One of the most impactful business books I’ve ever read was Simon Sinek’s, Start with Why. He makes you look inside as to what your why is (the purpose), not your how (the process) or your what (the product ). Why does your company exist? And why should people care? What makes you do what you do?
In the blink of an eye our news climate changed again. We went from months of COVID related stories – and an all consuming cycle of only coronavirus stories to the horrible events that lead to the tragic death of George Floyd in Minnesota and the resulting protests and riots.
Podcasts are one of the easiest ways to get massive visibility for your business. I feel that people often discount the podcast but if you do your research and are a guest on a show whose listeners are your target market, it’s a game changer. Even if the show only has 1000 downloads a month, imagine it’s 1,000 of your ideal customer.
Having a media pitching tracking system in place is super important for your success. Knowing who you pitched, when, and what the response was will help you in the future in learning what types of pitches resonate with the media.
How do you pitch the media? You write them a pitch they can actually use. Most news is written on an 8th grade level. This is so everyone watching can understand, even rushed or distracted. When it’s easy to follow, you are more likely to keep someone’s attention.
Television stations are still hosting interviews with experts who are home. It’s important that you make good TV by knowing how to have a nice set up and good lighting. In this week’s Free Publicity Friday PR Tip, I show you how I’ve set up my living room for the interviews I’ve been doing. In fact, on the last one I did, the reporter said “Wow! This looks great. You’ve obviously done these before.”
Things are changing on a daily basis and states are starting to reopen. It’s a gradual process and unique everywhere. We are now entering a new PR cycle of what happens after re-opening? What does it mean for your industry in your state? And on a whole, industry-wide? We are certainly facing a new “normal” in every industry and this is your opportunity to land media coverage discussing what that is.
Journalists are pitched…. a lot…. so it’s up to you to stand out. How do you make them want to use you? Do something outside of the ordinary. Don’t pitch what everyone else is pitching. Be unique. Be different.
You are an expert in your industry. Use that expertise, not to pitch a story around your expertise but pitch something going on in the world that you can then position yourself as the expert to talk about it.
You can actually be your own public relations manager just by honing in on your story. Everyone has a story to tell. What’s yours? That’s what the media is looking for – what’s your story? It could be a rags to riches. It could be David vs. Goliath. It’s important for you to formulate your “why” and why you do what you do.
The media wants to cover stories that are relevant to the current climate. That could be related to seasonality, holidays, and trending stories. Right now what is relevant is COVID-19. The majority of mainstream news stories are related to that right now.