mainly geared toward non-profits and artists. The mainstream media will always be drawn to stories with conflict and controversy. In an effort to seem “balanced” they’ll try to present two sides to an issue, even if there aren’t two sides. They want stories that get a reaction from their audience. That means sometimes it’s up to you to create conflict. It may seem sensational, cheap and manufactured, but then again, so is the entire local news industry. That doesn’t mean trying to be outrageous just for the sake of doing it, but be creative. There are lots of ways to get people talking, how you do it is up to you.

If you don’t think you can find any conflict in your story, then find a way to engage the viewers/readers/listeners at home. News outlets are always looking for new ways to interact with their audience. It’s important to find a way to make a personal connection, so they’re compelled to offer feedback.

FOLLOW UP:

Newsrooms are incredibly busy places, and traditional media outlets get dozens of press releases and story pitches everyday, so it’s really important not to get discouraged. Try and make your pitch several days or even weeks before your event. Don’t be afraid to present your ideas in a few different ways, just keep them fresh and relevant. If a reporter does show interest, try and cultivate that relationship. Reporters rely on their sources, so find ways to bring them fresh and interesting information.

The bottom line... Don’t be shy about telling the media why they need to cover your event and how it will benefit the public. Believe in your ideas and be prepared to present them in unique and interesting ways. Good Luck.

Chris Vanasdalan has nearly a decade of experience working in an out of newsrooms. He’s written, reported and produced for newspaper, radio and TV outlets in Central PA, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. He left the news business in 2010 to start his own freelance copywriting and media consulting firm, called Write Now Indy. He'd love to talk to you about generating free media exposure for your company or organization.

You can e-mail him at ChrisVan@writenowindy.com, find him on facebook, or follow him on Twitter.