Everyone loves a good story, but when you’re running a business finding good stories can be challenging.
There was a time when a regular press release would go out to the company’s press list, but how many of these got published? The answer is ‘very few’. But why? Simply because what you think is interesting is not necessarily the same thing that a publication’s editor would classify as interesting.
Editors have to publish material that keeps their audience engaged, or they stop buying/reading the publication. Lower reader numbers mean less advertising revenue – and most publications depend on their ad revenue to stay afloat.
For many companies, regardless of size, coming up with a good story is a major challenge. And, different types of publication will be looking for different styles of story.
What works – and what doesn’t
Let’s start with the down side:
Nobody is interested in a new team member – unless there’s a powerful story about how their appointment will impact on customers/the environment/the community.
Opening a new office or branch won’t get anyone’s attention – unless there’s a compelling reason that affects the readership of the publication.
The launch of a new product has to be sufficiently innovative and leading edge to get past an editor. Editors are not interested in anything that smacks of a business trying to get free advertising, so your latest product needs to fill a gap in the market, fulfil a burning need or be a completely new concept to rate any column inches.
What may get attention:
An interesting profile of your CEO/MD or one of the senior team, with some background and their take on something relevant to the readership.
A thought-leader article. In the right publications, your opinion and strategies on something that your potential clients will find useful could be a good way to get published. Sharing your expertise will add to your authority.
A project that works with a charity – particularly a local charity for local publications. Charities generally get good coverage locally, so something that your company does to support them, consistently and beyond simply donating or volunteering, could make a good story.
Go niche
The challenge for most businesses when setting out on the media trail is to look at the local newspapers and magazines, then at the national dailies. But are they where your ideal clients are looking?
You’ll be far better off getting published in The Caterer if your audience is in the hospitality trades, than in the Daily Mail.
Before you start looking at sending out unsolicited material to the press, do some homework and find out:
- What your target audience actually reads
- Whether these publications accept unsolicited material
- Whether you can contact the relevant editors and open a conversation
Every publication has its own style, so ensure you’re familiar with the publication before contacting the editor. This will ensure that any suggestions you have for articles are relevant to that particular publication.
It’s better to have a small press list of highly targeted publications than a long list of random newspapers, magazines and digital publications.
A little planning and a sound strategy can really pay off.
