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GETTING INK: DO’S AND DON’TS FOR BUILDING MEDIA RELATIONSHIPS
For many of today’s technology companies, working effectively with media can be crucial to breaking through the clutter and ensuring your message is delivered effectively to your target audience. However, when busy executives are looking at long “to do” lists in front of them, working with media can sometimes seem daunting and trivial. Fear not.
By following a few proven steps, you’ll be on your way to media relations success in no time at all.
Following are five proven “do’s” and “don’ts” to ensure your media relations efforts are delivering the desired outcome.
Do
1. Be aggressive within reason – Most editorial contacts agree that receiving a press release is never a bad thing as long as there’s a news element to the announcement, so don’t be shy and send away. The real challenge comes in generating action once the news is delivered. Be prepared to follow up via phone and keep calling until you get the reporter on the line, leaving a message only as a last resort. Once you connect with the journalist, ask if the present time is the best time to talk and offer to call back if current deadlines are an issue. You want the journalists’ complete attention, so be polite but make sure you have it.
2. Get to the point – Now that you have the attention of your media contact, realize there is a very good chance he or she has not read the news you sent. The journalists’ time is both limited and extremely valuable, so be prepared to deliver your company or product news in 60 seconds or less. Practice makes perfect, so rehearse your elevator pitch before getting on the phone and make sure you are covering all key points. Once you’ve delivered your message, kindly ask for feedback and take the journalists’ responses to heart.
3. Adjust – You just offered the journalist what you might feel is the world’s greatest angle, but chances are he or she doesn’t seem overly impressed. Don’t give up. Realize editorial contacts receive dozens of pitches every day and chances are your idea isn’t exactly what he or she is looking for. Listen to the feedback and determine if your news can be re-tailored to meet the journalists’ specific needs. Don’t be shy, but stay realistic, realizing you are working to provide value and form a relationship that will result in coverage both immediately and into the future.
4. Rock the interview – If you did your job convincing the editor to cover all or part of your story, chances are the next step will consist of a more formal interview. This is your chance to steer the conversation in the direction you want to take it. Use transition statements to highlight your key messages and be sure to answer questions from the point of view of the outlet’s audience. Be prepared with trends and statistics and let the journalist know which statements are proven facts and which are a matter of your opinion, especially when you don’t have sources or statistics available to back your answers. Your editorial contact will appreciate your candor and clarification.
5. Follow up – The interview was the hard part but don’t stop there. Chances are, the journalist is busy and can use a little coaxing to begin writing the story. Follow up regularly with new facts or helpful tidbits, and don’t be afraid to ask, within reason, when you can expect to see the story. Let the journalist know you enjoyed working with him or her and you are eager to see the resulting coverage.
Don’t
1. Don’t use the classic phrase “no comment” – It’s annoying and throws up an instant red flag in the mind of your editorial contact. Instead, offer to look further into the challenging question and get back to your contact shortly with your answer. This will give you the extra time needed to develop an answer and position it in a way that is most favorable to the desired outcome of the story.
2. Don’t use industry jargon – In the technology industry especially, there are acronyms for almost everything. Don’t take for granted that the editor knows all of them. Also, be wary of certain catch phrases that are used often but have little meaning. These “buzzwords” tend to make editors red in the face. Instead of using terms like “end-to-end,” ”best-of-breed,” or “best-practices,” describe specifically how your company or product stands out from others and provides value to your customer base and the industry.
3. Don’t make things up – Similar to saying “no comment,” journalists have the uncanny ability to spot a tall tale from a mile away. Offer to get back to them with your answer, after you have some time to do a little research and put further thought to the question at hand. Make sure, however, to do this as soon as possible as stated to help keep the relationship in tact.
4. Don’t offer comments “off the record” – While some journalists are more willing to actually keep things off the record than others, it’s just not worth the risk. If you say it, consider it public information and expect to see it in the story. Off the record comments “might” work down the line once a trusting relationship has been established, but even then, don’t count on it. Even if the interview is going well and you feel you’ve developed great rapport, be wary of how anything you say “off the record” may come back to haunt you in the end.
5. Don’t pitch vapor – It’s the number one way to kill a media relationship before it even gets started. Be sure to research the outlet Web site, specifically for stories written or edited by your target contact. It’s important to know what he or she considers newsworthy and has covered in the past. Often, trends that affect the broader industry beyond just your customer base will be of interest, as will stories on new or better approaches to age-old business challenges. While items like company awards and executive hires are important, be sure the outlet covers this type of softer news before moving forward with your pitch.
Technology Journalists Speak Out
“I appreciate a pitch that’s already thought through for Forbes. When the email comes it has character, challenge, obstacles overcome, the drama and the result. If you can add to that disruption – clear evidence of how this little company is changing the balance of power against a mighty Cisco or Microsoft or Exxon … our stock and trade is little guy picking on big guy.”
“What you have now is an interest in telling stories more broadly about the innovation, about leadership, interest in turnarounds, rather than the tech itself and its transformation.”
“Pitch an insight, not just about the company in question, but about an emerging trend in culture and business. If you want to help me out, help me along that path. Get me started in that direction. Something that goes beyond ‘come and meet our CEO.”
Journalist Quotes Courtesy Of Sam Whitmore’s Media Survey
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