Building awareness of your brand and offerings requires being able to tell your story to the right reporters. However, as more people continue to receive their news from digital and web-based news platforms, traditional newspapers — once the go-to news source — are more short-staffed than ever.
A recent study from Moody’s Corporation maintained that U.S. newspapers and magazines are expected to further decline in 2018. As budgets shrink and publications layoff reporters, having someone who can tell your brand’s story in a clear and concise manner is more important than ever in media relations.
What’s the news?
Having a major announcement is one thing, but getting picked up in your target publications is another. Reporters are bombarded with emails every day and only have so much time. It’s imperative that you share the most important details in a way that allows them to tell a story to their audiences.
Taking the time to consider how your news fits into recent trends in your industry can help you to craft a meaningful story that reporters will want to cover. They are unlikely to write about YOU, they’ll want to write about topics of interest, and your news can be an example of something that is timely.
Who can tell this story best?
Getting your news to stand out also involves making sure it’s read by the reporter who knows the subject best. For example, our client recently held a concert featuring Nick Jonas at its flagship store in San Francisco. Given his appeal and recent wave of success in acting and music, we knew his exclusive performance would be prime news for music, pop culture, and entertainment reporters. We placed these reporters at the top of our lists and managed to secure a feature article and exclusive interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. Increasing your knowledge of reporters and their beats will allow you to see where a story fits best.
What other news angles are there?
If one news angle doesn’t work or isn’t receiving the response you hoped for, consider what other news angles you haven’t explored yet. If it’s a partnership announcement with another company, is there a local angle you can leverage? If it’s a major event such as a new store opening, are there any interesting details about the building or design that you haven’t considered? Asking such questions and digging deeper can help you to flush out key details that reporters can use for a story.
As newsrooms continue to shrink, using the 3 media relations questions above to guide your thought process and PR strategy will help you craft a story that resonates with reporters, and their audiences.
PR 101: 3 essential questions to improve your #PR strategy, via @beyondthearc http://bit.ly/2wfP4ru #mediarelations #comms (Click to Tweet!)
Beyond the Arc – Media Relations
At Beyond the Arc, we have experts in public relations, who are excellent listeners and passionate storytellers. We specialize in recognizing media opportunities and developing creative story angles to build public awareness for brand initiatives.
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