Use The News
When people ask me how to get their stories in the news, I tell them, “Learn how to Use The News.” In my last post, I talked about learning how to define your story and connect to your target audience. Now it’s time to focus on the nuts and bolts of sharing your story. If you want to get in the news, you need to learn how to best ‘use’ the news to your advantage. Here are a couple tips to get you started:
Make it Matter. Before you start sharing your story with the world, ask yourself, “Why should people care about this?” Are you sharing some expert knowledge or tricks of your trade to improve their jobs or lives? Do you have an exciting community event to invite people to attend? Are you issuing a call to action to help someone in a desperate situation? In short – what’s your purpose in sharing your story? No one wants to hear a commercial. We want useful, relevant, compelling information. So whatever message you’re trying to share, make it matter to your target audience. Personalize it. Create a sense of urgency around it. Tailor it to your audience’s needs. Put yourself in their shoes and constantly ask yourself, “Why should I care about this?” Find that connection and make it happen.
Start Small. When people dreamily tell me how they’d jump at the chance to tell their story on Oprah, I say, “Not yet, you don’t. It’ll just make your website crash.” So many people want to start BIG and launch their story on a national platform. I say just the opposite (especially if you’re operating on a shoe-string budget and acting as your own PR department). Start Small. Picture a ‘spiral strategy’ and grow your story out of your own backyard – in your neighborhood, on your blog, at your kids’ schools, in your community center and coffee house or professional networking group. Again, it depends on WHO you’re trying to reach and where they are. But you can often be most effective at sharing your story by starting in your own backyard and then growing it out from there. This offers you a relatively safe ‘soft launch’ environment in which you can continue to hone the angle and effectiveness of your message. It’s also where your strongest connections likely are – the people who will support you and help you carry your message forward – to give you the strongest foundation from which to launch your story. So take advantage of that foundation and don’t automatically dismiss the notion of ‘starting small.’
Use Social Media. It should go without saying, I know. Social media is one of the most powerful tools we have to allow us to instantly connect with our community. Yet I’m continually surprised by how many folks are still afraid to use it. You gotta get over that. I’m not suggesting you launch your own online media empire, or even your own website. But at least be able to start a simple blog or Facebook page. If you don’t know how, ask a friend. Ask your kids. Ask your kids’ friends. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. If you’re hoping to share your story and connect with your target audience, you have to give that audience somewhere to go, somewhere to drive that traffic, somewhere supporters can connect. Then you can encourage them to ‘like’ your page and share your message with their own networks. You need them to help you spread your message, and you need to make it easy on them to do so. It doesn’t get any easier than simply asking someone to click on a ‘like’ or ‘share’ tab. So take advantage of one of the most powerful, FREE marketing tools at your fingertips. Even if it means begging for help from a 12-year-old.
Use Your Neighborhood News Sites. Starting ‘small’ doesn’t mean ignoring the media. Practically every neighborhood around me these days has its own online news site or blog (if not several) and many are established content partners with major media outlets. They can provide a great backdoor to those larger outlets. It’s one of the latest trends in media, called ‘hyper-local news.’ Which basically means we tend to care most about what’s happening in our own backyards. A multi-car pile-up three counties away from me isn’t likely to grab my attention as much as the broken traffic light at the intersection right in front of my house. That’s where neighborhood news sites come in. Their editors are always looking for interesting, local content, yet they often get overlooked. So don’t overlook them. They can be a great way to spread a story within your own community – and you never know when a story they’ve covered will get picked up by a larger media outlet.
Make Friends in the Media. As the saying goes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. So get to know your local beat reporters and editors. Say you have a story to share about your son’s school. Don’t just send an email to the news desk of your favorite TV station. Find out who the TV and print education reporters are in your community. Email the editor of your neighborhood news site. Ask them if they have time for a quick phone call or cup of coffee. Introduce yourself. Find out what kinds of stories they’re looking for and think about how you might be able to help them. Get ahead of the game and try to build these media relationships BEFORE you need them, so you’re more likely to get that return email or phone call when you really need it. You don’t need friends in high places to share your story - just the RIGHT places.
Finally, Make It Easy On Me. When a reporter or editor contacts you about a story, make sure it’s all set and ready to go. Don’t pitch what you don’t have. Make sure they have the contact information they need for interviews, and make sure those key interviews are agreeable and available. Put on your PR hat and make it happen. Try to schedule interviews and events at a convenient time for folks – and especially reporters on deadline – to attend. Make sure there’s available parking. Offer free coffee or snacks (you’d be amazed at what free food will get you. Especially among reporters without a meal budget). You’re far more likely to make it in the news – when you make it easy on the news to reach you. It’s just one more key lesson in learning how to Use The News to your advantage.
4 Responses 
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